Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-14
Rambles In the Field of Current Literature
NEWS OF BOOKS
FROM NEAR AND FAR
What Writers and Publishers
Are Doing and
Planning

Edith Miniter. whose frst novel, our
Natupsd Neighbors." f. announced BY
Henry Holt a Co, like Landor and De
Morgan. dimes late ut the literary table.
Her arrival" in the sense Of publication
Of fulilength fiction, has been delayed.
though Il wouidn'tFbe chivairous or true
20 compare II with the septuagenarian sue
cess Of the author OF Joseph Vance"
Mrs. Miniter was born In 1859. but looks
as II the calendar were a decade OF 30
or In its chronology. She IN by no means
late arrival in the magazines as she has
had numerous stories published In Col-
liers the Associated Sunday Magazines,
the New England Magazine and other
periodicals. Also she has contributed poetry
Of rare distinction In thought and felicity
In phrase 20 the Century and other maga-
zines Her poetic blossomng has been OF
recent years but her instinct for II is
native Inheritance as her mother, Jennie
E r. Dove, has contributed fully zoo poems
20 the Century during the long edltorshlps
OF Dr. J. q. Holland Richard Watson Glider
and Robert Underwood Johnson. II was
natural that when her daughter started to
write verse; though of an entirely diner
( ent strain from the Celtic magic" which
characterizes Mrs Doves poetry. the
Century editors should give II place and
the poet n hearing
Mrs. Miniter's career has been that OF
the busy newspaper woman. AZ Edith
May Dove she made her entrance into
the literary list as contributor TO the
old Worcester Spy. She was born near
Worcester. in wilbraham, Mass In 1890
she was city editor Of the Manchester Daily
Press. the only woman city editor In the
country, and said to be the first one who
ever held such position. Later she be-
came editor OF the Boston Home Journal.
n weekly devoted to society and the several
arts For this paper she wrote literary and
dramatic criticisms. much quoted, as well as
editorials and the hebdomadal routine OF 30
cial chronicle and comment In addition
to her editorial supervision and causeries,
she wrote at least one short story month
as part OF the grind" To this may be
ascrlbed her surety of touch, insight into
characterization and deftness In handling
situations, qualities which have marked her
later and more substantial fiction. One OF
her notable achievements was the expert.
ment carried on for more than year
which resulted in an article, published In
the Boston Globe In 1883. How to Dress
on Forty Dollars Year" This caused ma
tionwide comment For daily Job now
Mrs Miniter is editor Of The Household
Digest, OF Boston.
Her story is keenly observed study OF
the intrusion of foreigners into the "aban-
doned farm" type OF agriculture in New
England and the action OF the aliens on
the natives 1t is an untitled field.
Mifiin Company for publication September
80 is Ambulance No. 10; Personal Letters
from the Front" by Leslie Buswell. These
letters, like so many of the best accounts
from the front, were written with no thought
Of their ever being published. They were
first printed for private distribution among
the authors friends and are now offered to
the public because the demand for them
became too great to be met by a limited
printing.
Joyce Kilmer, the young poet author OF
Trees and Other Poems" was struck by
an Erie passenger train at Suffern station
recently when on his way to New York from
his home at Mahwah. n. j. He was taken
to the Good Samaritan Hospital Mt Suf-
fern, where II was found that three ribs
were fractured. He was also suffering from
shock and minor bruises.
Since Harry r. Allen. OF Philadelphia,
has declared that girls make better swim
mers than boys, demure little Quaker lassies
who never cared greatly for salt water are
| evincing keen interest In swimming and
Philadelphia booksellers are having numer-
Gus requests for Browns Modern Swim
| ming" which is considered one of the
| best books on the subject, The forty black
| and-white illustrations by Jansson add much
| to the charm OF the book
Whoever wants a fair understanding of
| the history of the Mexican war cannot do
better than read Farnham Bishops "Our
First War In Mexico" (Charles Scribner's
| Sons, New York;. Mr.. Bishops book ls
frankly written to meet the present de-
mand for information. He has consulted
the best authorities and has produced an
impartial account OF that great crisis. He
does not spare the American statesmen OF
the time. neither does he represent Mexico
| as without blame. His chapters or Causes
| OF the War" and Results OF the War;
especially deserve attention from those who
would get in brief space an admirable his
| torical summary.
II is rather early for Christmas stories
| TO appear, unless the publishers intend 10
entice the shoppers TO make their holiday
purchases before the rush begins. Mrs
Burnetts '"The Little Hunchback Zia," jus,
issued from the press OF Frederick A. Stokes
Company, New York. is really Christmas
story for all the year. as II deals allegori.
cally with the ever-recurring miracle OF
Christianity In the cleansing from unclean
| ness, told In the form OF a touching stor,
or child whose infirmities were healef
by the laying on of the hand OF the HAM
on Bethlehem on the morning Of the ma.
tivity
"Artemus Wards Best Stories" pub
lished by Harper & Brothers. came out 10,
soon to contain an Artemus Ward anecdot,
recently related by George Henry story IN,
weilknown artist Mr.. Story knew WAR
when the latter was associate editor OF /
newspaper in Norway. Me- and he wa,
familiar also with the Grand Trunk Railwa,
as IL was In those primitive days ono.
when Ward was travelling on II al the rat
OF nfteen miles an hour he asked the con