The San Francisco call., 1910-03-06

The love of good old Saxon speech
does not extend to "fOrewOrd" among
the literary. Swinburne had one Of
his not uhaccustOmed fits of frenzy at
the sight of it. and an English writer
confesses himself nigh unto cursing''
when he sees the compound. But il Is
recalled that "fOrewOrd" was only one
of many compounds TO be manufactured
by the enthusiastic. Barnes, the Dorset
poet, published An Outline OF English
Speechcraft" in 1873, and he suggested
among other changes "fOlkdOm' for
democracy ~kin-stem'' for "pedi gree.
"Onfaring" for 'lOcomotiOn.'' "sky-siIT'
for horizon" "bendsome" for "1ex-
ible," 'earth-tiIth" for agriculture,
"sunprint" for photograph" wort
nibus. for done" for perfect" Jung
ail' for CONSUMPTION" The Manchester
Guardian notes that some of his finest
efforts were in grammatical terms.
"Somely" almost explains itself (fOr
pluraPD. but who would guess that
pitches of suchness' meant degrees
OF comparison? He invented a word
for appendix" (Which he called
"hankD but none for appendicitis
which had not then been discovered.
BY the way, a fourteenth century
writer solved a pretty problem when
he Englished '.remOrse OF conscience"
into "again-bite of inwit." Yet out
come Gin the sense OF resulO was in
vented by Carlyle only as far back as
1892.
Literary haunts and homes in Eng
land are of such enduring moment 10
Americans that the following account
by an English tourist who has been
taking in" some Of the haunts of
literary folk in America. and who here
alludes to the poet VIII CarletOn's first
fG If inv
The Carleton homestead" writes the
Britisher. lis in Michigan. near Hud-
son. L visited it as matter of pecu-
liar interest, for CarletOn's poems are
as well known in Great Britain as in
America and are in evidence and quoted
on all sorts Of occasions. The home
stead is now entirely destitute of Garlic
tons, although Will, the last of his
race, still owns and maintains the prop
erty. It is occupied by faithful care
takers who, as were their ancestors.
have been there for years. The poet. I
learned. is able to be at the old place
very seldom, as his residence in New
York is nearly 1000 miles away. 1t
seemed to be great goal of pilgrim
age-people coming from all directions
and from great distances-as they do
TO the Burns cottage at Ayr. the Scott
residence at AbbotsfOrd, and other
haunts of distinguished men. The day
4
from all directions: the New York ex-
press bound for Chicago halted in front
of the house to let pilgrims off and on
An entire college of students came
from their college in a body and the
air was full Of speeches. songs and
Rotations"
A new edition OF the Encyclopaedia
Britannica is promised for next year a
simple announcement that will be of
more than usuaI interest to the publish
ing and reading fraternity. This famous
encyclopedia first appeared in Great
Britain in 176S, and has since then been
issued Ia various revised editions. as
occasion has demanded. the last or
ninth appearing in 1S75-S9. The great
problem for all encyclopaedia makers
is necessarily 10 keep their work up 10
date in all matters of information.
scientific progress. etc. No matter how
scholarly such work may be. one
would hardly think Of appealing to il
today such matters as teIegraphy.
aeronautics. biology. or any subject OF
science whatever. it is more than a
decade Old Hence a tenth edition OF
the Encyclopaedia Britannica seems. Of
all things. a timely and necessary un-
dertaking. But when it is published
what Will become Of the ninth edition
and the luckIess pOssessors thereof?
Clement K. Shorter. writing in The
Sphere this month. remarks: II am in
formed. although this seems hard 10 be-
iieve. that purchasers OF the last edi-
tiOn will be allowed 20 possess the new
form upon exceedingly moderate terms.
which are to include the return of the
older work TO the publishers" There
could be no bit OF news in regard TO
books better calculated TO please the
owner of an old edition of the EncyclO-
paedia Britannica than that. but as Mr..
shorter remarks, II seems hard TO be-
Ieve."
Margaret Cameron (lIrs. Harrison c.
Lewis). author of The Involuntary
Chaperon." has returned to her New
York home after a four months So
iourn In Mexico.