The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-23
BY w. p. Kirkwood.

A BookFuL OF DELIGHTFUL Es-
SAYS.-f there is pleasure, In knowing
how others take the things that impress
you IN life or letters, If there is pleasure
in having now and then a companion Of
Intelligence who can be, and is, frank,
but not quarrelsome about those. same
| Things thensthere is pleasure in Cicero IN
Maine, by Martha Baker Dunn. The
book is for the ingle nook, CHEEKY
addition to the situation when chimney
and fragrant pipe are both drawing well,
tho We fear the author would eliminate
the pipe; and for the steam heated fat,
sans ingle nook and pipe, the book would
be q, godsend, would even MAXI one for
get his deprivations. 1t is book to lin.
ger over, a friend who will take no Of
tense II you, Insist on a long stay with
you, or II after a little you turn to some
thing else. It has brought a period Of
relief to at leastsone fiction-sated review
er. and now has place on his shelves
|~whereto he expects to retreat for, further
alienation Of the pangs Of fictional dys-
pepsia. as g"sS'7S .E
The book takes it's title from the first
essay, a delightfully."- reminiscential and
intimate 1paper about the days when the
author was introduced to Cicero by a
schoolmaster who, as she says, knew
''how to- draw us into the grand circle
where old Rome and young America
all nations, indeed. and all races Of men
were made one and indiyisible in the
deathless continuity Of moral IDEAL"
| One hesitates to say that this or that
essay from the book pleases most. Each
makes a different appeal and all hold
much, very much, that Is worth while.
Amusing, but keen, Is piazza Philoso-
ply" in which the author has for her
damon devils darning needle, an in
sect of rare discrimination and acumen In
this case. One day a Foolish Woman
and a Contrary Young Man had been dis
GUESSING on the authors piazza some OF
sthe fundamental questions when q
Man ofgthe World, who had been a silent
I listener, was appealed and repliet
] With something tnane 5 about Clothes
4 AfterWard the damon remarked Socrat'
Ideally to the author:S 81 w; "
u ut is entirely beyond my comprehen.
sion-this attitude Of you human crea'
lures toward life.; $sN %>E.
"Yes?' was. the tentative reply.
EITHER you are immortal beings" HI
went on, cor you are not. -
"Granted." '~7 szS's''7, .. -. - - -.
IF you are not, nothing matters, and i
/ you are everything matters" II
EXACTLY" " .'% r.
"And instead of settling the question
) or even thinking about it, it would seem
you go on discussing the color Of you
clothes and wondering, what you 'woul'
better have for dinner f.
, We wish that decrfers Of Browning
| and there are some left-could all be mad
!, to read Mrs Dunn's essay on 9TH
Browning Tonic" !. IT. that "dominan
' chord of courage should be made b.
Mrs. Dunn's essay to awaken respons
in the reader, he would never again de
cry Browning, and we hardly see hoy
1.-THE Browning J.. Tonic could fail t
awaken such a response. Isn't Their
something in this to brace one for tn
, long, rough upward road?
;, 7; But what IL fail OF my purpose here? ~
~ It liz but to keep the nerves at strafn,Cf
3 ITO dry ones eyes and laugh at a fall, sx
: l. And tbafhed, get up and begin again.
So the chase takes Up pp1 ones life that's all
= The 7temptationais TO go on and tell {
! other essays ardo squotes extracts fro1
them,e but4 enoughs dive belieYe.: has bee
= said to tempt the reader q this notice tc
j.. ward the book itselA
Houghton, MifaiR & Co., Boston.
= SIPS net.