dolphe Coerne, Henry Holden Huss, T. Carl Whitmer, Arthur
Farwell, Arthur Foote, or A. J. Goodrich. In fact, if we overlook
brief notices of John Philip Sousa, Harry von Tilzer, Paul Dresser,
Charles K. Harris, and Hattie Starr (whom you will immediately recall
as the composer of _Little Alabama Coon_), the author, Frank L.
Boyden, has not hesitated to go to the roots of his subject, pushing
aside the college professors and their dictums, and has turned his
attention to figures in the art life of America, from whom, Mencken
himself, I feel sure, would not take a single paragraph of praise, so
richly is it deserved. I am unfamiliar with the causes contributing to
this book's comparative obscurity; perhaps, indeed, they are similar
to those responsible for the early failure of "Sister Carrie." May not
we even suspect that the odium cast by the Doubledays on the author of
that romance might have been actively transferred in some degree to a
work which contained a biographical notice and a picture of his
brother? At any rate, "Popular American Composers," published in 1902,
fell into undeserved oblivion and so I make no apology for inviting my
readers to peruse its pages with me.

Opening the book, then, at random, I discover on page 96 a biography
of Lottie A. Kellow (her photograph graces the reverse of this page).
In a few well-chosen words (almost indeed in "gipsy phrases") Mr.
Boyden gives us the salient details of her career. Mrs. Kellow is a
resident of Cresco, Iowa, a church singer of note, and the possessor
of a contralto voice of great volume. As a composer she has to her
credit "marches, cakewalks, schottisches, and other styles of
instrumental music." We are given a picture of Mrs. Kellow at work:
"Mrs. Kellow's best efforts are made in the evening, and in darkness,
save the light of the moonbeams on the keys of her piano." We are also
told that "she is happy in her inspirations and a sincere lover of
music. All of her compositions show a decided talent and possess
musical elements which are only to be found in the works of an artist.
Mrs. Kellow's musical friends are confident of her success as a
composer and predict for her a brilliant future."

Let us turn to the somewhat more extensive biography of W. T. Mullin
on Page 4 (his photograph faces this page). Almost in the first line
the author rewards our attention: "To him may be applied the simplest
and grandest eulogy Shakespeare ever pronounced: 'He was a m