New-York tribune., 1884-12-07
CHRISTMAS BOOKS.
ILLUSTRATED EDITIONS.


Little Nell and her grandfather, Tho Two Wellers,
and Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter. The
"Pccksnif" is a capital composition. The con-
ception is not original, the ideal of Hablot r.
Brown having evidently been closely followed but
this shows the judgment of Mr.. Barnard, since no
better cor ccpton of Pccksnif could possibly be
formed. In this drawing we have the man himself,
standing in thoroughly characteristic attitude be-
fore table on which he Is illustrating. with an
open pair Of compasses the beauties Of his design
for town pump. In the corner of the room behind
him stands his bust, and his portrait hangs above
it, The whole room is saturated with PccksnItf.
and Mr. Barnard has reproduced the oily hypocrito
and plausible rascal to the life. The next drawing
represents PcggOtty in French town or seaport.
during his weary search for Little Emily" The
bluff honest, supplemented and noble old fisher
man Is dressed in his workday costume. tarpaulin
hat pilot Jacket, high sea-boos, etc, and carries
his bundle at tho end Of stick across his sh0ul-
der. He is trying to make himself understood by a
Frcnck working oman. who with her little boy
and girl stand before him, aud whose woman 5
intuition has plainly dscerned the nature
of his sorrow, az Is manifested by
the sympathetic expression on hls face, and the
kindly manner of his address. The old man. his
features strongly impressed with tho of men
tai suffering that is evcr-present with him, is knit
ting his brows in astrong effort TO comprehend and
to make himself comprchended. In illustrating
his story he has dropped one hand sig
niicantly on tho head of the little girl
who stands beside him. In the back
ground stands largo crucGx bearing life-sze
figure of the Rcdcemer, and quaint. gabled and pro-
ecing-stoiicd houses fll IN the scene. The compo-
siion is full of life and character and tells its own
story
In tho third sketch Rogue Rderhood
slonchcs after his manner and that of his tribe
along thc riverside. Name Rogue kiderhood.
Dwrllinr place Lime us Hole. Calling or occnpa-
,ion- -Watcrs,dc charactcr-that is his description.
From the roway furry cap. hooking like n
drowned rat to the il-ltinr. sucey boots, the
vatc,siir roueh aud thief q ands ont all over hinh
lhe sidrunf lrrr the hunrh N shoulders thr short
ray pipe vith turned lnwn bowl. the wsrt lAt.
,ll u,.riaim the man who wanird as fUre his
"parlnprsrip' uuon Hairr llrSh'm. I've "a eti
lrnilr punt rn ihr iiyri ih s"a'rh ~ lrrU nhl
uhtn hp returns rpiharshr vii hr 90 luck
lhe npsi ebrtth ls chat ~ iiiit Hrl anh hpi
ttandlaihrf. tbs spanp 70 That hl iNsi plrAi ni
ooaeo f,rN - hiph iNp traveller maf ipob bach
Vpaa 81, raals ani he Wilderness of hith
aud mortar surrounding lhe gipa' ciihti'Aii ah'l
upnn " hioh the eve travellers rested ia tho hegW-
niug 0f thoil III ghi from the citY. lhoY aie sealed
close tago,h her Ia illle onhnWefei nouk under an
ola tree LATHE Ne as she looks hack upon lhe
roaring metropolis has Just been haii unc0nscIuUsb
repcatIng her morning prayers, (Which her grand
father listens with dazcd look on his haggari
face though ho has sufficiently recognized the
sOicmnlty Of the occasion 10 remove his hat. On
the chds face is a mingled expression OF fear ana
trust. Her future lies dark before her. She feels
that her inexperiencc and weakness must hence
forth guide her grandfather. But IN her upturnei
eyes there Is a soft look of one who pcrceves a
source of help afar OF aud to be trusted. 1t is a
beautiful and tender picture.
The fifth composition is the Two Wellers The
scene is a tqproom, where the elder Weller is at
dinner. In an easy attitude, upon the edge OF the
table sits sam. He has just paid his respects to
his fathers pot of beer. with such result as TO
elicit the patcrnal cOmment-"" Very good power
o'sucton. Sammy. You'd ha' made an uncom-
mon fine OYSTER sammy, If you'd been born in that
station q life" There is o look. half rucful. half
iovia on the old mans broad face. he peersiinto
the vacant depths of the quart pot, while sam on
his part assumes an air OF modest conscious
ness of worth as he receives his fathers Ambiguous
-ncomium The conception of botn the Wellers IS
very satisfactory, though sam perhaps looks some
what less keen and shrewd than III the original
drawings of "Phiz." The last Of the scenes is
Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter, and this
is extremely well conceived. 1t IS the scene in
which the girl describes her idea OF her fathers per-
sonal appearance. and it is one which lends itself
equally well to dramatic and pictorial representa-
tation. There is the poor Old man, in his
shirt-slocves, bent and aged and haggard and worm
his spcctacles pushed up on his bewi dered brow,
al a. ion ~ A.
deceit and wonder at the startling incongruliy oi
his daughters imaginngs, as she says, with en-
thusiasm and pride lighting mp her face: " see
Won. father. IA plainly if had thc eyes | never
want when YOU are with me. blue coat
Fright blucn said Caleb. Yes. yes; bright
bluel The color ! can just remember the blessed
sky H. You told me it was blue bofore, A bright
blue coat" The artist has impaired real life and
f,ithfulncss 10 nature 10 this scene. talebs face
ia a study. admirable of it's kind aud tho Whole
composition ~ very pleasant.
Tho six sletchcs are importln contributions TO
the illustration Of Dickens. and both for depth and
soundncss Of conception and carclunc3s Of cNrcn-
lion dcscryo high praise. II Is scarcely necessary
to saw that the photograyurcs by Mossrs Goupil
ARE IN the best style of the ari and thoi the pnb
fishers have mounted the drawings handsomely.
Tho appoarancc Of an illustrated edition of " The
Light of Asia" ~. K. OsgoOd ~ Coz may be taken
as An indication of something moro than the Sue
cess If curiosity" predicted by many readers when
the first edition was issued An audience which
viewed with Indifference critical and historical
treatises upon Buddhism has been Interested
through Mr. Arnolds verse IN the
lofty teachings of Gautama, whose per
sonalty, though impeectly revealed III the
existing sources of information cannot but
appear the highest, gentest, hoIiest ana most
brneGcrnt. with one exception IN the history oi
Thought" This large audience viii welcome th'
addition of Illustrations which present the earnest
pnddhist conceptions of srenes ~ Hnuuha NE.
Most of these Illustrations are from pho'orianhS "
o,,,.i.n, srriulufps ard iipsrops disruvrirh ~