Evening star., 1925-03-21
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY THE BOOKLOVER.

~'~ N'sh'io@, many -Slueu personality
or Maurice Francis Egan. "Recollec-
tfons of Happy Life" Is a more ex-
tended, but equally personal and in
formal autobiography of the COM
plete man. The social and intellectual
life OF Philadelphia in the sos and
and COS and of New York in the 70s and
SOS, the small town college life OF
South Bend, Ind, where Mr.. Egan
was a professor in the University of
Notre Dame, educational and political
life in Washington during the Nc
kinley and Roosevelt administrations
ana 10 years of diplomatic life as
united States Minister to Denmark
MI the pages of this most interesting
record of a rich and varied career.
Mr.. Egan's boyhood was passed in
old Philadelphia, where the life was
comfortable, settled and extremely
limited His parents We're almost
dlrect oppoSiteS in temperament. His
father was gay and adventurous, and
boasted that he had done everything
that any honest Irishman could do"
HIS mother was aristocratic, cult
waited and very devout, and enforced
many rigid observances in the up
bringing of her son. In those days
the family Sunday roasts were sent
TO the bakers shops 80 that at
about noon the streets were filled
with the aroma of roast beef and
roast mutton, and the bakers boys.
the maids or the children of the
various families were seen proudly
bearing home large tin pans in which
reposed savory joints" Few Of even
the well-to-do families owned much
luggage, and when q journey was to
be taken borrowing was resorted to.
The neighborhood seemed to me to
be constantly borrowing a portman-
teau and a detestable hair-covered
trunk ornamented with brass nails
which we had inherited. In return.
these articles being considered too
splendid for ordinary use, my father
sometimes borrowed an ornate car
petbag from one of his neighbors."
Mr.. Egan's father and mother disa-
greed about the Civil War. His father
was an advocate of the Northern
cause and an ardent admirer of Lin
coin; his mother was entirely South
ern in her sympathies; SO, finally,
they agreed not to mention the sub
ject OF politics to each other, but my
mother made up for this by address,
ing her opinion to me, and their vio-
leHCt turned me toward tne OtheT
side" When Lincoln was assassi-
mated Mr.. Egan says his mother re
luctantly, from a sense of duty. ac-
cepted the general opinion that a
great man had gone. She was averse
to any ceremonial display outside the
church. and l recall that the fact
that she draped her nag with black
fringe rather than with crepe gave
some offense to the neighbors."
In his later life Mr.. Egan seems to
have had a taste for the ceremonial
observances which his mother dis
liked. He says of his first reception
by the Danish King after his arrival
in Copenhagen: THE rules OF the court
were precise; nothing was left to ac-
cident. The prospect of a ceremonial
pleased nae very much. When I was
young, the ceremonies of all kinds at
st. Philips Church were carefully ar
ranged, after the Italian manner; and
one was taught to take his place with
the procession, moving or standing
still, as part of show. At Notre
Dame, at the Catholic University,
though the life OF every day was
rather offhand, the rules of the cere-
monies were carefully applied. So /
had an acquired taste! Arthur opened
the carriage door with great dignity.
The portals of the palace, wide open,
revealed glowing expanse of GRIM
son carpet, laid between white balu-
strades OF the staircase. The guards
saluted, with an appearance OF tre-
mendous respect The grand marshal
of the court and a chamberlain led
me to an anteroom; and then 1 was
ushered into the presence OF His
Majesty" Mir. Egan also shows some
perfectly natural satisfaction in the
fact that he was the welcome guest
and valued friend Of many persons of
Importance in both the literary and
the political world. Especially did he
prize the friendship of President
Roosevelt, who often consulted him on
matters Of national and international
moment. One such affair was the
question whether or not It would be
advisable for the President to request
from the Pope a Cardinals hat for
Archbishop Ireland. Though a great
friend and admirer of Archbishop Ire
land, Mr.. Egan advised the President
against such q request.
Weird capitalization, misspelled
words and bad grammar were ole
ments in the supposed humor Of Ar
temas Ward. Josh Billings and other
similar writers of an earlier day.
Some of these features are TO be
found in "Will Rogers 1lliterate Di-
gest." Others besides The Booklover
may find that the reading of a few
pages of these drolleries tho last
thing before switching off tho bed
side lamp will help to better sleep.
Will Rogers, the vaudeville artist
and screen star, broke into the writ
ing game" by way of reporting his
reactions to the Democratic ma
tional convention and has since been
writing weekly newspaper articles.
He has 1assoed a bunch of these with
his lariat and made them up into this
book 1t is good to find preserved
"'Will Rogers, Jr.' Reports the Con-
vention for His Father, Worn Out by
Long Service" Among the especially
humorous pieces in the book as Set
Ting the Corset Question of This
Country" two chapters on manners,
How to Tell a Butler, and Other
Etiquette" and Defending My Soup
Plate Position" and Helping the
Girls with Their Income Taxes" In
the last Will Rogers tells of one girl
who had been in the Follies for 10
years and wanted to know how much
she should charge off for deprecia-
ton. He thought her claim justified.
since in that time she hadn't married
even one millionaire. Another was
reminded to include alimony allow
ances and demurred, saying: We'll,
how did the Government keep track
of them? I couldn't" Another girl
charged off a providing husband
under the heading of bad debts"
X r X
The days OF the clipper trade in
New England are revived in j. p.
Marquand's novel, THE Black Cargo"
a mystery story. The time Of the
story is about 1812-1S32, and the
atmosphere of that period is well re-
produced. with it's adventurous sea-
rovers and it's bustling coast towns,
where the wharves were piled high