Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1904-09-30
LITERARY NOTES

The late Thomas b. Reed was a very
entertaining speaker His droll satire
was enough TO stampede his opponents.
The inimitable drawl Of his utterances
made the lash linger 1t is related OF
him that when be was addressing an
audience in the state of Maine, clumsy
man conspicuOusly up In front, man
aged somehow or other TO fall of the
improvised bench TO the floor, causing a
great deal OF merriment. Reed looked
AZ him with mingled expression OF
mirth and madness: then he said very
slowly. II thought il was about time
some Of you were taking tumble to
what / was saying
But Mr.. Reeds great strength as
"stump-speaker lay IN his ability TO
Law things pat. l heard him at Old Or
chard in 1896. when the country was IN
an ugly mood. 1t was this wise states
mans good-nature that tended 10 allay,
rather than TO stir up, the passions OF
his countrymen. AT this time he said
two things-and memorable they are,
one was, You cannot unite shoestring
with temper" The other was, "Some
people attempt to perfect system OF
finance in less time than 1t takes Nature
10 ripen straw berry. October
Woman's Home Companion.
q o o
Bible reading may be on the wane,
but there must still be large number OF
people who hold their interest in the
good book and its stories, judging from
the number of novels and plays on
biblical subjects which have appeared
recently. One house, Mcclure Phillips,
has this season brought cut two books
based on Bible stories. Early In the
Sc ason appeared dramatic poem.
David" by Gale Young Rice, the
author of "Charles Di Tocca," and
later came Florence Wilkinson's book
containing two plays of Israel, David
of Bethlehem" and MARY Magdalen."
The interest of dramstists in Bible sub
ieot began with stephen Phillips's first
religious dramas, but the fact that the
number of biblical plays is increasing
rather than diminishing shows that
there still remains a good deal OF reli-
gious feeling in play.goers and readers.
o o o
1t is the American farmer who mas
paid off our huge indeptement to Europe
who has brought back our secures from
foreign banks, and who has sent Ameri-
can capital around the world LOOKING
for investment
o o o
Two notable campaign articles are an
nounced for the November McOluer's
which is published two weeks before the
election. The last word concerning the
candidates is 70 be written by high
authorizes: Parker By ex.Presideut Clev-
land; Roosevelt by Senator Lodge OF
Massachusetts,. What the two candidates
and their parties represent Will be set
forth clearly by two men well qualified
TO sneak and should give two vivid pct
ures OF these men of the hour.
o o o
Situations are pretty rare in contem-
porary short stories, for the reason that
ANALYSIS has driven them out; but
Francis Howard Williams has an m
common situation IN his tale called'Ihe
Tragic Touch, which appears IN this
months Lippincott's.
o o o
The season of horse racing Is heralded
in Lippincott's Magazine by short
story from Alfred Stoddart, called The
Dark Horse" which everyone will read
for its true pictures of the sport and its
delicious lOve-tale.
o o o
In the past three years, while cur ex-
ports have averaged more than fourteen
hundred million dollars, ARriculture's
share IN the trade has teen neatly nine
hundred million dollars Success.