seen the glory of the coming of the Lord," was written by Julia Ward Howe, the daughter of the famous Abolitionist, and herself a wellknown poetess and writer. In 1861, she went with Governor Andrew and a party of friends to visit the camps of the army near Washington. Her strong belief in the cause of the freedom of the slaves and the inspiring scenes in these camps led her to write this beautiful hymn.

the

"Columbia, the Gem of Ocean," which is more familiarly known as the "Red, White, and Blue," because of the refrain of its chorus, was written by Timothy Dwight, one of the renowned family of Dwights of New England. In going over American literature, the name of Dwight is found in every branch of learning, and all of these Dwights are of one lineage. This Timothy Dwight was born in 1752, and lived until 1817. He was, until his death, president of Yale College, and all of the Dwight family have been intimately associated with that college, another of the same name having been one of its presidents. He wrote the song "Columbia” in 1777, while a chaplain in the Continental Army. He had been educated for a lawyer, but shortly after the war broke out, there being a demand for more chaplains, he joined the army as one, and remained with it until it was necessary for him to return home to support his mother.

"Hail Columbia" was written by Joseph Hopkinson, a Philadelphia judge. There is an amusing anecdote told in connection with its writing, Judge Hopkinson having said

that he wrote it in the summer of 1798, at the request of a young man who was a singer and whom he had known at school. He says that this young man was to have a benefit performance given to him on a Monday, and that it appeared it was going to be a failure, when the young man called upon the Judge on Saturday afternoon and told him that he feared he would not only get no benefit from the entertainment, but would make a loss on it, unless he could get a patriotic song that could be sung to the "President's March," which was then the popular air of the day. He said that several poets connected with the theatrical profession had been trying to write such a song, but had failed, and did not believe it could be done.

On Sunday afternoon the song was finished and was announced in the advertisement. crowded at the benefit and at all performances for the rest of the season.

The theatre was

George F. Root, a musician who was born in Sheffield, Mass., in 1820, and who lived until 1896, wrote a number of war songs that became very popular; perhaps the best known among them are, "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," and "The Battlecry of Freedom." Mr. Root also wrote "Music in the Air," a song which is very widely known.

All of us know the stirring attractiveness of the song, "Marching through Georgia," a war song which is associated with that grim old warrior Sherman and his famous "march to the sea." It was written by Henry Clay Work, who was born in Middletown, Conn., in 1832, but who

moved west with his family, when a boy. Mr. Work's father was very much interested in the movement for the freeing of the slaves, and was sentenced to twelve years in prison for assisting some to escape. Work also wrote the well-known song, "Grandfather's Clock." He lived until 1884.

The most famous of the Southern battle-songs was "Dixie." "Dixie" has a most remarkable history, clouded in doubt; and as a result of this it comes to us in a number of different forms; but that which we all know best is: "Away down South in de fields ob cotton." In this form it was undoubtedly composed by Dan Emmett, of Bryant's Minstrels, and was first sung in New York in 1860. Bryant's Minstrels were very popular at this time, and for many years afterward, and it is said that the idea was to write a song for what is known as the "walk-around" in the minstrels.

Last of all, we will speak of the song which is perhaps more widely known than any of these, and which, if it only had some merit as poetry instead of being mere doggerel, would undoubtedly be entitled to be considered our national air. "Yankee Doodle" is a very old song

that has undergone many changes, and is claimed by several nations. It is said that many, many years ago the Dutch laborers used to sing to the same air some words that began "Yanker Dudel." A form of the same song was used to ridicule Cromwell, the English Protector. It first appeared in this country in June, 1755, when the men under Braddock, the British general, sang it in still another form. The words that we know as the song, beginning with "Father and I went down to camp,' are said to have been written by Dr. Shuckburg in Revolutionary times. It is remarkable in how many different forms the song is known. Among them we have the old nursery rhyme,

"Yankee Doodle came to town

A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni."

This is almost word for word the form of the song that was used to ridicule Cromwell, and the expression, "Stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni," was in the old English song a phrase used to ridicule the appearance of Cromwell's feather, which was said to resemble a piece of macaroni.

There has just been published by George H. Richmond & Son, the firm that brought out the American edition of D'Annunzio's much talked about "Triumph of Death," a book which promises to become just as well known, and which will be doubtless just as much discussed, as the former. The title is "Via Lucis" (*) and the author "Kassandra Vivaria." It is remarkable from several points of view; it is the

(*) Via Lucis. By Kassandra Vivaria. 8vo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

first book of an unknown author; it is written in English by a foreigner (presenting a parallel to the famous Dutch novelist Maarten Maartens, who writes in English); the author is a young lady of the Italian aristocracy, who hides herself behind the somewhat ominously sounding pseudonym "Kassandra Vivaria" and the book has been introduced by Gabriele d'Annunzio-surely enough to awaken general curiosity.

We will first quote what the author herself had to say in a letter

which accompanied her manuscript when she sent it to her American publishers:

"I can, of course, have nothing to say of the literary merits of my tale, but I have this one advantage over many writers who have put Italian personages in motion. Though peThough peculiar circumstances and personal taste have led me to choose English for the clothing of what ideas I may possess, I am by birth an Italian, having lived and worked all my life among the elements I describe. Up till now many hands have dealt with our nobility and our costumed country folk; but however acclimated, they have been foreign hands always. Up till now only two classes have been studied the highest, which is every where the most featureless, and the lowest, which in this country is still merely picturesque. Of the far-extending, fluctuating, heterogeneous, bourgeoisie, in which the real differences of a nation lie-not a word. This I have often thought might give the particular Italian story I have written some little interest of its own, and perhaps make it worthy of being taken into consideration by a foreign public."

And now we will quote what the Bookman had to say in its June number about the author and her book :

"The publication of this book has been brought about under peculiar circumstances. Some months ago ago Gabriele d'Annunzio wrote to Mr. Richmond, his authorized publisher in America, soliciting his interest in a young Italian writer, with whose excellent poems and criticisms I am

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already familiar.' She has just finished a novel,' he went on to say, 'which, it seems to me is destined to have great success with the AngloAmerican public. In it there are pages of surprising beauty when the youth of the writer is considered. . . . In my opinion Miss Vivaria has a magnificent future before her and I am sure you will never regret having opened the way for her." Shortly afterward the manuscript of Via Lucis came into Mr. Richmond's hands with D'Annunzio's 'most sincere recommendation,' and a perusal of it satisfied him that he had secured a work of unusual merit and unmistakable power, and a reading of the advance sheets leads us to the same conclusion.

The author's command of English is remarkable, her style is wonderfully lucid and gains in piquancy by occasional idiomatic traces of her origin. The book is, as it purports to be, a study of the life and manners of the Italian bourgeoisie of the present day. Aside from the main movement of the story, there is given, we believe, the most searching analysis of the convent system that is likely to be met with, along with a constructive portrayal of what might be accomplished by united and persistent efforts toward high ideals. And it may be said at once that Via Lucis, although it might be called a realistic romance, and has won the admiration of D'Annunzio, lies far from the school and influences of the eminent Italian realist. We do not wish to be understood as comparing it with Middlemarch' when we

say that it reminds us of that novel more than of any other; but the impression left on the mind is very similar. We are, indeed, inclined to share Gabriele d'Annunzio's presaged conviction regarding its future.

"There is a certain air of mystery about the author of Via Lucis which surrounds her with romance. Kassandra Vivaria, as this beautiful young writer chooses to call herself, is not yet twenty-one, and belongs to a family which ranks high among the nobility of her land. She has had to make severe sacrifices in order to follow her literary passion. Her family furnishes her with a bare support for existence so long as she fulfills the condition of writing only under a pseudonym. She lives by herself in a tumble-down place in 'Umbria,' and is hard put to it sometimes to make both ends meet, for she does not seem to have the to have the money-making talent for turning journalistic and magazine articles into bread. 'All I can do,' she says naïvely, is to think out a bit of a soul's life and unfold it.'" In addition to these remarks and to conclude this article we will quote the following appreciative review of her book, Via Lucis, which appeared in a recent number of the Outlook.

"The novel called Via Lucis, by Kassandra Vivaria, would be a notable one by whomever written; when one learns that its author is quite a young woman, it seems really extraordinary. It shows extremely care

ful work and close observation. Italian social life of the upper middle classes is described clearly, intelligently, and with open-mindedness; thus in a way the author supplements the views of this subject afforded in Mr. Crawford's Roman novels. Particularly minute and convincing are the pictures of Italian convent life. In its chief theme the novel is the story of a passion, the biography of a brilliant, intellectual Italian girl, whose child-life reminds one of Mr. Henry James' 'What Maisie Knew' in its desolateness and lack of love. In her school-girl convent life she finds no true sympathy or growth possible, and she forms a plan of a new order which would unite women of all creeds in a life of devotion, culture and helpfulness. Later she falls, despite her life aim, into a very human love affair, sacrifices herself for what she believes the good of her lover, abandons her plan for a new order, enters an ordinary convent, but at last rebels, escapes into the world, and finally marries the object of her life's passion (now a widower), only to find that love does not always mean lifelong happiness. There is perhaps some crudity in the author's views. of life and passion, and occasionally the key is pitched a little too high, but the detail work of the book-the variety of character, presentation of social conditions, and intellectual grasp—are quite out of the ordinary."