The Washington herald., 1907-08-11


such earnest and ready recognition as did
William Ernest Henley. essayist and
poet, 10 whom a memorial bust Of the
poet by Rodin-was recently unveiled IN
St. PauTs In London. Henley came into
fame as friend Of Robert Louis Ste
venson, who found him first in a hos
pital at Edinburgh and who. when
Henley got well. went with him 10 Paris,
where the young man had high jinks"
In connection with Stevenson, Henley
came In for some abuse, because, after
StevensOn's death, when admirers Of r.
I. 5. We're making him out TO be some
thing Of a demigod. Henley's was the
first voice raised in protest
But that Henley left his mark on his
time no one can doubt He vitally af
fected his contemporaries in literature,
and that he won the unstnted admlra-
ton of a generation older than his own
is well shown by a letter from Mr.. George
Meredith which was read at the cere-
monies OF the unveiling Of the Henley
memorial Thus wrote Mr.. Meredith;
The place chosen for the memorial Of Henley. in
the heart Of the great city he loved Wen and sang
of nohly strikes the mind as the fulhment Of this
English poets highest material aspiration, and
not but be IN flll accord with the wishes q his
admirers. He had the poets passion for nature
and. By Of IT, the poets feryent devotion 70
humanity. Light Of the skies playing upon smoky
Tap0T, city scenery, city crowds stirred in him
those raptures which are the founts Of spirited
Rightly could he speak Of his unconquerablo
soul. 10 was a soul that had 70 do perpetual bat
tie with an undermined and struggling body, and
this !oyfully. and far could be possible buoy
antly. for all his nature sIrang up 20 han the d.
vinity Of life. From bed Of sickness that might
seem a hopeless imprisonment he gave out impres
sions Of daily hospital round. and his own moods
without a shadow Of despair b darken the poetic
vision; but when he was restored TO c0mpanonship
with his fellows one Involuntary touch occurs IN his
verse 10 tell OF the suffering he has passed through.
He relolced in the smell o the streets There we
have the lover OF life risng from the depths. Such
was the man. As critic he had the rare COmbina
tion Of enthusiasm and wakefu Judgment, Pre-
tentousness felt his whip smartly The accepted I'M
bscile had 10 bear the weight Of his epigram. But
merit under a cl0ud. OF Just emerging he sTarkled
on and lifted 10 the public view He was one Of
the main supports q good literature in our time.
His inspiring heartiuess and melting c0unsels gath
cred about him a troop of young writers. who are
proud in acknowledging their debt to him for the
nrst Of the STEPS they made the road TO distiuc
ton. DeploEing have lost him. may marvel
that had him with us 50 long What remains
Is the example Of a valiant man. the memory Of him
IN poetry that viii endure
With the announcement Of Uncle Re
mus Magazine" an enthusiastic admirer
sent TO Joel Chandler Harris, who is oc-
eupied on a. new book for the Appletons
a check foria subscription for 100 years.
Another literary man who felt i'm
PEELED to pay tribute to Henley's genius
at the unvening ceremonies was Sir
Gilbert Parker, who contributed the fol-
lowing poem:
TN,AIEMoRIAM.
Henley is dsadr' Al. but the sound and the
sight Of him,
Buoyant. commanding. and strong. suffering. noble
IN mind.
Gone. and more. shall have any discourse CT
delight Of him.
Wearing his pain like a song. casting his troubles
behind
Gallant and fair! Feeling the soul and the truth
Of things.
Probing the wounds Of the world. healing he
brought and surcease-
Laughter he gaze, beauty 70 teach US the truth Of
things,
Music to march,to the fight ballads for hours Of
peace.
Now it is donei Fearless the soul Of him strove
for us,
Viking in blood and in SOUL barring his face to
the rain,
Facing the storm he Jared on singing for England
and love OF Us.
On to the last corral where now he lies beaten and
slainl
Beaten and SLANT Yes. but England hath heed Of
Singer Of high degree. master Of thought and Of
word
She shall bea- witness with tears Of the pride and
the loss and the need Of him;
We shall measure the years By the voice and the
song UnheaTd.
-w.EH
The Putuams announce for the autumn
a volume on The Salon. by Miss Helen
Clergue. Following a brief essay on the
French salon as a social institution,
there will be chapters on four celebrat-
ed types OF the eighteenth century, Nine
du Deffand. Nine Geoffrin, Nine. d'Epl- |
nay. and Julia de Lespinasse. Portraits
OF these ladies viii, Of course, be given, /!
and there will be other illustrations.
The record Of book popularity at the |
Public Library for the week Just past |
shows that in nonfiction the works most
called for were Hatha YOgas Hama |
charaka" and Burbank's Training Of |
the Human Plant" In fiction the de- |
mand was for Thurston's "The Mystics" |
and Mrs. Virgins New Chronicles Of |
Rebecca." while in the Juvenile claCs
the books wanted were Grimm's HOUSE, |
hold Tales and Lang's Orange Fairy |
Book" There was also a steady demand /
for books on health and hygiene. Those /
called for most were Calls Power |
Through RepOse," De Bois' Psychic /
Treatment of Nervous Diseases" Gran |
dalrs How 10 Keep Well" and Greene's |
The Art Of Keeping well"
Col. Robert Williams, an American
Indian fighter who saw much service in
campaigns against the Comanohes. IS TO |
publish his recoIlecdons. The book VIII /
be entitled Memoirs OF the Far West /
OF Fifty Years Ago"
Not every book is q book, according |
to John Halsham. who in a volume of |
casual papers called 'LOnewood Cor /
ner'' Outton) writes: They are not /
books. in the finer sense, which come /
into the house in parcels, chaoticaIly in
compatible, and after a week or two de-
part hitL!OpL IcS4et, Alllle lOoSer IN lne /
binding. a little more thumb-smudged;
their matter sucked dry and thrown away,
the orange peel Of literature Books are
property, IN the accurate sense of the
word, personal belongings with their own
standing and habitation on familiar
shelves, TO be found without fumbling in
the dark; they have outward characters
Of their own as well as inward. idiosyn-
crasies OF form andt binding; they have
been In your service. the greater part of
them, thirty years. let US say. and they