The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-19


strange varieties of human nature
which go to make up the abnormal.
The sketches are in reality the tales
of an old doorkeeper and museum pro-
prletor who tells us through Mr.. Alden,
of the strange experiences he has had
with freaks. In spite of their disabil-
tiles, the two-headed boy and the fat
woman and others of their ill1, live their
lives pretty much as the rest of people,
love and hate and are quite like the
most normal of us. He tells entertain
ingly of a two-headed girl whom he
was showing once in Boston, and who
sat on a sofa, while crowds would
stand in front of her and argue about
her soul, and he quantity says that
Ralph Waldo Emerson himself could
not have drawn better. you've heard
of Emerson" continues the Snowman,
he was what they call philosopher,
and drew better than any freak or
primmer bonner that ever visited Bos-
ton. l went to hear him lecture once,
and it seemed to me he wasn't to be
compared with Artemus Ward. How
ever, that was none of my business,
though at one time did think of max
ing him a handsome offer to join my
combination" The drawing powers OF
Emerson in contrast with the two
headed girl will appeal to ALL even at
this late day. At times the two-headed
girl would become jealous of herself
as represented by the other side, and
a severe tussle would ensue. The
book is rather an entertaining one for
warm day.
Walt Whitman Discussed.
Walt Whitman, who is not allowed
to lie peacefully in his grave and OF
whose work there is more than one
opinion, is up once more for discussion
and two men who knew him we'll in life
are divided in their belief, not only of
his powers, but of his political creed.
A certain Mr.. Eldridge wrote a letter
to the Walt Whitman Fellowship dur
ing its recent convention, in which he
declared that Whitman was a Con-
sentative and not a Radical and did
mot even give implied support to the
Radical movement of his time. Horace
Traubel, another friend and follower
of the eccentric poet, joins issue with
Mr.. Eldridge and says that not denying
that Whitman may have talked in a
strain to give ground for the opinion,
still he is to be judged from his written
work as whole and that this would
not bear out the assertions of Eldridge
TO Whitman, and says, "he was not
Conservative because he was not rad
ical, but because he was radical"
While refusing to ally himself with sa-
cial movements, he was far from be-
ing unsympathetic, but it was the So
cialism which means the lettering of
humanity and not the socialism which
leads to anarchy and assassination,
that had always his hearty support.
He was wont to say: mo doubt these
problems had to be solved, "but that
he thanked God he did not have to
solve Them Things as they are, are
good. But things as they will be, will
be good also. His was catholic SYM
pathy and understanding, everything
that was to better the world was his
doctrine, and he would listen with pa
thence to enthusiastic reformers even
when he comprehended that human
nature would have to travel far before
it would be ready for such changes
In a word, Whitman was genius, and
to a man or woman of genius most
things, even the most extreme views or
Ctopian schemes, are understandable
There is an old French proverb which
runs Ito know all is to forgive ALL" and
so it is that genius is merely a spark
of divine comprehension and divine
patience. 1t is only the narrow mind
that condemns hastily. Whitman was
a genius and he understood.
How to Become a Novelist.
The How To" books, says an ex-
change, have lately been augmented by
contribution entitled, How to Be-
come Novelist" The writer is most
kind to thus furnish short road to
literary prominence and the only
ala rTNiOor fhOIOht in r1ri% I,
1.-THE book, is that many more aspiring
writing mediocre stories, may be in
duced by this VARIABLE little guide
book to try their prentice hands at fic-
ton. In all conscience we have enough,
and while no doubt Mr.. LIE QueuX, who
has told the secrets of his trade, meant
we'll, still it is a question whether he
has not, as is usual with the we'll
meaning, done badly. Mr.. LIE Queux's
message is composed of three parts,
first the aspirant to novel writing
should go through the mill of news
paper work, for thus will he acquire
"a wide and diffuSe knowledge of the
world; to this nobody can say him
nay, but it is also to be hoped that
when he has gone through the mill he
may have learned something of his
own limitations.
His second dictum is that he should
spend years in travel, with his eyes
and ears open. This, of course, is easy
IOI d reporter. All ne mas to do is to
start and have his munifcent weekly
stipend sent to him to various adj
dresses. He further says that a classi-
cal education is no longer necessary
for novelists, thus making it still easier
for the reporter.
Thirdly, he must place himself on a.
level with his readers and not cram
down their Threats his own opinions
Might it be permitted to ask whose
opinions he has to make use of? These
valuable rules for writing fiction are
= a good deal like the cake receints
which tell you to use a cup of this
and cup of that, not mentioning
whether tea or coffee cup, and when If
comes to baking to use your judg-
ment In other words, receipts for
cake are not likely to be used by good
cooks, nor are receipts for novel writ
ing likely to be used by good novelists,
and the whole matter is summed I'D
= by reviewer of Mr.. LIE Queux's in
nocuous performance, in something
quoted from a character in one of Ellen
ThOrnecroft Fowler's books:
L always say that writing is like
flirting; If you can't do it nobody can
teach you to do it; and if you can do it
nobody can keep you from doing it."
Hamlin Garland Indignant.
Hamlin Garland has been misouoted
by the ubiquitous reporters and is inst
ly indignant. He writes a denial of
much he is reported to have laid, to a
literary review, and if he has been
misrepresented, as he states, he has in
deed a grievance. He was invited to
sneak hafOra the Chico