Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-28
LITERARY NOTES.

LITERARY NOTES.
RET 7gss OF \ LONG LIFE: from ISIS TO
By Profession. New York; b. Appleton Co.
In bis opening chapter Mr.. Hall says:
f5 n: s q ge
SoS q and asoFe
II died was young man; have reported IN the
Bfousham george sssphspson opened his drst line Of
y e ans s On the
threshold Of what is commonly considered middle age
does
Go SsEe may be ms item q in details Coz
It must follow that person who has been SO
long before the public,-whose lifetime covers
80 many stirring events In the worlds history,
and whose position as journalist enabled him
to see and understand not only movements but
the secret springs which caused them,-has an
interesting story to tell 1t is to be regretted
that the author Kept no notes, and writes en-
tirely from memory, as he tells Us. Otherwise
many things now forgotten would doubtless
have had place, while Others included in ii
would probably have been omitted, as they
could have been without serious loss to the
reader. Still, as it stands. the book will have
| charm to the old for what it recalls and to the
young for what it reveals of the past.
Mr. Hall does not believe In the good old
times and he tells hundred anecdotes Of their
brutality and lawlessness. One of his stories Of
the profanity of the time describes an interview
between Queen Charlotte and an old sea captain
who had conveyed the princess royal to Ger
many and wished to be strictly correct in his
dehleanor in reporting the voyage to her
majesty.
Well ma'ann. yer NJ ?jestyn replied he in some CON
yosSse very cry Veil Winds yes; there w was eapfa
Sea sicks Oh, in course little. As going
the nss and Ssas bsf @
hrhnsss s an siss nhSHs
It had 81 Ms ~s he she ss tine into
the eah5n sSsn; and she Ca IAN says sas I'm
sG5e + b 90 blow now 30 said it asn
the wind did give bit of tearer her royal high
blow now!'"' f'-''
Many of Mr.. Halls stories of distinguished
men whom he has known are almost too good to
pass by. He is by no means mealy-mouthed, and
tells over the scandals and crimes of his time
with much openness.
LIVING English POETS; MDCccLxxx11.
Beail - -'''''''-'' "A'''''s ''n' '''Ne''
1t is not easy to perceive why there should be
any need of new volume Of selected poems;
but the publishers must have felt that there was
If not demand at least room for another else
the one before us would not have been issued.
Their explanation is that its editors shave pre-
pared an anthology which aims at being no
casual OR desultory assemblage q beautiful
poems, but one which presents in chronological
order examples of the highest attainment. and
| none but the highest. Of the principal [Englshl
| poets of our own age" The collection begins
with Sir Henry Taylor, born in 1900. and ends
with A. Mary Robinson. born in 1856 and, as we
are told, embraces in the list of thrty-six names
| given something from all but two writer's whom
1t was proposed to include,-one of them de-
| Ginning 'tO be bound with others in selection"
! The work of editing seems to have been Judi
ciousy done. so Tar as it goes; but whether the
selection contains the very best and only the
pest examples OF contemporary poetry must de-
pend very largely on individual judgment and
fancy. 1t is possible, too. that more confidence
would have been felt on that point by the reader
had the names of the editors been given.
THE JEWS OF BARNOw. Stories by Karl EMIL
IRAszos, Translated from the German by ".
Washington: A. Breutano u Co.
This remarkable collection Of short stores or
sketches rather of life in eastern Europe made
decided sensation when they appeared on the
other side of the Atlantic, and they can hardly
fail to attract wide attention in this country
not alone among the people to whom they di-
rectly relate, but from all who are interested in
the tendencies Of the age. They We're written
with purpose, as the author ayows; and he has
perfectly accomplished the extremely difficult
task Of presenting the elements of weird and
unfamiliar phase of life in way that the reader
Is at once put in sympathy with its conditions,
ami is thus able to appreciate if not to enjoy the
insight they afford. and at the same time under
| stand and accept the moral sought to be con-
veyed.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRENEEs: From
BASQUE and to GaTcaseonne BY MARVIN R. yIS-
Charles scribner's sons Washington: Vim. Bal
lantyne Son.
The charm of this attractiveIy gotten up book
lies in the fact that it leads the reader along
paths usually left untrodden by the ordinary
tourist, and into sections of country essentially
| interesting In themselves. The author writes,
| too. In bright and pleasant vein. and in addi-
| ton to an abundance Of descriptive details
] gives an interesting account Of what Is lett OF
| the rapidly disappearing race of hardy French
mountaineers who held out SO braveiy against
all corners, from whatsoever quarter, in medieval
times.
s at . GTIDE FOR TIE VACATION TOUR
British Isles. Belg nm. Holland, Germany and the
Edon for 1885, baon ss
Miffiin Co. Washington: Robert Bean.
Intending visitors to Europe will find this
carefully made up volume, the scope OF which ia
so fully described in its title page, useful con-
venient and reliable companion for general pur-
poses on hurried trip.
From A. BrentanO l. Co. we have Kurtz's
illustrated Art Notes of the present Spring Ex-
uiUltlOn at the New OK Academy OF Design,
which is interesting as well to those who do
not expect to visit the galleries as those who
are more fortunate. since it gives nearly one
hundred sketches of the principal paintings.
from drawings by the artists whose works are
produced. thus affording a very fair idea not
only of the pictures thus represented, but also
of the character Of the exhibition as a whole.
India and Ceylon," the latest issue of the
''Lovelrs Library" series, gives in cheap but
readable book form the entertaining and in
structiye letters descriptive of the countries
named, written last year by Prof E. II.
Haeckel, the distinguished German savant.
They are not only pleasant record Of travel,
but q valuable contribution to scientific knowl-
edge as well.
Since 1t passed into the hands Of Ernest F.
Birmingham l. Co., The American Queen has
appeared in q new and more attractive Dress
Late issues have contained humorous poem
by Josephine Pollard on '.The Education of
Woman" with illustrations by Walter Satterlee,
both 80 well known In connection with popular
and attractive holiday publications.
Prom the publishers. A. s. Barnes Co.. We
have a copy Of Prof. Ficklin's elementary
Arithmetic. Oral and Writer" which, besides
containing everything usuaily included I'm ordi.