The National tribune., 1888-03-15

Fair - and Augusta J. Evans's " st Elmo" agree
with Ella Hull that Jos Ledley does seem exag-
gerated, bnt / do not at all think him an impossible
character in this worlds great Vanity Fair and
also think him very good satire on personal prlqe
and gormandizers. And the Dobbin figure do
not some of you admire him? do, very much; also
think him natural figure. Girls he is worth two
of George Oseorpe's, isn't he? Who likes " David
Copperfeld?" do; and all the rest of Dickens's
works. too. The G. @. boys and girls WILL think,
find E. p. Roes The Original Belle " quite in
terestng, IL is story of the war, and gives sew
eral accounts worth remembering. love TO read,
but am sorry to say that with all of the reading
have done and fair knowledge of society etc, it Is
hard for to state clearly, either In talking or
writing. my thoughts. Can the c. 9. offer any
suggestions as TO improvement? Cannot john
James tell US OF good way to learn to express our
thoughts? Is SCOTS Ivanhoe" anyones favorite?
j do not like Sir Walter SCOTS works rs well Is
/ do Charles Dickens's.-Ola NJ. Martin, Ithaca,
Mich.
FRIENDS OF THE c. c.: The discussion concerning
favorite poets and novelists is, in my opinion,
most entertaining and instructive feature of this
department. All readers should remember that the
lives ofthe early poets ofthe present century did not
run smoothly as their rhymes in many Instances;
and " the rarity of Christian charity was keenly
Tell by men whose names are now ZANZIBAR rs
household words. The public too often condemns
the eceentricities OF genius and attributes these
traits to deprav1ty OF heart. Byron was bitterly
assailed upon the production of his early volume of
poems entitled Hours of Idleness,' and his sensl-
! tive nature was rendered cynical, as indicated
| by his scathing satire in reply to his critics.
| The real tenderness underlying all this may
! be seen in his pathetic Farewell" and the
more eniently with his early poems it is not prob
able he would have foTsRken his native land to die
abToad-a self-imposed exile; Lord OF himself,
| that heritage Of Woe" When we contemplate the
sad and untimely death of Shelley and of Keats
brilliant contem poraries of Lord Byron-and realize
J that the life of each embttered by harsh
! criticism, we can more readily appreciate their
real merits and overlook their foilies. Literary
genius is usually fated TO misfortune, as exempli-
| fed by Chatterton, the boy prodigy, who haunted
| twilight ruins like the bat and wrote poems of
surprising vigor, but died by his own hand at the
| age OF Is years, prey to disappointment. The
! lives of other pets-notably Burns, Hood, and our
own Inflated Poe-illustrate the sorrows of those
who write 10 and instruct their fellow men.
There is truth than poetry in the old couplet
asserting
"That genius is to madness near allied,
And their partitions do their bounds divide"
| Will Wildwood, Westfed, Wis.
The Curlons Corner.
! ANSWERS to questions will not be published with
in two or three weeks after questions appear. So
all viii have chance TO send replies and receive
| honorable mention with the number answered.
Several companies claim the distinction of being
the largest insurance company in the world. There
| is no good reason in assigning the place TO any.
! Zachary Taylor's last words were. have tried
to do my duty; am not afraid to
Louis XIV, of France, wore high-.--eed shoes to
increase his stature
" Hold the fort am coming message sent to
besieged garrison of Union soldiers by Gen. Sher
man On his march to the
There is said to be in the neighborhood Of 2,75C
! different languages or dialects spoken.
Winfield Scott was Major-General in command
Of the United States forces. Phil Sheridan is e
Lieutenant-General,a rank higher, created since
the war, first for Gen. Grant.
J. Who was sent to the United States Senate from
three different States, and what they? In what
wars did he serve as aBrigader- General? In what
battle was he shot through the lungs? Prize for
first two correct answers.-Charles T. Straight 10;
High street. Pawtucket, r. 1.
2 Who was founder of the Stole school Of philoso
ply, and what did 1t teach2-A. L. Seaman. St
Louis, Mo.
3. When did La Fayette first visit America, and
| when did he revisit it?-C. e. Meinhard.
f. What Turkish Emperor began his reign by
| strangling 10 brothers and drowning 10 Of hi
| brothers wives?-" Hiawatha." Elroy, Wis
5. What is the largest tunnel in the world, and
what is its length Eugene Cole, Wilsey Kan.
6. What nobieman was MORALLY wounded in the
siege of Savannah?
! founded?-W. G. Deupree, Bloomfield, Iowa.
8. When was kerosene first used for lighting
purposes? Bret w Jaquith, AInericus, Kan.
l. y how long would 1t take to run railroad from
| the earth to the sun, at 30 miles an hour?-Alio'
| Shaw, Yerbeck, Kan.
BIBLE BRIGADE.
Observation-Disclosures is the longest word In tia
| Bible.
NRdab and Abihu offered strange FIRE before til,
Lord, and there went out fire from the Lord and
devoured them
Jacob slept on stone for a pillow, and afterwarG
| of It.
The army sent to arrest Elisha was smitten will
blindness and afterward restored TO sight. There
are instances of Matthew, Mark and John Of th,
| miraculous cure of the blind.
Psalm $50 enjoins the IsraeIites to praise Coz
with the timbril and dance with stringed instru
ments and organs.
!. What two men were prophesied by name cen
turtles before their brth?-Charles II. Knippel
| Cleveland, o.
2. Who is it that says there is no God ?--H c. Ken
nedy, Aspen Colo.
8. Where is gold first mentioned In the Bibles-
Hayes Spurrier, New Straitsviile o.
4. How many arks are spoken of In the Scrip
lures, and Of what were they constructed ?-Iouis,
Bair, Hancock, Iowa.
5. What king besides Herod promised woman
ell she asked for, even TO the half Of his Kingdom
Lucy A. ScovilIe.
6. What book Of the Bible was frat written, when
and by whom ?-George $. Ford.