EVENING L'EDGER-PHlUADEEPHrA FRIDAY, JTJIiY 30, 1D1S;
I H
k&
T It-
Discovered: A "Man's
Problem"
There' n. now problem before the world.
It Isn't ft. ax problem nor a woman's
problem nof has It anything to do with
the Great Wir. It la a man's problem.
It his ttlrred urj many ot the modern
novelists and no ono has solved It so
t.t They have only analyzed It until It
has fallowed a universal pattern. A young;
matt, ot most any class and station, Is
aroused by his natural passions, and by
foul means or fair usually tha former Is
enticed Into marriage with some quite
astonlihlngl) unworthy girl. Being tho
weakr vessel, he falls, yet seems to wish
nil along he wero not falling. Then ho
aMttcc down to a life from which In a
short time ha runs away, to take up a
liaison with some other woman by far
more attractive and gonulne than his wife.
The Illicit relationship Is happy and sue
ccssfut, and probably there Is a moral
between the lines "stolen treasures," etc.
This Is tho skeleton of the "man's prob
lem" which Is bothering tho novelists.
And to this theme succeeding a long lino
led by H a Wills Gilbert Cannan has
come In his "Young Earnest" (Applcton
Co , New York). Itcno Fourmy, his hero,
passes through nil the stages of tho
"man's problem," with n few etra ones
thrown In. From his ordinary character
and uneventful youth he emerge, by slow
steps, Into a man of charactor ana urinuc
nes. with human foibles and ambitions
toll the tlmo the typical man, such as most
of us meet In our everyday lives. There
is no particularly subtle characterization
in thr book, nor Is tho plot epoch-making.
Yon cannot brand Mr. Cannon's novol as
propaganda, except In so far as many
a work, written In n vein of sincerity and
realism, brings with, It a message. But
the author cannot help seeing and showing
that man's trouble-) and perplexities are
equal In Importance to woman's, though
they have their particular flavor; that
thy nro both human perploxltles. They
are Interwoven as their outside manifesta
tions. Neither can bo solved without the
other.
The Outmoded Epic
Lascelles Abercromblo, the Important
and authentic English poet of the younger
generation, has considered "Tho Epic"
for the low-prlco (40 cents) nnd high
grade Art and Craft of Letters Series
(Georgd H. Doran Company, Now York).
Ho has written about It searchlngly and
pregnantly, and amazingly comprehen
sively for so concisely. Casual readers,
desirous of being well Informed, will havo
explained for them such mysteries as tho
origins, evolutions and meanings of the
mighty Homer's mighty myths, tho stark
Beowulf, tho involute Nlbelungen Ued,
the chanson de Roland, the Brut and Cld
legends, the Arthurian cycle, the Charle
magne stories, all with their derivation in
folksong and hearthslda tale and the
relation of such works as Vergil's cele
bration of the pious Aeneas, Dante's
wondrous medieval philosophy, Milton's
"Paradise Lost" and Tennyson's "Idylls,"
conscious products of the poet's closet.
The eplo of growth Is distinguished from
the eplo of art Why tho oplc, oldest ot
literary formB. after tho prophecy and
the ballad, is no longer written, is eluci
dated; It Is outmoded In this day of tho
public school, which compulsorlly In
structs; of tho playhouse, which pro
vides Joy for the fatigued magnate or
his equally tired employe, Just as. It
may be assumed, tho epic diverted tho
wearied warrior of old; and of tho news
paper, some of which today are as epic
ally disorganized as when the skop,
minnesinger or bard acted not only as
lyric reporter, but as circulation man-
seer, as uninteresting as when Homer
nqddod and as "romantic" as when min
strels ;:fakcd" or fibbed. The ironulna enlrt
In Its accretion nnd evolution was a sort
Of Journalism, and had many of tho flaws
and defects which we deem sins of our
own time. Mr. Abcrcromble tells about
them in a book notable for authority of
treatment and distinction of, style.
, A Brief for Balladry
In the useful and attractive "Art and
Craft of Letters" series, wherefrom you
can have for a modest 40 cents an always
Interesting-, frequently Illuminating- and
occasionally authoritative discussion of
one or other of the lltorary types, Prank
Sldgwick adds "The Ballad" (Georgo II.
Doran Company, New York) to a collec
tion that already Includes Epic, Tarody,
History, Satire and Comedy among Its
texts.
The Sldgwlck volume has tha advantage
of combining all the qualities already ad
Verted to as characterizing, partly or
wholly tho "Art and Craft pf Letters"
books, though It Is lacking- in the dis
tinctions of stylo so traltful of Lascelles
Abercromble's "The Epic" and Gilbert
Carman's "Satire."
Mr 8)dgwlck writes authoritatively. Ho
has mastered his bibliography, he knows
tho "grammar" of his subject, If any
thing of such popular upsprlnglng- and
folk development as the ballad may be
tald to ba afflicted with a "grammar,"
and, best and most Important of all, he
has at first hand delved deeply and
widely Into his material, tho ballads
themselves, teste his several discriminatingly-made
collections of ballads. Ho
wrttfes lovingly, too: In fact, his little
book Is a brief for balladry In Its plea
for Intelligent study of tho earliest "lit
erary form" and Indication of the sheer
emotional pleasure to be derived from
acquaintance with the simple, hearty,
.heady ballad In Its unsophisticated form.
Out of his wide ranging research and
Intensive study Mr. Sldgwlck has con
densed in 50-odd small pages all that
the average reader ought to know about
tna origin, evolution, significance and his
tory of the ballad, and, indeed, mora than
the usually Informed person knows
when and wherefore the ballad was writ
ten, why It Is no longer (In a gentral
sense) written, why it is not literature.
why It Sa deeply Interesting In despite,
and cognate questions.
The author gracefully acknowledges tha
long-continued supremacy of American
scholarship, in the field of the ballad,
from the marvelous Child to our own
Oummorc (assuming the annexation of a,
few miles of the Main Lino in a, sort of
intellectual "Greater Philadelphia").
John Jay Chapman
Imitates Homer
John Jay Chapman has Imitated the
vigor and broad characterization of Ho
mers tales ably in his two sketches.
"Hector's Farewell" and 'The Wrath Pf
Aohllles." grouped Into a little volume
i-whtefe h calls "Homeria Scenes" (Law
bc J aomme, New York). The author
ha fa!id. however, to grasp tho finer
aeurieauons pi mo areeK eplo poet.
"Thersiies on tha Great Reaoneillatlon."
a scene In tha Achilles sketeh, is a mas
terful Mt of satire. War. heroes, glory
and sacrifice are extolled in fine irony.
The delicious humor and sarcasm of the
leomwdastlo Thersttes alone make the
book worth while.
A Political Novel
Inspiration for reformers is found In
HoiatB Cay's novel of polities, "The
mOow" (Horjiw & Broa., New York)
ft autbo? til MfcHwrtr 4 tiuwbrtnx-
t .stttry m a. viecemus featua tor
- MBjMuT oojfcMttaiw aad etvle daoricy
A torjxwm octopus who tu-
tci sot only gripiMd the water supply
ytix. ...f a Jtreat Suue, but Bluntly em- ,
I , ij t executive juOKial aat UgW- I
.- jv . (itiou 'lbej- la a god bit I
i ip in till !, v.f sum J
.;ift.w & mOitm oUjfMtr t
AMONG THE NEW
ttBVIBWS ItSVlBWKD
BY BOOTH TAMtlNOTON
tty feeling about revfotct Is that a
reviewer review himself at well at
the book ho it estimating, itost re
vieteert seem to me to reveal mors of
the reviewer than of the book. JIow
many, for Instance, thout of egotism;
the reviewer being In tabor from the
outset fo demontlrat that he Is the
reviewing fellow, the author it falter'
Ing apprentice or worse.
Buch matters fat "decent prote") are
usually overlooked, because I cannof
help but believe it because the great
majority of reviewert have no per
ception of prose texture. They do
not understand it they cannot feel
It I suppose a supreme sensitiveness
to words it as rare as a supreme sen'
sitiveness to color or rarer. All my
life I have worked for prosefor the
texture of it as the primary thing
to be obtained, and seldom indeed has
a reviewer told me that here and
there havo I obtained it. Often, of
course, 1 have not obtained it, but
when I have, there was evidently only
a few who were able to recognize it
they will write bf everything else
in the bookl
Hon and political forces to a standstill
and got puro water and politics for over
ridden communities. But tho plot Is not
Inherently lmprobablo and tho telling Is
forceful and romantic.
Holy Land in Text and
Picture
To tho genuinely elegant "Spell"
series of travel-romances expressing tho
Individual luro of many lands Archlo
Bell has contributed "Tho Spell of tho
Holy Land" (Tho Pngb Co., Boston). Mr.
Bell, who Is altogether a capital critic of
music nnd drama In the midwest, has
ndventured to Talostlno nnd Syria not as
religious dovoteo or archeologlst, but,
bluntly, as tourist. On tho site of tlint
civilization, moro ancient of dnys than
the Pharaonlo dynasty, ho has found
many now things to catch tho eyo nnd
many old things to compare with tho
novol or modorn. Ho hns wrltton, lucid
ly and graphically, something better than
guide-book or travel-book a glowing,
enthralling narration of holy haunted
ground. Tho Illustrations, beautifully re
produced, consist of eight plates In full
color nnd 4S duogravures from splendid
photographs by E. M. Nowman, tho
"travol-talk" man, familiar to thousands
of theatregoers whom ho has "person
ally conducted" In orchestra chair ex
cursions to all quarters of tho globe.
American College Analyzed
Though his book Is otherwise admirable,
Dr. Isaac Sharplcss Is a bit careless with
a few of tho dates In his survey and
rating of "The American College," whlfh
Introduces a new series to readers, "The
American Books" (Doubleday, Page &
Co , Garden City, N. Y.).
These serious manuals aim to treat
compactly and untcchnlcally problems of
our national life. They are welt bound
and printed and sell for 60 cents each.
If tho contents of succeeding volumes
maintain tho standard set by the 'presi
dent of Havorford they will be worthy
nddltlons to the library of the average
person who desires to be Informed, but
has neither time, training nor perhaps
Inclination for the tomes of specialists
The Individual character of the Ameri
can college Is keenly analyzed by Doctor
Sharpless; It Is educationally sul generis
It Is peculiarly Individual, and one Is
tempted to add peculiarly American; but
this Is so only because it has no exist
ence elsewhere and not because its exist
ence elsewhere Is Impossible. That Is to
say that, although tho American collego
Is indigenous, It Is not necessarily an ex
cluslvo product of tho genius of tho
stocks und folk that developed are de
veloping Into tho American people.
It Is easy to discover where President
Sharpless' predilections He In most edu
cational questions, but always ho pre
sents both sides fairly and fully. Why
tho earliest colleges developed as they
did Instead of following the English or
Continental university ideas is capitally
discussed. The conflict between high
school and college, elective vs. prescribed
Btudles, student discipline and responsi
bility are other topics.
The New Books
ANNE OP THE ISLANli. Dy L. M. Mont
gomery, 41.23. The fago Company, Boston.
THE PIONEER DOTS OP TUB TELLOW
8TONE. IJjr Harrlaon Adam. S1.23. The
rage Company, Uoiton,
Ot'n I4TTL.TJ MACEDONIAN COUSIN OP
LO.NO AC30. My Julia SarroW Cowles. CO
centi. The PK Company. Boston.
MICHAEL O'HALI.ORA'S. fly Dene Stratum
Porter. 11.38. Doubleday-Fage. Qarclen City,
THE 8PFMj OK THE HOLT LAND Uy
Archie Iioll. 2.60. The Paso Company.
Hojton.
PUNCH CARTOONS OP THE OP.BAT WAR.
It, 30. Geo. H. Doran Company, Now York.
GERMAN PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS By
John Dewey., 11,23. Henry Holt, New York.
AMERICAN WOMEN IN CIVIC WORK. Dy
Helen Christine Donnelt. 11.25. Dodd. Meaa
&. Co., New York.
THE CAMPAION OP 1014 IN. FRANCE AND
UBLGIUM. By a. II. Ferris. ILM. Henry
Holt & Co.. New York.
GENE STRATTON-pOUTER
Whose new novel "Michael
O'HaUoran" will he published on
Aug. 17 by Doubleday Page,
AN OLA
Sugar Wafers'
Something; different, somethlnjr'
new. Crisp, chocolate-flavored
confections with the moat de
licious c.my filling-.
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i wei
MARY ROI1ERTS RINEHART?
Her new novol, "K," will shortly
bo issued by Houghton Mifflin.
Book Gossip
On en Wlster's study of Prussianized
Germany and tho spirit In which It en
tered tho war, "Tho Pentecost of Calam
ity," which hnd recent magnzlno publica
tion, will shortly bo brought out In book
form by tho Macmlllan Company,
Eleanor Atkinson, author of "Johnny
Applcsced," attended tho dedication at
Ashland, Ohio, on July 2s, of the memorial
to Johnny Applcsced. Tho monument to
"tho patron Balnt of American orchards"
has been erected with boulders collected
by school children. All this locality Is
Intimately connected with tho scenes In
"Johnny Appleseed," of pioneer life In
tho border States, and "Johnny" was a
welcome lsltor In tho cabins of Union
town, as Ashland was then called.
Trom the Century Company will come
In the autumn a now novel by Bertha
Itunklo, whoso "Helmet of Navarre" will
bo remembered. It will bo called "Straight
Down the Crooked Lane," and will deal
with people of today In toclety life in
Nowport and army life in tho Philippines.
On August 3 the Georgo H. Doran Com
pany will havo ready V. Somerset Mau
gham's now novel, "Of Hainan Bondage,"
said to bo a detailed plcturo of the Ufa of
a real man of tho present tlmo.
Oliver Onions is still engaged In commis
sary work for tho English army, but la
making efforts to get to tho front as a
pilvato In the rankB, Ho was offorcd a
commission as captain in the homo de
fense troops, but declared that ho would
rather black boots at tho front than be
a major general at home. Ho Is a year
over tho ago of tho present volunteers,
however, and has been unable to get to
tho front, though an Important politician
endeavored to havo a special post estab
lished for him. Meantime with sanita
tion, transport, food, etc., ho Is kept de
cidedly busy.
E. P. Dutton & Co. announce tho forth
coming publication of "The Complete Ju
Jltsuan." by W. H. Garrud, "Tho Toll-
house," by Mrs. St. Ledger, and "From
tho Shelf," by Paxton Holgar,
Tho tltlo of tho story by Corra Harris
to bo published In the autumn by Hearst's
International Library Company Is "Jus
tice." Tho Holts will shortly publish Barrett
H. Clark's "Tho British and American
Drama of Today," which will be a com
panion volume to his "Continental Drama
of Today,"
"I alius did think David Spaftord was
an unpractical man," said Grandfather
Heathfin Graco L. H. LuU'b "Miranda"
(Llpplncott's). "I heard tho other day
how somo big Senator 'r other said that
every country needed a place where the'
could send all their scallawags to, and
this here Oregon was Just tho very thing
for that, 'twas the mos' God-fersaken
land you over see. An' hero comes David
Spafford spoutln' a lot of nonsense 'bout
Oregan, how It's a gardlng of roses an'
potatoes, an' a great place to live, an'
Harbors, but
no boats! Car
goes, but no
holds! Yet once
our merchant ves
sels touched at
every port in the
world. Read the mes
sage of those days in
Ernest Poole's far-seeing
new novel
THE HARBOR
By (Mi oi4i Uit Amtrioa newt
mo a teua day "-NY tim.
Th Uth Editisu tww ready
THR WACfdlLUAN CO., PulN Y.
U iSatJ JcaUi 1
I to your grocer man 1
I and get a spicy, I
gingery feast. 1
1 F s&bi national!
i H&P Pf BISCUIT 1
I O' r I C0MPANV 1
the comln' country, an' nil that sort of
stuff; an' cttln' that thar queer lookln
missionary Whitman he hed t'other day
vlaltln' him. In my 'pinion thel man
was a liar an a hypocrite. Why, M'llssy,
what d'e want to come rigged out llko
that If h wa'n'tt Take my -word for
It, M'llssy, that man was Jest a wolf In
sheep's olothln'-an that thar buffalo
hide he wore was Jt stuck on fer ef
fect. Oh, Dave Spafford's turrlble easy
took in."
The Century Company will soon have
ready "ile: A Book of Romembrance,"
which has been having anonymous mag
azine publication. It Is a section of a
ear or so out of tho life of the author,
who Is said to be a well-known woman
novelist, during her later teon. when she
was making hrr precarious and adventur
ous way In a busy world.
When Gene Slratton Porter's new novel,
"Michael O'HaUoran," takes its place in
thtt book shelves of the world on August
17, as an appropriate companion piece to
her "Frookles," "Laddie," "Tho Har
vester" nnd "The CHrl of the Llmberlost,"
Doubleday, Page & Co. will have com
pleted a little moro than eight months'
active work upon tho actual planning,
designing and manufacturing of tho
book. All of this work was dono In co
operation with tho author and no step In
tho matter of decoration, Illustration or
design was taken without her approval,
Kden Phlltpotts told a recent Inter
ilttwer that he always selects tho setting
of a story first and then orolvea from It
the plot and tho characters. When he
was preparing to write "Bruncl'a Tower"
ho lived among the potters three months
beforo beginning tho story.
Sinclair Lewis, author of "Our Mr.
Wrcnn." Is taking a tramping trip, with
his wife, on Cape Cod, in tho course of
which they expect to exploro tho cape
from end to end.
Tho following volumes oro announced
for publication by O. P. Putnam's Sons!
"An Art Philosopher's Cabinet," by George
Lansing Itnymonds "Tho War of 19H," by
Emit Waxwellcr; "Zoology." by A. E.
Shipley (third edition, revised and en
larged). Flro In Norfolk Navy Ynrd
NORFOLK, Va., July 30.-A fow min
utes work extinguished a sm'all rflo In
tho navy yard hero today. The damago
was trifling. How it startod the com
mandant didn't know, but it was a point
barrel, ho said, deriding tho forolgn spy
theory.
tmi!&&!SKS$M
'i
How a Yearns Red Scourge of War
Has Shaken Europe and Her Rulers
Next Sunday's Public Ledger gives its readers a truly remarkable
collection of articles on the topic uppermost in every mind. The
progress of the great conflict is reviewed from every angle by
military experts; its effects upon business, politics, and world's
progress are ably discussed by noted authors,. historians and men
high up m diplomatic circles.
HENRY JAMES and A. CLUTTON-BROCK, whose fingers are perhaps
closest to John Bull's pulse, give us The Mind of England at War. Mr.
James, whohas just renounced American citizenship and acquired that of
Great Britain, is represented by one of his most brilliant essays.
EDWARD GOLDBECK, a former officer in the Prussian Army, contrib
, . utes an interest-gripping article on Imperialism and Peace.
. STANLEY S. SHEDP frankly deals with the psychological effect of the
. oversea combat on America. .
CHARLES WILLIS THOMPSON writes an il'liimirialing history of the
war m its diplomatic and martial phases. ' '
GEORGE HERMANN BORST gives every reader food for thought
? wiifeffect on his and little business in article, "Hand
writing on Wall.
PUBLIC
Fl uji mi
BOY DROWNED IN DELAWAItE
Lnd
Loaes Life After Disobeying
Mother's Orders.
X mother is prostrated today because
her little son went in swimming against
her warnings and was drowned. Joseph
Devclln, 0 years old, of 2818 Memphis
street, accompanied his mother to the
North Cramer Hill shore of the Una
ware River yesterday to open their cot
tage for the summer. The day was hot
and the water looked cool. Joseph
wanted to go In swimming-, but his
mother knew the water was dangerous
at that point and said "no," Occupied
with work in the cottage, tho woman
did not miss her child until Ihformed an
hour later that ho had been drowned.
Joseph had gone to tho wharf, stripped
off his clothes and plunged in. Two
bovs. who saw hla struirtles from the
shore, went to hla assistance, but they
were too late.
A hot weather luncheon
Bowl of "half-and-half"
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"It was trlven to Sven Hodln to
observe fleld operations on a ecnie
such ns no othor chronicler of tho
war has personally witnessed, and
whnt ho saw he haB set down in a
stralghtforwnrd manner, and there
by hns produced a fascinating nar
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