Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-09
JOHN BURROUGHS All 80
WRITES WITH PRISTINE
POWER AND DISTINCTION
Under the Apple Trees" Com
bines Nature, Literary and
Philosophical Essays of In
terest and Worth -
SOME RECENT FICTION

As John Burroughs is still hale. heart,
and high-spirited at an age more than
decade beyond the PsalmIst's allotment o.
threescore years and ten. II Is not safe o
seemly to characterize Under the Appl
Trees (Houghton-Mlhin Company, Bostonl
as the philosophers "swar
song" 1t s his latest book a climax to the
score which are part of his bibliography--
but those who have looked at nature
through the interpreting vision of the sage
OF Slabsides hope II will not be his last
Yet the book has the sense of final things
about IL, or possibly the sense OF summa-
ton, for IL combines account OF Mr.. Bur
roughs' keenly observed natural phenomena,
with speculative and metaphysical philos-
ophIzing and essays in literary appreca-
tlop.
Thus we have in Under the Apple Trees
complex of Wake Robin" for nature (;
Time and Change" for philosophy and
Literary Values" for appreciation and
criticism, to mention three OF Mr.. Bur
roughs' major works.
Longevity has meant no deterioration in
Mr.. Burroughs powers of thought, obser-
walton or expression. Still is his thinking
valid, his seeing understanding, his phrasing
powerful and felicitous. The title essay
makes the reader agree with those who, as
Mr.. Burroughs quantity observes in his
preface, want him to stick to nature essays,
But there is a fine discussion of spiritual
things in Scientific Faith once More" and
an admirable piece of searching criticism
in "A Prophet OF the Soul" (the subject,
Henri Bergson), to say nothing of the
nuggets of hlghy-assaying wisdom in
"Great Questions in Little" series of 10
miniature essays. on such topics as The
Ether" EARLY Man" "Astronomc Gran
deur." Limitations OF Science" and "Evolu-
tion."
All in all 1t is n varied and a noble book
Hon. Joseph H. Choate. former American
Ambassador to the Court Of Saint James
In introducing Mrs Humphry Wards new
book, "England's Effort" (Charles Scrip-
ner's Sons New York;, says that readers
of II cannot doubt for an instant Engand's
manful endeavor at this critical point of
her history. England, Mr.. Choate declares.
has put forth efforts worthy of her great
traditions and is showing that her spirit
Is tnvincible and her national resources
inexhaustble
The noted British novelist has put her
demonstre tion into the form of letters to
an American friend These cover the
military, munitions, labor, political and
other phases of the crisis The book is
the result of four months close and inten- |
sive study OF the situation in the great |
cities of England and research the
Continent
Mrs Wards conclusions are we'll summed
up In the peroration ~ one of her final |
epistles, follows:
England will get the men she wants ; |
and labor will be In the end Just as |
determined to get them any other section |
of the community. Meanwhile, abroad, |
while we seem, for the moment in Franco |
to be inactive we are in reality giving the
French at Verdun just that support which |
they and General Joffre desire. and--it |
can scarcely be doubted-preparing great
things on our own account In spite of our
faI Ittsra In fppH nd he ria,,s. LII
tion of General Townshend's force, Egypt
is no longer In danger of attack II 1t ever
has been: our sea power has brought n
Russian force safely to Marselles. and the
possibilities of British and Russian col
laboration in the East are rapidly opening
out As do the great and complex war;
machine we have been steadily-aye, and
rapidly-building upon French soil as
.rled TO show in my fourth letter, whether
IN the supply bases. in the war organi-
sation along the ninety miles of front now
held by the British armies, 1t would indeed
astonish those dead heroes of the retreat
!irn !rorn Mons-could they come back to see
A good many persons will think hardly Of
II smating Time" Charles Scribner's Sons.
New York; Whatever may have been the
motif of the author Jesse Lynch williams
there will be scant doubt in the minds of
most readers that this novelette, is a de.
Iense or the divorce evil. even though il Is
not right to say that under his comedy
nir' Williams remembered for number of ,
hhe movers and short stories. is conducting
a propaganda for easy loosening of the .
marriage bonds. To those, and thew are
many. to whom divorce is reprehensible on
account OF religious ban or moral scruples :
or even Tor social reasons. the book brightly
written as 1t Is, must create offense The
piot deals with two married couples who I
q Ter years OF marital harmony let the rift
wiosn IN the lutte and make mute the music s
OF Hymen' Boldly. even brazenly, they v
open new courtships with the objects of af- | h
Iection OF pre-nuptial days and contract new '
ENGAGEMENTS. II appears to us that Mr. $
Williams was really tickled by the incon.
srulues possible TO such a collocation OF y
romance and had no motive of urging a | r
or proving a thesis But mar Il
rage Is too sacred matter TO be made g
me subject OF triviality or empty Jest. n
In THE Cathedral Singer" Century Co. "
Sew York; James Lane Allen has written a
straishtout piece Of fiction. something a
onger and more substantial than a short !,
tory and yet not prolonged to the novelette, -
tage or course, mere length is not the .
etermining norm of fiction, either qua short =
.ory or qua novel Despite its directness
Z story-the story of mother who, TO for :,
yard her little boys musical education, q
loses as a model, and after the accident -
nat ends the promise of his career, goes q
aek 70 the atelers without the transDgur- ~
ar
sith the look OF faith there-there is some =
ming allegorical or symbolical about ID oi
ne author idealizes human sympathy and O.
unlan aspiration Above all the human ~ y
motions and events looms up the great ef
'athedral OF Saint John the Divine, for Mr. th
lien casts his story In the city OF his lh
dopfion abandoning his beloved Kentucky re
3eaie ana atmosphere. But all his old %
harm Of mood and distinction Of style
bide.
Those Cilespies" (Houg con. Miffiin al
ompany Boston) viii be sheer delight ia
} those who know their Boston. But those u
no have never perlgFinated from Oshkosh va
Wis.) or Saucelito (CaI) or Tombstone tn
Ariz.l 70 the dome Of The Sacred Goldfish
~ ind just as much interest Ia the viva a
uez4arratiye IN which William j Hopkins be
|nsles up tho Affairs, romantic sentimental fu
aa social q quintet Of Rostonlans The We
ory has more dramatic interest than the tn
ltnoHs previous charming story .srhe ha