Evening star., 1926-11-06
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By che Bookl0ver.


NATIVE works of an author. An author
who becomes too irritated by thil
tendency on the part Of critics anC
readers would better stick to history
biography and other forms Of litera
ture of fact. Though few facts are
known about the life of Shakespeare
(all of them are contained in about
dozen pages of Dowden's Shakespeare
Primer), the Shakespeare critics have
among themselves built UP a very
sizable Shakespeare biography from
inference drawn from his plays
and sonnets. That he was unhappily
married Is held to be proved because
the Duke says in Twelfth Night.
LET still the woman take an elder
than herself" and it is known that
Anne Hathaway was older thar
Shakespeare. Shakespeare inherent
distrust of democracy is argued be-
cause In Cade's rebellion in Henry
w." In the scene of Mark Antony's
funeral speech in Julius Caesar" and
in parts Of "Coriolanus" he represents
the populace as being easily swayed
by demagogues. Other passages prove
equally well that he distrusted kings
and aristocrats. The sonnets, Of course
are by many held to prove a connec
reputation was decidedly stained and
who came between him and his friend
WILL"
1t may be that the time has come
for Fl. G. Wells to abandon the
literature Of imagination and to limit
himself to Outlines Of History and
ether literature Of fact. Certainly he
shows considerable irritation in his
predatory essay to his latest novel
1.-THE World of William C1issold,' y
against those who insist upon finding
real originals for fictitious characters
and attributing to the author person
ally the views held by his creations
Mr.. Wells states in behalf Of his most
recent character: "William Clissold is
fictitious character, and his thoughts
and ideas throughout are the thoughts
and ideas natural to his mental and
social type. He is Ito the best Of his
authors ability his own self and not
his authors self. in his emotional re-
actions. in his hard wilfulness, in his
faith. in his political ideas, in his
judgments" That his views some.
times run very close to those Of his
author, Mr.. Wells considers inevitable
but they should nevertheless be
treated as his own; and characters In
novels are entitled to have views.
Must the charac cters In our English
and American novels be for evermore
as cleaned Of thought as rabbit is of
its bowels. before they can be served
up for consumption?" If he had de.
sired to write at length hts own views
on history, politics, economics, sociol.
ogy and religion. ''it is a point worth
considering in this period Of successful
personal memoirs" says Mr.. Wells.
that if the author had wanted TO
write mental autobiography instead
of a novel, there is no conceivable
reason why he should not have done
So"
Mr.. Wells admits that a number O,
real people are introduced into this
new novel, but with one exception
they are mentioned and described un
der their proper names, so "this is not
a roman a cle." "Dr. Jung is made
to talk in a London fiat the
Shaw of the sos blows into a Ken
sington evening, and Keynes lunches
with Clissold." The late King Ed
ward and the present King of Eng
land are characterized in a way not
likely to be popular with the British
public. which will probably take the
characterizations as Mr.. Wells owr
view, whatever he says in his pref
ace. "The vacuous face Of our col.
lective life grimaced with the pre-
Of plump old Edward VII, and ther
went through expressions Of grave ex
pectation at the accession Of his
worthy, conscientious, entirely un
meaning and uninteresting SON."
Western ideas and modern industry
have been bringing about rapid
changes in the status of japanese
women. Allen X. Faust, who has lived
many years in Japan. and much Of the
time has been president of woman's
college at Sendai, has written a book
describing and analvzing these
changes. In 1.-THE New japanese
Womanhood'' he first tells of the ole
ideals for women in Japan and ther
shows how they have gradually un
dergOne change. Today japanese
women are entering institutions OF
higher education. are giving much at
coming active in social work, the fine
x x j: X
The need of every one for spiritua'
freedom and the tendency Of human
are discussed by w. B. Maxwell in one
of his ESSAYS in the volume, Life; 9
Study of Self" The instinct for en-
'slaving others is confined to no one
group or age, according to Mr.. Max
well. He says: 1--WE ought to bt
clearly aware Of the need for spiritua
freedom in others, even when it Is M
more than vague sensation of dis
comfort in ourselves. Affectionatt
solicitude may soon develop into tyran
nv, and it is terribly easy to make
prisons for those we love. One SHOULD
not say, Don't do this: don't do that.
One should remember that Don't d.
so can nearly always he translated
into Don't think So Old people useC
to be the worst sort Of jailers. bu
now that the years have told their tall
to me I see that the young can b.
rather merciless, too. Smiling girl
and genial lads are more than promp
with the chains and manacles. ant
surprisingly quick to lock the door OIL
one-for ones own good" Cities arr
almost always prisons, full Of poison
anu Stl'1InS 10 tUOuEHI Iii t00SG QIIl
cold northern cities like London 1t il
not so much the crowd Of other peoDl
that nurhs and oppresses the spiri
as the dead thoughts that are persist
emily carried about with them. The,
nick them up and bring them to YOU
Like dead leaves in Autumn the dea,
thoughts blow through the streets
like a fine and poisonous dust the.
hang in the atmosphere Of com
Portable. well warmed rooms. making
one choke with weariness or fain
from disgust. Is 1t odd tha
one should want to get away?
X \
A search into the reasons for re
lieious belief and an account Of hov
belief has resulted in various system
Of religion are undertaken bv Levi
Browne in his book. "This Relievin,