Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-13

1nuntrvInen and the hearts of the young
especially. II will long be so; For
new star shines in the English heavens"
Ard in the preface to this volume Henry
James gives luminous appreciation of
the genius of Rupert Brooke. to which he
adds the tribute of love TO the young
friend OF Ills heart. Rupert Brooke.
TIE genius Of the boy. clearly approach
ing in spirit that OF Shelly. his youth.
his personal beauty. his undivided love
70: home. his too-early going. his
loreiy burial-all this has left us bereft.
reading and rerea ding sheaf Of letters.
slender book OF verse. the latter all
compact of the poets passion for England.
PASSION that comes out in aching poign-
aucy here:
II SHOULD die. think only his of me.
THAI Is Torever SI EnrlsnJ. There shall be- n.'
ir that rich earth richer dust concealed
Grvc. once. her flowers TO love. her ways 10
A holy Of highlands. brrs thing English air.
washed by the rivers. blest by SUNS of home.
A LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKES
PEARE. BY Sir Sidney Lee Illus
trated. New York: The Macmillan
Company.
\ specialist on the subject of William
Sfakespeare-his writings. his lie out
SIDE of these writings. his times. his CO.
iennoraries. his effect on the dramatic
art of his own day and his influence OH
all subsequent art-Sr Sidney Lee issues
this revised and enlarged edition of an
earlier study of Shakespeare in order to
make use Of considerable body of new
material that the archives have yielded
to comparatively recent investigations.
This research has brought out documents
OF suf1cient number and quality to dis
entangle the intricate stage theory and
practice of the period as well as 70
settle many of the more personal prob
lens and contentious that appear to in
here in the subject of Shakespeare. The
earlier edition has been recast in order
10 admit this new ma ;erial in proper
correlation of the entire subject. and to
furnish by way of this volume such re-
o-ssnized perspective of the great dram
atIsts life as this recently discovered
material demands. Along with many
other problems the author here discusses
the moot question of the narrative and
autobiography character of the Shakes
peare sonnets, producing evidence i'll
abundance that these are not in any
sense Of such character. despite the many
cialEls set up to the contrary. The study
is mine of Shakespeare lore brought
up 10 date by the latest methods OF
scientific investigation. and founded as
whole upon the authoritative character
81 Sir Sidney Lees equipment for this
work. both as investigator and as a
literary critic.
Flaws BN ANTON TCHEkOFF.
Translated from the Russian by
Julius West. New York: Charles.
Scribner's Sons. Washington W od-
ward & Lothrop.
Eight of Tchekoff's plays are included
IN This volume. Among them is his
dramatic masterpiece. The Cherry
Orchard" This. as is also The Three
Sisters" is the tragedy of doing moth.
ing. Julius West in an Introduction
10 this volume characterizes Tchekofr
as the dramatist OF inaction. rather
.han OF action The High Road the
hrst of Tchekon's plays, discovered
tf:er thirty years in hiding. is, accord
ing to Mr.. West, important docu-
inent for students OF the Russian play
"rlf"T. since il contains in essence the
method of all his later dramatic work
This is the method of contrast. of
strong NATURALIZATION, of making
the catastrophe contingent upon char
"cter alone and of creating atmospheres
that sustain both character and move
rncnt The ramaining plays of this
volume are The Proposal" THE We'd
ding. The Bear" "A Tragedian in
Spit" OF Himself and The Anniver-
sary. This book constitutes the sec
ond series of Tchekof plays, the first
one having been translated by Marian
Fell. Together they cover the dra-
matte workA of Anton Tchekon aud
give English readers opportunity
Introduction Mr.. West sketches in criti-
cal outline the general literary uuan-
res o. th'S Russian writer. summarize
ing also tn" main facts Of his career
as force in Russian literature.
THE NATIONAL ISSUES OF 1915. By
Charles y. Fowler. author of Sew
crtecn Talks on the Banking Cues
ton.
IN" contents Of this volume are THE
Flag and The Nation Lincoln and Sa-
ticuaAt! - Tariff Commission" AN
American Ranking System and AN
American Merchant Marine These sum
q" the definite statement of q national
police They inspired by an unas-
saiiabie spirit OF patriotism. They are
informed by an active responsible and
distinguished participation in federal
legislation on the part of the author for
period Of sixteen years For half OF
thar time Mr.. Fowler was chairman OF
the banking and currency committee OF
Inc House OF Representatives The book is
addressed 10 The young men OF this re-
p1oEc and 10 The cause OF republican,
ISM. best expressed in the principles and
best eAernplihed by the life and character
OF Abraham Lincoln" 1t is. in effect a
vigorous and patriotic advocacy of ma
toaal preparedness. as il is also fine
analysis Of potential citizenship and ef-
fciert government. Practical and con
glowing example OF political ideaiism 1t
is for these qualities that il is so well
worth considera ton
LIFE or ". }. MCGEE. BY Emma r.,
MCGEE. Privately printed: Farley.
Iowa.
about a third of this volume of
something over zoo pages is devoted to
ii sketch of the life of W J. MCGEE.
The writer. sister of the distinguished
scientist. gives within these limits the
facts of paren;age, home. education
and Temperament that clearly con-
iributed to The life work of her brother.
The bulk of the volume. however. is
given over to extracts from W. J. Nc
Gers own writings. These point the
variety and something of the extent of
Mr.. McGees contribution to science
through his service for the government
Of the United States. That these are
records of government service does not
do away with the fact that they are
also storis of adventure. adventure in