The Washington herald., 1908-05-10

Mrs JAb biEI " SIHAISSs
and had many readers there who fol-
lowed with the keenest interest her week
ly observations. But the history of her
first book is. perhaps, better recited by
Edward Box. editor OF the Ladies Home
Journal, who says, in the foreword which
he has written as a preface TO the vol
ume;
Five years ago an article appeared in the Indian
apolis News under the signature Of The County
Contributor" and il Immediately found itself With
;he readers especially the women readers. It was
this work % which nay attention called. and
three years ago invited the author 20 contribute
20 the Ladies Home Journal. have n hesitation
IN saying that her contributions have been more
widely Rad and are to-day more popular tuan the
writings Of any single contributor 70 the magazine.
Il is difficult 10 snalyze the peculiar clarm that
the writings q A Plain Country Woman" have
for vide public unless il is that the author has
lived deeply and touches upon tie vital Welsprlngs
of living with a hand that ne feel slre Is that of
experience As the author herself says Of her writ
ings. ! know all It's shortcomings; ] know g IS
dis5ointed know It lacks eontinuity-but it's ne "
But II Is also true that people by the millions have
read and are to-day. each week ard each month,
reading the writings Of the Plain Country Woman.
irrelevant may Be IN their eyes and In her eyes
and they have read with pleasure and with profit
And il is with the hops that her views dealing
with those phases Of life that she believes d be
-Wumans best estate may ind and approving
readers that this. her first book is presented to the
public
Mr. Boks introduction is not more ap-
propriate than it is true The author.
one cannot help feeling. has lived deep
ly" and does touch upon the vital we'll
springs of living with hand that We
feel is one Of experience.
Mrs. Strauss has studied human kind,
and she has found-what the majority Of
us overloOk-that it is much the same
the whole world round. Human nature
changes little with latitude and longi-
tude. and from ones own neighbOrs can
oftentimes be gained the knowledge OF
the thoughts. the feelings. the desires,
the joys. the griefs of a whole nation.
Mrs. Strauss is especially felicitous in
all her observations concerning the simple
life She is an optimist, and her philos-
ophy is one OF optimism. Il am a great
hand" she says, for living a day az
time Then again. Wherever you are,
there is the center Of the universe, there
is the point Of alert interested conscious
ness To be interested is 10 be happy,
and to be happy is simply 10 be in ac-
cord with your world A sense OF this
the washtub out in the garden where
the early corn is rustling. in the poultry
yard when you hear the sleepy chirp OF
a little chick under its mothers wing
In reviewing such a book as this, one
is tempted To quote frequently from its
pages. They are hlled with words that
are good for men and women 10 hear
not 'lecturing words not discOuraging
words, but words full of sympathy, help.
strength, and hope. And the messages
conveyed Rre as appropriate for the hap
py as for the unhappy. for the rich as
for the poor. All of them, moreover. are
interesting for the writer has a happy,
pleasing. intimate style delightful TO
read and exceedingly entertaining Here
and there a bit OF humor lightens it and
tends to make the lesson all the palmer
and all the easier to take home to ones
mind and heart.
The book contains seventeen essays
the most Of them new-and among the
titles are the following: The Woman
Who Wears the Halo" BY Way Of
Retrospect" a February Monologue,"
Rough Thoughts for Rough Weather"
PHILOSOPHERS of a House-cleaning Day"
The Simple Life" 'Old Maids and Sim
gle Women" ~ Chapter for Men TO
Read" "The Higher Education" and
THE Sin of Trying to Be Too Good.
All of these essays-and others as we'll
are exceedingly readable and interesting.
Indeed. Mrs Strauss occupies a field in
which she is, to-day, practically alone.
She has brought the essay into the
home Of the average reader. and her
book, IL Is possible to predict, will lead
many to enjoy this particular class of
literature who hitherto have found it
somewhat forbidding. (New York: Dou-
bleday. Page & Coz
John Thadeus Delane was editor of the
London Times from 1910 until DisraelFs
last administration in 1876. and one of the
most important and interesting English
men Of the last century. His Life and
Correspondence" compiled from hitherto
unpublished letters by his nephew, Arthur
Irwin Dasent, will be published this
spring.
Mr.. Delanes private diaries and corre- |
spondence during his long tenure Of power
cover the period between Sir Robert
Peers return to Office and Disraelrs last
administration, and describe at first hand,
the repeal Of the corn laws, the Crimean
war, and the fall OF the Coalition" cabi- |
net, the ascendancy Of Palmerston. the
Indian mutiny. the death of the prince
consort. and the seclusion Of the count
after 1861, Delane's controversy with
Golden and Bright. the Schleswig-H g-Hol- |
stein dispute. the reform bills OF 1866
and 1857, the Fenian conspiracy, the dis
OF the Irish church, the
A America, ,fv,i1 war the Franco -prussiau n |
war. and the recrudescenee of the East |
eTn question
His correspondence includes not only |
numerous confidential letters from Pal |
merston, Disraeli. Lord Clarendon, and |
other statesmen Of the Victorian age, but