Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-12

Inc Italian Leopard suffered a.,
poured out his pessimism i'm rrosc 49,,
poetry which reflected his keen s.ns,
tiEeness under the burden nj H.,
heafth. Heine INDUCED in biting III
cdsils and unrestrained cyuicism ,yhia,
expressed the effect on his too sensi,i,a
"'ii'd ot the ailments with which ba
WAS aIlicted. a minor instance. IN ou,.
own day, showing the literary ncssi,,.
iohi attributable to i'll health. is afford
Gu ny Beatrice Harraden, whose novel
e''e' SHIPS That Pass in the Njpb, "
'ooh ts gloomy tone from her bodily
eoiiult'oh oil i'll health, which prevent
GU her from working for more than hair
an hour n day.
iie case OF Mr.. Stephens illustrates
TIC ruin Known to all who are ac
qudiNtcd with the private lives Of
nidiiy authors that the man behind
tle DOCK Is often 4 hero no less than
the man behind the gun" Parkma,rr
III his "retchedness was able to write
cnarIhlnSiy of the heroes of American
history III the romantic aspects of early
colonization. Mr.. Stephens, suffering
10 such degree that he could not at
tend the performance of his own play
III London, infused the glow of hcaJ,h
and vigor into his narratives of brave
| men and fair women in the England
and France of the romantic past.
Ut. >. Weir Mitchell, whose Hugh
Wynne.' 1.-The Adventures of Fran
co.'s. and Constance Trescot" are
read wherever American literature is
known. has written new novel. 1t is
called "a Diplomatic Adventure" and
the first chapters appear in the Febru-
airy Century. The opening sentences.
quoted from advance sheets, give an
idea of scene and setting:
No man has ever been able to write
the history of the greater years of a
nation so as to include the minor incl
dents of interest. They pass un-
noted. although in some cases they
may have had values influential in de-
termining the course of events. 1t
CHANGED that / myself was an actor in
one of these lesser Incidents when sec
ond secretary to our legation in France
during the summer of 1862 may
possibly overestimate the ultimate i'm
portance of my adventure, for Mr.
Adams, our minister at the court of ST.
James, seems to have failed to record
it. or, at least, there is no allusion to
it in his biography. In the pcrplexinG
tangle Of the diplomacy of the darker
days of our Civil War, many strange
stories must have passed unrccorded.
but surely none of those remembered
and written were more singular than
the occurrences which disturbed the
quiet of my uneventfuL life in the au-
tumn of 1882.
The recent London despatch stating
that prominent surgeon had tabooed
the works of Mark Twain because their
side-splitting humor retarded his pa
TENTS recovery has inspired an ANUS
ing editorial In the Dcs Moincs, iowa.
Register and Leader.
"YOur wounded Englishman must
therefore get along as best he can on {,
Jerome *. Jerome and w. W. Jacobs
diet and leave Mark Twain Il his
American cousin. brought up on the
frontier, among buffalo indians, and
wolves, hardened TO endure privations
and stand great JOY" says this writer.
But to the healthy average layman 1t
would appear as though reading tho
story of the man who corrupted Had
1eyburg, or the tale Of the jumping
frog, would he prcfera bic to counting
the figures on the wallpaper or pinch
ing the counterpart into ridges. We
may not all be disciples Of those who
would prescribe Mark Twain in place
of medicine, but do not the two work
together, one the complement of the
other? The only difference lies in the
directions: with the medicine. we
shake well before taking: with Mark
Twain. we shake well after taking"
The current Harper's Weekly con-
tains the third instalment of Henry A.
Castles much discussed series Of arti-
Giles entitled "Defe1tS in the Postal Sys-
tenn" Arthur Schneider. the author
artist. who has had the opportunity Of
studying conditions in Morocco from
the unusual point Of view Of a personal
frienH of the Sultan, writes Of '"rhc
Truth About Morocco" Mr.. Schneider
gives very clear and comprehensive
view Of the entire Moroccan situation.
Charles Johnston contributes an init
mate personal sketch of Baron Roscn.
the distinguished Russian Ambassador
to America. Sydney Brooks writes en-
tertainingly Of ELECTION Manners in
England" "When Mark Twain Lee
tured" contains some amusing reminis-
cences Of the great humOrist's early
career, contributed by W. II. Merrill.
Charles Frohman writes Of J. NJ. Bar
RE ard his remarkable play. "Peter
Pan" under the title of "The Man with
the Magic PEN" and recent events in
the worlds politics. literature, sport.
drama. and music are Interestingly
recorded.