The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 15, 1906, Page 27

“All hail Thc w OHEN CHRIST 19 RISEN A mystic Jou sgeeps oer the dradping world UYicre uesterdoy 9 pall of sorrow ywiricd Itesolemn leagif from. vale 7o brow of All. Each finy efom einds with quickening Al And Neture cries Oifivone according breath i Jerur King of Nezereh!” But men wfill auestions Feerful lest A eten Schadled indeceit deceive Amveelf, Ac crien “The Praof 7" In answer lo. /he blecding Aandwe. WAgt cracping life so piiful @w manuise? . ord wa s ven iim for aAigher goal Elsc thie lest. wheme Aad forfeited A woul — Aabel Porter Pitte (from~In#fie whedow of e Crag:and other poems”) of a poem fit » Does st the glorio he f in resurre poems, of which there the volume de us, ing, lost the us some- “Jesus, “Let me to nobler issues than the are “The Wanton” heart t cun, ed its Iips to the breeze in T bad dome. and sweet as the ew anton thing to her t in the sun's hot ray sweet delight pressed warm and close try night bend as the passionate se with hot caress, as the bees flew by and fitrt ess. s wanton way, despise its one day, in r gazed on my . joy to show the bleeding hand X 1 vleaded, ated ther good ones ar In Meditation,” st three stanzas of would have made a beyond the forms an ex- A Man’'s fine, cheer- with i1s a ' the last nd I wish the e or change them. of the truction “suicide is trying to lem by breaking the the power that makes stern school- Awakening” is a good one, Love's Aberration” and and “The Greater Victory." a volume of good things, ard to quit talking about it. te closing some lines that suitable to read today—when enjoyment of all t life gi The lines the poem called “Earth’'s ing to the throne Joy o0 narrow their cells, I e e e S we are asked to dine; er does it show proffered wine yes where splendors meant it oh th, 1 d be 50, till every silent throat your eod, ur own sweet, simple e kindly smile of God. tts is a native daugh- of her poems have appeared ern magazines, and some in local fodicals. To realize all the promise 3 er work we must remem- that she has been two years. Her friends— may well have radlant ons of the future development her talents after this bright begin- | ning. (Walter |VO e of N. Brunt, 8an Francisco.) LUME OF VERSE BY A CALIFORNIAN ornia is certainiy showing herself exuberant In poesy when Cal rangely tempered, W0 -bovks - 6 to dle. | 1t come forth from the press in one week, »s when his | 20d both volumes profuse In quantity a ‘lavm excellent in quality. Dr. Edward ), Tecelve | pobeson Taylor, who, though not a Cali- | fornian by birth, is assuredly a thorough- an the ng author dow of the e more one, This is per- i work of creatin Crag” d one by adoption, has collected the cream of his life’s poetic work and pub- lished the volume here in San Francisco under the title “Into the Light, and Other Verse.” Verse making is only one among the many acomplishménts of this talented foster child of California. For one mastery, he is a graduate of the Toland Medical College, now the Medical De- | partment of the University of California, first long one she has attempted | and he is now wvice-president of Cooper ontains many beauties and is full | Medical College, Another mastery was mise of fine future work of |of the profession of law; he was admitted ¢ a may be still prouder | to the bar in 1872 and has practiced in all f h Mabel Porter Pitts |the courts in this state, and in the Federal sends forth from her ‘prentice hand. | Courts and in the Supreme Court of the e are many excellent stanzas| United States; he is now head of the ce of stra the merits of the ented young woman. which seem to pair off ybes of womanhood, contrasts — describing of which of the Public Library of S8an Francisco. both rt poems that it is hard | what to quote to work of I will give in seems to put them rightly to- Hastings College of Law, which is the | Law Department of the State University. { Added to these accomplishments is a mastery of books; he has always taken a great intercst in everything connected with literature and for many years hi a two | been a member of the Board of Trustees end, poem | cept such solu- | | | | I8 { | | | | He has a valuable private library, and |In it are rare treasures in the way of editions and bindings. He has all of the | best of the Kelmacott books, including Chaucer, and every Englizh translation of the Tliad and Odyssey that has ever been made. Charter maker also is this versatile genius—the city and county charter under which we are at present living is partly of his handlcraft. Not to be forgotten on the list are proficlency in all branches in the printing art, and that, as a minor matter, he has been an editor. To crown all he has added to his many mental attainments the power of writing graceful verse. The other things are businesss, but poetry is his luxury and delight, and his way to the supernal world—along which he wings a strong, brave flight and calls to us ail eloquently to follow him, via hard work and eager aspiration, to the highest and ‘happlest ltving. Know thou the gods are good to bim who bears TUnvanquished stoutly on; who in despalr's Entangling web Wweaves many a thread of White Al the stars light him that boidly dare, That stirring stanza I cull from the chief poem of the volume, It is called “Into the Light.”” It was written In 1901, and is now lengthened and im- proved. It is a sori of summing up of Dr. Taylor's philosophy of life. It is good to be sble to bear witness on 2 blessed Kaster morning that this philosophy is both a plous and a poetic one—optimistic., gloriously so, and mystic, delightfully, dreamily so. Is 1t not right to say that there is no beau- tiful poetry, nor religion either, un- less they are largely mingled with ele- ments of mysticism—intuitive faiths in the “truths that never can be provea”? THE MYSTIC. In symboled beauty all appears To kim In nature as in art, The while in ecstacy he hears Bright angels singing In his heart. Oh, would we had some sight of his Mo’ gee lite's glory as it is! It will please you surely if I give you another onc of his mystic bits of verse: THE KISS OF PEACE. An angel met me in the wood, Where I unreconciled had fled To scape the face of my dear dead. She led me where ber sister stood ‘With radiant face and lifted head; ‘Whereat they kissed me on the cheek, But not a word did either speak. They vanished, but I knew that the Had brought me flower of peace that day. And once again, let me give you this— an Easter gift. It {llustrates to us so beautifully how the mystic can be granted a grace of saving consolation under conditions where the practical and unimaginative man would see only sordid gloom: 4 IN MEMORY, Full oft it was as balmy night Wove many a web of dreamy light The moon 80 touched her budding charms, i — NEW TILDEN STATUE OF JUNI- PERO SE AND PORTRAIT OF A CALIFORNIA POET. ——— feared for my enfolding arms, That held her close. And so, on one forbidding night, That knew no moon's caressing light, All withered lay her blossomed charma In envious death's relentiess arms That held her close. But oft again in memory’'s night That moon refloods the scene with light, And lovelier still, her wakened chayme Rejoice my fond, ‘enfolding arms, That bold her close. BSearching for the bits short for extract and that would at unzg"::-l: please my readers and do truest jus- tice to the author of this already re- selected collection, I found, far over toward the end, this sonnet, which I think is one of the best poems in the book. It is from a bunch called “In a Studio”—"sonnets suggested by pic- tures painted by William Keith.” Now when yov get a Callifornia poet {into close communion with the premier paintar | of ‘the Facific Coast you can naturally cxpect something exquisitely artistic to be born of that lovingly close and inspiring contact of artistic soul and artistic soul; and lo, here it is—and again the essence of the poesy in the lines Hes in their mystic meaning: AN UNFINISHED PORTRAIT, I cannot strike the color for his eye, Nor bend the arch above it; ah, today My brush’s cunning, do the best' I may, In, heartless mockery 5eems to pass me by. Thus spake the master as he stood anigh His eacel, where a young man's portrait lay Bo near to perfectness it scemed to say, Give me not up ere once again you try, Then with a fury euch as genius knows, He spread hie pigments all that portrait o'er Until & shone divinely there; And in the glories of the great repoge Imagination feels, as M'a before, Some hidden spirit breathe through all its air, Although this is mystically fanciful, surely it cannot be said to be an idea untrue to artistic possibility. If it be true that an artist can—and if he is a fine one must—put something of his individual spirit into , his landscape painting, why might not an es genius in that way give a sort of soul portrait of some friend that would re- veal something of his friend’s Invisible spirit which no portrait of his face and figure could so well express? The poet conceives of ~a master of landscape | painting having done so after he had failed to make the portrait show forth some characteristic of colossal calm he felt was the possession of the young man he could not paint to his complete artistic satisfaction. The poem’s theme is in strict accord with the idea of| subjectivity in art, as has been ex- pressed by an anonymous writer, thu Back of the canvas that throbs the painter is hinted and hidden. Into the statue that breathes the soul of the sculptor is bidden, The first poem, “Into the Light,” would be a good one to attach bodily to one's copy of Omar Khayyam's| Rubaiyat. It calls attention to the| same mystery and transitoriness of | | 1ite, but it leads up at last to a much higher conclusion of the whole matter | than does old Omar with his ideal of cat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow | we die. Dr. Taylor’s verse in this poem | that sums up his philosophy of life has also much of the form and music of the famous Rubaiyat. As soon as| you begin to read it you are reminded | of Omar. Take this from FitzGerala's | translation of Omar: 1 And fear not lest Existence, closing your Account and mine, should know the like no mare; The eternal Saki from that bowl has poured Millions of Bubbles like us, and will pour. And compare it with stanzas 6 and 48 from “Into the Light.” If Taylor's is! less peculiarly odd in its genius of | expression, it is more important in the goal to which it goes than is the skep- tical Omar original of this plous Omar- esque. Dr. Taylor says: VI. The bubbles dancing on couvivial wine, The restful dewdrops ca the procreant vine, But symbolize each being life has know: All vanish at a breath and leave no sig! XLVIIL It is enough to feel that thou and I Are on this earth, to work, and serve and dle, As have the millions that have gone before, And as wlill other mllll‘li)nl by and by. X 5 Enjoy the day, as Horace says 1s well; To lounge and drink with Omar as we tell Our loves to every moment of the day, Is with enchantment for the time to dwell. XLIIL But these are condiments and not the bread | Wherewlth life's feast is nourishingly spread, | And deem thou not with diet such as theirs A starving soul in bounty can be fed. Some of the other literary works o Dr. Taylor are “Moods and Other Verse,” now out of print; ions and Other Verse”; “Sonnets of Heredia Rendered Into Knglish,” and a small volume, | privately printed, called “Memories and Other Verse.” Dr. Taylor is now about | 65, and has been a Californian since he was quite a young man. H was born in Illinois, but we can con- | sclentiously and rejoicefully call this| inspiring poet a Californian. Stanley-Taylor Company, San Fran- cisco; $1.25 net; postage and packing 15 cents.) MEDICAL HISTORY OF JAPANESE WAR The real triumph of Japan in the re- cent terrific conflict with Russia was | the conquest of the silent foe, to wit, | the victory over disease that was won | by the doctors of the Mikado’s wonder- ful little empire. The recognition of | that fact makes us realize at once the | correctness and aptness of the title of a new book called “The Real Triumph of | Japan,” with the subtitle of “The Con quest of ‘the Sllent Foe.” It is writ ten by Louis Livingston Seaman, M. D., LL.D., late surgeon major, U. S. V. E., author of “From Tokio Through Manchuria With the Japanese,” a- tive Troops for Our Colonial Posses- sions” and several other works. The book is written for a serlous pur- pose: that of impressing on this coun- .Ary the necessity of its learning the lessons of sanitary sclence which can be ascertained from the wonderful rec- ord made by the Japanese medical corps In the big war in the East. It has interest, too, just as a description of the skill with which the Japs handled their wounded and managed their hos- pitals. It will be of prime interest to medical men and to army officers, but to people interested in political econ- omy, in patriotism, in the humanities, the work will also be of notable im- portance. Just a few cullings of the almost incredible figures of Japanese superiority in the conduct of the medi- cal department of warfare will show the importance of this cail to the na- tion to prepare for thorough methods of preventing sickness in the case of ancther war. Prominent among these figures is the ratio of men killed by bullets to those destroyed by disease In our late war with Spain. To every soldler killed by the enemy there were fourteen died from disease. Comtrast with this the ratlo in the Japanese war with Russia, where only one man died of disease to four who were killed by the soldiers of the Czar. Our war with Spain was exceptional in the extraordinarily large proportion of men lost from disease; but the Japanese record compares fa- vorably with the whole history of war- fare. The general average is 80,000 men lost from disease in a campaign to 20,000 who are lost by bullets. Japan reversed these figures. It was not done by accident or by extraordinarily favor- able circumstances. Indeed Japan had not only the diseases of her own camps to contend with, but those of the re- treating Russians. The feat was ac- complished by skilled application of | scientific sanitation and dietetics. ua-i jor Seaman was appointed by our Go ernment to g0 to the field with the| Japanese armles and study their sani- tary work and hospitals. This volume is the result, and the lessons of it must surely be given attention by the au- thorities and by all patriots of the na- tion. If we fail. and there should come suddenly upon us another war, then for every 20,000 killed in battle we will probably lose 80,000 to 100,000 from dis- ease who might have been saved by a { proper sanitary system in our armies. In a chapter called “Lest We Forget” and in his conclusion Major Seaman em- phatically urges reform and points out the methods. (D. Appleton & Co., New York.) { ARCHITECT'S TRIBUTE TO JUNIPERO SERRA The April number of the American Builders’ Review has for frontispiece a fine picture of the new statue of Juni- pero Serra, taken from the original clay model of the sculptor, Douglas Tilden. This statue is to be cast in bronze and set up in Golden Gate Park. The pe- destal will be of granite, and is de- signed by Architect Edgar A. Mathews. The monument is the gift of ex-Mayor | | | { | the Review: | brick and flaking plaster. James D. Phelan. It Is one of Mr. Tilden's best works. Every Califor- nian will rejoice that the heroic padre, who did so much for the State and for the Christian religion, is to be so nobly honored. The American Builders’ Review has three articles on the subject of Serra. One of these has the good subtitle, “Sermons in Sun-Dried Brick. From the | Old Missions,” and treats of his archi- tecture. Another is notes on his life work; and the third is a brief mention of the monument. It is interesting to get an Interpretation of this truly great man from an architect's point of view. It emphasizes one of the several ways in which his work will continue to be effective for the ennobling of Califor- nia. His zealous preaching of the word of God was not by any means all of his unforgettable deeds. From this build- er's point of view it will be the padre’s secular rather than his religious work that will be chiefly remembered by the future ages. But the writer of the ar- | ticle admits the difficulty of separating the secular from the religious perform- ance of the Franciscan priest. The idea | is a good one, though, that by means | of the architectural style Junipero Serra gave to California he will con- | tinue to speak to and largely influence the spirit of our people for ages. Says in ruins,.it is true, but the spirit of beauty and tranquillity that dwelt in their great white walls and ample cloisters will outlive mere sun-baked Some day doubtiess Rome will see to it that the faithful missionary will be duly can- onized. Meanwhile we submit the world will be the better for the Serra | who has made a style, rather than for the Serra who will be made a saint.” This architectural view of the man's life work will be useful as giving em- phasis to the fact of Serra founding a style which is to be perpetuated as a characteristic of California, which style has a peculiar nobleness that preaches sermons from walls; but those wko magnify the padre because of his being 8o zealous and eloquent an exponent of Christian religion can easily give him credit for the combination of instilling nobleness by the spoken word and by the simplicity and impressiveness of he walls he builded. The Review peaks of “the aiginity of these compo- sitions, the majestic simplicity and the breadth of simple wall surface.” and says i.at they should be a source of inspiration to the designers of monu- mental structures. No doubt also the noble style of the mission structures, 80 expressive of peace and rest and beauty in simple usefulness, will have | an inspiration for that right living which is religion. So both as the Chris- tlan zealot and as the creator of a no- ble architectural style we can honor | him .and be glad that this monument is so successfully designed.” ANOTHER VOLUME OF LARGE HISTOR “The French Revolution and the Rise of Napoleon” is the subject of Volume XVI of “A History of All Nations,” the big twenty-four volume work of many historians, under the editorship of Juhn Henry Wright The new volume, just issued, is, like all the preceding ones, amply illustrated with plates and cuts and ' facsimiles of old documents. This XVI volume is written by Theodor Flathe. late emeritus pro- fessor at St. Afra, Meissen. The pictures are taken from sources contemporary with the events related. There are a | number of portraits of the notables of the Revolution and the Consulate. Omne of these gives an impression of Charlotte Corday so full of terrible determination that one seeing her face does not wonder that she had the courage to kill Marat. | One of the most interesting plates gives a | facsimile of a letter written by Queen Marie Antoinette to Count de Rougeville from her prison. She was not allowed a pen and she made the Jetters of her note by sticking a peedle into a plece of paper €0 that the punctures would form words. The original is preserved in the National Archives, Paris. Professor Flathe gives a pathetic ac- count of the sufferings of the unfortunate Marie Antoinette. He says: “A kind of devilish pleasure was afforded these men (the revolutionists) by ill-treatment of the queen. On July 3, In the middle of the night, policemen forpced their way into her prison in order to separate her son from her, avowedly on account of some royalist attempts to effect her liberation. For more than an hour the mother in desperation offered opposition; tected the boy with her body until the in- human creatures threatened to slay her children before her eyes; then at length she suffered the child to be torn from her, e ¢ * On October 14 ‘The Widow Capet’ appeared before the Revolutionary Tribu- nal. The dignity and majesty of the queen in her ragged clothes profoundly moved all the spectators, but not the hardened hearts of her persecutors and judges.” (Lea Brothers & Co., Philadelphia and New York.) NOTES ABOUT BOOKS AND THE AUTHORS The Festival of Optimism. The message of Easter is the entire message of Christ's life. In Him optim- “Some of the missions are | of Harvard University. | she pro-; ism finds its supreme utterance. From the first He preached the triumoh of light over darkness, of life over death. Each act and command of His replaced evil with good. For anger He gave hu= mility; for war, peace; for death in the body, the healing of faith; in place of mere justice He decreed mercy and for- gliveness. His death and resurrection are the fulfill- | ment of His teaching. Time and change and geeming death are not. but life is everlasting. The tragedy of Good Friday remaing for two days that the gloom may be deep and memorablé. Then the answer comes, and noon breaks upen night. However this be interpreted by different people, all can feel in common one means ing at the heart of the story—the optim- "151'5 faith in the vietory of the goed. No pessimist can celebrate the day. Any op~ | timist of almost any faith can observe it i The association of Easter with soring | must be more than accidental. It adds to | the full symbolism of the story and heips to make it natural and simple. Th spring and new growth return upon the earth without fail. As we take that for granted, so easily shall we take for | granted the truth of Easter. The joy of | spring is in every human heart. No post ever failed to sing it. To the early peoples the happiness of the mounting sun must have been even keener than to us who have learned to | Jessen the perils of winter. But spring | gladncss is a universal emotion. and | through that emotion the Christian fathers, who carried the gospel into al the world. easily found access to the | hearts of the people of every race, with | the message of Easter—the greatest mes- sage ever uttered to men.—Youth's Com- panton. James Hopper, whose story. “The Struggles and Triumph of Isidro de Les Maes " appears in the April Me- Clure’s, has evidently been initiated into every one of the romantlc and uncom- fortable degrees of the literary brother- hood. Recently he wrote to his publish- ers from the Philippines, his letter wast- ing no words. It ran: “I'm scandalously busted—James Hopper.” It developed | later that at about the same time he de- cided that a typewriter as a piece of hand luggage was a snare and a delu- sion, so he exchanged it for something | not so Heavy and more easily megotiable, and started for home. When he reached | San Francisco he got some mail, after | reading which he set forth and bought | another typewriter, with the profits from | a story he had written on the old one. | One might imagine that in such vicissi- | tudes would lie inspiration. At any rate, Hopper still has his new typewriter. McClure, Phillips & Co., Literary Notes. . | A second edition of “Landscape Paint- | ing and Modern Dutch Artists,” by E. B. Greenshields, within a month of pub- lication Is rather an exceptional record |for an art book.—Baker, Taylor & 0. Literary Notes. .. . . Laurence Hope. (After seeing her portrait in the February Critle.) Although the compass of her volce was small, And few the strings that she could wake fo ce, | She sang of Love, as one who knew it held | A Heaven of sweetness and a Hell of strife. ow she hath forced Death, | _Soomer than tarry wken her mate was dead. Cast jasmine blossoms al} about her grave. | “And piant a crimson rose tree at her head. | —O. R. Howard Thompson in April Critle. VOLUMES RECEIVED ! FROM PUBLISHERS |, KENELM'S DESIRE—By Hughes Cor- nell. Little, Brown & Co., Boston; $1.50. COWARDICE COURT — By George Dodd, Mead & Co., | the gloomy Gates of | Barr McCutcheon. | New York; $1.25. ISAAC PITMAN'S SHORT COURSE | IN SHORTHAND.—Isaac Pitman & Sons, | New York; $1.2. OVER 100 WAYS TO WORK THROUGH COLLEGE — By Selby a. { Moran, Ann Arbor, Mich. 'The Univer- sity Press. | THRE STORY OF THE CONSTITU- | TION OF THE UNITED STATES—By | Rossiter Johnson. William Ritchiq, | New York. | THE KENTUCKIAN—By James Ball Naylor. C. M. Clark Publishing Com- pany, Boston, Mass. | IN THE SHOE STRING COUNTRY— By Frederick Chamberlin. C. M. Clark | Publishing Company, Boston. | THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE§S | OF AN AMERICAN TEACHER — By | William B. Freer. Charles Seribner's | Sons. New York: $1.50. ! HAWAIIAN YESTERDAYS—By Hen- iry M. Lyman. A. C. McClurg & Co, Chicago. | "THE JOY OF LIFE—By Lillle Hamil- ton French. Frederick A. Stokes Com- pany, New York. CHILDHOOD—By Mrs. Theodore W, Birney, founder of the National Congress of Mothers. Frederick A. Stokes Com- | pany, New York. | "IDEALS FOR GIRLS (talks on char- {acter, life and culture)—By Mrs. Frank iLarned (Priscilla Wakefleld). Frederick | & Stokes Company, New York. THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST (with twenty lilustrations from paintings by great masters—By Henry Van Dyke. Frederick A. Stokes Com- pany, New York. | THE SIEGE OF THE SOUTH POLE— { By Hugh R. Mill. Frederick A. Stokes | Company, New York. PSS Ungquestionably a *Hit."”". MISTER BILL “A Man” Albert E. Lyons. “The character of Mister Bill is altogether admir- able, wholesome and morally stimulating.” “Its portrayal of Western life equals anything recent years have given the public in fiction.” “One lays down the book with a feeling that he has been helped to live the manly life.” “The hero is a real man.” -These are a few of the and clergy. RICHARD G. BADGER, Publisher, many expressions of press Boston.