New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-12

ended IN tho s,nking of the Alabama xpp~srs to BE-
truthful, aud Ia certainly impartial. 1t 10 stated
that the crew Of tho Alabama had had no gun drill
or practice for long time. and were In no condi-
ton to meet the skilled gunners Of the kearsaree
The writer speaks with frank admiration OF the
manner in which the Kearsarge did her work. He
empba tically contradicts the stories about semmes
having carried oil plumber from the sinking CRUISER
and be expresses the opinion that many
more of the Alabanas crew went to the BOTTOM
with her than was believed at the time. They were
howe ger accord ng, to him. so bad lot tnae IL III
impossible to care much what happened to them.
The .tle book will be found interesting even IL II
is not altogether Trustworthy.
II is quito apparent that Mr.. Richardson did not
have the benefit Of Philip Gilbert IIamertons OBJ
servations on How to- write brilliantly about
foreign country in composing the DARK City"
Mr. uanertOn SAYS the art consists SIMPLY III
hatterlne the patriotic jealousy of your readers by
a remorseless satire on the foreigner" Ihs is inc
line which Mr.. Richardson has adopted lie
describes London and the Lond0ners in 80 severely
critical q manner that before he has finished ono
wonders how any sane person can tolerate all the
nuisafces and abuses and stupidties which inter
fere with the enjoyment OF life IN the Eneish
metropolis. Not that Mr.. Richardson is heavy in
his Sly TO- On the contrary, he is light and playful,
suggest doubt as to his inspiration The method
of gong to Europe and finding everything barren
from Dan to Beersheba is not new. and some
readers NAV think that 1T has been rather over
done II cannot however be denied that this sort
of writing IS often much more amusing than the
eulogistic or the simply descriptive kind. Mr..
Richardson is evidently one of those orthodox
Americans who make the American way OF dong
everything their standard and test, and find fault
with ali foreign WAYS i'll proportion as they differ
from the home way. This has been the too common
method of the book-makng British traveller Ill the
United States and in fact it is the common fault
of most travellers. There is good deal OF fun IN
Mr. Richardson's book though it Is not always
cood-naturel fun Many Of the national ioiules
and vices " hich he parades and lashcs, moreover,
flourish quite Tankly in tins country as III that
Especially it must be said that it does not lie III
the mouth of the citizen of a country which
spends nine hundred millions a year on drink to
twit anyi other nation with its inteinperance. a
great zeal of the unsparing ccnsure visited upon
the English here, too, is plainly based upon inc
most superficial observation and inadequate
knowledge. II is therefore more illppant thln
valuable. Why the author, while frankly admitting
his Ignorance of music, should have thought II
worth while to insert long criticism of Wagner's
NIbelungen operas it is diifcnt TO understand.
cruder. moro provincial piece OF work. never
appeared in a frontier journal AS whole the
" Dark City, is far more ca cuated 10 anuse an
idle hour than to convey trustworthy Information
abput the subject it treats Of
"Thc Strangcst story Ever Told is not what its
title implies. 1t is apparently tie WORK OF very
Young person. ami it is not remarkable for any
thing but Its bleylty, wEich is its sole recomrnen-
datiOu.