| Show Science Endorses M Modern dern Novel Novel I I Light Reading Renews Intellect In elect Our London Literary Letter Special Correspondence ONDON Sept 24 At last Jast the LONDON L modern novel has haH received the tho sanction of science At Atthe the th recent meeting of o the ho Brit British ish sh association at Dublin Prof W V MacDougall I held up the novel to nd al as r a ot oc fatigue fl gle Ha Ho said that sleepiness caused by b deep study could bo Immediately relieved y the tho reading ot oC a light novel Fortunately the tho worthY did not tot name any particular novelist otherwise all al tho rest rost of thc world of authors would have ha 0 boon looking for fol his scalp The Tho stated that tho best hest Intellects Intel aro ar more subject to fatigue than thal others other and arc aro also acute acutely ly Iy sensitive to boredom Tho turning away lay from heavy hoaY literature or 01 stud to the light entertaining book would supply such sueh minds with almost equal to sleep HIel Doubtless learned scientist will wl from flom now l w on begin to order novels fluffy kind ld tand amI oven el tho opponent of f tills II class of o fiction will wi admit that ca served in their th ir pro production ii L O 11 11 11 Novelists who confine their th II attention to frivolity may mn henceforth rth assume at a dignity hitherto denied und and their ex existence need neel no longer long r Co FOR FOn TITLES Speaking of or scientists and ald tho novel naturally leads to a IL rather good story of f tho tm venerable Dr Alfred Alfrod FOI Wallace e Among io i tho birthday honors which were Intended to bo distributed by King thIs year oar IQ It is 15 said that Dr Wallace figured as a new This ThIH wasso w s lo littles Itlo hi In Inn accord n e I ll of o tin th fri of f Dr 11 Imal ot of the tho scientists cl views vl ws that one n of them th 1 ho u or w re true Dr Wallace sent an Indig Indignant Indignant nant reply ply adding As 1 nc n such sueh a I and to t put ut uty y elf beo Darwin l Tho contempt with Val Wal lui upon 1111 titles of t s rl s is hi on u IL par pa with that hat of Ills his t great Durwin Though Ireat nearly oe government and sity in rel all ho tho thu titles tte upon tha latter trouble any lY nf them This Is not hot tho first that Dr DI Alfred has been J PPl ch 1 I It fUI Ivl to lils 11 1 u I b t lie 11 has always awl s scorned the thc qU l now nw in his year a enjo S a Il wonderfully 10 11 II US I existence 1 He ut Is thoroughly In Int touch t tl h with wih all the i nt social and cal moe i I l and Is 01 of th nack to 10 trip th crusade 1 whIch Rider Hider Haggard I G Wells Volla and nd many other authors ili o so prominent a tnt EDITORS EDOnS PRESENT RESENT Congress s recently heM held iho In London aside from Cru tho tremendous us interest excited c over oe Ha p procession brought t put o i that quite mb r ot of nt writers r b lo gJ to the Catholic lc It I lis I not ot generally gonei l known vl that Max I X Pemberton ert I Is a Catholic G thol 2 i I and ald ho 10 also are Arthur lice Hugh HugI Spender William Wilam Brayden Lord Al Alfred 1 red fred Douglas editor of oC Thc Tho Acad om Guy Gu horne Thorne and Sir Si Of or women authors several prominent literary lights be he long to 10 tho samo creed Mrs Thurston author of John Johl Chicote Jf i p 1 Mrs Castle Mrs rs Kerna Kolu ban and of QC ono the tho of or 1 Kingsley e aro ur Catholics In ad nd to these names of Q there thero aro several Catholics who hold holder very er prominent places in British Brish Jour jom Journalism Among these tl o hut but perhaps equally Influential people arc James Lewis editor of The hl Observer Charles known to fame faie under tho Uw plume of of Truth and the tho editor of JC tho Westminister tO 11 st of o tho Iho have hae recently been beell bronchi to 10 light J ht in a I Catholic who which Is compiled by hy Sir C F I Burnard tho famous of Punch BOOKS AS 1 Books look as Ui tho Carriers of or was IH tho of discussion raised at the tho In li I rec worship worshipers ers 1 nt at thc tho of the bookstall 1 havo boon hOln indignant could they tho havo heard the doctors had to say SIW concerning tho hook book as lS a gorm orm conveyor Physicians ans Ins testified that they had been eel Ihlo to 11 Isolato almost a I I Of t every lr Ila contagious germ erm between el tho leaves and even on Oi the thc outRide ers covers of the tho secondhand sec book bJ l Among Amon tho sever severest 1011 est critics of the tho practise of buying books book in hi this fashion was 11 the tho famous Sir J Browne Brown From Frol tho cover coer of I the book as a I he turned turnell to t tho subject matter mater and Vaid ald things about hout tho modern novel Among Amol other comments the physician remarked II BOOKS There is I unhappily In hI circulation tion In these lays days literature that thul al altogether altogether together apart from flom prudery pru er or any an Puritanical prejudice must Inu t bo he pro pronounced PI JUl ll pernicious lo to health Ming ling n with the main and and limpid ham gleam arc aro turbid currents hern and mil there thero effluents ot of debased or Ill sordid minds and ald uncanny spores The difficulty dle Is that we have hlo m Il adequate udo tulto moans means of or separating this foul fo l stuff and N It J into tho t tank tunk There are arc novels In II demand continued tho learned medico hot novels I am al told they aro called cal that pander to tf vicious tastes and 11 excite unholy pas passions a glons Then Ther aro ar scurrilous journalistic lv tic tl rags rag about ono sees Sf them Ule some sometimes times um s on n tho tables of 01 tho th affluent of or sporting proclivities that should only bo be lingered by decent people l I tho tongs while being belnA consigned ciAn l to tho flames fanie These aro public nubie nuisances which cannot Qt be Ignored when wo 0 ar taking stock of the tho carriers carrel of dl t for fo more clues 1 1 produce febrile disturbance and 11 anaemia and predispose 10 0 erysipelas and gangrene than thun c emana emann emanations of cesspool literature p and debilitate tho mind and pro pare the tit way ifor moral paralysis and nerve i Q degeneration J v After such Rueh a slating lS this ono on would think hit tho kind ot o author 1 f J to hy Dr C would quietly th go into a and ani pull tl o 1 IQ In af rihl n I he h I IWuy frol Congresses when hel tho doctor doc or Is IR on in lint rl After Acc this outburst t i es f nt of or thu th literary c eI lr h ht t so 1 off as most m t IO FOH FOH CO Among tho 1 pur purpose pose poc novels recently published iii Ii Iia a book OC entitled i t l Granite by an ln of df moor 1 r Prison largest lurg sL set settlement In Under thu tho JI l of W Scott King Klig tho tn l v vT W T to Greenland launches a II scathing attack atack on the th English h prison son ll system i What will wil especially In Interest Jl terest Americans with regard to l this tl book b l Is the OJ high hl h tribute which tho th author pays l lS lo to the tho study of If crimin criminology as lS carried out by h Americans particularly at ut l lit lin advises H the English government to adopt tho Am American system s and IHl suggests sUAI that thaI a I hH should bo ho appointed for I carrying out u a systematic study of methods It J If 11 that this book has already hud considerable ef effect r I on the government for tor recently I they have havo brought In n a bill hili for treat treating trat ing Ilg criminal by what Is 1 1 known as aH tho th I Indeterminate sentence that is IR men In II jail jul until InU they thoy tiro completely cured from Frol this l stand criminality Is t a u distinct disease and offenders oln may ml bo ho kept In prison a I if thoy do donot n not IUt shou sufficient mental and phy evidence of having a n permanent euro CilO before thol libera liberation tion ton to say u though this hook book bookIs Is hI from u I former prison lon chaplain It Il shows remarkable pIl I powers and presents present a IL close psychological Js study that It I a I refreshing surprise among amon books of this description |
