The San Francisco call., 1906-06-24

-Gelett Burgess. from brIildhts,
in Boston Evening Transcript.
The English novel began with re-
citais of unusual action or adventure.
and passed on to that of manners and
external conditions, and beyond that to
the novel of motive or the psyche
logical novel Certain modern tenden-
cies in the novel seem TO derive directly
from the novelist whom ii Is now mod
ish to decry or overlook, George Eliot.
The whole pity of human life, its desul-
tory progress, It's hapless and unfore-
seen failures, its unmeaning sufferings
and collapses. these aspects of life
and with them also a certain reverence
for humanity as mere human
ity, tender observance of its
attainments however uncertain and
fragmentary, it's efforts however
weak and spasmodic = certainly
came into prominence with that
great novelist. Characterization and
truth were the great powers of George
Eliot; characterizations and style, of
Ihackeray. Characterization with
pathos and humor, of Dickens; force
of emotion. of the Brontes. In Mere
dith, manner and criticism of life, or
style and truth. have outweighed the
other elements; and, in Hardy, sensi-
tive verbal felicity and the intensity of
the personal vision go far toward max
ing up the painful beauty of his
capricious world-Louise Collier Will
COX, in North American Review.
The serial publication of Rex Beach's
great novel, The Spoilers" was at
tended by some amusing incidents AS
is known. the story is founded on fact,
and from the first installment in
Everybody's it caused controversy
and unlimited discussion throughout
the Northwest, whence some of
the principal. characters came. and
where they were all recognized. Strong
efforts were made to prevent the publf-
cation of the novel. and even after 1t
had begun emissaries from a group OF
Western politicians most concerned
called upon the editor OF Everybody's.
and endeavored to have him change the
name of the principal conspirator,
Mcnamara" saying that~it was too
much like the real name, and that the
portrait should be more thickly dis
suised--Harper's Literary Gossip.
The rapidity with which fatigue
shows itself is we'll illustrated by the
experiments of Buergerstein. who gave
TO a number of school children. in the
first hour of the first days work in
week. series of equally simple and
mathematical problems, and who found
that the period required for and the
difficulties attending their solution
(the latter as evidenced by the number
of errors undetected by the scholar, or
discovered and rectified by him) in
creased pari passu with the flight of
time, and reached their maximum in
the third quarter of the hour of the
experiment.
Conversely, the readiness with which
fatigue yields TO proper rest or diver
sion, and the increase in capacity re-
sulting therefrom. are well shown by
the fact that, up to a certain point.
the shorter the period of study, and the
more frequent and prolonged the inter-
val of rest, the greater the quantity
and the better the quality of work
done. In many cities where limited
schoolhouse capacity has made half
day sessionss necessary. teachers have
been astonished to discover that twice
as much work was accomplished as
under the old plan. and with Tar less
WEAKNESS and worry--Dr. G. woodruff
Johnston, in North American Review.
General Frederick D. Grant, the son
of the commander of the Union armies.
proposes that the one hundredth annf-
versGry of the birth of Robert E. Lee
which comes next January be observed
throughout the country, and his sug-
gestion has brought out favorable re-