Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-06-22
BOOKS AND AUTHORS


II q recent article q writer says OF
James Whitcomb Riley: "Riley is of
q universal quality. He voices the
sentiment and wisdom of the common
man and states these in terms of our
own dear land. There is something in
him Of I'urnS and something OF the
'IcItmaker and a dash of Nilion, and
vet all Riley. all original, all born Of
our own home soil-every atom pure
American. Riley is more the poet OF
the people than Burns was in this. He
is the poet Of the children. The plain
people love children more than all
things else. Only God and country are
dearer to the common heart than the
infant race growing up to take our
place when, like old trees, we shall fail
at last. Children are visible immortal
ity. The beauty of youth is the love-
liest thing in human life; and in the
heart OF childhood abides the future.
The common people know children and
understand them; and so dies Riley.
Shclleys genius arranged brilliant
words and amazing thoughts, but he
never fot as near to the human heart
as the man who wrote Fool Young
ems" and "Old Man Whiskery-Whee-
Kun VVheeze' or 1.-The RaSgeGy Man"
/ should rather be the Interpreter of
childhood than to be the author of
"Manfrcd." What said the sacred
Word-"Except We become as little
children We shall not enter into the
kingdom of Heaven"
Some of the carly ESSAYS of Henry
James are to be published this week
under the title of "Views and Re-
views" The book will have an intro
duction by lie Roy Phillips, author of
tho James photography. The essays
are critical estimates of Dickens,
Browning, Tennyson. Matthew Arnold
and that caustic criticism of MIR.
Walt Whitman" which originally APP
pcared in the Nation.
A woman, the DucheSse de Berry,
was the last person to raise over
Franco the white flag of the fcur-de-
lis This bold daughter of kings, grand
niece Of Marie Antoinettc, fled bare
foot Over the hot highway to Nantes
in June, 1882 and there hidden among
friends in a house having remote at
49,
on active communications with royalist
France. On November the troops sur
rounded the house and the fugitives
rushed into the hidden fireplace. Basil
King, describing the dramatic event i'm
ffarper's Magazine, gives d stirring
narrative of the way in which the flu
gitiveS were discovered by the soldiers
all unstiSpiciously lighting fire i'll the
stove. Not until the iron had been
twice red hot against her breast did
the foolish and heroic little Duchesse
make the surrender of herself which
meant also the surrender of her cause.
A 'ltcrary curiosity" although its
purpose is largely that of school read
ing, is "ReadinSs from Dickens" just
published by Cassell &; Co. These read
ines are given as they were condensed
by Dickens himself for his own use on
the platform. The volume contains
1.-THE Christmas Carol" Doctor Mari
gold" and THE Story of Little DOM
hey"
Meredith Nicholson, the author of
'"The House of Thousand Candles"
is announced : 4 candidate for state
senator in Indiana. Like Booth
Harrington. Winston Churchill and
owen Tister, Mr.. Nicholson has
political aspirations.
Mr.. Swinburne, who enters on his
I'D year, may he seen any morning
walking from his houcs at the bot
tom Of Putncy hill across the common
at Wimbledon. The distance by the
shortest path is about three miles.
Hut it is an inspiriting walk if you
are equal to it. After the long pull
up from Putney Mr. Swinburne has in
front of him wide expanse of rolling
heath, and away to the right. on the
other side Of the valley, the blue
masses of the Richmond woods. MIR.
SWinburne walks alone and, let the
weather be what it may, has neither
cvercoat nor umbrella. He is very
erect, and makes his way through
furzc and bramble at a round pace
Nobody seems to notice him in the
Wimbledon street. Yet it would be
impossible ever to mistake the poet for
an ordinary suburban rate payer, even
if his gray wideawake and his rough
blue suit We're in better trim. The poise
of the fine head singles him out. The
objective of Mr.. Swinburne's walk is
small shop on the edge of Wimble-
don common, kept by Miss F. for
the sale of newspapers and tobacco.
Here he his hardly missed morning
for IA years. Though an exacting Gus
toner, Miss F says it is delight
full to have dealings with him. He is
all for round sums. TWopence happen
ny and the like are an abomnation TO
him. He has the printers passion for
ending even." The twopence hapen-
ny has either to be locked or made in
to sixpence. The poet is extremely fond
OF children. One day he encountered in
the shop Miss F-'s three-weeks-