The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-07
CHATS ABOUT BOOKS.
NEW BRIC-A-BRAC VOLUME.

NEW BRIC-A-BRAC VOLUME.
snow stir the fire and close the shutters fast
Let tall the curtains, wheel the sofa round"
quoted the Doctor. drawing his own chair up be-
fore the hprary fire. "Tnls sudden change in the
weather mas Kept me as busy as the cold snap
kept the plumbers. l sincerely nope that no poor
creature Will need my services tonight, for have
been riding around in the wind and rain all day
long, and now am ready to enjoy quiet chat
about books. Well, suppose you have been en-
joying that advance copy OF the next Drica-brac
volume which Fred brought from Scribner. Arm
strong Co.'s the other day, Personal ReminIs-
cences' by Moore and Jordan (takipg the book
or the table and turning the leaves; it looks
very interesting. Here are the Maclise portraits
or Moore. Scott, Jordan and Hogg. How clean
they are!''
The MorHER-I think this s one of the very best
OF the series, MOore's diary particularly. Mr..
Stoddard must have had his hands lull in boiling
the juice out OF the ei2nt original volumes.
FELIcIA-l don't IKE the way in which Mr.. Stod-
dard speaks about Moore In his preface. He
makes him appear dreadfuy egotIstlca and
triner. He says that he has ceased to charm, and
the details of his LIE are not cared Tor.
FRED-1ha, IL Just where Mr.. Stoddard is mis-
taken. ] don't believe that Moore Will ever get TO
be trcsome. DO not deny that he thought wei!
OF himself, but where Is the poet who Is not like
him in that particular? and he may have been
butterfly in the sense that he gathered the honey
from every opening flower. Moore was genuine
lrishman; he ENJOYED life and happy and light
hearted and made friends wherever he went.
the MoTHER-I have peculiar feelings toward
Tom Moore. / have so often heard your aunt
Mannering speak OF him. She knew him very
well and has beard MIN sing his own BALLADS many
a time. He was constant visitor at her house
IN London. She used to say that Tom Moore's
presence was like sparkling wine at dinner
table.
FRED-Mr. StOddard's preface is0ot very nvt-
ing; he rather sneers at Moore, although he says
there is a freshness and sparkle IN his journal
which he does not find in his poetry, and he hints
that Jordan is some what iresome.
fEIlCrA-COming after Moore's gayety and fun
Jordan does seem little dull, but who would
not ] never read anything so full of amusing
anecdote. BY the way, he speaks OF many OF the
same characters with whom we have already be-
come familiar in some Old Letters, published in
SC,'t0neT's Monthly
Miss RACHEI--Moore seems to have been very
intimate with Byron, but he does not tell much
that Is new important about him, although
what he does tell Is COSBY and interesting.
The DEMONSTRATING no matter how trivial,
that throws light upon the character Of So great
genius as Byron is important.
FRED-Moore's duel with jeffrey was rather
unique way to meet an adverse criticism. ] think
that our critics would be completely rlddled with
bullets II that practice ever became popular IN
this country.
FELlCIA-ADout the coolest thing ever read Is
that story, told as factby Sir Walter Scott, OF a
man who made a bargain to sell subject Ia young
child) 60 a surgeon; his bringing 1t at night in
bag; the surgeons surprise at hearing it cry out ;
saving s(lh tad aoo
did you 2" and stepping behind a tree and killing
it. Scott was at the mans trial.
FRED-Another cool thing but in q different
way, was that OF Sheridan taking the gig or a dun,
who was patiently awaiting him in the parlor,
and driving to town in It, Sheridan remarked
during the course OF his. brilliant career that
vanity is the giant passion. ''save me from this
passion and can DEFY the Others"
FELCIA-Miss EdgewOrth told Moore a story OF
man whose late depended upon getting a happy
man TO give hun the. shirt from his back. lie
passed unsuccessuy through many coun tries.
At last, In Ireland, he met with a happy man.
and, in MS Impotence. proceeded to tear the shirt
IRON his back but found he mad none.
Miss RACHEL-Inat anecdote about a French
translation from the English is good. In some
work where IL was SAID "the air was so clear that
We could distinctly see a bewether on the OPP
posite hil," the translator made ''bel. we thern
le beau temps.
The DoCroR-Here Is a very true thing that
Moore says :-"Men OF business being from their
speculatioDs, snppose) the greatest OF all castle
builders; we poets are nothing to tnem.n
FRED---I think that this Is one Of the funniest
things in the book Aman brimiul OF all temper,
coming out OF a room where he had lost all his
money at play, saw person IA perfect stranger
to hlm) tying his shoe at the top OF the stair :
damn you," said he, 'you're always tying your
shoe" and Kicked him down STAIRS.
The DoCroR-That is capital; IL so perfectly
describes the unreasonabicness of an angry man.
To see person placidly tying his shoe when he
felt so irritated was the last straw.
Miss RAcHEL-Jerdan's "reminiscences are not
so anecdotal as Moore's, but they are very enter
tanning. He tells one good story of the poet
Campbell, who passed the night at a country inn
somewhere in Scotland. He had been stopped by
the weather In the afternoon, hau dned and iu-
dulged himself with toothpick to while away the
idle hall-hour. Enter chambermaid. "Sir, If 20
please, are ye dune with the toothpick9n ''why
40 you ask2 suppose may pick away as long as