The Amateur Garden, by George W. Cable. ©1914. Better known for his “Southern” novels, this is a book of essays encouraging people to think about how they garden around their houses.

Thanks to Janet Blenkinship for post-processing this book!

Bookp(h)ile

The Dead Men’s Song: being the Story of a Poem and a Reminiscent Sketch of its Author Young Ewing Allison, Together with a Browse Through Other Gems of His and Recollections of Older Days, by Champion Ingraham Hitchcock.

This is the story of the poem Derelict with appropriately gruesome woodcut illustrations, including facsimiles of sheet music written for (part of) the poem (originally published in 1891).

Thanks to the fabulous David Newman for his transcription of the music to A Piratical Ballad. You can see the whole thing at PG, but if you want to practice your singing, see my page: A Piratical Ballad.

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Honey-Sweet, by Edna Turpin; illustrated by Alice Beard.

Thanks to Graeme Mackreth for Post-processing this book.

Bookp(h)ile

The Unpopular Review, Vol II, No 3, July-September 1914. Probably edited by Henry Holt (the publisher) but I have been unable so far to find an authoritative bibliographic reference stating this.

The Unpopular Review is a periodical from around the time of the first World War — a quarterly journal dedicated to exploring “unpopular” topics like tobacco reform, the higher education of women, and psychic research.

I have seen it described as “conservative.” And in some cases it is, especially with regards to the idea of governmental interference in one’s personal life. Well, conservative in 1914, at least. But it also has its progressive moments, like decrying the calls to teach only domestic science to college women, at the expense of traditional liberal arts courses.

And then there is the psychic research stuff, which given this first example I’m reasonably certain Holt is a believer. But not on faith — it appears he also wants to there to be scientific evidence.

While this is the first issue I’ve read (and frankly, I haven’t read it all the way through), I’m looking forward to seeing more issues — if only to follow the discussion on Simplified Spelling.

At a recent meeting of an University Montessori Club the case of donors to colleges and universities was reported on by a special committee. The majority report drew a pretty heavy indictment. It was shown that the givers to colleges and universities seldom considered the real needs of their beneficiaries. Donors liked to give expensive buildings without endowment for upkeep, liked to give vast athletic fields, rejoiced in stadiums, affected memorial statuary and stained glass windows, dabbled in landscape gardening, but seldom were known either to give anything unconditionally or, specifically, to destine a gift for such uninspiring needs as more books or professors’ pay. The result of giving without first considering the needs of the benefited college or university, was that every gift made the beneficiary more lopsided. Certain universities were almost capsized by their incidental architecture. Others were subsidizing graduate students to whom the conditions of successful research were denied. Still others were calling great specialists to the teaching force without providing the apparatus for the pursuit of these specialties. Others preferred to offer financial aid to students who were poor–in every sense. Donors apparently without exception had single-track minds. They saw plainly enough what they wanted to give, but never took the pains to see the donation in its relation to the institution as a whole. The majority report, which was drawn by our famous Latinist, Professor Claudius Senex, concluded with the despairing note Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. The minority report was delivered orally by young Simpson Smith of the department of banking and finance. He “allowed” that everything alleged by the majority report was true, but saw no use in dwelling on such truths, since donors always had done and always would do just as they darned pleased.

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Milly and Olly, by Mrs. Humphry Ward. A sweet children’s book with darling illustrations.