The Republican journal., 1912-04-25
Literary News and Notes.

In his review of 1.-The Literature of a
Decade" Arthur Marchmont Brown OBJ
serves thai the year of 1909 was remark
able for the output of Cook books and
Pearyodicals.
The Texas Magazine of Houston, Tex
as, announces the early publication of a
new serial story, 1.-THE Rising of the
Lone Star State" tale of the Texas
revolution, by Merle Elliott Tracy. The
author of the story is native of South
west Harbor, and will be remembered as
at one time prominent in the Democratic
councils of the county. Mr.. Tracy was
born blind, but an operation performed
on his eyes when an infant resulted IN
the gradual recovery of his sight, until
at the age of twenty he was able to read,
but with difficulty. He has been settled
at Brownsville, Texas, as an architect,
about three years.
With all of the welcome of gentle
April shower the National Magazine for
the current month comes to the readers
with an array of good things. In CAT
fairs at Washington" there is that face
to-face discussion of national politics
that grow in interest as the presidential
campaign proceeds. A stirring article on
''Navy Yard Consolidation" is contribut-
ed by Mr.. George F. Showers. A large
instalment appears of The Minor
Chord the life story of an American
prima donna. In the Mobility of the
Trades" the vocation of the farmer is
exhaustively treated. George Wharton
James forcefully describes 1.-THE 1nf1u-
erce of California upon Literature.
Probably the most important article in
the May American Magazine is COM
plete and dispassionate account OF the
great strike at Lawrence, written by
Ray Stannard Baker. Another impor-
tant contribution is statement of the
relations between Taft and Roosevelt,
contributed by William Allen White,
under the title, "Should Old Acquaint-
ance Be Forgot?" Other articles are:
Freak Plays That Have Decided Base
ball Championships" by Hugh S. Fuller
ton; "The New Stagecraft, -" by Walter
Prichard Eaton; LA Follette's Autobi-
ography, and ''The IrresponsibleWom oman
and the Friendless Child" by Ida M.
Tarbell. Notable among the pieces
of short fiction in the number are:
g Bringing the Years." by Kathleen
Norris, author of Mother" His Up
ward STEP" by Marion Hill, and 1.-The
Man Who Knew Life" by Philip Cur
tiss.
A little volume of classics modernized
is on the editors desk, from the Kenne-
bee Journal press. Its red and gold cover
proclaims it "Modern Classics and other
poems by William Smith knowlton.
Appropriate illustrations are by the pen
of e. Marshall Stewart The following
opening verse, ''The Adventures of Pha-
thon, from Ovid, is typical of the clever
ness of the work:
:Old Phoebus sat in his office one day,
Prepared for his matutinal spin,
Before him his halo and driving gloves lay
When his kid Of eighteen walked in.
Young Pha had his hat cooked over his eye,
A middle seam parted his hair.
With his hands in his pockets, this precious
young guy
Gan chatting his venerable pere-"
The volume is dedicated "to the many
pupils whom | have taught and loved. J"
The fitting preface is as follows: "This
volume is collection of stray leaves
fitting around my library like the leaves
in Sibyl's cave. The contents, it seems
to me, fairly illustrate the ordinary
emotions of the human soul, fantastic,
ethical, tragical, light shading into dark
ness. The morals deduced, it is hoped,
will be salutary. am aware the classic
field has been trodden by worthier feet
than mine, but their footsteps have
grown faint by the remorseless erosion
of time