The New York herald., 1879-12-08

night and made havoc with the provisions. The
masculine reader will find great deal of unnter-
tonal humor in everrecurring illusions to q certain
"Hawaiian riding Dress first by the authoress
during trip in the Sandwich Islands. about which
she wrote book some years ago. and again donned
for the trip under discussion.
GERMANY PAST AND PRESENT.
Mr.. s. Baring-Gould has written two compact
volumes under the title. Germany Past and
Present" &C.. Kegan. Paul Co.. LondonJ. Mr..
Baring-Gould's work. he says. is attempt to ex-
plain the of tho existence Of certain features
which have attracted his observation in German
life. He thinks that English aud American writer's
have been too quick to see what is unpleasant in
Germany. In estimating German culture. he says.
We should wonder not that there is not more. but
that there is much. after the many wars that
country has been through. The English traveller.
he thinks, carries abroad with him something Of
the Pharsee.' He thanks God that "he is not as
these foreigners he does not put his knife into his
mouth. talk noisiy, and he always answers letters" "
In the first volume the various grades of society
discussed. He opens the volume with character
istic anecdote:-
.Herr Baronl thank you." said a waiter to q trav-
eller on receiving payment of the bill.
81 am not o baron, mein lieber!' remarked the
latter.
'.Oh. sir! we call every one baron who tips with
hapenny, answered the kelner, contemptuOusly
pocketing the fve pfennig piece.
At court aristocratc rank is ignored. military
rank alone is recognized. Mr.. Baring-Gould has an
interesting chapter on women. He says that the
German women slack thousand OF those charms
which make the English woman the most perfect
lady in the world. But, he adds, "They have. what
our women have not. an original stamp and an
original atomic weight Of their own-a thing
no compound substance claim" This
in it he holds the Men of Germany up to contempt
for their treatment Of women. Evidently Mr.
Barring Gould was pleased by the specimens of the
fair whom he met. for he concludes his chapter
with this summary
An English woman is lovely. French woman
charming, but German woman is angelic. The
German girl has not the self-consciousness of the
English damsel. the coquetry of the French the
lusciousness of the Italian the splendor of the
iard-she is not. pernaps lively enough. she is not
espiege enough, not dazzling but she Is matdenly,
modest. simple and sweet.
The system Of education in Germany
Mr.. Baring-Gould thinks admirable. but never
theless believes that too much mental
work is exacted Of the boys. The stage
is treated Of in an exhaustive chapter. ''The
drama has not as yet." he writes. "in Germany OBJ
tanned a firm footing. Shakespeare is moro acted
on the stage in the Fstherland than in England.
Schiller's plays insuferably tedious; Goethe's
where forms and fashions and ideas are in a state
Of Aux There is much freedom. but not indepen-
dcnce; much culture. little originality" He names
Charlotte Birch Pfeifer "the representative OF
the modern DRAMA" and says that 'some of
her works can never die" Another chapter
is devoted to music. Germany must blush,'
he says, "that two German names-Offenbach
and Strauss-mark the point Of lowest
degradation which the opera can reach" Wagner
he calls 1.-THE Shakespeare the Turner of music"
NAPOLEON I. IN EXILE. A
Continuing the line of books published years ago
by Redfeld. in this city. W. ]. Middleton has re-
printed. in two neat volumes. Napoleon in Exile;
or. Voice from St. Helena" by Barry E. OMeara,
his physician. AS detailed record of the private
life and unreserved conversations of the most re-
markable character in modern history the book
possesses interest which never die. The a,l-
thor. 1t will be remembered, young surgeon
upon the British man-of-war Bellerophon when
BonSparte surrendered. and who accompanied the
latter at his request. to St. Helena. in the
pacity Of medical adviser. Notwithstanding the
charges of falesehood and prejudice brought
the author in the bitter controversy excited in
England by the appearance of his book. after the
Corsicans DEATH it has long been conceded that the
work presents truthful and accurate reports Of the
time. The reader will recall Byron's lines, penned
after DR.. OMcara had been dismissed from the scr
vice for charging Sir Hudson Lowe, Governor Of St
Helena. with cruelty treating the imperial capive:-
The stiff surgeon, who main tanned his cause
Hath lost his place and gained tho worlds applause.
After the death OF O'Meara in London tooth
which he had extracted from Napoleon was sold
among his effects and brought about $40. The in
strument with which it was supposed to have been
extracted sold for half that amount.
LITERARY CHIr-CHAT.
The Puhlishers Weekly is out with q handsome
Christmas number. filled with pictures from the
holiday books.
Nine. Remusats Memoirs are being translated
into English by Mrs. Cashel Hoey.
"The Army in Virginia." by General George L.
Gordon. is announced by Houghton. Osgood a. Co.
DIR. Andrew Wood. OF Edinburgh. has in the press
a version of Schler's Lay of the Bell" which will
be published shortly.
1t is said that Mr. Osgood the publisher, takes the
lveliest interest in wsiking matches since the IA
nous ego as you please he had with Dolby, with
Dickens rs judge.
DIR. b. Nicholson has found seven new illusions to
Shakespeare the century after his DEATH and will
lay them before the next meeting Of the New
Shakespeare Society of London.
Mr.. Il. II. Horne, author OF "Orion" and .'Cosmo
de Medici." has new tragedy in the press. The
laid in Italy. during the time Of the Nea-
politan prison atrocities, in 1s50-51.
cart in the Nursery" Uathrop Coz Bostonl.
pictures for baby TO draw and pictures for baby
laugh at, is of the really comic books for the
very young which just now are in season.
MIR. Arthur O'Shaughnessy is going to follow Mr..
Gosses example and break his long silence by tho
publication Of another volume. Mr.. OShaugh Messy
has recently written rather long poem called
"Christ will Return" 1t represents Christ us rc-
turning again without goods and gold as He was at
hrst and being then, refused recognition save by
few simple outcast folk. who correspond exactly
in position with those who were His original fol.
lowers.
NEW BOOKS RECEIVED
Phvsicfaps, Hand Book for 1870 Rv y;i.,. yi,...