The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-02-23
March Magazines.



Black and Thomas Hardy, EIarpers canno
well be otherwise than "up" IN the lcld of tic
ton; all the more, in the March number
where we have in addition Il new humorous
short story by Miss Constance f. Woolson
happily illustrated, entitled MorganatiC
Matches '-growing out of Morgan's raid in
Ohio; and another by Rose Terry Cooke
Squire Paine's Conversion"-onc of her
sharpcst delncations of New England Life
But lfarper's has more enduring attractions
than the finest fiction IN its well filled pages of
solid, practical information. The March mum
Der opens with an illustrated paper, by Martha
j. Lamb, on state and Society in Washing,
tom 1t is especially rich in revelations in re
gard to the mystic department of the Secretary
of State and furnishes picturesque view of
social life generally in the capital. As a sam.
| pie, we have this pleasant picture of evenings
at the White House:
The President and family receive informally
in the evening, sometimes in the Red Room
and sometimes in the Library. These visits,
however, are only made by intimate personal
| friends, or by those warranted through their
acquaintance to call in social manner The
evenings in the Library are very charming
Brilliant and cultivated men and women gath
cr in little knots in different parts of the spa
ciOus and cheerful apartment and wit sparlilcs
and anccdotc cnlIvcns conversation The Prcsi-
dent frequently disappears; he has IA private
| library, where he rctires when any gentleman
present wishes to speak with him on matters
of policy or politics; but he soon returns, to all
appearances rs unrutiled rs if the great sea of
public opinion had settled into IA perfect calm.
Mrs Hayes cntertains her visitors in an easy,
courteous cordial manner, moving upon them
with stately grace and scattering pleasant
words. Great gentlcness and sweetness per.
wade the whole domestic life of the Presidents
family, Little Fanny, the only daughter
bright child Of nine years, the pet and favoritc
OF all who know her, is never visible at dinner
or to evening visitors. d" / am obliged TO com.
promise with my little lady" remarked Mrs.
Hayes with Il smile, "as found her growing
old too fast for her years we serve her dinner
in her room, which she cstcems II high com
plimcnt' The private diningroom of the
Presidents family is the only one of their pri-
vaC apartments which is on the great main
floor Of the White House. The meals are
breakfast lunch, and dinner instead of break
fast, dinner, and tea, as in the time of Madison.
No unusual forms and ceremonies are observed
in the service further than those at any gentle
womans table. The Inequalities of either
lunch or dinner are frankly rendered TO any
familiar guest who may chance to be calling
at the specified hour, and not inircqucntly &c.
ccptcd.
An important series Of illustrated papers on
the old Flemish painters is begun in this mum
Der, the first being devoted to Quentin Matsys,
the blacksmith artist of whom we are told:
The romancc-lovcrs tell us that rthc love of
fair Adelaide van Tuylt-whOsc father, paint
or, regarding blacksmith as unworthy to be
his SOn-in-aw, refused Matsys as Il suitOr for
his daughtcr-the rejected lover, abandoning
the trade in which he stood SO high, vowed To
become an artist, and travelled through Ger
many and even England, working at his pro
iession only to obtain the whcrcwithal To prose
cute his art studies, and at last returned 10 Ant.
wcrp, where, rs his merits were speedily rccOg-
nizcd, the stern father yielded and Matsys
married his lady,lovc, though the people still
persisted in calling him tie HucksmiM The
proof he gave of his skill was, entering Van
Tuylts studio when the painter was absent, he
painted on the check of a figure on the easel
Il fly, which the painter, returning, tried toI
drive away, and finding it work of art, asked
who had painted the insect In answer MaSvS
demanded, Do you think the man capable of
doing this sufficiently good painter TO marry
your daughtcry" If he can not marry her,
lis not for lack of merit" We'll, | painted
the fly, and if you have any doubt about it,
Will paint "A dozen along side of the first
Fanenberg vouches for the truth of this story
If this tale of his travels is true, it must have
been then that he wrought in England the iron
tomb which covers the grave of Edward ". in
Windsor Chapel, and the inCasiHg of the bap-
tismal fonts in St Peters at DOuvan both of
which works are attributed 10 him. In proof
of the truth of this story of his love, the du-
hious are triumphantly referred 10 the inscrip
ton, composed by LampSonius, on the por'rait
of Matsys, and to that which Cornelius van der
Gecst in 1929 had engraved on the pedestal
erected TO the memory of the artist, and which
To the memory of The artist, and which in lis
famous line comprises all that need he said:
" Comubialie amor dc Mulcibrc fccit Apcllcm."
Mr.. Edward Abbott contributes striking
descriptive papcr-with some effective pictures
on Grand Manan and Quoddy Bay; Julius
Wilcox lectures ON Frct.sawing and Wood
carving, with /, exquisite cngravngS C. F.
Thwing grows enthusiastic over summer
Schools-mcaning those summer excursions
that have grown fashionable of late ycars
among the professors and students of eastern
colleges TO the Rocy Mountains the Cat,kilS. |
or some other interesting field for the study of
nature during the hot season Mr. b. Phil |
lips contributes very interesting paper based |
on some thirty odd unpublished letters of
Washington; and Anna c. Bracket vigorous |
" attacks some veteran maxims about early |
rising, &c. There are several fine poems, and |
the Editorial Departments are full Of timely |
and valuable information.
Penn Monthly.
There Is no other American publication that
occupies quito as high an intellectual level as