N

ATHANIEL HAWTHORNE in record

ing his visit to Oxford in the autumn of 1856 (see the Riverside Edition of his works, Volume VIII, "English Note Books," pages 345362) speaks of staying in a house in St. Giles Street. From his description of the slantwise glimpse from his win-" dow to the right of the walls of St. John's College the house must have been on the left-hand side of St. Giles, not far from the Alfred Street turning. "In term time," he says, "our apartments are occupied by a Mr. Stebbing, whose father is known in literature by some critical writings, and who is a graduate, and an admirable scholar. There is a bookcase of five shelves, containing his books, mostly standard works, and indicating a safe and solid taste."

As nearly sixty-seven years have elapsed since this passage was written, and as it is very improbable that there is any one now living whom Hawthorne is known to have met during his visit to England, it may perhaps be of interest to the students of his writings to learn that the Mr. Stebbing in whose rooms at Oxford he stayed in the long vacation of 1856 and whose library drew from him the above encomium is still living.

William Stebbing ceased to reside in Oxford soon after Hawthorne's visit, and was a few years afterwards second to Delane in the editorship of the "Times" during the most famous period of that journal's history. Since then the scholarship fortified by "safe and solid taste" in literature which Hawthorne discerned from his library at Oxford has found fruition in various literary works, among which may be mentioned a biography of Sir Walter Raleigh, a critical study of English poetry, "Five Centuries of English

Verse," and a series of verse translations of the masterpieces of Greek and Latin poetry. He completed his ninety-second year on May 16, living at Walton-on-the-Hill in the highlands of Surrey, a few miles from Box Hill, where George Meredith lived. It is probably safe to conjecture that he forms the only living link, although an indirect one, with Hawthorne during his visit to England.

I want to call your attention to an editorial appearing on pages 432, 433 of the issue of March 7, 1923, entitled "The Incompetent Senate," in which you use these words in the second column on page 433: "Even more humiliating than these filibusters was the filibuster that occurred six years ago as this Nation was approaching its entrance into the World War." I think, if you will reconsider that part of your editorial in the light of the conditions existing in 1917, you will agree with me that the filibuster which took place at that time turned out to be a blessing to the country. As I recall the conditions quite vividly, 1 believe I am correct in stating them as follows: A bitter controversy was going on in the beginning of 1917 in reference to the arming of merchant vessels. Toward the close of the then

Congress President Wilson desired authority to arm merchant vessels and an appropriation of $150,000,000, as I recall, for that purpose. If no filibuster had occurred, Congress would have adjourned sine die on March 4, leaving the destiny of this country in the sole control of Woodrow Wilson, with no power on earth except his, if he chose to exercise it, to bring Congress together before the first Monday of December, 1917. Senator Cummins, of Iowa, and others, many of whom were equally patriotic and whose names I do not recall, deliberately filibustered against the passage of several of the main appropriation bills in order to compel the President to call a special session of the new Congress, for the reason that he had stated that the appropriation of $150,000,000 for the arming of merchant vessels could handle the situation until December of that year.

I think you will agree that, in the light of later developments, it would have been a calamity to the world to have allowed the destiny of this country to have been placed solely in one man's hands at such a critical period.

In my opinion, that one instance furnishes a very strong argument for permitting unlimited debate in the Senate, although, without question, that privilege is abused and the Senate is made ridiculous many times. CLARENCE M. ODDIE.

San Francisco, California.

BARGAINS IN OLD BOOKS

E read with interest the edi

WE

torial in your issue of March 21 "On the Domesticating of Books," because this library had just started an experiment in the sale of books.

In a city of this size, with good book stores, the sale of new books seems an unnecessary function for the public library, and we are not undertaking that.

There are, however, thousands of books given to the library each year, many of which are most useful additions to the library collections, but a residue of which are not. This residue is sorted for exchange or gift to other institutions or for sale, and a little book stall has been established in the main library where a part of this last group are kept on sale.

The plan has met with instant success, the frequenters of the library apparently enjoying an opportunity conveniently at hand for bargains in old books, while the proceeds from their sale is helping to increase the never sufficient fund for other books which the library needs.

A great variety of interests have been represented by the purchasers of the books, and a surprising number of volumes of a religious nature have been sold. Also it has been a pleasure to see many an old classic and many works by standard authors, still read

able, although perhaps in cheap or worn editions, depart for a new career of usefulness with their new owners. It has been interesting to note that some people will buy books from this book stall which they had never thought of borrowing, perhaps in much better editions, from the library shelves. LINDA A. EASTMAN.

Cleveland, Ohio.

ROMEO AND JULIET WITH THE CLIMAX LEFT OUT

H

AVING just seen "Romeo and Juliet" as presented by Mr. Henry Miller, and having thoroughly enjoyed the interpretation of the great tragedy, I wish to make one suggestion. It is legitimate no doubt to omit certain scenes or parts of scenes here and there in a long play; but surely no such omission should mar the complete conception or scope of thought of the author. This is done in the present instance by closing the play with the death of Juliet. Now, as Wordsworth said in another connection, "there was no moral purpose, there is a moral effect," so here. I do not mean to say that Shakespeare moralized deliberately, but the close of the play as he wrote it certainly has a powerful "moral effect." He was not concerned merely with the love and death of individuals, but with a social situation, a civic tragedy within which the individual tragedies occurred and from which they indeed resulted. It was a schism in the state of Verona which led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. With this schism the play opens, and throughout it is held before us in half a hundred incidents and situations. And upon that tragic schism the individual tragedies react. It is this reaction which is set forth in the glorious close of the play, and it is completely lost when the play ends with the deaths of the chief figures.

I venture the opinion that the omission of the climactic comments on the whole situation, and especially the great comment involved in the reconciliation of the Montagues and the Capulets, is an artistic tragedy. It is an intellectual impoverishment of the fine interpretation given by Mr. Henry Miller's able company.

Where be these enemies? Capulet!
Montague!

See, what a scourge is laid upon your
hate,

That heaven finds means to kill your

joys with love!

all are punished.

That is the true climax of "Romeo and Juliet.".

I must add a word of warm gratitude to Miss Jane Cowl. I have heard a good judge, who has heard the great actresses of the recent past, set Miss Jane Cowl above them all as the best Juliet he has seen.

W. DOUGLAS MACKENZIE.

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