New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-25
LITERARY NOTES.

The London Ners says the proprietors of The Lon
don Graphic are about TO found school Tor ihs'ruo
ton in wood engraving, and comments In Terms ~
praise on the results of the ScTibHer prize comPe'
ton.
The indefatigable Mrs. Oliphant Is said 10 nav
found time amid her various literary iaoors W VIZ"
a Literary History of the Nineteenth Century" III
will he in three volumes and is to be published by
Macmillan g. Co. 1t is sure to be interesting, anu
possibly prophetic. since a very promising NTH VI
the century remains to be heard FROM
writer In The Athenqum tries earnestly ana
with good effect to prove that Oliver Goidsni'h
wrote the famous nursery story Soody wv
Shoes 1t was published by John Newpuiy IL
1885 and it is certain that Goldsmith was ao'i'.y
EMPLOYED in the service Of that publisher ou,ne
176364 The style of the story and OF
of unknown authorship and similar purpose pe'us
n strong resemblance to GoldHniths acknowledged
writings.
Many persons will remember the striking YET
rhosly portrait of Keats published two years ago III
a volume of the poets love letters. This sketcn
was made by the artist Severn, who accompanied
Keats to Italy and nursed him during MS ini,c','
The sketch and several original manuscripts mciuu-
inc "The Eve of ST. Agnes" with corrections ana
alterations which belonged to the late MI severn
have been purchased by the publishing house OF IL
Sotheran Co.
The English residents of Alexandria, Egypt, SINCE
the death of Carlyle have been carrying on con-
troyersy among themselves as to the merits OF O"u-
lvle's writings. One clever Frenchman, nj least
has taken part, and for many days nearly every Is
cue of The Egyptian Gazette has contained ic''e,'
from a few lines to four columns IN iens'n'
A. latest adyices the Frenchman was being pun
nelled for his own and his ccuntrylnens m'toin'y
10 appreciate an English sage with German navor'
han DIV xUifh
ing tools and if they have the double felci'y oi
awning n kit of tools and of having the advice OF
nm exnerienced person. learn how to Keep TOOLS
in order and TO work with precision Professor Chl-
ming of the Massachusetts, Institute OF Technology
has done the young wOrkInen service by editing
little work called Woodworking Tools; How 10
Use TbemIr II has been tested with class OF boys
chosen from the public schools of Boston, ana Will
be issued this week 10y CHM x Heath
"The Future of the Blind die Zukunit DER
Blinden). is a new German book by Herr Frederleh
schercr, of Vienna. The author has peeh oiinu
since two years ago. is at present teacher III "
school for the blind and writes IN the interest Vi w
fellow unfortunates He urges that the blind should
he p,aced more nearly than at present on plane OF
social and industrial equality with those who nave
yves 10 see This can be done, he thinks, by teach
ing the blind independence of spirit and by aiding
the cultivation of their faculties Among other IN
,titntions for the ameOratOn of the bind lie rec
ommends bank of insurance, the capital TO De
realized by small public tax In Austria the ohnd
lumber 10000.
Uide-4iudke for May has too many good Things 10
mention all of them. The frontisplece has great
deal of spirit and the story of the little German gi
who was locked up in the old castle and slept in the
Kings deserted bed is quantity told by Mrs. Mason.
.'Polly Cologne pursucs its merry way through
the fifth CHAPTER which includes a remarkable letter
from the dog Rover Plumner. Ernest lngerSoll mas
n thoroughly good sketch Of Some Queer Ameri-
cans the people who live on the slopes OF the
Southern Blue Ridge and Mrs. John Sherwood con-
tributes May-day story called Henriettas Hero
ISM" Two excellent poems are Mrs. Helen l.
Clarks Hearts of Gold,' and Mrs. Celia Thaxters
verses on IAN Old Saw"
Mrs George Sturge's translation of the richly
colored study of " Lord Beaconsheld," by Geofg
Brandes has been published by Harper ~ Brothers
in the Franklin Square Library. The author mas
if much easier to admire Beaconshelds emgmaucai
genius than to maintain the neutral position he pre-
scribes for himself when he says in his ntroduction
"To me Disraeli is neither object of admiration
nor dislike but simply highly original and inter
estnp character" This foreign critic is OF the opn
ion that Disraeli possessed not only fertile lmagl-
nation but also the other attributes OF poet, ana
exclaims: 1T is pedantic so TO limit the concep
lion of poet that little chipping lyrical writers are
included within it while creative spirits are left
OUT
The Nav 81. Nicholas is marked number, both on
account of the poems and stories, and the lllustra-
tions which in themselves are prolific so zee OF en-
tertainment The poem Of Babel" by Rosa Ora
ham, is a charming polygot study, and If young
readers do not know enough Of themselves to fully
enjoy it, they will probably he led to wish they
,,,1a faud( M French Desiring
half of learning. There are also pretty poems by
Nora Perry and Lucy LarcOm and Mary y. Prescott
The Chapter on Soap-bubbles" by Daniel Z. Beard,
adds something to the variety of that od-fashoned
amusement MY Great Grandmother" by Emily
Huntington Miller, is n story of old colonial days
Mrs. Oliphant's sketch of Mary Queen of Scots is
concluded. Ernest Ingersoll presents the peacOcks
claim TO be called THE Prince Of Birds" Mrs
Clement talks of Greek sculpture and the frieze of
the Parthenon.
There is an enigma in DoStoyefsky's realistic
novel Buried Alive. or Ten Years OF Penal Servi-
tude in Siberia" Was the narrative really written
by the convict murderer and noblenan and only
edited by the Russian novelist, or has Dostoyeisky
taken facts that came TO his knowledge during his
fifteen years of exile and woven them deity into
story that Defoe might have writteni Many
American critics have taken the novelsts intro
dnction seriously, wherein he claims only to have
edited papers that came into his hands The pub
fishers Henry Holt & Co.. think also that the
ratiye is what the introduction represents ii TO be-
Enolish critics are more sceptca and for the most
mart have not hazardcd decided opinion either
wav. The noyelists introduction certainly reads
like fiction. and it has been suggested that he may
have disclaimcd responsibility for the facts of the
narrative for political reasons.