New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-11-03

written down. 1t occasoned a world of mer.
rment and was taken in excellent part. The |
ladys cheek for once, manted with the rose. She !
laughed shook her head, and said | was very IAN
ciful portrait painters and her husband declared that
if | would stop at st. Filan, oil the ladies in the |
place would crowd TO me to have their portraits taken
my pictures were fatterng. have just parted |
with them. The steamship stopped in the open sea,
lust in front OF the little bay of ST. Fian; boats |
came off from shore for the party. lhelped the beau
tiiu original Of the portrait into the boat and prom
sed her and her husband if ever should come to ST
Filiau would pay them visit. The last noticed OIL
her was q Spanish farewell wave of her beautiful |
white hand and the CLEAN Of her dazzling teeth as she
smiled adieu. So there's very tolerable touch OF
romance for gentleman OF my years (lfvmg was |
al this time in his 6ist weary During his residence !
in the Alhambra, in 1922 no repeatedly mentions the
servant Tia and the little darkeyed Dolores as taking
the Samo interest in him that they would in father
and treating him with the most devoted care and
kindness. And again. at another time and place, |
though we cannot find the passage, he relates with
mixture of humOr and feeling the CONSERVATION that
he threw his servants into by telling them that he
must change bis quarters and the JOY with which they
welcomed his return embracing and caresslng nun as
if ne had been brother or q father.
1t is impossible to read the numerous anecdotes and
passages in his biography Illustrative OF has sensitive
ness to the beauty Of women and his delight III ther
society without feeling the depth of q nature that
could remain constant through long and varied lie
TO the memory of boyish love. But his nature was
of a noble chiyalry. His thoughts were habually
highs he incapable otmeanness; his instincts were
always generous; and no change OF circumstances
could ever affect his treatment OF those whose worm
he had once proved. Even when Minister to Spain
no went 10 pay visit of coincidence and sympathy 10
the Duchess of Victoria, the wife OF the Regent Is
partero who had just been driven from power by inc
successful revolution Of NaTvacz. This VISIT Irving
tells us provoked the sheer of couTer but ne never
adjusted his conduct to the standard OF courier nc
rather answered Sidney's description 30 nai
liant that he never durSt DO any one an iIyny
ia b,rb his and followed by Ills
decd So great was his gentencSS, his good WILL 80
wide spread bis charity, his dislike to offend so ingram
that We little forget the strength and intensity oil ms
character. lie bad martial erdOrs IN hln ana nc
had been soldier would have recalled Bayards name
rather than Sdney's When Madrid was besieged by
theinsurgents under Naryaez Irving could not stay III
doors hut went out despite all circumstances TO see
everything that he could of what going on. In
deed he had a restless spirit, and led him into wan
derngs over a gOOdly portion OF earthi nor ala nc
satisfy his love Of experience and adventure unui age
and declining health made excitement hurtlul 10 NM
Warm-hearted generous, ehyalr0uS, brave iona ol
adventure he found in Spain second native country
where he passed seven years OF almost unaOycd hap
piness serving his own people ana laying up store
of material with which to delight the world; and when
he finally left IT, TO return home, be cOud not Drug
himself TO take last farewell, but stu hoped 10 re-
! tnrr sean and, though he never accomplished that
desire his thoughts flew, bird-like, back and forth
/ from Spain and Spring after Spring, built many
| nest in the old CastiHan trees.
]
| after his return from Europe in 1916, when he set
himself 10 work to prepare for the press me series OF
Spanish Legends which are collected ana puuIsled
for the first time in the volume, now pnt lorth unucT
the superintendence of his nephew, Mr.. T. Nj. IRVING
the same gentleman TO whom we were previously III,
debted for that most delightful book, d" The Life and
Letters of Washington Irving" In letter written
! April IA, 1547, Irving wrote to his nephew;
Il am by little agreeable excron turning TO account
When / was Madrid in 1861 iut alter bad finished
ne ar between he Spariars and the Moo be given
the production OF monk Fray Antonio AgnndL lie O9n
ketchcd out parts OF others Your uncle Peter was as
ways Tor me 10 carry ont ny pan bll ,9h,loN 81
d Soy il has held its way better than many othcs ray
conocr Of anything do; and suffered the us'iP %
four or i've week. since was rd one day Of mading over
my printed works he had begun to publish Ie'e1 eign %
them for The press am yet wanted o'eullilol, oI
know how Tie idea Of one OF ufsi Sh ,2,.i', r c-no
Gonzaics ono Of the early Counts Of CASTLE y
makes about CD 10 PAGES Of 10y uliiSat vein n INV man
az 'pit oi DE thing taai went 10 Vors con a0e ni s9 or
three rmeay chronicles filing mp iho c4am rcWilias
printed OIL the ClIonitr 81 ie~" NE CMuIee ol tu-nt
FcuIn Gonzales the Chronicle Of the Dynasty 81 Tie Omui
eigns f6n tie time that tie Blocm empire in Spain was
uGted under tie lint and m 10 piece. % The death of Ole last
| couou,st Of seville . feel couhdclt that make
the taking onegyne picture Of Slgn o. yarous
pcrir OF the Moorish domination aud giving ui niio1s ~
iHe places Of noted events from What have mla s,n 30 !
! ramles about Spain
revision q these sketches hut laid them aside Tor tho
elf, Of Washington" which had so often yielded
place 10 Spain aud her history that it seemed but
lOnablo 10 should now assert its claims and urge him
to a completion. From this time, therefore, I'LL, as
! we began by saying, within year Of bis dea'h The
| "Iife Of Washington" occupied bis pen with but
| slight interruption, although hc WAS busted during
much Of the earlier portion Of this period with the
vision Of his works, preparing them for The rcpubca
ton which was proposed and c0rricd 90 successful
/ termination by Mr.. Geo. T. Putnam. His powers Of
work, though be now past sixty seemed but little
impaired and his industry, when once fairly started IN
/ literary undertaking is really wonderful. lie wrote
his delightful " Life Of Goldsmith" beyond all Ques
ton the best biography Of the poet tia. cIsts, within
90 days. and he has scarcely written anything that ~
more worthy OF his reputation. Yet lac almost
afraid 10 look at IL after 10 was published, and
! feared that it might give evidence Of tagging
power: Are you sure II does not smell oil
| apopexy7" he asked. The abrdgcment of his
columbus" was begun and finished in 10 days,
four hundred printed pages-and yet il was so well
done that it had hardly inferior TO that of
the original work. Yet Irving had much to contend
with in the natural Incidence of bis disposition, and
the tendency TO look with an unfayorable eye his
| own performances, which often filled him with vague
apprehensions OF failure uniting him for labor, for
which he required serene and happy moods And yet
he scarcely ever wrote anything that was not inl
medatey successful. The second Of these volumes
contains his earliest attempts az writing, his letters
of Jonathan Odstyle, written in 1902 at the age Of
| nineteen while he studying law in the Office Of
! Josiah Ogden Hoffman There must have been many
who read the playful letters al the time Of publication
acute enough TO recognize the genius OF the author for
Irving hardlyever exceedc certain portions But
whether those who know to read between the lines
saw hints Of lrying's future in these letters or not
they were read bV the public with avdity and so were
the publications that Immediately followed; "Salma