The Washington herald., 1908-04-05

family farmhouse had been sold. Mrs.
Blake visited il: in a bedroom she tore
away a little corner Of wall paper and
found some pale lines Of childish writing
still visible upon it.
In view Of the present widespread inter-
est in George Meredith, occssioned by the
celebration the other day Of the veteran
novelist's eightieth birthday It is inter-
esting to learn from the columns OF Har-
per's Weekly the true facts relating to a
famous incident IN one Of Meredith's most
widely read novels, Diana Of the Cross
ways" It will be remembered that the
most dramatic episode in the book is the
sale to TOnans by Diana. pressed for
money for the maintenance OF her social
position Of state secret impaired 70
her by Daeier, the statesman. Diana adj
mts 10 Daeier that she sold him to tie
newspapers because of her dire need of
money" According 10 a Meredith au-'
thority, this is defect in Diana's char
acter, as no woman would have givr1
such reason for-ths betrayal OF ler
friend, true or untrue. Diana Merton is
an historical character. She was Caro-
line Norton, who was accused of selling
10 the London Times a state secret which
she obtained from Sydney Herbert Mere
dith based his episode on what was re-
garded as a fact. After the publication
OF Diana Of the Crossways" it was
proved. however. that Caroline Norton
was innocent
The Lounger in the March Putnams,
and The Reader has this 10 say OF de-
cent books" as eontrasted with the com
mon carriers of obscenity: None Of the
really best sellers those whose sales
have been 10000 or more. have been
such books as Mrs. Glyn elects to write,
The women who have made fame and for~
tune out of their stories have nothing
10 blush for Mrs. Wharton. Mrs. Bur-
nett, Mrs. Wiggin, Mrs. French, Mrs.
Wilkins Freeman, Myrtle Reed Mrs.
Rice, and the lady who calls herself
Frances Little have owed no part Of
their success 10 an appeal to pruTiency."
There might have been added the name OF
Mrs. II. A. Mitchell Keays, whose Road
70 Damascus, not a nasty book, has
had steady sale. and one very gratify-
ing 10 its publishers, Small, Maynard &s
Co, ever since its publication last fail
Why don't We make these machines in
Germany asked Bismarck when he
had HIS first view Of an American self
binder. Had Bismarck lived until now he
could nave had his question answered in
a new book which is shortly to appear
from the press OF Doubleday. Page & Co.
THE Romance Of the Reaper" by Her
bert n. Cass0n. This book makes clear
for the first time why Americans monopo-
lie the harvester business Of the world.
II is the "kawless speech" Of the current
era that Alfred NJ Hitchcock endeavors
TO correct in his little handbook entitled
Words and Sentences Three chapters
on Getting Acquainted with the Diction-
ary,'' Pronunciation" and "Word-bui.d-
ing and Spelling" form the substance Of
his work, and to them he adds a Brief
Review of English Grammar" Mr. Hitch
cock is eminently practical he includes
many exercises and examples, and his dis
cussion should be read by all who ars
alive to the extraordinary transitions that
the English language is now undergoing,
both from the Nliterate and from the
literate who are going TO the extreme in
their worship Of coll0quialisms and slang.
The dictionary, he tells Us. is a great law
book. Ours is 4 free country, yet We are
not free 10 do as We please. We must en-
dure. for the common good. restraint OF
me ny kinds. Words are free, but when
We misuse them We become lawbreakers.
One has no more right to abuse OF misuse
his country's language than he has TO de-
stroy his neighooT's property The die
tionary, stern book, lays down laws re-
garding spelling. pronunciation, mean
ings, which wOrd-respeeting people obey.
From the habit. then, of consulting a
good, unabridged dictionary. See what
the law says about this and that term
which you are using commonly, yet with
suspicion that you may be using it im-
properly. Lay down the book you are
reading. now and then. and look up the
meaning OF some new word. If an express
sion has sE odd sound 70 your ear, and
you find yourself wondering where il
came from. how il got It's present mean
ing, turn to the dictionary. Perhaps il
will tell you precisely what you wish to
know. Practice OF this kind soon becomes
fascinating. for words are wonderful
when studied
GeThart Hauptmann. author Of Han
nele" Doubleday, Page & Coz. has al
ways lived very close TO nature His
home was long in the Silesian woods and
mountains, where NEST of his few neigh
bors were simple. primitive folk, to whom
visions and miracles were as real as they
are TO this day TO the peasants CT Brit
tany. Those who have been admitted TO
his intimacy know him as a man careless
10 an almost humorous extent of the ma
terial facts Of life, with A perfect horror
Of the everyday eommonplaces
Once In speaking 70 Mr.. Meltzer as he
strayed rather than walked down
Broadway he said. In many ways
am not unlike a child If I saw a cake
in bakers window which was denied to
me, in some moods / might be capabls
Of doing an injury TO myself"
OF unusual interest is the announcement
that new book from the pen of the
widely known Country Contributor" is
published by Doubleday. Page & Co. The
book contains a part of the articles al
ready published In the Ladies Home
Journal and the Indianapolis News. which
have made the name OF the Country
Contributor a household word IN al
parts OF the country. There are addition
a S4-NtNtANe Sif~tA " ttAN HAbiit AuA Aits
first time. written in the striking and fss-
cinating style characteristic OF the
Country Contributor" that style so pc
culiarly her own In which she has talked
to us for 80 many years OF the common
lot of human kind. all about US and OF
the common things Of life
The authors philosophy has been.
summed up by reader who said that her
doctrine is ito get happy ard stay that
way" She is a disciple Of Joy and all
her ESSAYS reflect the spirit Of her life and
environment.
THE IMMORTAL.
Ssr.n NJ .o..I sri 1 nra friards