The Washington herald., 1908-03-01

SlasSoW's Ancient Law and AthertOn'
Ancestors among Juvenile books. An
dersen's Fairy Tales" and Aleotrs Lit
tie Women Other popular subjects were
bookkeeping, in which the call was for
Goodwin's Improved Bookkeeping" and
Bryant's Practical Bookkeeping" and
new thought under which subject the
books in demand We're Patterson's "Wnl
TO Be Well'' and Trine's IN Tune with
the Infinite"
The New York Evening Post says: In
spite OF its youth and the fact OF its be-
ing overshadowed by the Library OF Con-
gress, tho Public Library of the District
OF Columbia. under the leadership Of G.
+. Bowerman, has already assumed an
Important place in the Bfe Of Washington,
and is rapidly taking its place among the
large library systems Of the country. The
report for the year 1907 shows stock of
g2,9S7 volumes, a registry OF 5.2S1 borrow
ers, a reading-room attendance Of 1S3.06s
persons, and a circulation of 4S1. 4s3 vol
umes. Each of these items represents u
growth Of from 10 TO IS per cent over the
preceding year. Since the occupation OF
nual circulation has been from 214261 to
zS1. .4sS volumes. or more than 125 per cent.
More significant than this increase in vol
ume has been the change IN the character
OF the circulation. the percentage Of fic-
tion issued decreasing in three years from
S3.7 70 GO, with . corresponding increase
IN the use Of noniction. The methods
that have brought about this change have
hoo hrfr, hsafr dor fr7 a
persuasive a way as possible. the better
and more inviting kinds Of nonhction.
thus 70 degree counteracting in the
public mind the impression produced by
the advertisements Of current fiction.
Particularly effective in influencing the
choice Of readers has been the display in
rotation OF the various classes IN the
open shelf room or lobby. the percentage
of loans in each class being Immediately
affected by this display
Theodore Roosevelts book Outdoor
Pastimes Of an American Hunter" is one
of the most popular Of outdoor books. and
now a new edition has just been brought
out containing two new chapters and
number OF new Illustrations. The new
chapters are the account OF his recent
expedition "In the Louisiana Canebrakes"
and Small Country Neghbors" The
new photographs and the new chapters
make this book even more varied in IN
terest and more valuable 20 the lover Of
cut OF doors than before.
Clement ShOrter's Charlotte Bronte
and Her Circle" is now out of print. after
a prosperous career. and he intends TO
supersede II by a larger work. containing
much new material with the old It VIII
be called ''The Brontes: Life and Letters
and it will extend to two volumes.
Although the centenary celebrations in
honor Of Whittier nre past. the little vol
ume containing tribute TO his memory
by Bliss Perry has lasting value that
will give it a permanency both As a rec
ord and as criticism 1t Is issued By
Houghton. AIifIlin & Co in a limited edi-
tion OF $50 copies, and its pages, which
extend TO a few more than hundred,
are largely filed with a group Of poems
selected to present the circumstances Of
Whittier's bOyhOOd and the themes OF his
early poetic Imagination. the political and
social struggle that occupied so large a
portion OF his life and finally the devout
and patient waiting Of his last years
Preceding these. in his Introductory
sketch Prof. Perry "aims 10 present the
chief formative influences which affected
his career and determined the character
OF his poetry" Among the poems that he
includes. and they cover the years from
1875 TO 1852, are The Barefoot Boy"
skipper Ireson's Ride" MY PLAYMATE
'TchabOd' Barbara Frietchie," RAN
dolph OF Roanoke" and The Eternal
Goodness
HoIger Drachmann, the Danish poet.
whose death removed one Of the most
picturesque and tempestuOus figures Of
his day. has been buried AT Skagen. a
fishing village on a sandy spit OF land
that stretches into the North Sea. where
he spent many years Of his life. and
whose people worship him. All that was
mortal Of the singer Of the sea and the
wind was cremated at Copenhagen. and
the urn was carried to the steamer un-
der the escort Of a procession bearing
torches. Drachmann left an unpublished
novel and several plays.
Introducing a new edition Of Jane Aus
tens Emma" z. V. Lucas writes: 1T
would be found by any collector OF the
opinions OF the best critics that Emma
Is considered to be Miss Austen's best
novel What David Copperfeld' is to
Dickens and The Egotist' to Mr.. Mere
dith' so is Emma 20 Miss Austen. her
ripest and her richest. Emma Woodhouse
is her most complete character study.
and among all her heroines the one which
probably contains most points Of resem-
blance 70 the girl reader To contain
points Of resemblance 10 the reader is the
duty Of the great figures in analytical hc-
ton. particularly when that fiction be-
longs TO comedy Indeed. in the multi
tude Of such resembIances resides much
OF their greatness. Just as Turgenef de-
scribed in all men something either of
Hamlet or Of Don Quixote. so might a
similar investigator discern in all women
something of Emma Koodhouse. ard.
say. Of Letitia and Dale. But with the
merits Of Miss Austen's great novel I am
not here concerned. They will be patent
20 the reader. before whom a very de-
licious banquet Is spread: and. indeed 70
praise II now would be an offense. I-con-
tent myself with calling It the most read
aDle-again book I know"
Fifty-eight OF Bacon's Essays are in
cluded by Mary Augusta Scott professor
of the English language and literature in
Smith College, in new edition issued for
school use by Charles Scribner's Sons.
To them she prefixes a lengthy biograph-
3cal introduction. and appends at the bot
tom of each page series OF foot notes
that will help the student over many
stumbling blocks. when we consider"
remarks Prof. Scott in her preface. "the
great drama of the Elizabethan age. the
bulk Of IL running 10 some fifteen hundred
plays, its popularity. its reflection of con-
temporary life at all angles. its excellence
and the high average OF ability OF the
writers who were producing It, and
Shakespeare one Of them. It is little short