The National tribune., 1908-09-03

nue. car the other day. She was very
pretty, in a wax-doll. sort of way, anc
her general get-up was the very las
word as to style, but it wasn't her face
nor her clothes upon which the eyes
both male and female. of that crowded
car were riveted. AS soon as this daZ
zling creature seated herself she pulled
off her silk gloves, and the flashes OF
light which emanated from her white
shapely hands nearly blinded that little
band of spectators. On each of her eight
fingers blaZed gems of purest ray serene
evidently, rings of diamonds as big a'
an Alderman's headlight, hoops of alter
nate rlbies and diamonds, emeralds and
rubies, and other combinations, opals
surrounded by diamonds, huge pearls
combined with diamonds, a large rub!
heart paved with diamonds. etc, in al
from 16 to 20 rings The eyes of every
one in the car, as one great cyclopean
eye, were Immediately glued upon these
hands, and the usual little drama be-
gan. Their fair owner smoothed heI
hair in the most unconscious way, she
fused with her necktie and pin, she
fingered the watch pinned on her peek
a-boo shirtwaist, she brushed fly from
her cheek, she rubbed her ruby lips
with her dainty perfumed handkerchief;
in fact, she kept those bejeweled hands
of hers busy at something every sec
ond. The effect on the people in the
car was funny. They gazed at her rings
for few minutes as if hypnotized, when
a fat man began squirming in his seat,
and after a second raised a plump right
hand, on which flashed good-siZed
sparkler to his solitaire stud, which he
fingered for a moment or two. Then
he turned the ring into better position,
rubbed it with his silk pocket handker-
chief, looked at it critically in different
lights, and, as if suddenly realizing what
a show he also was making of himself,
retired in confusion behind his news
paper. In the meanwhile a middle
aged woman took off her gloves and put
them in her handbag. Her hands dis
played two handsome diamond rings,
and she wore screw diamonds in her
ears which she proceeded to finger. A
young man near her began readjusting
the pearl in his necktie and playing
with the seals on his fob; in short, every
single person in that car who wore any
jewelry whatever began toying with it
or looking at it admiringly, unconscious
ly attracting attention to it. An intelli-
gent-looking, handsome matron. who
had been watching this little drama with
amusement, turned to her
neighbor and remarked upon the fasci-
nation which gems seem to possess for
people, and how infectious was the de-
sire to make ones diamonds flash. If
one person started to do it everyone
was impelled somehow to follow suit.
Even as she spoke her ungloved hand,
on which sparkled handsome solitaire,
wandered 30 the pendant suspended
from a fine gold chain around her neck,
while her neighbor placed more Sc
curely in his 50-cent necktie his 75-cent
scarfpin.
William Dean Howells, now in his
70's, looks out upon life thru the eyes
of an optimist. He finds some fault
with the literary taste of the present
generation, it is true, but on the whole
thinks human nature is improving. Mr..
Howells began his literary career as a.
printer in his fathers printing Office,
then he become a newspaper CORE
spondent ard editor, and then the writ
er of books-the usual evolution. He
has been very industrious with his pen.
and about 20 volumes stand to his cred
it, novels, essays, books of travel, etc,
and for SO many years has he been re-
garded as one of our most distinguished
authors that he is called the dean of
American literature. Mr.. Howells has
always been an apostle of truth, and ini
his novels, most of which deal with
American life, he has striven to make
thruout, even at the expense of what wei
all action. For instance, if Mr.. Howelis!
Is writing about Americans in modest
whose lives are prosy and
he does not try to "liven
up" his story by introducing some inci-I
dent improbable If not impossible in the
lives of such people. He depicts life as
he finds 1t all about him, without going
out of his way to discover the unusual
Of y, al
present day do. Mr.. Howells is there
fore. by a certain class Of readers, con-
sidered quite dull, but to that class who
take pleasure in carefully chosen words,
in a finished style, and in truthful and
consistent delineation of character and
Mr.. Howells's novels are a
source of much genuine delight. Mas
terpieces are not often written nova
days, Mr.. Howells says, because few
authors can take the time to write a!
at least not those who live
by the pen. They need money, and
must write short things in order to getI
it. Then, too, it would seem to take
many years of experience to write al
and most of those who fur
nish us with our reading matter at thel
present time are men and women under
40. Mr.. Howells says he is surprised att
the confident way these young men and
women attack the great tragedies of
life, and the success with which they
do this in many cases amaZes him.
American literature has changed very
much in recent years. Just after thel
civil war an uplifting impulse stirred
the people. They wanted their reading
matter filled with wholesome, inspiring
facts; they wanted to better educate
and the literary man feltl
his responsibility. This is the day Of
the short story. The great mass of thel
people read nothing but the newspapers
and the magazines. The best literary
talent is employed by the newspapers;
the newspaper man is the literary man
of the hour. Mr.. Howells himself hasI
to that branch of the profes-l
sion. The feeling that people used to-
have for their books. that close, Until
mate feeling almost as II the books had
personality, seems to be nearly lackingl
in the present generation, and Mr. How
ellis says this is owing to the free library,
which has made the personal owner
ship of books unnecessary. You mayl
enjoy the book taken from and returned
to the public library very much indeed,
but how much greater is the enjoyment
derived from the book taken from thel
shelves of your own libraryi Sucn al
book becomes an intimate, dear friend.
while the one taken from the publicl
library is just book, nothing more. I'll
comes into the family like the entertain
ing guest in whom we have no real in
terest beyond his or her powers ofl
pleasing, and to whom we extend thel
hand in parting in perfect indifference.
Mr. Howells thinks there is a great field
for the literary worker to-day, as neyerl
before in the history of the country
have the people been so eager to bel
educated, never have there been sol
many readers. But they protest againstl