The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-10-16
REVIEWS
By Rex


ten his music from the Greeks but he
didn't. This probably sounds like an edict
as dead as one of the Pharoahs when utter
ed today, but the MEDIEVAL temperament
that is so conspicuous in all his compost
tons constantly reminds one of Greece in
its long period of reign.
When we surrender our senses to the
mere unthinking charm of Chopin strains
that live in memory, and that echo the
melody of the Fourth prelude like muted
harps; the simple, plaintive strains, wand
ering at will and always creeping upward
through mysteries of sweetness, then sink
ing in cadence of semi-tones; the solemn
chants of Chopin's roaming and romping
like the nympths of spring sounding their
summer equinoctial on the blue-bells in
the wooded dells; in the memory of sucn
exquisite music there ceases the idolatrous
deception that mantels the suggestive
chords that are accommodating spell of in
decency in the world of music today, and
we are at peace, sweet peace.
Loiter still, to the mingling. harmony of
the Sixth Nocturne, that blends and halt
ers like the faltering steps of babyhood
only to swell and crash like storm-swept
soul tearing furiously at the bondage of an
evil past, and then to sink in peace to the
melody of softer strain that seems to
speak of roses and moonlight, and carry
us home to the far off south where the
nightingale softly lutes his sleepy notes of
contentment. While the spell is bringing
luck the pleasures of better days list to
Berceuse's Lullaby-the only one he COM
posed-with its slowly cadence of ripples
that seem to rise and melt away the black
ness of mans sins and to carry us back
with its persuasion of melody to better
thought. His are the compositions that
resemble Shopang's SO much. for they are
of the strange, alluring and fascinating
variety that have never been equalled.
A former writer has censured recent
review of ours because we mentioned that
the ''dizzy article variety of late music
is greedily accepted by the public, and is
popular. We are not to be blamed for
the likes or dislikes in the selection of
music, by the public, or probably we do
not understand or know good music, but
we distinctly remember that once upon
time in strange city we spent our last
two bucks for the privilege of listening to
the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And,
at another time, we travelled some two
hundred miles from our route to enjoy the
strains of little violin.
Ainslee's, for October, is interesting
as usual, from its unique cover design to
its last article, poem entitled "The
Lily" by Ralph M. Thompson. It's COM
plete novel, pat from the pen of
Eleanor Brainerd, is extraordinary, for it
carries climax or crisis with every chap
ter.
The Youths Companion arrived on
schedule and is companion indeed. 1t
not only entertains the young as its cap
ton implies, but carries varity of selec-
tons that are entertaining as well as in
structive to all. It's Current Events
column pertaining to vital questions of the
day-are not only well selected but are
written with vivid description that bor-
ders enhancement.
s'Try to be at least as forgiving toward
other people as you are toward yourself
Youths Companion.
The leading feature in Lippincott's
Magazine for October is complete novel
of swift movement and compelling inter-
est water itched Valley by Eliza
beth Dejeans, known for her melo-dra-
matte effects in fiction and for pathos.
There is strain of tenderness underlying
this story that illustrates the authors po-
session of that fiction temperament. so
little possessed by most fiction writers.
There are also number of short stories
that are effective, and powerful tale by
Arthur Morrison, "a Professional Epi-
sode;' also read "Walt Whitman,
Worlds Poet" by A. Schinz. Probably
he did not understand classical literature
-and that matters little for the beauty of
his own. He believed sincerely that he
was the first who had ever seen or under
stood modern humanity This extra
ordinary naive belief allowed him to as
sumo the prophetic air that runs all
through his work.