Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-18

10 SCI III IT, ~ THAT Time HIS Interest
in the book is aroused SO that he can
not rest content until he has read il
through.
He who reads by subjects, following
| lines of interest as they arise, will read
live times as fast as the listless reader
! of mere books, and he will get twenty
times as much out of his reading. 1t
| is a rule of good teaching, and it ap-
plies equally Well to all judicious
| reading, always to have an interoga-
ton point to hang your answer on be-
fore the.answer comes. Answers with
out previous questions are unhar-
messed horses. hard to catch and
hold, and practically useless.
Speaking of the literature of 1891, the
New York Tribune says:
In looking back over the year that is
now dying the reader finds much that is
interesting, ii little that is really memoir
able to recall: The death of Queen Vic
toria produced a food of elegies, but
nothing wholly worthy of the event was
published. Indeed, poetry cannot be said
TO have fourished in the last L months
me best things written. have been, after
all, OF minor character. Lovers o.
literary discussion, of pure criticism,
have had, on the other hand, some good
work put before them. Mr.. j. ChurtoE
Collins brought out in March his volume
entitled "Ephemera Critical and the
vigorous onslaught which he made in that
book upon log-rolling, mediocrity, fiat in
competence and divers other Affections OF
contemporary literature hurt the feelings
of some individuals, but on the whole did
something to clear the air and to advance
the cause of honest thinking and clear
writing. Another good book of essays
London. and a third-.'Modern Prose Mas
ters has only just appeared in New
York from me pen OF Nh. W. {.
Brownell.
In biographical literature the year has
been rich. II has witnessed the puplica-
ton OF Mr.. Rasleigh Holt Whites Life
of Gilbert White of Selborne." of Mr..
Andrew Lang's 1.-The Mystery of Mary
Louis Stevenson" of The Letters of John
Richard Green which through Mr.. Leslie
Stephens admirable editing has the sig
nificance of biographical work; of Mr..
'.Thomas Wolsey," of Mr.. scuddeI's
James Russell Lowell and of more it,
tercsting books, indeed, than it is possible
to name in this place. We have also seen
the completion this year of The Diction-
AIRY OF National Biography" and alas.
hhe death has also been recorded of Mr..
George Smith. the founder and publisher
OF that Indispensable work of reference.
Other matters having personal siSnifi-
canoe might be mentioned. such as the
authorities of The Greek church and the
controversy precipitated around the name
of Robert Louis Stevenson by Mr.. Hen
ley's recent essay on Mr.. Balfour's BIZ
ography OF the novelist, but into the do
main OF perSonalia ii is perhaps scarcely
worth while to enter.
Fiction, of course, has been rampant,
and we refrain from signalizing any Of
the innumerabe novels and short stories;
which have appeared upon the HORIZON
fhe list would De too long, for it would
include in addition to several works of
exceptional interest a remarkable num-
Der OF books possessing merit One OF
the salient literary phenomena of the day
is the high average of excellence attained
by novelists of the second class. # there
have been few brilliant stories published
since Dec. u, 1909, there have been at
least a score which 1t has been pleasure
to read Two cr;tzes have been response
Bile for some gooG work and for more
bad.
The success OF "An EglishWoman's
Love Letters" book that may have its
readers STILL but long since ceased to get
itself raved aboEt-set unnumbered writ
ers to work along epistolary lines, and
boredom at one time threatened TO en-
velop the reading world The popularity
of the historical romance has likewise re-
suited in the infection upon us of "a vast
amount of twaddle. But there nave al
ways been new novels in the perusal OF
which the horrors of the letter writers
and the historical romancers could hap
PLY be forgotten.
One point in book production and in
periodical literature should especially be
noted; illustration has reached hiGn
standard in botf departments, and this
may be said not only with reference -
the work of the artists employed, but
where reproductive processes are con-
cerned The development of the latter
has been extraordinary gratifying, re-
sulting in the publication OF an enormous
quantity of good miscellaneous iliustra-
tons, and especially in the production of
II Rrly- ~ nrt tcfN
and of travel which would not have been
half so interesting If the camera and the
processes aforesaid had not enabled
authors and publishers to accomplish
things scarcely dreamed OF few short
Years ago. The Improvement observed
between the covers of books has been
hardly more remarkable than that Sc,
cured in the pages of magazines ana
newspapers. Altogether the year leaves
pleasant memories.