Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-18
PUBLICATION s

THE STORY OF MY LIFE. BY Helen Keller. With
h aaa,, Letters ,,lsS5 -19oD and Supplementary
From the Reports and Letters Of Her Teacher,
Anne Ann, Mansfield Sullivan, BY John Albert Macy
Washington: William BalIantync & Sons.
1t is difficult to determine which is the
more wonderful Individual Helen Keller o..
Miss Sullivan, her teacher. A reading OF
this book does not appear to lessen the
difficulty, but rather makes it worse, for
1t dlscloses the magnitude of the task
which was set for Miss Sullivan when she
was placed in charge Of the little blind,
deaf and dumb girl In 1887. just before the
Child had reached seven years. Helen KEEL
Ter is indeed marvel Of intelligence, and
nothing in the way of praise for her in
structor can detract from the credit due to
her. But the power of mind which gave
that intellect It's freedom Of expression de-
serves to be placed upon par with the
final product
Helen Keller has been revelation to
teachers of the blind and the deaf Her
readiness to respond to suggestions, her
eagerness to learn, her adaptability to en-
vlronment and her patient acceptance of
her limitations have set a new standard,
which has unquestionabIy had it's strong
influence in benefting all others similarly
afflicted. Tor from the success of the work
with her has grown a new method of in
Structon. She Is one of the most striking
object lessons in education which the end
OF the nineteenth, century produced and
today, her mind perhaps even more active
than though 1t had not been hampered in
expression at the outset, her perceptivenes5
wonderfully acute, her intuition developed
to remarkable regree and her speech re-
stored at last, so that she lacks only sight
and hearing. and in their stead has &C
Quired what is practically a sixth sense
she must be reckOnad inSDiratiOD
those who are blessed with all the facul-
ties ordained by Nature.
1t is impossible to read such passage as
the following in her book without feeling
that it is mistake unreservedly to pity
such one Helen Keller:
Museums and art stores are also sources
of pleasure and inspiration. Doubtless it
will seem strange to many that the hand
unaided by sight can feel action, sentiment
beauty in the cold marble, and yet it is
true that 1 derive genuine pleasure from
touching great works Of art. AS my finger
tips trace line and curve they discover the
thought and emotion which the artist has
portrayed. L can feel in the faces of gods
and heroes hate, courage and love just as
l can detect them in living faces I am
permitted to touch, 1 feel in Diana's pos
ture the grace and freedom Of the forest
and the spirit that tames the mountain lion
and subdues the fierceSt passions. My soul
delights in the repose and gracious curves
of the Venus. and in Barre's CBarye's)
~ OiA@Co eAiO SSSiStS VI eiio JoiiSiC dAS iS-
vealed to me- D.
The book is filled with such expressions
not alone of contentment but Of positive re-
joicing. Instead of pinfng for lost senses,
Helen Keller gives praise in every page Of
her memoirs for the hand which was ex-
tended to her to lift her from the darkness
into the light. -"
author of THE Hound of the Baskervilles" etc
New York: Mcclure, Phillips & Co. Washing
:. ton: Woodward & iLothrop.
Sir Conan Doyle's history of the Boer
war not only gained for him his knight
hood, but 1t established for him a reputa-
ton as conscientious writer Of history
He went to South Africa In the early
stages of the war as an attache of the hos
pital service, volunteering his professional
skill to the cause. While he was working
on Wounded and sick men he was watching
the course Of events and noting causes and
results, and so with his literary skill he
was enabled on his return to prepare
comprehensive statement of the whole
campaign, both from direct observation and
from the information Of others. His work
has been through sixteen English editions
and several in this country. The edition
now produced is the largest and the most
complete Of all, embodying some new mat
ter much Of the old being rewritten for
the sake of additional facts, and the whole
text carefully revised to prune off unneces-
sary harShness of statement The work is
the better for the revision and shows that
the author is not only Industrious, but
conscientious. 1t represents the most COM
prehensive and. the most satisfactorily writ
ten review of the war that has appeared
from the British point Of view.
RICHARD RosNY. By Maxwell Gray. author of
''The Silence OF Dean Maitland' etc. New
York: D. Appleton Co.
Very much like its predecessor from this
pen is the novel Richard Rosny," which Is
good enough to deserve a more distinctive
title. In it a young man commits a crime
under great provocation amounting indeed
to justification. He conceals the fact for
many years and prospers, and finally Is
hunted down by the vengeance of his STEP
brother, whom he has greatly befriended
and who had good reason for rejoicing in
the death Of the hero's victim. The de-
nouement is weakened by a conflict Of fac
tors the tragic climax coinciding with a
romantic climax, the two involving prac-
tically none of the same factors. 1t Is
rather long, too and 'skippable" In places
point rather in it's favor with readers
who are cultivating the art of skimming
But many parts hold the attention sharply
and all phases of the story are we'll writ
ten. 1t is by no means as great an achieve
ment as 1.-The Silence of Dean Maitland"
but it averages well up with the striking
novels of the period s- .='
THE ARTISTIC CRAFTS SERIES OF TECHNICAL,
LANDLORDS; Edited by W. r. Iethaby. III.
SIENERwORK AND JEWEI.RY; a Textbook for
Students and Workers In Metal. BY H. Wilson,
With diagrams by the author and other Illus
trations. New York: d. Appleton Co.
This valuable series Of handbooks, which
started with one on boekbindings, Is de-
signed to direct the attention of young
workers to not only the best methods of
good workmanship but the highest stand
ards of design. They place the crafts on
high plane of artistic excellence. 1t is not
to be supposed fhatra young man or wo-
man with merely the ambition to be busy
at some profitable and artistic employment
could, by reading one Of these books and
procuring the recessary tools and mate
rials learn in short order to be first
class bookbinder or 1eweler. But certainly
such a young person with an aptitude for
one of these crafts, would. upon careful
study of these works, find the way not only
lighter, but easier }}of travel The books
are interesting to those who have no idea
ever of adopting SUCH a craft for even a
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