Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-30

grown boy; the petite, pretty daughter and
the quiet, clever young secretary. The
scene of the story shifts from Dxfie!d, Me.
to New York, where the newly made consul
visits his wealthy brother and runs afoul
of some of the social harriclGes without
doing damage to himself or to them.
1t then turns to the ocean steamer on which
this happy party is making its way to the
scene of the consular laborS. and next the
consul appears at Boolahackentula. where
there is brisk action. Finally. the whole
group, native monarch, Irish factotum, con-
sui, 'su-suit" and others. is seen at Dix
field once more, and the curtain falls upon
happy combination of couples and detach-
ed individuals. Mr. Griffith renders the
Maine dialect in a way to cause the reader
to long for the hills and lakes of the old
Pine Tree state, and he adds delightful va
rlety to the text by the addition of several
songs OF hrs own composition-jolly bits of
rhythm and humor. The author is we'll
known in the theatrical world. having been
Tor several years acting manager for Mrs
flske, and previously serving in a similar
capacity for Mrs Langtry and Margaret
Mather. During the season of closed thea
tiers he is busily engaged in editing the Hin
Top, published at Poland Spring. Me: as
librarian of the Poland Spring library and
as correspondent at that place for the AS
ISOLATED Press.
LETTERS OF HENRIK IBsEN. Trans.
lated by John Nilsen Laurvik and
Mary Morrison. New York: Fox Duff
field & Co
The lbsen cult, as 1t was once STYLED. has
become an institution, a recognized force In
the intellectual life of several nations II
pervades Norway and Sweden. # &c
strongly in evidence in Germany, Denmark
and Holland; it is gradually coming into
being in France and England and in this
country 1t is to DE noted in many quarters
lbsenism, to adopt word once used in re-
proach and now regarded in a more eener-
Gus light, has been more accurately trans
lated than few years ago, when the works
Oh the great Norwegian were misconceiyed
by large numbers to be erotic melodra-
matlcally realistic and even Incompetent
slbIy mystic. Probably no other modern
writer has been SO variousy INTERPRETED
or misinterpreted. An increasing number
OF readers and piay-goers, however. have
seen in Ibsens novels and dramas the
breadths of great philosophy, somewhat
colored by gloom, but working to the end
OF more wholesome life. He has put his
hnger on some of the soreSt spots in the
body of civilization Naturally such a
man. thlnkin" strongly and daring greatly
with tendency toward iconoclas-n would
be hailed as a pessimist by some readers.
And as naturally he would fall into WAYS
of thinking and writing occasionally dis
tinct from the true purpose of the phiIos-
opher. 1t is these lapses from the conven-
tions of his own role that make Ibsen al
ways interesting, always worth studying
This volume of his letters is to be re-
garded as an index to Ibsens motives in
the preparation of his published and acted
works. He has himself during many years
felt the need of such an Interpretation by
his own hand and has set about the COL
lection of the materials more than once.
1t has remained, however, for the trans
latOrs and editors of this work to put forth
the documents which illuminate the recesses
OF the philosophers mind. AS they note,
the work is necessarily incomplete, for the
contents consist solely of letters from Ib-
sen, and the reader must trace his own
clues to the exciting circumstances, and,
in some cases, to the consequences, Of the
authors letters. A thorough search has
failed to yield any of the letters Ibsen re-
ceived during all the years of his volu-
minous correspondence with his publisher,
Frederick Hegel; his one-time intimate
friend and benefactor, Bjornson, and to
wide range of others, writer's actors
statesmen, politicians and editors. 1t Is
perhaps chiefly in the letters to Hegel and
Bjornson that Ibsen reveals the real man
and sets forth his aspirations and his
aims. There is also interesting series
of letters to George Brandes, who chiefly
served to introduce Ibsen to Germany.
Much personal matter OF a biographical ma
ture is contained in the letters, and Ibsen's
political views. which have always been
as strongly defined as his moral concepts,
are explained perhaps more clearly than
heretofore. The volume is an invaluable
work IN the ndnuS OF any person VINO Is at
all inclined to study Ibsen and to translate
his message into the personal terms which
all philosophy must assume to be of
value.
RIGHT AND WRONG THINKING, the
Undreamed- of Possibilities which Man
may Achieve Through his own Mem
tai Control. BY Aaron Martin Crane
Boston: Lothrop, Lee Shepard Com
pany.
Based upon the doctrines and preachings
of Christ. this book sets forth in striking
language the following propositions:
Mind is foremost in rank among the es-
sentials of mans constitution. Mind action,
or thinking, Is first in the order OF occur