New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-02


University town of ST. Andrews one may daily see a
boy of between GO and 20 Summers-I say Summers,
for the Winters seem to have passed over him-en-
gagged in the national Scotch game of golf" Con-
corning the game need only say that its name is de-
rived from the Dutch gof-a club-and that it some
what resembles hockey" that it demands great ex
ertion of both leg and arm, and that consequently
only boys whether 1G or CO. can play it, The partc-
ular ancient youth to whom refer is no other than
Robert Chambers, who having now for the most part
retired from literary and business life, has married
lovely wife and betaken himself to the quiet old viii
lage to golf and to the pleasant memories of long
and brave service do not believe there is man IN
Great Britain who has better earned the right to his
leisure. Few people in America, perhaps, know now
varied and valuable have been this mans contADu-
tions to the knowledge of the world 1t is now nearly
so years ago that Robert and William Chambers "ero
starting in life, relying upon their own resources
alone and began publishing The Kaleidoscope, smail
periodical, which Robert edited and Tor the most
part wrote and William set in type ana printed OH
with his own hand. William is now the LORD froVost
of Edinburgh. lie was an INDUSTRIOUS pracucal
man. not of such literary turn as Robert
and though he makes a good Lord Mayor, ms
recent work of "reminiscences does not show great
deal of power Robert, who was two years younger
than his brother, had the wit TO see that he ilau
straight within arms length the then almost uneX-
pored field of Scottish tradition, anecdore, and his
tory IBcfore him it was an untouched EidolaGo. lie
had been intended for the Church. ana casSlcaliy eu-
nCatcd, and he was partcularl well acquainted WIN
That mass OF good stories concerning parsons and lards
which have accumulated for ages In every ScOtIlsh
College His first volume was pabilshcd III ms
tyenty-iTst year" Illustrations OF the AntnOr OF
Wavcilcy"-and related to tho originals OF Scouts
characters: but This was not such n success as MS
"TratifiOns Of Edinburgh which iirst appeared IN
1874 when he was twenty-five ana mas passeu
through rlany editions have before me at ms mo-
ment the latest edition Of this little book ana nave
-. nah fboeo str d
IN Edinburgh tlty-whOse picturesque features aie
only surpassed by its picturesque uadluQhs-that ~
Is really impossible to it without having read TIE
book. And ii is equally impossible Thoroughly tosee
Scotland generally without an ACQUAINTANCE WIN
Robert Chanborss greatest YORK 10 NOisL Inc 10
nestle Annals of Scotland" The same feitlIe WorHer
has also given rs the best History of the Rebellion
of 1856 which is in one small volume; these; ana
1.-THE Book of Daysp which has been Mr. H. Chaln-
bers's latest work. constitute most important refer
ence books for the student The information IN them
may always be depended upon. and IT'S always given
i'm n terse and agreeable STYLE There is, however
one thing that the world does not know about Dir.
Robert Chambers, and that is that he manlyl was
the author of the much denounced " Hestges or Gre
sfion1V / have recently ascertaned beyond doubt
the entire and hitherto secret history GI
that book which IN is day FSS 6wos Pas sl
age of Reason" Mr.. Page, now well known In
England as the author of varions scientific primers
was formerly an apprentice OF the Brothers Cllam-
beers at their Edinburgh house. Page was not only a
printer but student, particularly OF sclence. MT
Robert Chambers discovered in him remarkable pow
The diScoyery of The yertebrton OF the skull made
by Oxen Tor G6the). had already started anew KIND OF
speculation in Germany looking toward the discovery
of new unitieS, and geneTalnatons OF very daring
kind began to float about. One of these fioaed over
the German Sea, and took root IN the ChamDerss es-
Establishments when, through the heads and hands OF
Robert Chambers and Page, 1t spr0uted IN that book
whose authOrshipno person IN scotland mas ever Deeh
bold enough to acknowledge in Scotland, save poor
Miss Grove Cauthor of the Night-Side of Nature -
who claimed, when she was in lunatic asylum, to
have been its author. Tins work was the matIN OF
that Of Darwin and though its form OF stating the
theory of the development of all higher from lower
animals is crude in contrast with the statements of
to-day il is said that Prof Owen is inclined to put
forth theory of animal development more reseln-
bling that of the ''Vestiges" than that Of Darwin.
have ycntured to give this semi-histoTical ac-
count Of man 10 whom many an American youth Is
deeply indebted-for who has not been taught some
thing by the Penny Magazine" and "Chamberss
JonTnal"-before entering upon my budget of new
books But IL has been suggested by the appearance
of q gOodly number of valuable scho0l-books from
the firm of the Brothers Chambers. They have for
some time been publishing series OF compact we'll
illustrated treaties under the general ute OF Chal-
sued IA mathematical works in this series II scen-
tifc books, and 20 Latin books. These have now
been followed by an chronological Dictionary OF
the English Language" 1t is edited by Mr.. James
Donald. The editor has betrayed perhaps an over
strung tendency to derive words from the Conan
for example he derives ache from Ach but the Ger
mans have for many years with Max Miller for
Bismarckl been extending GeTmany's pathological
domain that he must be a brave man who derives a
word from any bnt TeutOnc root. The particular
value Of this Dictionary Is that 1t has gathered To-
lanwage-from Grimm B0pp MILLER. and many
English sources, WedgewoOd and TTench-and
placed them in simple and interesting form for the
ordinary student. 1t can hardly DO looked upon az
an important contribution for advanced scholars
but it viii be useful TO them, while for acade
nes aud colleges it is infinitely the best book OF the
kind. However. a teacher must watch II, at least
until Mr. Donald has revived some OF llsety mologles
which cannot be sustained. -
TO those who desire TO investigate tho morbid
anatomy of this big London town, valuable contTl-
button has been made by Mr. j. ii. sallard IN WORK
entitled London Pauper1sm among jews and
ChrstiansD The work is an inquiry INTO the prln-
cples aud practice of outdoor relief in the metropo
lis and the result upon the moral and physical cond-
ton of the pauper class" The Jews OF London have
POor-Law Board of their own, and this inquiry
shows that is far successful IN every respect
than the regular English POOrLaw Board of which
Mr. Hardy is the representative. 1t seems that the
Jewish Board practices TO large extent the system
of loans. And it is notable that nearly all OF the
loans made 10 the poor are repaid, although repay
nent cannot be enforced Thus, of l,476 loans in
five wears 1869 have been repaid in full 13 are writ
ten off as bad and 304 are still running In many
WAYS il is proved that the Christian Board may learn
have woman Of their race driven to the street by
want
very strong work indeed is one inst issued by
NIessrs IOngman with this title, Fiscal Legisla-
that period and their effects upon the revenue trade
manufactures ard employment. BY John Noble"
Methinks hear some mutteriDgs about dry rs
dust" Well, certainly, cannot imagine the pas
sionate admirers of novels interested in this book
but Mr. Noble is by no n cans dry writer, and the
force and eleaneSs with which he traces the history
of the financial progress and ycissudes of England,
showing its relation TO legislation at every
TO the political economist and even TO
the general philosopher. Now and then the
reader alights ON very curious facts in the vol
ume. For example: Mr.. Noble gives us an idea of