THE VOLUME XLVIII NUMBER FIVE PRICE 25 CENTS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE: ITS PREROGATIVES AND POSSIBILITIES THE HERITAGE TWO LOVE'POEMS INDUSTRIAL WAR GROUP OF IRISH POETS THE NEW YORK PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONS THE WOMEN OF THE SHAWLS '(POEM) G. K. CHESTERTON PLATITUDE MY NOVEMBER GUEST (POEM) THE ETERNAL MAIDEN EDITORIAL NOTES EUGENE COWLES POMEROY JOHN WALKER HOLCOMBE ALFRED NOYES GERALD GOULD HUGH H. LUSK MICHAEL MONAHAN JOHN S. KENNEDY SHAEMAS O SHEEL O. W. FIRKINS VAN WYCK BROOKS ROBERT FROST T. EVERETT HARRE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY MITCHELL KENNERLEY 2 EAST 2 9 TH STREET NEW YORK AND LONDON fRS fl/. \*\n THE POETRY REVIEW THE ST CATHFRINE PRESS, 34 NORFOLK ST, STRAND, W.C. EDITORIAL OFFICES: 93 CHANCERY LANE, W.C. A Monthly Periodical devoted to the criticism and appreciation of Modern Poetry of all countries. Founded in January 1912, THE POETRY REVIEW has now reached its sixth issue, and it has become possible to assert that it fills a very definite place in current literature. It is indispensable to all lovers of poetry. In brief, it reflects the thought of all who study poetry, whether of the past or present. All those who appreciate the existence of the periodical should support it, and enter their names as subscribers. Each issue contains: I. Articles on subjects connected with poetry. II. Original work by one individual modern poet, with prefatory note. III. Reviews of current books of poetry, poetic criticism and biography. Copies may be obtained through booksellers, price sixpence net^ or direct from the publishers, seven-pence^ post free. The Annual Subscription \sfive shillings, post free, to all countries. THE LITTLE BOOK-SHOP AROUND THE CORNER Donald Cuyler Vaughan * * * Laurence J. Gomme TWO EAST TWENTY-NINTH STREET, NEW YORK NEW. OLD & RARE BOOKS BOOKSELLERS. THE MOSHER BOOKS ORDERS TAKEN FOR FINE IMPORTERS AND VILLAGE PRESS AND BINDING & BOOKPLATES PRINTSELLERS OTHER SPECIAL BOOKS TELEPHONE MADISON SQUARE 0eea If you prefer to buy books at your leisure, in comfort, in coolness, by daylight, from people keenly interested in books, and who, if you care for books, will be keenly interested in your taste; if all or any of these conditions do not prevail in the stores to which you usually go, you should try the experiment of stopping in one day at "The Little Book-Shop Around the Corner." If you will send in your name and indicate the class of books in which you are interested, bulletins and lists of new and forthcoming books will be mailed to you from time to time. VOL. XLVI1I MO. 5 THE FORUM FOR NOVEMBER I Q 1 1 PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE FORUM PUBLISHING COMPANY 2 EAST 29th STREET NEW YORK President, Isaac L. Rice Sec. and Treas., Mrs. Julia Barnett Rice CONTENTS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT EUGENE COWLES POMEROY 513 THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE: ITS PRE- n JOHN W. HOLCOMBE C26 ROGATIVES AND POSSIBILITIES THE HERITAGE ALFRED NOYES 535 TWO LOVE-POEMS GERALD GOULD 549 INDUSTRIAL WAR HUGH H. LUSK 553 A GROUP OF IRISH POETS MICHAEL MONAHAN 565 THE NEW YORK PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONS J OHN s ' KENNEDY 54 THE WOMEN OF THE SHAWLS (POEM) SHAEMAS o SHEEL 596 G. K. CHESTERTON o. w. FIRKINS 597 PLATITUDE VAN WYCK BROOKS 608 MY NOVEMBER GUEST (POEM) ROBERT FROST 612 THE ETERNAL MAIDEN T. EVERETT HARRE 613 EDITORIAL NOTES 634 Manuscripts (not exceeding 5,000 words in length) should be addressed to the Editor of The Forum, 2 East 29th St., New York, and should be accompanied by stamped, addressed envelope for return Entered at the post-office at New York, N. Y., as second-class mail matter Copyright, 1912, by Mitchell Kennerley MY NOVEMBER GUEST ROBERT FROST MY Sorrow, when she's here with me, Thinks these dark days of autumn rain Are beautiful as days can be: She loves both bare and withered tree; She walks the sodden pasture lane. Her pleasure will not let me stay. She talks and I am fain to list : She's glad the birds have gone away; She's glad her simple worsted gray Is silvered now with clinging mist. The fallen, bird-forsaken breeze, The faded earth, the heavy sky, The beauties she so truly sees, She thinks I have no eye for these, And vexes me for reason why. Not yesterday I learned to know The love of bare November days Before the coming of the snow; But it were vain to tell her so, And they are better for her praise. 612 THE ETERNAL MAIDEN T. EVERETT HARRE PRELUDE Long ages ago, darkness brooded over the frozen world and held in its thrall the unreleased waters of the glacial seas. There ivas no animal life upon the land, and in the depth of the waters no living thing stirred. Kokoyah, the water god, breathed not; Tornahhuchsuah, the earth spirit, who rules above the spirits of the wind and air, was veiled in dark melancholy. Men had risen like willows from the frozen earth; but, al- though they lived, they were as the dead. They spake not, neither did they hunt, nor eat, nor die. Then the Great Spirit, whose name is not known, placed upon earth a man, in his arms the strength to kill, in his heart the spark of animal passion. And in that flowerless arctic Eden, out of its bounteous compassion, the Great Spirit placed also a maiden, her face beau- tiful with the virgin youth of the world, in her bosom implanted a yearning, not unmixed with fear, for love. Gazing upon her, the youth's heart stirred with desire, the maiden's with virginal terror. The maiden fled, the youth followed. Over the desolate icy mountains the fleet foot of. the youth sped with the swiftness of the wind gods, over the silent white seas the maiden with the elusiveness of the air spirits. In the heart of the youth throbbed the passion of love, indomitable, eternal, which the blasting breath of time should never kill. In the maiden's bosom quaked a reasonless shame, an unconquerable terror. Surrounded by her whirling cloud of hair, the maiden sprang, untiring, across the wild white world. His strength failing, the youth pantingly followed. Thousands of years passed; the breathless pursuit continued; the maiden's nebulous hair became shot with streaks of golden fire, from her eyes beams of light streamed across the world over which she exultantly, fearfully bounded; the tremulous faltering youth's face paled until it shone silvery in the darkness, and the beads of perspiration on his forehead glowed with a strange lustre. Reach- ing, in their mad race, the very end of the world, the maiden leaped, fiery, into space, and her hair becoming suddenly molten, she became the sun the eternal maiden Sukh-eh-nukh, the beatitiful, the all-desired. Utterly exhausted, his wan arms yearningly outstretched, the youth swooned after her into the heavens, and was transformed into the moon the melancholy, ever-desiring, and ever-sorrowing moon. In the smile of Sukh-eh-nukh the seas melted. Walrus and narwhals, seals and whales came into being on the bosom of Kokoyah; on the earth the snows disappeared, and the brow of Tornahhuchsuah was crowned with green grasses and starry flowers. Men hunted game, women laughed for joy; they beat drums, they danced, they sang. By the eternal, unrequited passion of the lovers in the skies, happiness and plenty came upon the earth. But, with Light, came also Death. Jealous of men's happiness, Perdlugssuak, the Great Evil, brought sickness; he struck men on the hunt, on the seas, in the mountains. He was ever feared. He made the Great Dark terrible. But when the night became bright with the melancholy silver of the moon, 613 INDEX TO THE FORUM VOLUME I TO XXXII INCLUSIVE Clearly printed on good paper and with ample space for marginal notes. Durably bound in half leather and black cloth THE FORUM is one of the magazines most often in demand at the reference desk, both because of its wide range of subjects and the succinct and practical manner in which they are treated. It furnishes articles on politics, economics, science, history, philosophy and literature, and its con- tributors are largely men of affairs as well as scholars, and men vitally interested in their respective subjects. This volume provides an author entry and as many subject entries as necessary for every article contained in the first thirty-two volumes of THE FORUM. All entries are in one alphabet, and volume numbers and inclusive paging are included in each entry. Libraries find this index a valuable tool in reference work. THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF COPIES OF THIS INDEX ON HAND AND THE PRICE WHILE THEY LAST is $3.00 NET (POSTPAW) MITCHELL KENNERLEY Publisher NEW YORK "No one who smokes SURBRUG'S ARCADIA MIXTURE could ever attempt to describe Its delights." The Tobaccos are all aged; thoroughly seasoned. Age Improves flavor; adds mildness; prevents biting. In the blending, seven different tobaccos are Surbrug : s "Arcadia" Is in a class by Itself nothing so rich In flavor so exhilarating In quality. A mild stimulant. AT YOUR DEALER'S. Send |O CF'lW.S tor "ample * * = ' which will convince. THE SURBRLJd COMPANY. 204 Broadway, New York NOW READY Catalogue of the Publications OF MITCHELL KENNERLEY Containing brief descriptions of worlds on the undermentioned subjects: Art Artists Belles-Lettres Poetry Plays and the Drama Fiction Biography Travel and Adventure Sexology and Sociology Psychology and Medicine Health and Hygiene Historical volumes The Catalogue consists of 76 pages. Part I is arranged under Authors' Names ; Part II under Titles and Part III under Subjects. WILL BE SENT ON REQUEST MITCHELL KENNERLEY PUBLISHER NEW YORK