The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
HALE HOUR WITH THE AUTHORS.

known also as a lecturer on astronomy,
has directed his attention 10 the earth
quake problem as II affects Sicily M
Serviss. in discussing general Sicily, ex-
plains what modern science has done to-
ward aseribing. the outbreak 70 tie iafiu-
ence Of thezSun and moon He is about
to lecture on TIE subject in compliance
with untold requests. with which he and
other physical scientists have been ap-
preached since the. disaster Probably
the most important ofss5ese Qsestions is
that which seeks 10 know whethef there
is ans increasing possibility Of f57Cedicti1g
these tragic disturbances
Tennyson was once dilatng 10 friend
on the charms os a pipe before breakfast
1t is the most delightful smoke Of the
day said he
Yes. yes. replied his friend. g The
first sweet pipe OF the awakened bard, =
Thereby making a reconstruction from
TennysOn's own works, needing the
change OF but one vowel
William Dana Orcutt. author OF the
latest Harper novel The Spell has
made q special study Of the ancient and
revived ART Of fIumination. Dir. OrcUtI
says that the fascination or these old
treasures is endlessi and he has stuffed
them in the Laurentian and Rioeardt
Libraries in Rome, the Annbrosians IN
Milan, the Nstonsle in Paris. the British
Museum in London. asd haunted num-
berless old mOnasteries in pursuit Of the
color secrets OF their manuscripts a
distinct product Of this study has been
the Humanistic "Petrarch.' which has
made the authors name firm ia the realm
Of scholarship. and was the particular
volume which President Roosevelt went
to Cambridge TO see two years ago
To the Issue Of Harper's Weekly for
Februsry Eliza Ruiz4mah Scidmore con-
tributes a remarkable account Of the late
Empress eDowager of China and the In
trigues which resulted in her deposition
OF the young Emperor and seizure Of
power. The most startling part Of the
narrative tells how the Emperor sought
safety in the American legation and was
refused through the ignorance Of the
secretary IN charge. who could not under
stand Chinese. II was remembered that
his cook could speak little English ''
says the author, and he was dragged
Up and brought. dazed. TO the scene He
could not understand what the agitated
mobiles wanted. what it was they wanted
10 bring 10 the legation and store away
until Mr. COnger's return, nor why.
nor r it was a man and not a thing
After 4 tragic comedy of errors and wild
misunderstanding. the sobbing men
knelt
oh, come back or Monday morning.
said the sleepy secretary, and went back
10 bed. while The gatekeepers hustled the
hysterical visitors out OF the compound
with scant ceremony and changed the long
bolts. And the fate of empire turned
upon a COOKS vocabulary"
The attitude Of President Lincoln to
ward the death penalty in the army is
one which army men and civilians have
never ceased 10 discuss Lueiys T. Chit
teuden. in his introduction 70 Lincoln
ana the Sleeping sentinel. the little vol
unle which the Earpers have just printed,
narrates how the gentle President shrank
from confirming a death sentence as Il
it were a murder by his own hand. They
say that ] destroy ali discipline, and am
cruel 70 the army when now and then
viii not let them shoot d soldier" said
Lincoln once. but / cannot see IL II
God wanted me 10 see IL, he would lei
me. and until He does I shall go on par
doninE and being cruel TO the end Al
old friend. calling upon the President BY
appointment. found him with pie q
court-martial records before him Go
away SwettI- he exclaimed, with intense
i
day, and viii not be interrupted until
have found excuses for saving the lives
OF these poor fellows
The question OF the authorship Ct The
Inner Shrine the anonymous serial now
appearing in Harper's Magazine, is arous-
ing much interest in literary circles. and
I there is scarcely an author Of prominence
TO whom Il has not been attributed.
From California. Mrs. John s Wood
writes. rs Mrs. HumphTy Ward the au-
thor Of the new seriaI?-' josephine Das-
/ kan Bacon writes 20 the publishers thal
many OF her friends seem "a think that
she is the author. and a well-known story
writer. after making a thorough canvass
Of the subject. has firmly determined tf1s'
[ the serial is the work Of the dean Of
American nOvelists-
Doubtless because. of its anonymity the
new serial has also been attributed tc
the author Of The 8Iartyrdom OF an En-
press"
/ Like all the other conjectures. this is
Of course, wide OF the mark, and quite
without foundation
| Cartoons by Teuniel-the same Tennie
who glorifed the Wonderland Of Lewis
lCarroll-are among a very famous his
/ toricaI collection which IS being exhibited
in London at the Punch pageant Draw
! ings Of comparable interest are in the
original sketch work Of Du Maurier
whose most famous novel was only re-
Gently reprinted by the HarPers. in this
country. The sketch book IFS open at d
drawing Of q graceful staggering dandy
of the type which made the artist-authoT'
fame before 'TriIby.~ BY its side a
pensive letter lies. in which Du Mauriel
inquiries whether any one has happened
To find a left-behind golOsh-
Among the anticipated books Of tbs
season approaching, one Of uncommon
promise is a new novel by Louise CloSsel
Hale Mrs Hsle's writing has been made
j
familiar by the magazines. notably Har-
per's. but so far she is even better knowr
as an actress than as an author. It wa.
she who created the character Of PrOssy
lin Bernard Shaw's Candida" an in
lterpretation which was said TO he re-
sponsible for some Of the vogue of the
play In this country. The most recent
of Mrs. Hale-s roles has been Mrs. Wigg:
OF the Cabbage Patch"
Justin Huntly Mccarthy. It is an
nounced. will have new novel during
the late winter Mr.. McCarthy's stor!
viii bear the imprint Of the Harpers
The Dukes Motto" and ''Seraphica." g" tht
/ two n-cst recent Mccarthy novels, wer,
both published within a year.
Ilncoln's extreme sensitiveness to re