The Washington herald., 1909-06-27
LITERARY NOTES.

The publishers Of Mr.. z. F. Benson's
novel. The Climber" thought so wei
Of the book that. after publishing an
edition IN type which they afterward
/ decided was TOO small. have now entirely
reset il in larger type, and the new edi-
1 tion is receiving the attention the book
| deserves.
set IN Silver" the new book by Mr.
and Mrs. Williamson. is having a great
sale.
Harper's Weekly FOR last week has a
/ humorous article by Z. ". Kemble tell
/ ing how members Of the Lambs Club
I Travelled 2.725 miles, gave several per-
/ formances each day. and gathered IN
more than hundred thousand dollars
I FOR their new clubhouse
! Maclyn Arbuckle as an end man, Ig-
nacio Martinetu as a coryphee. Raymond
/ Hitchcock as q coon" Charles kelin
and Wilton Lackaye as Roman cltizenS
! and Belesco IN the spot light are among
/ the illustrations which the author con
/ tributed 10 this entertaining article.
William Dean Howens pays compli-
ments 10 the novels of Robert Herrick
/ in the current North American Review
\ The elder novelist and critic pronounces
I the younger zone Of the greatest Aueri-
/ cans now writing fiction" and deprecates
I that the serious critics have not noticed
4 his novels more closely. Inferior
/ names" says Mr.. Howells. ARE more
I constantly the praise OF the unanimity
which is not the lasting majority. that is
not 50 bad; but his name has not been
OF that thoughtfuller mention which his
/ work has merited That is. II seems 50
10 me; but 7 am Of the passing genera
| ton. whose sight and hearing are not so
! good as they were"
4 rs religion necessary is the question
/ asked by George Burman Foster. profess
I sor Of the philosophy OF religion in the
/ University OF Chicago. in his book, The
/ Function OF Religion In Mans Struggle
4 for Existence" The work is attracting
( considerable attention in lay as well as
religious circles.
Not long before his death George Mere
/ dith was led by one Of his acQuaintances
I into discussing immortality. You be-
/ lieve in IT. he said, but for my part I
/ cannot conceive 1t. Which personality
/ is II that endures2 I was one man in
youth and another man IN middle age
I have been this. this. and this Which
| is Il that is immortal?" He was remind
/ the persistence Of the ego. He said, with
some vehemence, II DO not feel IT,
/ have never felt Il. have never felt the
\ unity OF personality running through my
I life. have been'-this with a srnlle-''I
/ have been six different men, six, al least
/ No. cannot conceive personal immor-
k tality."
/ Thomas Hardy recently entered into his
A. g.
I great world drama, The Dynasts."
Among the new novels from the press
/ OF Macmillan & Co. may be mentioned
The Straw" by Rita Ramsey; THE
! Three Brothers," by Eden Phillpotts, and
limbo fantasy, by Algernon Black
wood.
Mrs. Velma Swanston Howard. who is
the authorized translator for America and
England Of Selma Lagerlors books. wrote
/ her publishers last month from Stockholm
/ that she found snow and ice everywhere
and no sign OF a bud or tree, and was
sitting before IN open FIRE with double
/ windows closed. Her first conversation
with Miss Lagerlef. however. was over
I the phone, as Il might have been here
Mrs. Howard saw The Servant in the
/ House" IN Swedish the other evening. and
care much for the play which they think
! reminiscent OF Ibsens brand among
other things" She says Miss Lagerlof
still seems TO be the leading candidate
for the Nobel prize. and the idol OF the
/ Swedish people. Mrs. Howard, who has
written "Maja Lisa" and some other hu-
morous tales, says she has to bear with
good grace the fact that everywhere in
Sweden she IS merely referred 70 as Miss
Lagerlof's translator" She already found
copies OF her translation Of the Christ
Legends on sale TO travellers in a Swed-
fish book store.
Theodore Roosevelt: Dynamic Geogra-
pher." Is the title Of an essay by Frank
Burlington Vrooman, F. r. G. S. which
Mr.. Provide Is about 10 publish. The
book is based on a lecture recently de-
livered 10 the School Of Geography at
Oxford. Mr.. Vrooman considers that Alr.
Roosevelt has precipitsted the world is
sue Of the twentieth century. and that q
new era In world politics and a new dav
for rationsl, ethical, and construction
/ democracy dawned the day he was sworn
in as President Of the United states.
The inspiring and impressive figure OF
Hendrick Hudson makes Ford MADDOX
Heuffer's novel, The Half Noon" Of
particular interest at this time Of the
Hudson-Fulton tercentenary celebration.
The book is published this month BY
Doubleday. Page & Co. Mr. Heuffer Is
writer who aims always at more than
ephemeral distinction He has made here
a carefully wrought well-balanced, and
serious work OF fiction that has a chance
Of staying as an historical novel that viii
be source OF history. Beginning with
the causes that prompted Hudson and