Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-02-02

which he emphasizes the CROWN OF
habit and the priceless possession OF
good character. He Is the author OF
other books, "The Life Of Frederick
Douglass" and My Experiences just
issued from the press. With a clear
and forecful style and an abundance OF
practical facts he has impressed TINS
country and the world. 1t is said that
his up From Slavery" has been trans.
lated into more foreign languages than
any other work by an American
negro. The lustre Of his life. fame
and works, shed glory upon the whole
negro race.
+ Passing from this room we entered
Fiction hall, a room just as spacious
End more beautiful. This TooA was
DIVIDED with great figures and l won
dered If they were visitors like my
self; but they looked 80 much at home
though some were very antique. MY
guides told me that these were the
authors themselves. Naturally look
ed for the colored faces-and ! found
them.
There was a very distinguished look
ing gentleman who came up and sala
to me in French, Good Evening. Miss
bon soir, Mademoiselle), and then
knew him-we all know him, the
greatest Of all colored novelists, Alex
andre Dumas, born in France In the
first half of the 10Th century. author
of the world renowned. Count OF Mon
to Cristo,' its sequel, Edmund
Dantes," Three Guardsmen," TWEEN
ty Years After" "The Man in the
Iron Mask, lie Bastille." La Tulipe
Noire." 1.-THE Queens Necklace" and
many other notable works that have
interested and delighted the world OF
letters. Some critics place him at the
head of the worlds novel writer's IN
style, the development and portrayal
of characters. His influence for good
has been worldwide and he has I'M
mortalized the negro in tales OF ro-
nance and fiction. His name recalls
to our minds the gfeat and immortal
novelists, Defoe and Dickens OF Eng
land, Victor Hugo Of France, Harriet
Beecl,er Stowe Of America, Alexandra
Pushkin, the negro writer OF Russia
and Cervantes of Spain.
Another distinguished looking gen.
tleman whom recognized at once was
w. e. Burghardt Du Bots, an American
negro, who for the last fifteen years
has been writing some Of the worlds
best compositions This author has
done much to influence tho giving OF
higher education to the negro boy and
girl His works have caused the
world to discuss anew the negro prob
lem. His renowned book, Souls OF
the Black Folk" has been read by mil
lions and entities him to a permanent
place among the fiction writer's of the
globe. With a charm and felicity Of
style he has disclosed the inner feel
ings and emotions Of the American
black people under the peculiar and
embarrassing environment Of Aueri-
can social and political conditions. He
is also the author of recognized and
standard work on the Negro Slave
Trade" and is regarded as one of the
most brilliant men ever graduated
from Harvard university. From the
press there has just been issued his
new work. "The Quest Of the Silver
Fleece" reviewed BY William Stanley
another brilliant writer
of our race. 1 fancy that see in his
hands a picture of q young negro boy |
and girl standing in cotton field and
l recall Bles Allyn and Fora in their
quest of the silver fleece. This work
will bring new lustre and fame to Its
author and will be read with increas-
ing interest and enthusiasm by thou
sands, black and white, throughout the
world He Is the editor Of the Crisis,
a national negro publication creating
and moulding sentiment everywhere
for equality and justice to negro peo-
pies. We might justly say Of him
what Shakespeare said of Brutus:
He was mild and gentle and tho
elements so mixed in him that all ma
ture might stand up and say. This a
man."
or the worlds great living negroes
we think with pride and delight Of
Du Bots as a scholar and American
race champion; Of Blyden as lin.
guist and champion of the African
negro; Of Kelly Miller as the thinker
and race controversalist; and Of Wash.
ington as the practical organizer and
leader Of men.
Sliding doors opened into Poets
hall. This was the most beautiful Of !
all. Here l found the little African !
girl, Phillis, who in 1911 was sold in |
a Boston slave market to q very cul-
tured and loving woman, Mrs. John |
wheatley, who grew to love little
Phillis dearly and trained her in the
finer arts. There were many beauti-
full poems written from the depths Of
her pure, young heart between the
years Of 1853 and 1854. The poem ad-
dressed to Gen. George Washington
brought to her lovely letter Of
thanks from the father Of our coun-
try. Her translation Of ono of Ovid's
stories was widely published In Eu-
rope. It was she who said:
"'Twas mercy brought me from my
pagan land
And taught my benighted soul to I'M
derstand
That there's q God-that there's q
Savior. too;
Once I redemption neither sought nor
knew
And there was young man, very
young, who had written poetry since
his childhood until his pathetic death
in 1906, the beloved poet Of the Amer
Tom nAoro PaN1 Lawrence nn1nhap