Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-18


with changes here and there, before
Miss Keller is satisfied. Then, when
the proofs are sent to her, all this slow
process of spelling word after word
has to be gone through once more, so
that each word that Helen Keller
writes goes through her fingers at least
five times. 1t will be satisfaction to
everybody to know that the book
promises to be one of the most success
full biographical writings of the year,
and Miss Keller is likely to reap sub
stantial rewards for the extraordinary
ability and patience which she has
shown in her work.
A woman went into well-known
Philadelphia bookstore the other day
and asked for Mark Twains Grafton
Oh Julias Caesar" The clerk endeav-
ored to convince her that Mark Twain
never wrote or delivered the Grafton in
question, but she was sure she was
right, departing, quite unconvinced,
with the remark that she could proba-
bly, find it somewhere else.
The spring season of book publishing
has advanced far enough for us to take
brief account Of it's value. Briefly
stated. it is as interesting as any other
spring season of the last few years
though books of momentous charac-
ter have not appeared to gid it with ar
additional charm. Novels have been.
as usual. in the foreground, where they
are likely to remain, for if fiction is
ever freely given the first place it is
at this time of year. A great deal has
been said about the increased impor-
lance of American writers in this field.
Mr.. Anthony Hope Hawkins has re-
Gently paid tribute to their activity, and
in divers quarters the rivalry between
English and American romances has
been spoken of with bated breathe. AS
a matter of fact, while there are more
American novels printed now than ever
before. we cannot see that they have
materially affected the importation of
foreign fiction. An abundance of it is
still to be had for the asking at the
book shops, and, be it said, a great deal
of it is we'll worth reading, for all that
some people seem to think that because
we have so many novels Of our own we
ought to read them, and nothing else.
Serious literature, history, biography
and works of travel are as numerous
as we can fairly expect them to be, in
spite of the aggressive claims Of fiction.
New York Tribune.
Some writer who lately preached the
gospel Of adornment to cities argued
| that it paid cities to be beautiful and
| interesting, because it made them at
tractive to visitors. He suggested that
| for Boston (the piece must have been
! in Boston newSpaper) there would be
good money" in a splendid memorial
| to Emerson,-a kind of memorial tenn
pie, which all sight-seers in Boston
would wish to visit, and which would
| come to be a Mecca for the admirers of
the Yankee sage. The suggestion is
still unimproved by Boston, but Har-
| ward College has got so far as to pro-
pose to have an Emerson Hall, to be
devoted to the study of philosophy.
The proposal is far on towards realiza-
ton. Some one has subscribed $4,000;
some one else 10000, and the visiting
| committee on philosophy had raised,
| some weeks ago, as much as $4,000.
The minimum amount needed is $780,
| 900, and that is likely to be in hand
| before May "a, which is the hundredth
/ VI SOIi oil III. ~
| is desired however, to raise as much
money as possible-$200,0OO perhaps
| to make the memorial the more sig-
nificant and adequate. 1t would seem
as if statue of Emerson might well
| be placed near this new building. He
never got rich, nor ever distinguished
himself as gamer of yards against
Yale. He was not physically strenuous
nor meteoric even in his intellectual
feats. But he took time to think. That
was very creditable to him, and should
be imputed to him as righteousness
| Just as faith was to Abraham. And
| having taken time, he thought to re-
markable purpose. That was all he
ever did: just thought about things
things in general-and wrote his
thoughts down and spoke them from
pulpits and lecture platforms and in
conversation. 1t is good time to put
up a statue to a thoughtful man. We
are all for doing, just now-for hustling
and getting there; for rushing the ram
parts of fame and fortune and immor-
tality in automobiles; for cashing in
Tour speculations before they are fully
ripe, and selling experience short. En-
erson, the serene, would look very
proper in Harvard's new quadrangle,
and his influence would be good there.
For, after all, the highest product of
civilization is not war-ships, nor devil
wagons, nor wealth, nor any material
thing whatever, but wisdom. 1t be-
gins, just as it always did, in the fear
Of the Lord and it ends, doubtless as
it always did in love.-Harper's Week
| ly.
''Katherine Frensham'' is the name
of the heroine of Miss Beatrice Hara-
denis new novel-and it is also the title
of the book. George Meredith's lines;
To them it was revealed how they had
1.-THE kindred nature and the needed mind
Il They were two hungry souls that needed
II it.
indicate the motive of the tale. 1t is to
be published as a serial before appear
Il ing in book form.
i Female authors like feminine stars