The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-04-11
THE WORLD OF BOOKS
LITERARY GLEANINcS AND GOSSIP.

The Port O Dreams. and Other
Poems" is the title Of a little volume
from the pen OF Edith Pratt Dickens.
who IS we'll known in Washington as the
wife Of Rear Admiral Francis ". Dick
ms. United States navy. retired. Among
the modern writer's there are so few who
turn 10 poetry as means of expression.
that it is a positive delight to read the
exquisite verses that Mrs Dickins has
given to the public through the medium
OF this book. There is so much charm
and sentiment through the entire collec-
ton. that one hardly knows which TO
select as representative Of the message
which the book brings 10 the reader.
The opening verses. however. which give
the volume its title. begin with the
stanza:
T. Is just beyond the skyline.
With its POPPY fields Of rest,
Where DAYS storm ewildered shallop
Drops its anchor IN the West;
Where a silent Of saffrun
Stretches inland toward the streams
That 90 elimmering DOM thu valleys
OF the purple port O dreams
The Man in Lower Ten by Mary
Roberts Rinehart. author OF The Circu-
lar Staircase" illustrated in color by
Howard Chandler Christy. Emo. cloth.
$50 The Bobbs-Merrin Company, In
dianapolis.
In The Man in Lower Ten Mrs. Rine-
hart tells a story with gayety and hui
NOR. This irrepressible humor Of hers
may be taken as her distinctive contribu-
ton to detective fiction It has its source
81. rrro1T frrcr
OF water from the rock. II has the tonic
quality OF sunshine. Even In the mo-
nients Of their direst predicaments the
characters are able 70 laugh at them
selves. and the reader laughs with them
Now. one might reasonably suppose
that this incorrigible comic perception
would take the edge off the excitement.
But II doesn't On the contrary. il adds
10 the sense Of reality; makes the char
acters seem more natural. human. and
sympathetic: supplies ozone 10 the air or
plausibilitv: gives a zest 10 the criminal
chase, and whets the appetite for mys-
terry.
And as for the mystery-the plot Of
THE Man IN Lower Ten so deeply en-
crosses the reader that he fOrgets meals.
sleep the tOothache. appendicitis, duns.
l.
tfons We shan't give il away; we would
not be 50 unkind 20 the prospective
reader.
As Prof. FerrerO in his lecture on An
tony and Cleopatra. declared that the
old story Of the Roman generals infatU-
alton for the Serpent Of the Old Nile was
malicious libel. invented by Antony's
opponents for the purpose Of disgracing
him by showing him 10 he weak and ef-
Terminate, and as he attributed his sup
posed marriage 10 Cleopatra 10 political
ambition and the desire 10 become the
ruler OF Egypt and neighboring Asiatic
countries. his views had all the charm OF
novelty. and were widely quoted and
commented on by the newspapers
throughout the country. The lecturer
text. which was considerably abbreviated
for platform delivery IS printed in fun
in Putnams Magazine for April. with
many appropriate Illustrations. some OF
which tend 10 confirm Prof. FerrerO's al
legation that the Queen Of Egypt was by
no means the beauty tradition and
Shakespeare have painted her. and show
that Mark AntOny'S Roman wife. OC-
tavia, was really a handsomer woman.
In the Woman's Home Companion for
April Is begun a new novel by Cyrus
Townsend Brady. entitled Hearts and
the Highway" The various instaIlments
Of the story are 10 be illustrated by F.
G Yohn. The Rev. DR.. Brady Is a typi-
callv strenuous American. In addition
TO writing popular and successful novels
and lecturing. he is a militant minister
OF the Gospel He has recently become
rector Of q large parish in Kansas City,
Mo.
Trolley Folly" by Henry Wallace
Phillips. author Of RED Saunders" with
nine pictures in color. 12mo. cloth. S1.25.
The Bobbs- Merrill Company, Indianap-
oils
Imagine yourself one fne morning
waiting. as usual. on your customary
corner for . trolley car. As a rule the
car is on time and as moment after mo
ment goes by without its appearance
you take out your watch and impatient
" note how late q is. Finally. after you
have stood waiting twenty minutes
along II comes at an astonishing rate OF
speed. and scOrnfully passing you, dashes
on. You turn to gaze after II in amaze
ment. There has been no accident on the
line you are pretty sure, and the car
isn't crowded Indeed. the single glimpse
which its speed allowed YOU showed but
one or two passengers. and they appar-
emily. judging from the expression on
their faces, are as much astonished as
yourself What can II mean? Later IN
the morning you hear that a car bearing
the sign North Pennsylvania Street
has been seen wildly dashlag down
Southeastern avenue. At last you grasp
the idea. Your trolley car has gone of
or a lark, This staid, dependable public
servant. running it's straight. undeviat-
ing course up and down the street. hour
after hour. day after day, year in and
year out. has failed you at last, and the
cause-it has run away on a jaunt OF
its own, For once in a lifetime this car,
which so many mornings has sailed-a
picturesque yellow ship with single up
ward oblique rudder-swiftly toward you
cut 81 the gloom of fog or the white biz
gard OF snow just in time 20 land YOU
promptly at your Office, has gone back
on you
Coupled with Trolley Folly" are eight
other stories. all in the characteristic
vein. and in several Of which the only
Mr. Scraggs IS the chief figure.
Although Bill Trueten." the story Of
theatrical life by George H Brennan. Is
only a month DID, It already ranks among
the best selling books OF the country
The Bookseller. the official organ of the
book trade in the United States. ex-
presses its opinion as follows: Bill
Truetel is so amusing that the readers
laughter results in tears, and an attempt
to read certain scenes aloud reduces
everybody TO mysteries. Not for many a
day have we read a more fascinating tale
I'll