New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-03

[ that In his old age Meredith was often
urged TO write his "reminiscences, and
scornfully rejected the thought. Auto
! biography" he once said, is a sure sign
of failing observation-disclosures of mag
nation or its decay" He seldom spoke
Of his past, though once he told his
friend that he had been a very timid and
sensitive boy. always terrified of the
dark and Of death. and once he said with
irony: MY father was Welsh, my
mother was Irish; that is why the
critics harp on my strong Anglo-Saxon
I style!" Lord Morleys memoir, by the
way, Is to be prehxed TO his edition of
Mered!ths letters, and it will probably
be published some time this year.
Judge Grants Observations.
The genial revelations Of the "Convic-
tons Of a Grandfather" will be CON-
pleted in the June number Of Serb
ner," though most readers would be glad
to have Judge Grants comments on
modern life go on indefinitely. Their
geniality is sometimes tempered with
sharpness, as in this paragraph:
If indeed we who seek to promote the
brotherhood of man claim that more sem
sltive spirit of mercy and the desire 10 DO
more exact justice are at the root of de-
mocracy's leniency toward lawbreakers,
rather than the blunted moral sense which
suggests itself, we certainly cannot ignore
American democracy's lack Of sensitiveness
IT, other relations. A grandfather who sums
up impartally the changes which have
taken place since he was young must in
clude sundry manifestations which people
half century ago were accustomed TO as
ISOLATE with lack of delicate feelings.
The attitude of much Of our democracy to-
day Is so rampantly optimistic that it's IA
vcrite phrase, II feel good is typical no
less of its general self-sstsfaction than OF
It's superiority to grammar. The noble hope
which our Republic-and indeed all democ-
racies-holds out to every individual Of be-
Ing able to make the most OF him or her'
self seems strangely coupled IN the orol
nary mind with emancipation from many
of the ancient courtesies or nicetes OF life.
When Socialism Failed.
An interesting volume from the pen
OF Mr.. Stewart Graham is coming out
in England under the title OF Where
Socialism Failed: An Actual Expert
ment" 1t contains a detailed account
Of socialism as practised at New Aus
tralia" and "Cosme." the two Utoplas
established in 1904 after the great
strike i'm Australia.
Essays by w. G. Sumner
War" the first essay in volume by
the late Professor W. 6. Sumner, VIII
find its first publication in those pages
The book will soon be issued by the
Yale University Press.
Do Plants Reason?
A new and enlarged edition Of In the
Guiana Forest" a charming book by the
Guiana naturalist Mr.. James Roadway
ia announced by A. c. McClurg. 1t
brings up a strange question as 10
the possibilities Of some sort OF
reasoning in plants. In one forest
orchid, the Casaletum. says Mr.. Rod
way, there are male and female flowers
quite distinct i'm appearance the
one from the other, and, what is most
curious borne on the same plant at dill
ferent times. 1t appears as If the orchid
il able to choose whichever OF these IL
is strong enough to bring 10 perfection.
The male necessarily requires a less
continuous strain, as it is saved from
the labor of ripening the capsules, which
takes several months. When, therefore,
the plant is comparatively weak only
male flowers are produced, but when inc
pseudo-bulbs are plump and strong fe-
males These and "A thousand other
EXAMPLES of choice of means to par
ticular end all go to prove that plants
like animals. are by no means wanting In
what we have called physical memory
and it's complement. physical reason