Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-14
CURRENT LITERATURE.


phe current Atlantit cannot fail to attract
and hold the reader by his opinions on
Man and the Actor" which prove a
thoughtful elaboration of the theme All
the worlds a stage" This is the best
Of reasons, he tells us, why all men and
women should be accomplished players;
since they cannot escape acting, let them
master the art. To live the part is, Of
course, the aim of the professional actor.
and a national academy of acting and
endowed theatre would he urges, raise
not only the standard Of taste in dramatic
art, but become a model for speech and
manners. To anyone familiar with the
finished productions Of the Comedie Fran
caise argument in favor Of this cherished
plan seems too obvious to need repeating.
but the American people, if not entirely
deaf to the call, seem tardy indeed in
needing it.
An entertaining account by John Bur
roughs of camping with the President
takes us away into the open, over prairie
and woodland, in pursuit of the President,
who was in pursuit of game. The natural
ist and author is delightfully."- frank about
his own lack of sporting experience, and
the picture one gets Of him bringing up
the rear on a wary old horse, while the
impulsive President dashes ahead after
the elusive elk is most refreshing. Mr.
Roosevelt's enthusiasm and interest seem
bOundless and he would turn to his
scientific companion for the name OF each
unfamiliar animal, bird or plant. Alto
gether Mr. Burroughs story of the trip
20 the Yellowstone has lost nothing by
remaining unwritten for three years; in
deed, the very fact of its not being 'the
last edition" will be a recommendation
TO the reader weary of up-to-dateness.
Under the title of The Terraced Garden"
Susan S. Wainwright writes a delightful
appreciation of the formal gardens Of
Italy, which will be eagerly sought by
those who enjoyed her opinions on
Enclosed Gardens" in the previous num-
Der, and the enthusiastic gardener land
what reader is not a gardener nowadays)
hopes for more garden study from this
inspiring writer. Goodwin Smith. review
ing the life of Froude by Herbert Paul,
holds the interest from first to last by
his mastery treatment Of an absorbing
subject; and Recent Shakespearian Liter
ature' is sympathetically considered and
compared by William Allan Nelson
Fiction is well represented by a number
OF entertaining stories and a humorous
side-light on "The Millerstown yellow
Journal by Elsie Singmaster is espe-
cially refreshing
Gardens of every kind, old and new,
abound in the Century Magazine for May
The garden at Mount Vernon is recalled
by Francis Z. Leupp, and the history Of
An Ancient Garden" in Connecticut
described by Helen Evertson Smith
Hildegarde Hawthorne has a poem on
the garden, and the second paper by Viii
liam Sharp, Route Notes in Sicily"
treats Of a large pleasure ground, or as
the author so happily names the alluring
island, The Garden of the Sun" The
piece de resistance" of the number, how
ever, is unquestionably the article by
Norman Duncan, on THE Gardens at
Cornish, that choice spot in the New
Hampshire hills where a group of artists,
writers and musicians have made their
homes and planted their gardens. So
simply but so perfectly have they adapt
ed their houses, trees and flowers to the
existing conditions, never losing sight OF
an opportunity here or a limitation there,
that all who have visited Cornish carry
away a picture of beauty, individuality
and appropriateness that haunts the
bilious attempts seem feeble and in
effective. Photographs of pergolas and
lily ponds, old walls or a bit of formal
hedge and lombardy poplar hint at the
rare treasures of such places as the gar
dens Of Stephen Parrish and Augustus
st. Gaudens
The June Delineator is q most at.
tractive number, containing the usual
array Of the latest styles, with the interest
ing fashion chronicles of Helen Berkeley
Lloyd and Edouard La Fontaine, and
literary features Of the greatest excellence.
Burton +. Stevenson contributes the trst
part of 'The Rose Of Sharon, a mystery
tale that will tax the ingenuity OF us
readers to solve, and there are short stores
by Kathryn Jarboe. and Wolf Won Schier-
brand the former astory of the new japan
and the latter a Russian narrative. The
President of Quex" is continued. Under
the title, "The Revival Of an Old As,
semply,' Peter Freneau describes the ban
at the Astor House, New York, when
called forth national comment at the time
II was held, in April. Gustav kobbe
Interestingly tells the story Of Home
Sweet Home. and there is a variety oi
excellent verses. For, children, there are
Stories and Pastimes," among them one
of Alice Browns Gradual Fairy Tales
and for the woman of the home, many
articles Of housewifely interest, incluolis
a chapter on Dirt and Danger IN ille
Markets" in The Delineator's Campalgn
for Safe Foods"