The Topeka state journal., 1913-12-03
BOOK REVIEWS.

w. Y. Morgan's new book, 1.-The
Near East is off the presses of Crane
& Co., and on the market for the holi-
day trade. 1t is illustrated by Albert
Reid. The book presents a most at
tractive appearance, Its binding and
printing being up to any Chicago
standard for the price.
Mr.. Morgan's style Of writing is well
known to most Kansans. He is odd
and humorous and interesting and
cheerful, always seeking for many
facts and dressing them in velvet gar
ments. He has made many trips to
foreign lands and always he sends
back weekly letters TO- his paper, the
Hutchinson News; about the things
that interested him on his travels.
Then after he returns home he prints
these letters in book form and many
people rise up and call him blessed.
On this last trip Mr.. Morgan sailed
the blue depths OF the Mediterranean
sea and raved about the moonlight
nights there and how they would
kiss lass and talk sentiment to her.
He rambled across Austria and was
struck with the Viennese women. Then
he ventured into the Balkans and saw
His observations Of the Turk and his
passing from power are full of sound
philosophy. He saw the Montenegrins
face to face and conversed with them
intimately. The Montenegro chapter
alone is worth the price of the book.
He went to Greece and dozed awhile
on the plains of Marathon and walked
in Athens and talked to the new
Greeks and thought of the old Greeks.
The story is simple and straight
away. Plain and homely facts about
these people living on the edge OF the
east are told so that one reads and
knows. Mr.. Morgan has the seeing
eye and he writes in the rare style of
be funny and he is funny. He does
not try to be interesting and as a re-
suit he is interesting.
The Near East book is in the Nor
gan style and that is enough of a
Recommendation for any travel book.
Some days ago the book editor of
the State Journal received copy of
the last Walt Mason book, "Rippling
Rhymes it is called The review is
long in coming. but here it is:
Last night 1 sat late and read both
Of Waits books Of poems, the old one
and the new. The old is the best, but
the new one is the c1everest. 1 like
the old one best because in it the EN-
poria philosopher has placed more of
his serious and sad poems dealing
with life and death and fate and hope.
People generally know Mason as a
writer of funny poems with an odd
and pleasing Jingle in them and a rare
command Of the language spoken in
various forms. But 1 know and love
him best in his serious lines like 1.-The
Little Pilgrims" Il Am Tired of Boot
less Questions" Little Green Tents"
1.-The Inn of the Sexton" THE Nine
Kings" and a half dozen others of this
nature. I wish Walt would write
more of them. No poet living today
except the great Kipling can write
more fascinating or beautiful lines
about the flowers and the stars and
the fate and glory Of man than can
Walt Mason of Emporia, Kansas.
wish he would write more Of them,-
cutting out of them every frivolous
or f1ippant line. He writes enough
serious when he writes SO grandly
along that line.
The new book. "Rippling Rhymes"
is beautifully printed by McClurg's.
experiences with the grocer and the
crouch and q half dozen other mer-
chants of various wares 1t is funny.
1t bears out that title Of "Rippling."
The rhymes ripple like brook in
Languedoc. The magic touch is
there. The philosophy of these verses
IL strong and homely. like Lincoln's
stories. Walt hates shams as bad az
Mark Twain did, and he sWats them
about as hard The verse about the
man who had built up great news
paper and had grown rich and power
full Is the best one. This man reflects
on his wealth and glory and then
sighs for the old weekly in Podunk
and the times when he fought the
handpreas and tried to get his patent
sheet out Of the express office. 1t il
the old. true story OF futile great
ness and the sweetness Of adversely
when man looks with eyes Of troubled
wonder at the pictures on memory's
screen.
read the new rhymes to laugh and
Tor to admire. And then In the late