New-York tribune., 1873-12-19

The GGldru ontis piuiH'h' p'"is' VI 10
Achievements for the coming ytar in which IT VIII ann
=, ,,e highest standard of htt$ary excellence without
,le AID Of pictorial Embellishments Among its con
,,bntors VII he found the names OF several favore
xrlfers whose productions fail 20 command at
teuion and reward the perusal Of magazine readers
The present number opens with paper on the Duke o
Argyll, by Justin Mccarthy, IN which the oi'-
f,rouce between au English duke and that oi
az Ordinary human creature is described as the
difference between lion and a cat" Mr MCCARTHY!
pepcure OF the personal appearance OF the Duke may
he called graphic "The Duke OF Argyll is small man.
witb q feeble frame and shauhiing Walk HIS i"n'
fresh face surnouued by chcrei"re whlch nseu 10
lie Of bright red tint, hut now is becomngly chaseneh
by tipce OF sobenzng gray, He throws his head as
high in air ~ he while he walks. and seems to snn
The breeze like OF the stags upon his native noun
tains He always gives the impression OF little
man who makes himself rather ridiculous by fancying
that he Is of gigantic stature. and comporlne himself
accordingly He walks through the loboies and CORR
os of the House Of ords with his hands in his waist
pockets and his hat on the back OF ms bean ana
looks as if he thought himself person whom 1t would
he rather dangerous approach Indeed 1t IS geher
ally believed that tho Duke Of Argyll not deficient IN
self-eoneeit When he was young man this quality
used TO come out rather strongly in him. The Duke or
Argyll began life very soon He Is now only niy years
Of age and he has been prominent public man Tor
nearly thirty years of that time. LORD Houghton III
nrQ
,aid -bumoredly that the Duke was, think sew
epteen when he wrote pamphlet called Advice 10 the
Peers" and he has gone Oh advising us ever since
Pursuing the career his friend, Lord Houghton went
on TO say that after that he got mixed up WIN
ecclesiastical affairs, and was accommodated "
The estimate OF the writer does not assign nGh
rank 10 the Duke in point Of ntellect. To sum up
then the Duke OF Argyll is, in my opinion, by ar the
abes the best OF all the dukes he would be man
deserving Of respect his merits in any case II
he had been the middle class he would probably
have made quite respectable name as contributor 10
reviews and all the better class Of periodical literature
and he would perhaps, If lie had some money, have
found in the House OF Commons, and in time nave
been appointed the under secretary Of department.
would respected he is now for his high
private character ard his attention 10 business and
people would perhaps have smiled little more undis-
guse dy they do al his occasional bumpuous
ness and habitua tendency TO magnify his Office Be
yond this do not think he could ever have got II he
had begun life Mr.. Campbell. II is TO his credit that
be has studied sriyen. and succeeded any the less
although he was born to a dukedOm." Mr. Grant White
has a second paper OF Linguistic Notes and Queries"
iB which lie discusses the odum phologicum,' show
ng that the aspery OF verbal controversies is due
TO the intellectual pride and obstinacy Of the
controversies, and that they exhibit more or
less heat according 20 their earnesness and enthusiasm
Hr jeremiah Blacks ferOcous attack on the character
the late Mr.. Seward. written with the white heat OF
prosayery partisanshp, viii doubtless be reiished by
readers whose thirst for blood stronger than their
OF justice The keynote Of Mr. Blacks vitnpera-
Tons may found his hatred OF the abOlitonists
whom he describes persons csjoled by the sbams'
OF MI Seward who fattered their cruel rapacy with
hopes OF blood and plunder which would be graf
lied" Mr. Stewards higher law" according to Judge
Black nothing but the license TO use political
power in any way that Will promote the interests
crafty the passions OF him who wields it," The whole
article abouDds with mlsrepresentatioDs no less absurd
than the preceding, tainting the with fcculent
compound Of sophistry and DsliceThe purely literary
and scientific contributions TO this number, though Of
unequal merit for the most part Of high character,
and will sustain the reputatono OF the MAGAZINE.
IIPPINCoTT.
One of the most readable papers in this num-
ber an account OF. The OF Chester Harding the
oeebrsed American portrait painter. compiled from an
unpublished photographed sketch and from the per
sonaI recoectons OF the author, Mr.. OsmoBd Tiffany
Harding born of very poor parents IN one Of the
mountain towns OF western Massachusetts, in 1872. He
was reared with little education and at the age Of
fourteen his parents removed 10 what was then an un
broken wilderness IN Madison County IN this State
They had hard struggle for existence and young Ches
ter besides helping 10 clear the heavy-tmbered farm
worked with elder brother in making hag-bottomed
chairs During the OF ls2 he enlisted in the army
and served for time as drummer. After his dis
charge be set ont as peddler OF patent spinning
head and towards the close OF the war engaged in the
manufacture Of chairs in small town OF Livingston
County About tins time he fell deeply in love with
beautiful young OF twenty. who lived at the dis
tance OF fifty miles, which he twice walked the whole
way in order to urge his suit.
Hardly had he married when business tronbes beset
him. Proving unfortunate IN his trade he tried tavern
ing and fearing 10 he thrown into JAIL he hastily and
secretly bade adeu 10 his vile aud infant daughter aud
made his way 10 the head-waters OF tne Aieghany
vi a
raft and worked MS way down 10 Pittsburgh Here ne
managed 70 save few dollars by working at house
painting aud then started for home again. walking All
The way mountains and through thick forests with
path any guide except blazed trees Fearful of
arrest lay concealed ms house three OF four DAYS
and then re'raced his steps with his wife aud chd to
tbe head waters of the Alleghany experiencing many
hardships the journey fait' WIN shaniy Dulit
upon H. osied them IN weeks time down TO Pittsburgh
where he had preNiOusI! fehied sndli 'enemeut Az
h,s money. however now gone, and he was almost
wits end to earn daily bread Fortunately, he was
befreDoed by barber Wno occupied part Vl the same
tenement and who moi knowing his utter dostiuti00,
leut hun twenty dollars, which Mr. Harding after many
Efforts. summoned 10 ask for chance Offering
st. sDpaiDting. he took mp the trace aud followed iOr
year. Up to this time he had been utterly unconscious
OF the power tha' s} dormant WltnIn n never
ccLcevcd any notion oi arr cy seen any o. II. foluc
r,o6s TIE incident 10 which he owed MS first tODcep
besf related iD his words " About this Time fell
u Win poT" p"ge' e nd for sicn eCnv OF Ie
Iuiant Artists ~ Sir Joshns Reyno'ds, Win tus In
.crpiion sign. ornamental aud Portrait Painting exc
ented on the shoiiei notice. WIN nealnrss ana as
patch raw hs portraits. and was enaioOled az oDce.
4 gOt paint WIG, ana tNoHght int
ltotures uerfeetiU He would not let bn paint.
lor would g,e the least idea how The thing was
aane took the pictures home ana pOhdered on ihr H.
Ard wouGcrcd how possible for mi 20 pfo1uce
zach wonders az art Al length NV admiral Oh Drsdi
10 weld 10 AL bitOn do the sdlne hn- fAud-ht
az II by and dreamed Oi 10 by Dgds, uutn was
stimulated make attempt at psintlh-, h!-rif"
xot a board. with such cOOrs had Or IN my
trade began a portrait Oi my wac. made thing nat
hooked like her The moment ! saw The likeness bc-
came frantic with delight n like the discovery OF
a new sense could think OF uOthnS else. From inai
tame sieD-painting became 0diOas.
He now began to sceumul money, paid OF his debts
ir fni and after practicng bIs art Tor sOri time IN
Na.saebnsetts, determined TO VIsrt England aud sailed
for Liverpool IN 1873.