The San Francisco call., 1909-06-06

ShelIy's former book. John Harvard
IL quite as we'll known in England,
where IL Is a standard WORK, as IL
America. where IL takes high ranT
among bibliOgraPhy.
In the opinion OF Emerson H0ugh.
the author Of $40 or Fight" the
only trouble with the world Is that IL
is all wrong. For instance. everybody
goes south for vacation in the win
ter time. whereas everybody ought to
go north and try snOwshoeing and
camping out in the snow. Mr. HOugh
has proved scientifically that this is the
only right way to do. for when he
takes his vacation in that way he is
the heaIthiest known man. Life in
the city. according TO Mr.. HOugh. is
only compromise. We endure il. but
don't thrive under Il. The whole
theory Of education in America today
IS based on the idea Of getting rich
and living in city. When we are
educated to get poor. live in the coun-
try and take our vacations in the win
ter time and in the north. we may get
on better.
There are. according 10 writer in
the Gentlewoman. some 5000 literary
women in France. some of them dress
in an eccentric fashion or adopt q
of them affects the "andrOgyne"
dress. opening down the front. and
owing to the tightness around the
legs gives the impression OF mems
trousers. Another wears the trans
formation gown" thus called because a
portion OF the skirt can be thrown
around the shoulder and form cloak.
There is also the bareheaded novelist
with her famous walking stick with a
rr41F hat ru~fr
spring and dfsc1Oses her handkerchief
inside. Nine. Arvede BARN. who died
recently. and who was talented nov
elist. frequently protested against this
charlatanism. but was powerless to re-
sist the spirit Of the age,
In column Of brief reviews OF
novels seen in a London paper recently.
eight were on religious subjects. the
discussion Of ereeds OF various sorts
being the theme OF each story. and in
nearly every case love and every other
earthly happiness were renOunced in its
favor. Two other reviews were on
labor troubles. housing of working
classes and suffrage and the remaining
one on the evils OF bridge playing.
Every one was written with a purpose
and II will be interesting to see how
long II viii take for this religious re-
form novel craze to strike America
One Of the privileges OF friendship
Is candid criticism. That. at least Is
the way two present day authors look
at It, These two authors. Arthur
Stringers whose wireless novel. The
Gunrunner." IL just now making such
a success. and Sewen Ford seldom
waste time in idle praise OF each 9TH
er's books When Stringer's silver
Poppy came out Ford sent a brief but
comprehensive wire to the author:
''I'll lose no time IN reading your nav
+, book" Stringer got back when Ford.
a few months later. came out with his
first volume. His message read:
Your book is rarely interesting" Then
Stringer's Wire Tappers" appeared.
and called forth this friendly greet
ing from Ford: This Is a weighty
and wonderful nOvel-Im lying under
great obligation to YOU" So
Stringer waited his time. until FOrd's
Horses Nine" appeared. and promptly
embodied his fslicitatiOns IN: ''YOur
book proves to be a thing OF sound
and stable ideas" Then came Stringer's
The Woman in the Rain which
Ford acknowledged thusly- Your
poetry arrived tOday-am looking for
ward to reading IT with much impa-
tience." The warfare continued when
Ford'S shorty MCCabe" made Its aD-
pearance between covers. Stringer
greeting II with: 7 promise to give
your book the minute examination II
merits"