The Washington herald., 1913-06-15
LITERARY NOTES

1
T. waiter Maunder-author Of Are IN,
Planets Inhabited r'-has shown how a
famous scientific controversy aro..
through the mistranslation of a z,rs,s
term schiaparelli. the astronomer. when
he made use Of the italian word "canaIt"
to DESIGNATE the narrow lines he had d,s.
covered on Mars. had no intention. Mr.
Maunder says. of conveying the idea ot
arinciai construction. Indeed, he him
sef was careful to point out that tbess
designations 'w.ere not intended 10 nrs.
Judge the nature of the spot. and wers
nothing but an artifice for heIr,In1 tbs
memory. But 'canaIi'' was rendered in
English as canals" instead of ..cbap-
nels. and in English "canaF' mean. he
points out, "an artificial waterway" Sew.
eral chapters In Are the Planets In
habitedT are devoted to the discussions .
Wnich nave resulted from this miscon-
ception.
Albert Bigelow Paine, author OF Mark
Iwain-A Biograph." relates that II was
IN faimyra Creek-or Bear Creek. as Mr.
faine calls it-in Hannibal, Mo. which
mas Just been converted into a sewer
that Mark Twain learned to swim.
Time and again, he had been dragged
ashore more dead than alive: once BY a
sidNe-slrl, another time by a slaye-man
IN the end he had conquered; he could
swim better than any boy in town of his
age. When in 1902 Mark Twain paid a
Visit TO Hannibal. he recalled, says Mr..
falhe' the time he nearly drowned in the
mississippi Once, near the shore.
thought would let down." Mark Twain
conIessed; but was afraid to. knowing
that II the water wal deep, I was a
goner' but finally my knees struck the
sand and I crawled out. That was the
closest call / ever had"
The Friendly Enemy" by T P. Cam
eron Wilson, which the Putnams will
publish In June, is a novel that is written
with rare consciousness of social wrong
and an equally keen realization of the
herculean difficulties in the way of its
righting. 1t presents the inarticulats
groping after better things and the active
reoeihon against things as they are.
The volume entitled. The Man who
Sne DSy Year Would Go Eelin'. and
Some Other Little College Things-Most-
ly Athletic" which the Putnams hays
just published, comes from the pen of an.
author who is well qualified to speak
with authority on the matters about
which he has written, matters which
MAXI their special appeal to- every COL
lege man. graduate and undergraduate
Charles Halsted Mapes is very well
known throughout the college world.
having always been very prominently
connected with athletics. He has acted
as oficial at the intercollegiate games
for the last twenty-five years.
James Bryce. former British Ambassa-
dor to this country. has made his Der
sonahty felt here as have few of our
visiting statesmen 1t has been well said
that the reason for this lies in Mr.
Dryce's willingness to meet people and
to discuss publicly and in friendly
way topics Of national interest The re-
cent conclusion of his ambassadoriaI
service makes peculiarly timely the pub
lication of a collection of his addresses.
In University and Historical Address"
which is ready this week. are presented
some of those very speeches which have
helped to win for him the sincere regard
Of the entire nation. Addresses which
he delivered before universities, legal
associations, Chambers Of Commerce,
clubs. and other organisations of divers
kinds are here gathered together. The
range of topics Is a wide one and in
sures general appeal CMacMillan.)
DeSplte tne 1dCL tndI IN Nlsam there
Is not a single character with a title,
the novel enchains and holds the inter-
st from beginning to end"
Mrs Red Pepper" by Grace s. Rich
nond, is one of the foremost fiction pub
ications on the list of Doubleday, Page
Z Co. for May. While entirely indepen-
lent of any of Mrs. Richmond's other
novels, this one is in a sense a
of Red Pepper Burns" the
tory Of the big. brilliant, impetuous
,ountry doctor and his charming wife.
rhe book Is illustrated.
The first picture plays" were pro-
luced in New York in 1894 by Alex
Inder Black. who was not merely in
'entor of the device and its name, but
made the photographs and wrote the
poken text for these first plays on a
Vhite sheet" It was remarked at the
ime that this form Of picture drama
Fas probably the precursor of the XII
play" 1t was nearly seven
cen years later that the first full-length
lay In moving pictures was put upon a
heet-' Mr.. Black was at the top OF
is success when he left the platform
or the editorial chair and novel writ
,g. His newest novel. "Thorney," pre-
ents an old situation in a way that IL
s new as his picture idea was in the
Vs
Henry James Forman recently arrived
rom England. where he has been spend
lg the winter. Mcbride. Mast & Co.
III publish his London. an Intimate
icture." in the fall. .
Rudolph Aronson. author of ''Theatri-
Al and Musical Memoirs" has recently
isde arrangements in Europe for the
merican concert appearance Of Herr
duard Strauss. son of the immortal
ohann Strauss, OF "Blue Danube" fame.
Ir. Aronson win be remembered as the
uilder of the Casino Theater. New York
Ever since the publication Of j. c:
mith's new novel. AN Affair OF State.
Y Doubleday. Page & Co., those up on
ritish politics have been trying to guess
lie real Identities of the characters IN
ie book. because on every side II has
cen taken for granated that the author
i'd living human beings in mind when
, wrote of Draper. Mauleverer. Grundy,
le Duke of Rockingham. and others.
, far no two guessers have been able
agree on all of the chief characters.
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