The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-22

G.. h. ChestertOn. the Ursus Major oH
Fleet street. as he has been called, has a
head crammed full Of Odditiesand quiddities;
a shaggy. grizzled name a somewhat cum
bersOme figure. a shambling walk, and
bears a distinct resemblance to the famous
Or. johnson. He also may be seen taking
his walk down Fleet street almost diurnaIly
attired in baggy hsbiIiments with pockets
bulging and overlooking with an odd assort-
msnt of books, pamphlets. magazines and
manuscripts.
He is known In he an o%mniyOrous reader.
a most prolific writer and q lecturer. and
has on occasion mounted a pulpit and
held forth TO a congregation composed FOR
the most part Of finsnciers. stock brok ers
and other City men. He is perhaps best
Known as the author in tho Men Of Let
ters Series" Of what many people consider
10 be the beat biography OF Robert Brown
ing vet published.
He is one Of the most industrious a. well
az one of the most original writers and
thinkers Of the present day. He has Just
finished a novel with the whimsical title
OF The Man Who Was Thursday" and il
engaged upon a life Of Char Ies Kingsley.
in the English Men of Letters" series; a
biography Of Bernard Shaw in the Stars
of the Stage" series, and a fairy tale en-
titled st. George and the Dragon"
Mr.. ChestertOn has nevertheless found
time 10 writs for the Nation an interesting
review OF the works Of Louisa NJ. AIcott,
a new edition OF whose books has Just been
issued. in which many Chestertonian cpl
grams and paradoxes may be found. The
following may be taken as an example
Speaking Of the feminine note in Miss
Alcott's works he says:
"For wisdom. first and last. is the charac-
teristic OF women. They are often silly,
they are always wise"
or Miss Alcott as a writer he cannot
speak too highly: he does not hesitate to
name her by the side Of Jane Austen. be
cause her talent. though doubtless inferior,
was of exactly the same kind" Mr.. Ches-
terton points out that they are alike, mas
much as there il the sames silent and
unexplained assumption OF the feminine
point Of view. and unlike some other women
Of genius. George Eliot and George Sand,
for instance. there Is TO pretenoe that the
writer is anything but a woman with her
awful wOmanly irony"
Mr.. Chesterton criticises at some length
passages from Little Women" and con-
cludes an eloquent appreciation by saying:
One thing is very certain. that the books
are good, very good, from both a mascu-
line and a feminine standpoint"
Cinderella OF the silver slipper. the kitchen
wenchturned princess. always favorite pan
tomime theme, has again made good her title
to the first place among the pantomimes in
Great Britain this coming Yuletide. Within
me last sixteen years thIs TrstLy fairy
story has been first ~ravOrite no fewer than
six times and twice she has shared the
honor with a rival.
History. story telling history. relates that
Cinderella was eloved Of the Egyptians
in the days OF the Pharnohs. but whether
his is so or not there is no doubt that
Cinderella hOurished many a century in
the Fast before she made her bow before
ar English audience. either in book or
pantomime form. Il Is computed that
there are about 500 variants OF her story.