The Washington herald., 1907-11-24
THE WORLD OF BOOKS
LITERARY CLEANINcS AND GOSSIP

contemporary literature Of every descrip-
ton, and includes many important letters
never before published.
With the issue OF "Dyotts Diary" it
is possible that rival to "Pepys and
Evelyn may loom up on the literary
horizon. William Dyott, il appears, was
an znglishman Of Freeford Hall, stat
fordshire. a general in the British army.
and his diary begins at an exciting time
when the American Revolution was i'm
progress and the nav!es Of the world
were pitted against English sea power.
The Diary has military and "A poll
deal interest and "A selection from it
which Messrs Constable are publishing
VIII be welcomed. 1t is In two volumes.
which have been edited by Mr.. r. w.
Jaffery.
Ernest Thompson Seton in his new little
book. The Natural History of the Ten
Commandments" which viii shortly be
published, dem9nstrates most interest
ing and novel theory Of the rules govern
ing the life of animals. In his preface
he says:
mandmcnts aro not arbitrary laws given % man.
but are fundamental laws Of all highly developed
animals
Ii this be true. I shall be able to t-aoe them
through the animal world. We can learn en- un-
written law only By breaking u and suffering the
penalty. Ny task Was Therefore 20 discover among
the animals disaster following breach Of the ten
great principles on which human society is founded
There are tWO disasters commonly discernible.
The first Is direct punishment OF the individual hy
F 0UV ND oral Vta
tati0n the whole race Cf the criminal as the
working out Of the law The former, the objective
Is more obvious the latter, the subjective more i'm
portant. But they are fundamentally the same
since the agents in the first case were compelled by
their own recognition that wrong had been done
that law had been broken.
The way in which he works out this
idea with the ingenious proofs which he
brings forward is exceedingly interesting
and striking
or literary Importance is the first coll
lected editions Of the sonnets Of Long
fellow, arranged and edited with an in
PRODUCTION by Ferris Greenslet, and soon
forthcoming from the press Of Hough-
| ton, Mifflin & Co. The same house also
| published recently these volumes: a new
| holiday edition Of Venetian Life" by
William Dean Howells, Illustrated IN
color by Edmund II. Garrett; Mrs. Anna
| Robson Burr's latest novel, The Jessop
| Bequest, "Admirals Light" a romance
| by Henry Miner Ride0ut: "The Pulse Of
/ Asia a book of travel IN Central Asia
| by Ellsworth Huntington: ''Sin and So
| ciety," essays by Prof. Edward Alsworth
Ross. with an introduction by President
| Roosevelt; Home. School, and Vaca-
! ton" a book OF suggestions for parents
/ by Mrs. Annie Winsor Allen, and John
/ Greenleaf Whittier" q centenary memoir
by Prof. Bliss Perry and including a
/ group Of poems.
! Mr.. William Dean Howells has returned
to New York from his summer home at
Kittery Point, Ne. and will remain there
during the coming season At present a
visitor among friends. he expects soon
| to be established at home Mr. Howeils'
| latest book. entitled Between the Dark
and the Daylight" is volume OF short
stories Of rather humorous psychological
| interest.
A prose version of the Galahad legends
made by Miss May T. Southworth is is
sued by Mr. Richard G. Badger and also
/ Merry Christmas 10 You, Ny Friend. -
/
| Miss Mary G. Nose and arranged under
| twelve heads for convenience Of refer
ence.
\ recipe for the snubbing of bores is
given anecdotically by a. G.. Benson in
the November Putnams Monthly: "A
friend of mine he says. returned the
other day from an American tour, and
told me that he received a severe rebuke
out Of the mouth of a babe which cured
him OF eXpatiating on his experiences.
/ He lunched with his brother soon after
his return. and WAS holding forth with
| a consciousness of brilliant descriptive
| emphasis, when his eldest nephew, aged
eight. toward the end of the meal. laid
down his spoon and fork and said pit
I eously to his mother, Mummy. ! must
talk! it does make me so tired to hear
| uncle going on like that A still more
! effective rebuke was administered by a
| clever lady OF my acquaintance. TO a
cousin Of hers. a young lady who had
just returned from India and was very
! full of her experiences. The cousin had
devoted herself during breakfast to giving
| a lively description Of social life in India,
and was preparing 70 spend the morning
/ in continuing her lecture, when the elder
| lady slipped out OF the room and returned
with some sermon paper. a blotting- book
and a pen. Maud. she said. this is too
good to be lost; you must write It all
down, every word" The lesson was not
thrown away"
! 4 residence that is perhaps one Of the
most famous in the world has at last
found a historian who has given it an
adequate place in literature The White
House" fully illustrated with portraits.
rare prints, paintings. &c. in two vol
dmes, by Esther Singleton. will be pub
| lished next Friday by the Mcclure Com
pany. In this book Miss Singleton has
traced the growth OF the house itself
from the uncomfortable home OF the
Adams administration through its in
! creasing luxury under jefferson. Madi-
son, and Monroe. its partial destruction
by the British in 1914 its rebuilding by
Monroe. and its subsequent growth in
size and in magnificenCe OF appointment
down TO the present day. when Il is said
| 10 be surpassed by no palace in Europe
in point Of comfort and luxury
| Accounts Of the early life Of Herman
Whitaker. author Of "The Settler. and
other titles OF the great North" Law spicy
emphasis on the fact that he used to be
the traditional bad boy of the neighbor-
hood School he detested. and the dav
when he consented to go was made bear