Oxford Democrat., 1882-06-27
LITERARY NOTES.


MIR. Longfellow in September, lsSo,
told James Grant Wilson that OF all his po-
etical writings he preferred Evange-
iine."
A local tragedian In Minneapolis by |
the name of Barol Is so given to gnashing
his teeth when he rants that they call MN
q gnash-Barol.
Professor George W. Greene, oil II. L.
Is to write the biography OF Longieiow,
having been selected for that once oy 'ne
poet himself, six years ago.
Most of the critics who have read Ten
nvson's latest poem, "The Charge OF the
Heavy Brigade" think ii has earned lot
him the title OF lower-rate instead OF iau-
rea.e.
MFR. Barnum now owns Charles Dick
ens's overcoat-the one which he wore
while he was in America the last time.
IL was presented TO Mr.. Barnum In Phila-
delphia the other day by Mr.. George W.
Childs.
Mr.. Alcott's study at Concord Is car
petcd with crimson, ahd the same rich col
or appears on the wall-hapgings and table
cover.
DIR. O. W. Holmes says that the young
scribblers who send him their verses nave
no more right 10 do so than they have 10
stop him in the street. show him their
tongues and ask what remedies they shail
take for their stomach's sake.
The July Hide A,cake will be a bril-
liant pictorial numler, containing no less
than eleven full-psge Illustrations. The
Fairy Flag of Skye" a folklore story, Is
said TO be the most beautifully illustrated
ballad ever prepared for young readers
The temperance people are agitated
because Mr.. TennysoB in his song asks his
friends 10 drink TO freedom. II may be
well TO comfort these agitated people by
supposing that the place at which Mr.. L.
proposes 10 drink has taken out poetlcal
license.
DIR. Holmes is growing younger with
every year ShrewdneSs dwells in every
wrinkle OF his Yankee face, and merrimeut
Sparkles in his clear and honest eyes. lie
is, If possible, wittier than ever, and Is
lavish in his fun. His daily life is full of
hard work carefully performed, but be
nevertheless finds time for many dinner
parties.
MIR. James Russell Lowell Is quoted
hy the Boston Courier as saying In con-
versation about Irish poetry - The great
est of Irish poets, and one Of the greatest,
and sometimes think the greatest, OF all
poets, is Edmund Burke"
Miss Sallie 7. Mclean, OF Simsbury,
Connecticut, author of " Cape Cod Folks,
has been considerably annoyed OF late by
the gueSses of literary people that she Is
the author of a Reverend Idol, an anon
ymoas novel published by James K Os-
good 4 Co. Miss Mclean is not the au-
thor of the work. and knows nothing about
its authorship. 1t is understood, though,
I that she is writing new story.
-Messrs. u. Lothrop & Company take
4 pleasure in announcing bright new biog-
raphy os uerry Wadsworth Longiellow.
I II is elegantly bound ia cloth, aud has Sos
pages, with fourteen Illustrations, t~o OF
which are hne portraits. The work is
I from the pen of W. Sloane Kennedy, and Is
A most fitting tribute TO the memory OF
/ Americas most loved and admired poet.
\ II embraces the genealogy of the Longiel-
I fellow family, aad presents his liie-worH
7 in a most simple and delightt4. manner,
and contains a reprint OF early poems new
er inserted In his published books.
Matthew Hale Smith was writing let
ters TO the Boston Journal over the sigma
:ure of Burleigh. Smith wrote detes-
table hano, aud Charles O. Rogers, who
was then making the JOarRGi Jump with
his activity, enterprise and liberality, was
very nearly his match in this particular
l one day compositor came down TO Mr..
Rogers with some of Burleigh's "copy,
saving that II he had got 70 set that sort
] of stuff they would have 20 pay him by the
hour. because he could not make his salt
setting ~ the thousand. Rogers immedi-
ately wrote Busie,gd pQte, telling him
that IL he could not write - that his let
ter could be reai, he had better either quit
writing or get somebody 10 do his writing
for him. In day or two there arrived an
envelope with Rogers's signature cut out
from the letter and pasted upon 1t, and
care OF Boston JOaTEgf written beneath.
I-pon being opened II read aS follows
"Dear Sir: | hcve received letter which
from the printed heading | assume 10 be
from the Boston Journal Office. II you
will get somebody tbat can write legi0le
hand 10 inform Inc whom 1t Is from and
Whist il is all about, shall esteem II fG-
vor. Yoars truly, Matthew Hale Smith. "
The next time Mr.. Smith came 10 Boston,
he was handsom sly entertained, and Char
lie Rogers paid the bills ChriStlqR at
Work.
In the North American Rerielr for July
the leading article is profound aud sym
pathetic study OF " Emerson as Poet, by
Edwin T. Whipple. The anthor has scarce
" word 10 say 10 say about forms and
mode OF expression. and cheerfuliy con-
cedes that Emerson had command only of
two or three metres; but he brings all the
resources NJ his extraordinary critical acu-
men 70 prove that as a seer, as one who
has Intuition of the deeper truths OF ma
turs and the moral universe, In short, as
poet in the highest sense OF the word, En-
erson must take rank with the greatest
ceniuses of all time In Hydraulic Press
ure in Wall Street" writer who with
holds his name but who manifestly is no
novice. exposes many OF the tricks ald
devices by means of which fictitious val
ues are created, and the unwary lured dali
ly TO ruin. Desire Charnay contributes
the eleventh article in the series on The
Ruins of Central America" aud records
the crowniug triumph Of his exploring ex-
peditions, namely the discovery Of great
ruined city in the hitherto unexplored
country of the Lacandones, Guatemala.
There are two pa ,ers on the civil cervice
question: one, The Things Which Re-
MAN," By Gail Hamilton, who labors to re-
lieve the civil ser yice from the aspersions
cast upon it on &C count OF Guitean's crime;
the other, "The Business OF OficeSeek-
ing" by Richard Grant White, who fcrci-
bly portrays the moral ills that come from
the perennial stru ggle for place. Finally,
Francis Marion Crawford, son of the emf
nent American sculptor, writes of False