The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-03-28
LITERARY NOTES.


A pleasant and oppcrtune, as it is hand
some little volume, is Amateur Ticatrical'. by
walter Hcrrics Pollock and Lady Pollock OF the
- Art at Home series published by Macmillan 4
Co Of New York and London. tFrom Robert Bcai'l |
II Is handsomely Illustrated and contains chapters on
Amateur Atting,s ''The French Conservatoirc,' ~
and ustare Direciiohsr As IL not to be the
policy OF Anglo Saxon governments 10 have co,serva-
tories and theatres organized by tho state, We Know
no better means Of elevating tile than culti-
Yo,,on Of the amateur stage which however Imperfect
Its development isasa whole more rehned ana actuteu
by higher aims than the psoiess,io,na, stage =,
step IN ,he direction indicated by MIR. Matthew
Arnold In his ersay on '.The French Play in Lon.
don ~ when he says 1--WE win hope. too. that the
modern English drama when II comes, may he some
thing different from the sphinx and the 'Dem.
mSsm Sse i, comes IL viii be different aud better but
ioi us not say word to wound the feelings OF thoso
have vem ~ SO m"sm sc sNcsen Advice" Even
now that ies arc gone when pass along The strand
and ocse to ,hs Gaiety Theatre sr see Insi ms
and cloud OF lace and hear tie voice ot Me. Sarah
Bernhart saying In Its most caressng tones to the
Iondoners; The thedre " "FeS'se'""' o'g""''o
! The thedtrer'
The subject of Miss Annie b. lrish's paper
week screiast was one which conn. ned much II not
more interest iiah hhy which had prece1ed It, VIZ;
French Literature froi iiie bcgnnug Of the Seven
teenth Century to the Reign Of Lol5 NlV-Richel'et
and Writers OF His Time.' The prominent tonticai
events during the reign of Henry ~ and Louis Nii'
were biofs torched upon and the rapid advance made
In every department u literature during the time OF
the latter rather during the reign Of Cardinal Rlchc-
,,eu for the willy and powerful prclae was te virtual
| ruler Of France was fully shown. While the fcsnl's
of Richeleu's statesnanship wore given aud their
France Indicated. Miss Irish seemed to more cs-
cciy consider his life in its bearing upon the itera-
ture OF his cbNitty, Ills own works and those who
iabored with him II tls dtanlas, w, i,ois Robert,
Collct DE L'Estoile, Routroh' ard Scrnclc, were
tablishment OF the French Academy ttobably tho
most lasting benefit to French literature for It's mem
bers are only the most distinguished ~ inc wGraa o.
The next paper will be Of unusual interest having Tor
It's subject 'The Early Dramatlsts.'
"The Master of Red Leaf" is the title of
an American work Just brought out by f. j. Hale &
Son, of New York. ftttirt from tho English edi-
tion. This remarkable BOOK Is ths most graphic,
complete transcript of Southern life we faao eves
read The most Thoughtful critical reader can but hi
struck with Its twofod character as story y-eller and
politician In analysis. In keen observation OF lit
external, and passion and psychooglcaI mysteries, y
The age calls for realistic Uork-here they have 1t
Elizabeth Avery Meriwether Is uio.celsd as fore
most realistic writer. Though this book 10 sad witt
sadness Of fe's facts and melancholy with Its t.h
say to the statesman, to the thinker, read It, Ih
book is bound take high rank, and live. as tn
truest picture OF the time II treats OF that has
q been given to the public.
d The "Leisure-hour Series," having ex
tended TO over o hundred volumes and having intro
duced to the American tnbc such authors as Thoma
Hardy and Mrs. Alexander, has not yet introduced
single American author. Thfs the Publishers attrb
matters, having noticed that the aeries began Wit
European novels, acquired the impression often inu
N Gated In the press, that American works were out
l. has been offered It's name, "Democracy, "
American enough to partly MAKE tp for Its late ad
n vent. The scene is hid II, New York and Washing
tom and the author would appear to be resident
10 one place Or tho other and familiar with IL, the he, be-
so that they have found portraits In the book
10 The "Franklin Square Library" in whic
IT Messrs. Harper & Brothers are furnishing VA
y amount of the best reading beautifully printed ro
clear type, has among its recent numbers the follow
'e ing exellent novels: IA Wayward Woman, " I
'e Arthur GI5ths; "A Sylvan Queen by the auth,
m Dragon and Dramatist,'' by W. w. Folfett syng
}" and The Return of the Princess " by jacques VII
cent, translated by Laura f.. Kendall; also Russ
'sSfG socey s IN st. Of "S esS 9ST cS
H. had of Brad Adams.
Q, "Captain Fracasse,' by Theophile Gal
he tier, translated by C. NJ Beam, Is pronounced
H. Henry James. Jr., to be "The model of picturesq
a romances. The great charm of the book is
r sort of combined geniality of feeling and colorin
st which leaves In doubt whether the author Is q
ed most Joyous Of painters or the cleverest OF poet
hd with the first works Of imagination produced In o
r. day." Published by Henry Holt Co., of NJ
III York, and received through Robert Beall.
ry Messrs. Lee & Shepard have just publish
n "IIa: the Story of a Codhopper, tfrom wiIlis
'ai Balantyne, by W. NJ. +. Round, author of 90 CHI
ire Marian Abroad ~ etc. which Will fill useful niche
rot the growing library of fiction.
he Forney's Progress says The Washingt
e', Critic is making itself irresistible by daily VIC
lu engraving, generally portrait OF public charact
lie well done that everybody takes the paper for N
Is reason. 1t always able but now 1t is an exce'
artistic paper.
I'VE ga Primer of American Literature"
we Eugene Lawrence, has Just been issued In iarpe
m lIalf- Hour Seres.' Received from Brad Adams.
rec 1t is announced that the Life of Mr.. Jo
In T. Delane on which his brother in law Sir Gee
re- W. Dasent, Is engaged, will appear In the fall.
in Professor Simon Newcomb, superintende
=" of the Nautical Almanac, has his portrait in
to April Eclectic Md0dEine..
one Dora D'Istria, Princess and author, p
Ian poses to visit this country during the coming s
ock mer