LITERARY NOTES 
XI 
The Old Home. By Charles Coke W oods. 
New York City: The Methodist Book 
Concern. 
The particular old home cited in this book is 
the old-time country farm home. The author 
tells us of the home and its inmates from the 
wedding day to the golden wedding. Perhaps 
the most beautiful illustration in the book is 
that of the old couple standing on the house 
steps surrounded by the vines they had long 
ago planted. An acceptable superclimax occurs 
later on in the full page illustration of the dear 
old lady seated in her rocking-chair before the 
fireplace, where she is dreaming of long ago. 
It is not a big book but the author has skill- 
fully and delicately touched events in the 
course of a long life. The young folks will 
find much of interest in the poem, “Playmates,” 
and its full page illustrations, as well as in the 
great variety of childhood activities so pleas- 
ingly noted. 
The Book of a Naturalist. By W. H. Hud- 
son. New York City: George H. Doran 
Company. 
Hudson’s mastery of the English lan- 
guage, his well developed power of observa- 
tion, together with his rather remarkable 
philosophy of nature, are here exemplified 
in an attractive and effective book. The 
essays are readable. They hold the atten- 
tion. The topics have a sufficiently wide 
range to satisfy any reader. They include 
bats, hints to adder-seekers, beauty of the 
fox, the toad as a traveller, Mary’s little 
lamb, a friendly rat and many other good 
things, perhaps not the least being the 
eulogy of the author’s friend, the pig. He 
says the pig is lovable in life, more so in- 
deed than when converted into bacon or 
ham. He thinks the pig should be included 
in the list of man’s friends. It is probable 
that most men would assert that they have 
such a friend, but perhaps not with four 
legs. The book does not appeal exclusively 
to the skilled naturalist in the broad sense 
of the term, but is popular and entertaining. 
We hope it is one of the “best sellers.” 
The Life of Christ. By R. J. Campbell, D.D. 
New York City: D. Appleton & Company. 
We are glad that the author points out the 
self-evident yet often forgotten fact that Christ 
was first of all an out-of-doors man, and that 
he drew His lessons from nature. The author 
says : 
“He took hold of the commonest everyday 
incidents and turned them into sweet illustra- 
tions of spiritual truth — the shepherd walking 
along the hills in advance of his flock, the fish- 
erman casting his net into the sea, the sower 
going forth to sow. He had an eye for natural 
beauty, which St. Paul never had. It has been 
remarked that the apostle on his missionary 
journeys passed through some of the most glor- 
ious scenery in the world and never gives a 
hint of it in his discourses. How different with 
Jesus ! The birds of the air, the lilies of the 
field, the splendor of sunset and sunrise are all 
present to His observation and interest. He 
has time to think of the sparrow falling to the 
ground, of the ravens that God feeds, and of 
the ox or sheep that falls into a pit and needs 
to be helped out on the Sabbath day as on any 
other day. No wonder the common people 
heard Him gladly.” 
From the religious point of view it may justly 
be added that this is a book of modern scholar- 
ship written by a world-famous preacher, who 
has come to the task after years of study, with 
striking felicity of style and a deep understand- 
ing of the expression of a great religious philos- 
ophy exemplified in an actual life. The book 
is readable, well printed and attractively ar- 
ranged. We cordially commend it to all 
readers. 
Under the Maples. By John Burroughs. Bos- 
ton, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin 
Company. 
These essays were written during the last 
two years of the author’s life. They have 
been published since his death. Dr. Clara 
Barrus says that while Mr. Burroughs was in 
California in 1921, as he pictured the river ice 
breaking up in the crystalline March days, the 
return of the birds, the first hepaticas, he longed 
to be again in his home, he was there in spirit, 
gazing on the river from the summer-house, or 
from the veranda of the Nest, or seated at his 
table in the chestnut-bark Study, or busy with 
his sap-gathering and sugar-making. It was 
in these March days with the memory of the 
maples of his boyhood that he suddenly ex- 
claimed that the new book would be called 
“Under the Maples!” 
In many respects this is one of his most in- 
teresting volumes and, if comparison were to 
be made, it is more like the real Burroughs 
than his more or less disastrous attempts at 
philosophy in some of his recent books. Our 
nature students will read this with real joy and 
profit. 
The Apple Tree. 
BY MAUD ALICE NEWCOMB, NEW YORK CITY. 
The slender young birches 
Shone silvery white. 
The tall, slim firs were evergreen ; 
They laughed at the apple tree — - 
“Such a sight ! 
’Tis the ugliest tree we have seen.” 
The apple tree shivered 
And sobbed a bit, 
For its limbs were bare and cold ; 
But strong in its breast 
Beat the heart of it, 
Though its body was bent and old. 
Then the South Wind spoke — 
And with joyous mien 
Came Spring from' her sunny bowers ; 
She robed the limbs of the apple tree 
In tenderest green. 
And heaped its arms with fragrant flowers. 
The slender young birches 
In silvery white, 
And the tall firs in dark evergreen, 
Stared at the apple tree — 
“Such a sight ! 
’Tis the loveliest tree we have seen.” 
