, 1880-05-22
"reminiscences Of an 1dler' Wikoff's
New Book-Modern Thinkors-
The Throat.
II. Ltcoq American Decisions Rnglish
Spelling.Reforn eiation-Aaga.
zincS-Dooks Received.
The Art Of To-Day-A New Tetegraphlo
Madfum-Literary, Art, and
Scientific Notes.
LlTERATURE.> !

~ Is Impossible 10 NeHy lint INC Ctcfnncr
Wikoff has written MI entertaining a,1d read-
abtc book. lii the form Of oil autobiography
lie llas sketellcd some Ut the adventures of
tho first tfltrtytiye years of his life, described
the people With whom he 1naraged TO bring
himself In contact, md repeated great
number Of pleasant little anecdotes, most Of
them, however, given at secondhand. 1fo
lad three decided fancIcs, rs ho himself
society,"" and We afe therefore brought some.
what into contact with representatives OF
cacl, Of these departmcnts-if we may bo
permitted to call tho last d department."
as It Is certainly not n "profcsslon "-of
half a century ago. But after admitting tllat
the book Is entertaining and the style good,
favorable criticism ertls. Mr.. Wikoff
(who bcnrs the title Of "Cheyalicr"
rs Knight Of some Spanish Ordor)
was purely MI ulventurcr, not III
the opprobrIous sense III wlifcl, tho term Is
sometimes used, but Iii tllo sense Of n nan Of
fortune, without profession, trade, Ur occll-
pation, travelling from place to p!acc, meet
ing men Of note, sometimes by invitation,
often by chance, and nnklng tho most Of
sl,ch meetings, living selfish, Bohemian,
wandering, luzy, careless lie Of amateur Ill
plonlney and social experiment. Ills tone Is
frivolous, IFS comments superficial. 11o Ind
no Intimate acquaintance with any Of the
great men whom he meets, but tha anecdotes
which form tho entertaining parts of lis
work aro quoted from others, and tho colt
yersations no Ind himself were generally
commonplace enough. There are exceptions
to this, but they arc not sufficiently numerous
to prove the rulo. Eliminate the quotations,
and the book would dwindlo to pamphlet.
1t was announced beforehand that III those
rc,n}niscenccs much light was to be cast an
49,. ,.,a.s., - ~, .'a,as sss W." a,a ~ ,osso,n,
e,o ''a"1s VI In tl,''o u'lu VII tao pcteona'
history Of political, social, and dramatic
n0tables. With three or four exceptions,
we have been unable to find my justification
~ -..o. ~" T., LII, H.. Cn,,.,.asa '
arc given IN connection WITH the Countess
Gutcololi. Fanny Ellssler, md Lady Bnlwer,
and very interesting they arc too, but It
iEsnse sed a S s N aaoP s aafes or aes Ct
a 5 e ho fss ias MG oS ac Il snEaa eoSe
the.fIrst half Of tic Nineteenth Century for
ona afR oGta v"s oP ~ acaans cts @ ais' IL
iation to their work aid lives Which would
cnaGie poatcrity better to appreciate and en-
10y thoir works, for acquiring historical In
1ees Seay g stsaeS nneS t a sH"S theso
ties should be. .uninprovcd aid 80 ml1c, space
devoted 10 the story OF meetings with tic
former mistress Of a proGigate poet with nc
son Gf Tue psfHSfIss IT, sr Haa roqoss q o, Of
separated from her husband md seeking
In short, ths book Is soda-water instcaI Of
@ p 81 Ts Sisasst aSs s Isss t5eh s fd I'D s 1S
eence, and then 1t is over, R,ld nothing IS left
to remember Thy. However orconsciontioisly
read, Wien finished va have no vivid I'M
presstons Of now facts learned iEn regard to
yefy @ i freely I ii thIs Collection of in III iuior's
"Reminiscences.
TnE T1unuNE hns already published some
iniscences Of ttnics Of which Wa liayc only a
paon f9r q u.s. ase 1iy
fond OF repeating The Inc[ionts Of youth, a,id
Years aid ton, Eiyes a volume OF CO pages to
liz reminisceisces of liz tirsf. say' fhirty
Years OF lis lifo, coming down to about iB,6.
We agrce with Col. For1ley, ,-amottlor vet
ieft !: tie rchcst % md % ripest II bart Of it stitl
untold" Uero IS tho Chsyaiier's dec
iaration Of the maxiins OF Ills wlioio
iifo: "Younr AZ / was. | Ind even
seno en 81 n1Eona ae alsfe retG ot IN tue
NV Inn1 nj Tint inv. and frnr aver since.
wis wi bent on aintlssenie,,t. and anything tiiat
lHateriqIed III Xith 4 Was . task md a bore"
III If. Z WiIoff 'S i"ft Ynie ia imyo}i,ntarI,v. but
nraii,ataI Mt 1ji,iou Coltccc. and tIeti' went
SbroWl. Ills life wns one of pleasure; "fo
wNs q man OF theatres, onurns society, and
@ r. s f. q hS S5t S !ss Tssyi %yit fs
nciEon 1 II tho pay % ind Lsaan 1T to iii iis~jny @ ur @
poyorNw1ien ] p Sic Enyu 10 tic fierce passlors
1f Tia ri,in fhe nRot,ixcIl ntterances Of the
!lnlf.illnddene4 w!te-1ia spectators wer9