The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-27
o. blessing on the printers art,
Books are the Mentors Of the Heart,
The burning soul. the burdened mind,
In books alone companions find.
Mrs. Hale-"Three Hours.


10 be hoped that two years hence. when
the centenary Of that event arrives. that
American literature, or, at least, Ameri-
can literary men. viii observe the Oc-
casion fttingly Few American literary
workers stand out with a more vivid
reputation than Poe, who not only
created largely himself, but has been
an immense inspiration to the men who
have followed him. He it was, of all
American writers, who first recognized
the force and power of the short story;
who came to see that the French writers
had brought this form Of literary art TO
perfection, and who did much to beat
them on their own ground. Some of his
short stories, translated into French. hold
their own to-day in France with the
masterpieces OF De MaupaSsant. If he
was not the inventor of the detective
who arrives at his conclusions through
the inductive method. he, at least, made
such a living and fascinating character
Cf him that Gaborieau borrowed him in
France. and without him Sherlock
Holmes would never have been. a strange
genius in poetry. fictional prose. and IN
essay he with his excuses, his strange
moods, his love o. women" and his pitt
ful and untimely death, stands out in
American literature as pathetic d figure
as that of ChattertoD in England a
fitting and beautiful tribute to. Poe was
written by John Henry Beer, on "Poe's
Cottage at F0rdham':
Here vintry winds and cherries
The diving freight blew
While he, whose songs were peerless.
Dreamed the drear midnight through.
And from dull mbers chilling.
CrtpJ shadows darby films
The silent place. and thrilling
His fancy as they grew.
Here, with brow barred r. heaven
I'm stauy night le stood.
With the lost star Of seven,
Feeling sad brotherhood,
Here. IN the s0bbng showers
81 dark autumnll hours,
He heard supeCted powers
Shrek through the stormy wood!
No singer Of Old story
Lifting accustomed lays,
No harper for new glory,
No mtu3Icaut for praise
He struck high chords and splendid
Wherein were icrcey blended
Tones that unfinished ended
With his unfinished days.
Proud mad but not defiant
He touched AZ Heaven and L-I
Fate found q soul plant.
And Uug her changes well.
AitefDstes his love-
Stranded with strings Of fire.
Led earth's most happy choir,
Or flashed with ISRAELI
The most popular books in Washington.
as shown bv the demand at the Public
Library during the week just past. have
been, in nonfction, Bryce's American
Commonwealth" and "HowelTs Certain
Delightful English Towns" in fiction.
Hamlin Garlaud's Witches Gold" and
Harold McGraths Half q Rogue" and
In juveniles, Andrew Lang's Blue" and
his Red" fairy books
One of the distinguished British men
of letters is Augustine Birrell. who. Of
recent years, has written an too little.
In his chapter on authors and critics in
his recent volume, Men, Women. and
Books" he has much 10 say that is OF
interest and value. He says:
The principles Of taste the. arr Of criticism
are not 10 be acquired amidst the huIy -bu-ly Of
living authors and the hasry judgments Of hasty
critics but bg the steady careful and rlygrgullI
o. the immortal dead In tli, study the critics
are Of immense use t1 u.s. Dryden. Addison. GRAY.
CalaId-t. Lamb. HaZlitt Bagehut. Suiuhfma re-
veal 90 MS their highest critical powers not whilst
FIvlsectlrg contemporary, but when exuoudmg
the anatomy r departed greatness Teach me
Rightly 90 admire Milton and Keats, and ] viii
find my own criticism ~ living poets. Help me
t' UIoy, however sc5hiy Homer and Dante and
] viii promise not 90 lose nay head over P0Ilok's
Course Ct riul' cr AIr Baeys "Fe-tusT Fire
ms enthusiasm fer Henry Vaughan and George
Herbert. and shan te able % distinguish be-
tween the muses. us Miss Frances Ridley HaycrgaI
and If Miss Christina Rosetti Train me % be-
come a citizen Of the twe republic ~ letters and
i shall net De found Oh my knees before false
gods. or tr-Uuiug with the vulgar TO crown with
laurel u-azcu b-uws.
The Macmillan Company. of New York.
announces an interesting book for March.
Il will probably be the most informative
and entertaining biography of the year.
Tt is "The Life and Letters of Edwin
Lawrence Godkin." The volume has been
written by Rollo ogden. she present cdi-
tor of the New York Evening Post. and
il narrates the events Of Mr. Godkin's
career from his early experiences as "a
war correspondent for the London Daily
News, iu the CTimea, TO the final DAVIS
z I
was editor of this paper and of the Ma
tiou for nineteen years. and his marked
personality gave the publications stamp
distinctive, clear-cut, and high-CIass.
There We're those who found the Even
ing Post. under his leadership. inclined
90 be a bit "gTumbly-' but az least his
criticisms of men and things were sane.
diguiGed. and not made without strong
convictions. Many public men knew him
and liked him, and the two volumes Of
his biography are To be enriched with
letters from these, his friends
4 yeoman on the L. s s. Nayfowcr.
who reads and admircs The Herald. sends
US a communication which is of such
quality that we should like TO know what
other navy can show men of his rank
with such literary ideals He tells Of
the unwilling of "A Shakespeare statue in
England. and that King Edward requested
the poet laureate 20 furnish a poem for
the occasion. Now. recently. the poet
lauredtc has come in for a good deal OF
criticism and g0Od-uatured fun nj Amer
lean hands for the lab0red and stitIed
quality OF his made-to-order verse. but
this poem, which the Mayfiower yeoman
sends Is surely worthy Of high praise. and
we quite agree with this gallant tar
when he writes. Probably YOU haven't
seen the lines. II you haven't. it is your
sain-my sending them to you: if YOU
have it is your gain. in the first ease
YOU secure something that you did not
have. and in the latter case YOU make
secure that which YOU already have.
This Is Mr.. AusuH's poem.
Why should we lodge in marble OF in bronze
spirits more vast than earth, or sea, OF sky
WISE the silent w0rsairpsr that cons
The page ri wisdom thar win never die.
Unto the fsTorites of the passing hour