The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-12-07

tive number both outside and in, Particularly
interesting are the last two articles under the
combined heading, "The Two Great Victorian
Poets" The one on Tenryson is by G. K. Ches-
terton and the Browning is by Edward
Douglas.
Even Dr. Henry Van Dyke who rightly ranks
the warmest adherent and trucst disciple Of
Tennyson, might find a new impetus to his adj
miration in some of Mr. Chestcrton's suggcs-
tions concerning the Victorian poet-laureate,
The following passage is quoted not that It
is by any means considered the strongest para
graph OF the paper, but because of the cxactness
of its defining certain terms of everyday
"Teunysou had not a special talent for being
philosophc poet, but he had a special vocation
for being phosophic poet, This may seem a
contradiction, but is only because Of the Latin
or Greek words we use tend endlessly to lose
their meaning vocation is supposed to mean
merely taste or faculty, just as economy is
held TO mean merely the act Of saving, Econo-
my means the management OF house or COM
munty If a man starvcs his best horse or
causes his best workman to strike for pay
he is not merely unwise, he is uneconomical. So
1t is with a vocation. If this country were sud
denly invaded by some huge alien and conquerng
population, we should all be called to become
soldiers. We should not think in that time that
we sacrificing unfinished work on Cat
tle-Feeding or hobby of fretwork, our bril-
liant career at the bar, taste for painting
in water colors We should all have a call to
arms. We should, however, by no means agree
that we all had vocation for arms, Yet voca-
ton is only the Latin for call"
The Bookman has also a pleasing little article
about the late Frank Norris, whose picture
makes the frontispece of the magazine this
month the article on the "Poecult' holds a spe-
cial charm and the book-reviews, which are, of
course, the raison detre of this particular pub
LEGATION, specially interesting this month.
\
The Christmas Century is extra fine, of course
The deep rich, tones Of Howard Pyie's illus
tratons of his text, THE Travels of the Soul
have a charm that strengthens with continued
thought and contemplation; though the first OF
them is far and away the best.
The article on Warnham Court is interesting
in the facts set FORTH in the style Of their nara
ton, and the accompanying coored pictures are
highly illuminatve.
Musicians, especially those who have studied
abroad, will find Elinor Comstocks story "a
Deceptive Cadence" quite attractive
One takes the liberty of copying bodily the
poem in the Christmas Century by Joel Chandler
Harris called DE Apple Tree
OATS mighty quare tale bout de Appile-tree
In de Pa'dise gyarden whar Adam run free,
Whar de butterflies drunk honey wld Of Nanny
Bee.
Talk bout good times / bet you had EN-
Adam
or man Adam un' de Appile-tree
He woke one mornin' wild a pullin' at his sleeve ;
He open one eye, an dar WIZ Eve;
He shucE her ham wild Honey, don't you
grievep
Talk bout good times bet you dee had en-
Adam
Adam an Eve un' de Appile-tree.
Den Eve tuck a bite err de Apple fruit,
An Adam he bit an den dee scoot
! (Dar S whar de niggers Earned de quick cally-
hoot),
An run an hid behime de fg-tree.
Talk about troubles bet you dee had en-
Adam
Adam an Eve behime de fg-tree,
Dee had der frolics an dee had der filings,
| An den after dat der fun tuck wings
Honey mighty sweet, but bees got stings.
Talk about hard times bet you dee had en-
1 Adam