The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-05

A HISTORICAL NOVELETTE, OF
JAPANESE LIFE IN THE FEUDAL
DAYS.-A more curiously interesting tale
than that told in The Tale Of Akoya by
Gensai Mural, a Japanese novelist, is
rare, The story is that of a japanese
dancing girl and her lover, great
swordsman, who attempts to assassinate
the leader of powerful rival clan. The,
swordsman after the attempted assassi-
nation is traced to the home of the girl,
who hides him under the floor. Those
coming to arrest him fail to search there
at FIRST, and, not finding the youth, are
about to torture the girl to make her
tell where he is hidden, when an older
officer interposes. He gives her her koto,
a kind of either, anu, tells her to play,
believing that if sshe{ has been guilty of
aught of wrong or crime she cannot dis
play the delicacy Of tune she would
otherwise. Akoya sings 1.-The Legend of
the Dance" song quite as quaint as the
story.
The author shows himself at his best
in this story, because the whole spirit of
1t is Japanese His ''Hana, a Daughter
Of Japan" was a study Of the present.
day composite civilization of Japan and
held an incongruity that Jared on the
reader. =.
The Hochi shimbun, Toxic, Japan.
NEW BOOKS BY "ToM" MAssoN.-
A volume of Tom Masson's best humor,
deliberately illustrated, will be published
by Moffat, Yard & Co. early this month.
Mr.. Mason has been associated with
Life for the last twelve years as literary
and managing editor, and his extra ordi-
nary versatility has been constantly in
evidence.
His new book will show him at his
best. 1t will contain over $50 pages. The
cover is from drawing by Charles Dana
Gibson.
The same publishers will issue this
month Jessie Wilcox Smiths new series
of child pictures in color. 1t will be en-
titled "First Steps in a Child's Life, y
and will include five pictures exquisitely
reproduced by photography.
REALISM WITH A TAINT.-The
dreams Of dreamers will not all be real
lied for many a generation to come
the dreams Of this world Of mankind
| living in condition of millennial
cleanness and rest. But what a relief it
would be to have come true dreams
of a clean earth, of a clean social and
moral, religious and political atmos-
phere, and of clean men and women to
live in this earth and breathe this atmos-
phere! One gets so tired of the continued
suggestion or the tainted IN notion as We'll
as in life. Take the story of Miss Darrell,
by Foxcroft Davis. No doubt there are
| women like Mrs Darrell, who would be
tempted by such inducements Senator
Clavering offered, but ten thousand more
| would turn in indignant wrath from such
solicitation. Besides, in the preceding
part Of the story, after her marriage to
Darrell, Elizabeth finds herself in love
with Pelham, and keeps him by her as a
stay to her integrity and purity as a wife:
Credat Judaeus! Then Darrell accommo-
datingly dies, and leaves the way open for
Pelham! And then, the Clavering bust
ness And then, the end
I Doubtless there are such people in the
world, but what is the use Of paradfng
| them, or their kind, in books under pre-
tense Of ''ReaIism?" We don't believe
| that Elizabeth is at all typical of south
ern girls Of the war period or of any
| other period. w. r. K. ;
The Macmillan Co., New York. r.