The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-11-22

illustrates the tendency to exagReration which is characteristic of those who wish to shine in conversation.
 When Mir. DisraeI was young man, he was frequently guest at the countess of Blessington's table, around which a brilliant company habitually assembled.
 One evening, he told story of an Irish dragoon. who was killed in the peninsula. Mir N. P. Willis thus reports it
 "His name was Sars6eld. His arm was shot off, and he was bleeding to death. When told he could not live, he called for large silver goblet. He held to it the gushing artery and filled it up to the brim with blood. Looking at it for moment, he turned it slowly upon the ground, muttering to himself. If that had been for Ireland ! and expired"
 How the theatrical, thrilling narrative of Mir. Disraeh spoils true and simple Irish story! Ssrs6eld, earl of Lucan, de fended Limerick for several months dur ing the invasion of Ireland by William III. Though obliged to surrender, he obtained honorable terms, and afterward took service in the French army. He was killed at the battle of Landen his last words were, @Would this were for Ireland ]"
 HOW MOTLEY WROTE HISTORY
 Doubtless the first impression made by Motley's Dutch Republic upon its readers is that they are living among the men and scenes which it describes. Few histories give such "reallzing sense, ]" to use an Americanism, of the period they narTate as does this work of the times that tried the souls Of the Dutch patriots. This is due not only to the his- torian's picturesque writing, but to his i'm agination, which enabled him to enter into sympathy with the men and times he described. He judges the actors as though he was living among them and had access to their secret thoughts. and knew both their policies and the motives which governed them. In letter writ ten to Dr. Holmes from Brussels, in 1853, Mir. Motley describes how thor oughly he put himself in sympathy with the period of the Dutch republic:
 "When l say that 1 knew no soul in Brussels, am perhaps wrong. With the present generation l am not familiar The dead men of the place are my familiar friends. l am at home in any cemetery.
 With the fellows of the sixteenth century am on the most intimate terms. Any ghos, that ever fits by night across the moonlit square is at once hailed by me as a man and brother. 1 call him by his christian name at once.
 k<- sL are very regular l came here, having, as thought finished my work, or, rather, the first part Something like three Q. four volumes, 8vol but find so much ori- ginal matter here, and so many emenda- tons to make, that am ready to despair
 "The labor is in itself its own reward, and all want go day after day to the archives here (as went all summer at the Hague) studying the old letters and documents of the fifteenth century.
 Ut Is, however. not without its amuse- ment, in a moldy sort of way, this read ing of dead letters.
 It IS something to read the real bona fide signs manual of such fellows as William of Orange. Count Egmont, Alexander Farnese, Pailip II Cardinal Granville, and the rest of them"
 POOR PENMANsHiP.
 Great writers are often poor penmen. They ought to be ashamed of their fault. for the only object of writing is to make ones thoughts intelligible to others. But they are fond of joking each other about their inhrmity.
 Sydney Smiths penma anship was
 .E- -I1 interpret a passage which she in vain tried to spell out, and he answered that he must decline ever reading his own handwriting four-and twenty hours after he had written it." His friend Jeffrey's was not much better. My dear Jeff rey," wrote Smith on one occasion, i've are much obliged by your letter, but should be still more so were it legible. have tried to read it from left to right, and Mrs. Smith from right to left, and we neither of us can decipher single word"
 LORD RyRoN's SWIMMING.
 Lord Byron was as proud of his feats in swimming as of his poetry. His greatest exploit was swimming across the Hellespont, seven miles, in imitation of Leander, the hero of the classic fable. Lieutenant Ekenhead was his companion, and is said to have been more rapid and more graceful in the water than Lord Byron. Neither of them appeared to be exhausted, but the latter rested several times, swimming to the boat that accom- panied them, and holding on to the side while he took some retreshment
 Byron had a curious fashion in his daily baths in the BSsphorus, while at Constantinople. He took with him always two eggs and A few biscuits. After undressing, he threw one of the eggs with all his force, marked where it struck, swam to 1t and ate it in the water. He did the same with the other egg, and then, after swimming till satis. aed, dressed himself, ate his biscuits and returned to the city. The uniformity of this practice showed that with all his eccentricities he had some tendencies to regular habits.
 HOME THRUST.