WARNING
BY AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR

SK me nothing now, my dear-
A The stars are all too large and near;
At dusk the peepers in the pool
Make my pulses play the fool;
Robins with morning winds awake
And in my spirit barriers break;
The willows are too golden green,
The grasses are too young and clean,
The little brooks too loud and swift;
Too red a crest the maples lift.
The heart of life beats high and glad-
Can we keep wise when earth goes mad?
Do not ask me anything
Lest misfortune fall.
I am in love with Love and Spring
And not with you at all!

little lady sprang to her feet and flew of a spoiled child. It was evident that begin the way I did. At the start a down the stairs as though some one's he neither knew nor cared where any man is glad to consider his wife, and life depended upon her haste. I fol- of his belongings were—“mother" always don't you let yours know any different. lowed, expecting some awful calamity. laid out his clothes and supplied him He'll be happier that way, and you'll Apparently nothing unusual was going with clean collars and handkerchiefs. live to do for him longer." on. As I reached the door the big man She fastened his shoes and put on his There came a time when there was remarked, calmly: “Going to town. rubbers. She kept his diary and made dust on the old piano and the cookie Where's my pocketbook?" As she out his checks. She cooked the food he jar was often empty. More and more handed it to him Aunt Abbie was look brought according to his direction, and frequently Aunt Abbie was roused from ing him over carefully. "Wait a minute, at the end of the day she read aloud the sofa by her husband's voice, and we father. I must brush your hair, and you from his agricultural papers while he noticed that her hands shook when she need a clean collar. Come in, child, dozed on the sofa. Just how she man- tried to fasten collar buttons and shoecome in.” And while I visited with aged to keep her home so exquisitely strings with the old haste. Every one Uncle Ben his wife put on his collar, neat, her cookie jar filled, and her grand except Uncle Ben knew that the little fastened his tie, tucked a clean hand children supplied with knitted socks and lady was wearing out. If we who loved kerchief into his pocket, and smoothed mittens was a mystery. She was a won her voiced our fears, he was indignant his thick white hair. derful manager.

-he was hale and hearty at eighty, and During the five years that followed I Adonoram's wife was mistress within was she not a full ten years younger? spent many a happy day with Aunt her tiny house, with its shabby walls A bit tired to-day, that was all. Aunt Abbie. The scene which I had witnessed and scant furnishings; but Uncle Ben's Abbie was tired—tired out-and we on my first visit to the house I found to wife, in her more comfortable home, was could not grieve when she fell asleep one be a daily, almost an hourly, occurrence. merely valet, secretary, and cook. Her soft spring morning, though we should Every time Uncle Ben entered the house husband bought, not only cows, but miss her sadly. that commanding cry of "Mother!" rang household supplies as well, without her Uncle Ben is ninety now. He is not through the quiet rooms. No matter knowledge and consent. No great crisis as spry as he used to be, but he is still what Aunt Abbie was doing-cleaning came to bring the thought of revolt to wonderfully hale and hearty; while the the attic, shaking the furnace, rolling Aunt Abbie's patient soul. For years devoted daughter who has answered his out cookies, or taking a nap—she hur- no word or look betrayed the fact that summons since "mother" slipped away is ried to his side. I have sometimes won- she realized the slavery of her life. aging fast. As in the days when Aunt dered what would have happened if just When, flushed with happiness, I went to Abbie met his demands with such lovonce she had answered with that her to tell of my own coming marriage, ing, loyal patience, he is proud of his familiar phrase, “In a minute." The however, she said: "Husbands are what age, proud of his strength, and utterly old man's imperious demands were those we make them, child. Don't you ever unconscious of his tyranny.

PICTURES OF THE CITY OF VILNA AS SEEN BY A RED CROSS WORKER

WILLIAM DE MORGAN'S LAST NOVEL

the two is not the same. Mr. De Morgan

himself stated that of "Joseph Vance" TT is not often that the relation be. Probably not; but it was not like De in these words: “The highest good is tween reader and writer is so inti. Morgan to dispel the mystery of a situ

the growth of the soul, and the greatest mately personal in feeling as it was ation until he simply had to do so. In man is he who rejoices most in great in the case of the author of "Joseph the main Mrs. De Morgan's chapters fulfillments of the will of God.” It is Vance," "Somehow Good," "It Can carry on the tale clearly.

true that Joseph Vance had a happy old Never Happen Again," and the many A single passage may be quoted from age and that Eustace John Pascoe died other long, rambling, and entertaining “The Old Man's Youth" as an illustra in an institution, and that the tone of stories that in varying degrees have

the one life is warm satisfaction and given pleasure to all those English and

that of the other gentle depression and American readers who are not afraid of

hopelessness, but the spirit of the two being called lovers of the Victorian type

men is alike sweet and unselfish. of fiction. De Morgan quietly but in

The passage above quoted from "Jocessantly cultiyated this intimacy. It

seph Vance" was selected by Professor was of the kind that existed between

William Lyons Phelps as the motif of Thackeray and his admirers, but not be

that novel, and the choice was affirmed tween Dickens and his countless readers,

as correct by the author. A prize had and this although De Morgan always

been offered to a class at Yale for the stoutly maintained that as a writer he

best essay on De Morgan's novels, and owed most to Dickens. However that

in corresponding with Professor Phelps may be, De Morgan had a way of his

De Morgan had remarked that he always own of taking the reader into his con

tried to have a dominant motif in his fidence, of slyly sharing a joke with him,

book and wondered whether the contesof involving him by what he once called

tants would detect that in "Joseph his "button-holey" manner in a sort of

Vance," adding, “None of the reviewers sotto voce discussion of situation and mo

did." This appears in an article by tive. The result is that one feels a per

Professor Phelps in a recent issue of the sonal loss now that he can no longer

New York "Times's" Book Review seclook forward to "the next De Morgan,”

tion. The article should be read by all and even in a measure a personal grief

who care for De Morgan, as it contains that so delightful and lovable a person

many extremely interesting and charality as William De Morgan has finished

acteristic letters hitherto unpublished. his course.

De Morgan's literary career, and his To be perfectly frank, neither “The

whole life for that matter, was remarkOld Man's Youth"i (no one can reason

able and unusual. We will repeat here ably be expected to quote the complete

its outline as it was given in our cumbrous title, given in the foot-note)

WILLIAM DE MORGAN

columns when the first of the two postnor the preceding posthumous novel,

humous novels appeared: "The Old Madhouse," may be ranked tion of the author's fashion of playing

"He was sixty-four years old before he with the three novels named above in about in a byway of criticism:

ever thought of novel-writing. Then, virility and charm. In both the manner

Few of us have the hardihood to

like Scott with 'Waverley,' he wrote a is the same; the quality is there, the

express opinions about color to real

chapter of Joseph Vance,' laid it aside talk is clever and humorous, but the artists, but now and then a meek unfinished, and only at his wife's solici. total impression is fainter, as might be voice rises in protest against emerald tation finally completed it and sent it expected of a man doing creative imagi. green eyes and blackberry-juice lips,

to a publisher. Between 1905 and 1917 native work after his seventy-fifth year.

and is told that its owner is color

(when he died at the age of seventyblind. How can he know that he isn't? But, if one would not select "The

eight) he published eight novels and

And when he points out that another Old Man's Youth" as a reader's intro

real artist has painted the same orig

romances, most of them quite unusual duction to De Morgan, it should surely

inal with emerald green lips and black

in length and notable also for their be read by all confirmed admirers. It

berry-juice eyes, he does not score a

vivacity, optimism, and cheerful phihas his touch and his charm, if not his single run. Because that is interpre losophy; in other words, written with full flood of vitality. It is not, more. tation. It is always a case of heads, the spirit of youthful vigor rather than over, a work half De Morgan's and half Inspiration wins; tails, you lose. Re what might be expected from a man who not, as some erroneous advance notes

spectful silence is always open to by

began his apprenticeship to fiction in have stated. His wife, who has also

standers, whose consolation it must

late middle-age. Apart from his novel

be to reflect that the most original died since the work was completed, has

writing, Mr. De Morgan's career was one

and powerful neosophies may pass stated that, with the exception of a very

and be forgotten.

of versatile talents; he was artist, infew brief connecting and concluding

ventor, and craftsman; he took part in chapters (which are pointed out by It is odd that De Morgan's last book William Morris's movement for housebeing called "The Story," while the rest should have had in part the same theme hold art; he designed and, we believe, is “The Narrative of Eustace John"), as his first. "Joseph Vance" appeared manufactured tiles and stained glass; he the book is left exactly as her husband in 1906—and it is a pleasure to record invented a duplex bicycle, a sieve, and wrote it. At least nine-tenths is De that The Outlook's reviewer then re a smoke-consuming fire-grate; he had an Morgan verbatim. The chief structural ferred to it as "a novel that aligns itself intense interest in aviation; during the defect of the story is the premature dis- with the best English fiction." The Great War he abandoned work on "The closure, dramatically speaking, of the reviewer noted also that Joseph Vance Old Madhouse' to study out scientific inpeculiarly heartless criminal act of a (the narrator, not his father) is "a ventions for war use. In art, science, and self-seeking woman. This is told in one sweet-spirited old man who has loved literature his mind was active and his of the interpolated short chapters, and much, known many friends worth know. knowledge extensive; his ceramics and one wonders whether Mrs. De Morgan ing, and suffered in silence for love's luster-ware work were said by Holman could have misunderstood the intention. sake.” Almost these words might be Hunt to compare well with the best

1 The Old Man's Youth and the Young Man's used of the old man who narrates his Italian periods." Old Age By William De Morgan. Henry Holt life in this last work. The message of After her husband's death Mrs. De Mor& Co., New York,

gan wrote an excellent account of some actions of the Darkes to house and for "inspired," though his sub-title ("Comof his literary methods, part of which est contrast the longing for liberty of piled from Statements, Private Documay also be here repeated:

spirit as against superstition and ments, and Personal Letters of the Em"When my husband started on one of slavery of thought. There is imagina press") would indicate the contrary. Be his novels, he did so without making tive quality here.

this as it may, his material came from any definite plot. He created his char

intimate Court sources. The account is

BIOGRAPHY acters and then waited for them to act

also valuable in its comprehensiveness. LIFE AND WORK OF SIR WILLIAM VAN and evolve their own plot. In this way

In comparison, "Empress Eugénie in

HORNE (THE). By Walter Vaughan. Illusthe puppets in the show became real,

trated. The Century Company, New York.

Exile" offers a glimpse of less than a living personalities to him, and he There is romance in the railway world.

year of the Empress's life. The author waited, as he expressed it, 'to see what As proof, note this well-written life of was a member of her household and saw they would do next.' ... As the story the boy telegrapher in Illinois who re her subject at close range. The informawas always read to me while in prog. ported the Lincoln-Douglas debates, who tion in this volume is more definitely ress, I, too, got to believe in the reality

reality rose in the Chicago and Alton system

rose in the Chicago and Alton system at first hand than that in Count Fleury's; of the characters, and found myself from train despatcher, telegraph super

the Empress's personality is revealed thinking of them as real, live people, intendent, transportation superintendent, more vividly and more appealingly than and I have frequently asked him, when to the general superintendence of the in the larger work. he came down to lunch or had finished Kansas City, St. Louis, and Western,

MUSIC, PAINTING, AND OTHER ARTS writing for the day, such a question, as, to the presidency of the South Minne

FAN BOOK (THE). By MacIver Percival. Illusfor instance, 'Well, have they quarreled sota, and, finally, with all the expert

trated. The Frederick A. Stokes Company. yet?' and he would reply, as the case knowledge thus acquired, who built the New York. might be, 'No, I don't know if they will Canadian Pacific Railway; and he re- The art of fan-making, especially as come to a quarrel; after all, I must wait mained in Canada to play a great part developed in the seventeenth and eightand see what they will do.' However, in the national life of that country. eenth centuries, is here described with toward the end of the book, when an Then he constructed the Cuban Railway, the enthusiasm of a devoted collector of intelligible winding up of the story be- and for the first time the island's rich fans. A vast amount of information is came imperative, the plot was taken up interior was opened to trade, transporta given, accompanied with many illustraand carefully considered, all the strag. tion, and prosperity. He had now be- tions of notable fans. gling threads gathered together and come an empire builder. Shortly before

HISTORY AND METHODS OF ANCIENT AND finally decided upon, though latitude his death he said: “When I think of all MODERN PAINTING. By James Ward. E. was always allowed for details to shape I could do, I should like to live five P. Dutton & Co., New York. themselves after their own fashion." hundred years.” The grim fight he This volume is the third of a fourR. D. TOWNSEND. waged in his earlier years against volume work on "The History and

poverty and the driving, dynamic force Methods of Ancient and Modern Paint

of his later acts are revealed in what ing." THE NEW BOOKS

It deals with Italian painting in he said some time ago:

the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, inBOOKS FOR YOUNG FOLKS Our whole civilization is the out

cluding the work of the great masters of FAIRY TALES FROM FRANCE. Adapted by growth of wars. Pain and distress the Florentine school and of the early

William Trowbridge Larned. Illustrated. accompany wars, and so they do Venetian painters. The text is discrimiThe P. F. Volland Company, New York.

childbirth. ... The human race con nating and the pictures are unusually >LD FRENCH FAIRY TALES. By Comtesse de

tinues and is the better. ... I hold Segur. Illustrated. The Penn Publishing

well chosen and reproduced. that every nation should be prepared Company, Philadelphia. for war. ... Napoleon was a curse to

TRAVEL AND DESCRIPTION Here are two volumes of French fairy

the world, but armies are not.

MAYFAIR TO MOSCOW: CLARE SHERIDAN'S tales. One is a little book; the other is By a curious coincidence the first

DIARY. Boni & Liveright, New York. a big book. But both are exquisite in President of the Canadian Pacific found

Mrs. Sheridan is a vivacious writer. paper, print, and illustration. In the

She is of English and American descent. little book we find “Cinderella," "The out that his greatest rival in the rail

She is a sculptor and, as she says, in Sleeping Beauty," and other well-known way world was the man who had warmly

Moscow portrait work, not politics, was tales, told in a way not to suggest fear recommended him as the best person to

her concern. But she saw many outor cause fright.

build that road, namely, James J. Hill. In the other book

The Canadian by birth and American by there are less well known legends; the

standing figures in the queer Bolshevik adoption was the rival of the American

menagerie-Lenine and Trotsky, both of book comprises “Blondine," "Good Little

whom she "sculped," and others. She Henry," "Princess Rosette," "The Little by birth and Canadian by adoption.

tells how they looked, acted, and talked. Gray Mouse," and "Ourson." The lan- MEMOIRS OF THE EMPRESS EUGÉNIE. By Like most diaries, this is scrappy, but guage is well adapted to youngest read

Comte Fleury. 2 vols. D. Appleton & Co., it has sharp descriptive passages. ers and hearers.

New York,

EMPRESS EUGENIE IN EXILE. By Agnes TOPEE AND TURBAN. By Lieut.-Col. H. A. FOR THE GAME'S SAKE. By Lawrence Perry. Carey. Illustrated. The Century Company, Newell. The John Lane Company, New Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. New York.

York. A volume of commonplace stories for Here are two accounts-one French, A faithful, detailed account of motor boys written according to the time-worn one English-of a singularly picturesque trips in various parts of India, with a formula. Why a sport writer of Mr. woman, the Empress Eugénie. She died humorous slant that is often entertainPerry's reputation should be guilty of recently, ninety-four years old. In re- ing and with plenty of the author's snapsuch an inaccuracy as to write, “It was counting her life Count Fleury has much shots. seven-thirty precisely and one bell was to say about the connection of the French

EDUCATIONAL striking from each of the yachts," we do Court with the three great wars which KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN'S HOUR (THE). not know. This is not the only error of happened during her reign: the Crimean, Vol. I-STORIES FOR LITTLE CHILDREN:

Vcl. II – CHILDREN'S OCCUPATIONS: a similar nature in this volume. the Italo-Austrian, and the War of 1870

Vol. III-TALKS TO CHILDREN: Vol. IVbetween Germany and France; indeed,

TALKS TO MOTHERS. Houghton Mimin FICTION

he devotes his second volume to these Company, Boston. HOUSE IN DORMER FOREST (THE). By Mrs. Mary Webb. The George H. Doran Com

matters, leaving to the first the more These volumes are well compiled, company, New York.

personal side. In that first volume we bined, and arranged. Much of the maIn this house on the forest's edge live find many an illuminating glimpse into terial is original and the selected matter the Darkes. The forest stands for free. the lives of the members of the French is admirably adapted for the general dom, nature, and beauty; the dull, com Court-Princess Mathilde, for instance. purpose. That purpose is clearly exmonplace house facing it stands for re- Because of the Empress's well-known plained by the titles of the volumes. The straint and convention. Thus the novel aversion to publicity, the author's state complete set of books should be of value is symbolic; it is also idyllic. The re- ments may not in general be directly in home and public library.

President Harding

Urges Road Maintenance. He says

“I KNOW of nothing more shocking than the millions of public funds wasted in improved highways, wasted because there is no policy of maintenance. The neglect is not universal, but it is very near it. There is nothing the Congress can do more effectively to end this shocking waste than condition all Federal Aid on provisions for maintenance. Highways, no matter how generous the outlay for construction, cannot be maintained without patrol and constant repairs.”

EXTRACT FROM FIRST MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS, WASHINGTON, D C.

APRIL 12, 1921