The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-13


 thing distorted. His principal works are, !" French Revolution" written amid many revolutions of the authors mind {; z. History of Frederick the Gieat,' which nobody can read ali through and live {; and "Lives of Goethe and Schiller" Carlyle was born in Scotland in I7oS, and died in 1881.
 When Lever, the novelist, was residing near Dublin, the nth Hussars arrived in that city, and their notoriety made them 3 great attraction, owing 10 the earl of Cardigan being their colonel, and the numerous duels and quarrels that had occurred in the regiment After a levee at the castle, one of their officers Lever recounts, was walking down Sackville street, on a sunny afternoon, in his full dress, and he was met by two lrishmen fresh from the country. . lite staggered at the glttering and gorgeous apparition clanking towards them, they rive,ed their eyes on the blazing gold, blue, and crim son figure, and, with a wondering gaze, the one exclaimed to the other, with a sharp nudge ID the ribs and look of ex- qulsite fun, Begoua, shouldn't like to pawn him"
 A celebrated minister once weps al reading pathetic passage from sermon, and was surprised to learn that it was taken from one of his own sermons, preached several years earlier.
 Sir Walter Scott had similar expe- rience. Mrs. John Ballantyne, the wife of one of his publishers, tells the story. Her brother-in-law, Ames Balentyne, was reading to her once from poem, when Sir Walter Scott called. He courteously asked that the reading might go on. He soon became in- terested, and nodded approbation then said " Good !' then growing excited, add ed, "Vey good v Charming!" Pow erful !' until at last the lips trembled, and the tears began to fall. He could hold still no longer, and striding across the room, looked over the readers shoulder to see what book had such power to move him. He was astonished to see it was the !" Lay of the Last Minstrel" and was indignant at himself, and then added, sadly, God help me, James, l am losing my memory" This was the more re- markable, as Scott had a memory which rarely lost anything he had ever read,
 William Hickling Prescott, the accom- plished historian. was tall and sleAder Tn stature. with fresh, fiorid complexion, and lively, graceful manner He rose with the lark, and clothed himself ac- cording to the weather as indicated by a large thermometer hung outside his win- dow. His clothes were all marked with their precise weight in pounds and ounces, and he walked five miles each day in the brisk country air. and in stormy weather would turn his room in to pedestrian track.
 Soon after tue commune, l Madame Adam) was dining one evening with Victor Hugo, when he exclaimed: Every great political revolution. with the ex- cep,ion of this one through which we have just passed, has had an intelligent chronicler who, in the midst of the con ! Aict, has noted in his journal from day to day all that occurred about him. What a pity that none of us thought to do this for the commune Why, have done that very thing I responded with alac- rity my daughter, on fleeing to the country in March, 1871, made me promise to write down for her each day all that l saw and heard. On her return to me, one of the first things she demanded was to see this journal, which l had kept faithfully Have you it stillf' asked the poet. It is possible that my daugh- ter may have preserved it, answered must see it must have il tonight continued my host. But 1t is too late to send it tonight 1 remarked. No ; my servant shall accompany you, and he can bring it back he replied. obeyed'' Victor Hugo had my journal that very night, and the next morning the FabbeL, his organ, began its publication. Ma dame Adam intends, it is said, to visit this country, study it's institutions, and write book about us.
 Poets have to content themselves some- times with handsome acknowledgements which contain no very fauering praise. Here is an instance in which the author needed patience to know if his work was appreciated: An Englishman wrote a poem on the death of the late Prince Im- perial, entitled "Home they Brought their Warrior Dead" and sent copy to Eugenie. He received in return the following note from her chamberlain, Bassano: "Camden Palace, Chisel- hurst, 9 February, 1880 Monsieur Her majesty the emnress deigns to ac- cept the homage that you offer her of a copy of your poem, the idea of which so profoundly touches her heart. When the grief which crushes her shall have lost its force, her majesty will read your verses, and she charges me to thank you to-day in her name for the sentiment which inspires them"
 Even the highest genius must some times bonow-or at least appropriate the hints ot others. Few, however, could make so fine use of a hint as Dickens could. The true story of the origin of "Oliver Twist" is not gen. erally known. It is this: After the amazing success of the Pickwick Papers" Dickens was thinking of follow ing it up with story of London lie, with which he was more familiar than with English country life. Jus. about that time he happened to visit the studio of George Cruikshank. and was shown some