The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-07-31

William Dean Howells has been
writing Of Paul Dunbar's dialect
poems
He says Of them I'm nothing is
his essentially refined and delicate art
so we'll shown as in these pieces, which
describe the range between appetite
and emoti04, with. certain lifts far be-
yOnd and above the range of the race.
he has produced something
that. however we may critically dis
agree about il. we cannot very we'll
refuse 10 enjoy In more than one
piece he has produced a work OF art.
In view Of this il is interesting to
know that Dunbar has a new book
ready for the autumn. 1t viii contain
negro lullabies and songs about chill
dren. The cook is TO be fully ulustrat-
ed. and brought out as. more or less,
a holiday book. By Dodd. Mead & Co.
The American City: a Problem in
Democracy" by Dr. DelOs F. Wilcox.
is the latest issue in the Citizens. Ii
brary Of Economics. Politics and SOci-
olOgy, edited by DR.. Richard T. Ely for
the Macmillan Company. The authors
concern is not to present an exhaust
i've array OF facts and theories. but to
discuss what seem to him the funda-
mental principles Of the American city
problem and to point out its real rela-
ton to the great problem Of human
freedom as it is being worked out in
American political Institutions The
volume may be considered an extended
and thorough essay on a theme which
has brought out in recent years an i'm
mense body Of literature.
It has frequently been asked how
Joseph Conrad and Ford Maddox
Hueffer. joint authors OF Romance
(BicClure-P hillps). came to couabor-
ate. Mr.. Hueffer's meeting with Mr.
Conrad came about through Mr. Huef-
fer's admiration for Conrad's first book
which the former happened to read
when 1t was in the hands OF a pub
lisher's reader. Once having met, the
two literary men became fast friends.
and now live close by each other IN
Kent, England. In fact, Mr.. Conrad Is
said TO be Mr.. HueRer's tenant Their
latest story. Romance" was planned
in the early days Of their friendship.
and it was Mr.. Hueffer who suggested
the plot. Mr.. Hueffer got his inspira-
ton for it from a celebrated Admiralty
trial Of Cuban pirates. He told the plot
10 Mr.. Conrad, and Mr. Conrad was so
struck with the story that he asked
to be allowed to coIlaborate on 1t. Be
fore the completion OF Romance"
however. The Inheritors," another
Z n = hrfrz ion
lishsd.
Mark Twain's daughter, Miss Clara
Clemens, made a successful debut as a
singer in Florence some weeks ago.
Her voice and her method were warm
~ praised by the Roman papers Miss
Clemens has sung much at private
gatherings Of her friends in America.
and has always won cordial enthusi-
asm for her unusual work. She is
slender and dark. with the most ex-
pressive eyes, and when singing her
pose is one Of intense. concentrated
quiet. The effect, in contrast to a very
mobile. significant voice, is strong and
artistic.
The Macmillan Company is doing the
reading public a genuine service by
publishing in paper covers Cat % cents
a copy many OF the best novels pub
lished in recent years by that firm.
There have. already appeared IN this
series: THE Virginian," by Owen Wis
ter; Calumet k by Merwin- Web
ster; The Choir Invisible" by James
Lane Allen The Heart OF Rome" By
Marion Crawford: The Pride OF Jen-
nico." by Agnes and Egerton CastIss
THE Conuueror," by Gertrude Ather-
ton, and 1.-THE Crisis" by Mr.. Winston
Churchill PAPER and print are both
excellent and the series can be unro-
servedly commended.