New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-27
SOME NEW BOOKS.

now volume Of the Book-Lover's library "a. c.
Armstrong 4 Coz is The Book Of Noodles oy W. A.
ouston author Of the capital work ON popular tales
and fctions. To the student Of folklor this pains
taking collection will be specially welcome ana the
reader without hobby will find in It's pages store OF
entertainment For thing, 1t will enforce the TACT
thst the world is small, and It Will convince MIN OF
the soundness of Solomons wisdom Dy demonstrating
the absence Of novelty in funny STORIES no matter
how far back they may be traced 10 Is interesting
10 follow the metamorRhoses OF OLD noodle stories
from the banks of the Ganges to the banks OF The
Thames Seine and Hudson. Even the wise men OF
Gotham have their Oriental prototypes. and In the
"Panch atantra the Adventures OF The Curu simple
may be found the origins of anecdotes which were to
figure subsequently in the "Gcsta Romanorum" and
after passing thence to "Joe Millers Wade Mecum,"
turn up with a fraudful pretence Of newnoss in the
funny paragraphs Of some western American news
paper. Who is there that. in rejecting upon this
cyclic progression OF the same monotonous array OF
tests will not echo the maedction Of old Donatus
"Pcreants OUT ante nos nostra dixerunt" Fancy
the chagrin Of professed humorst who. sfter ex-
cogftating what in his innocence he thinks to be
brand new piece OF fun, discovers the identical joke
in one of the Jatakas, or Buddhist Birth Stories
Surely the discounted inventor OF comicalitics might
declare with the poet of pessimsm. that the world
rolls round forever like MILL" after making such
discovery.
A new edition Of Robert Louis stevensons Pct-
uresQue Notes OF Edinburgh" has been issued Mac
milan Col, with a number of illustrations OF vary
ing degrees of merit The little book Is well deserving
Of issue, for II is instinct with the character
istics which are most attractive in Mr.. Stevensons
writings The Notes. really picturesque. They
written In the easiest possible style, are pleasantly
discursive, enlivened by local legend and anecdoe.
full Of quaint conceits and bright bits OF scenic de-
scriptton and breathe throughout love of Caledonia
stern and Wild which will go straight to the heart
of every Scotchman and Of all who bear Scots oiood
in their veins. Mr. stevenson takes his reader long
rambes through Old Edinburgh He is strongly
drawn by the artistic recommendations OF that quarter
of the city. He hovers in kind of fascination about
the "Iauds,n or hoary tenement houses, rivanng In
height NewYork's most soaring apartment buildings
and in squalor her most unsavory lodging houses He
Is at home too, among the grim legends such as that
of Major weir and the stories of uncanny vsitatons
at lonely farm houses In the description Of the
winter season he fairly CLOVIS, and Il there be doubt
as to his personal sympathy with the national appe-
citation Of usquebaugh 1t Is evident that his magma
ton is equal to even such Gargantuan symposia as
Christopher Norihs lively fancy astonshed the South
vons wthal in the highcoored pictures OF the Noctes
Ambrosianae."
Tho last volume of the Camelot Series t1homas
whitaker Is translation Of three of the plays OF
Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian dramatist who has high
reputation in his country, and whose merits have
been recognized wherever in Europe his works have
been translated The plays in this volume arc The
Pillars of Society,"" "Ghosts," and AN Enemy OF
Society,"" and they said to be representative ex-
amplcs Of the authors work Each one has dis
tinc ethical lesson which, however, is not permitted
to interfere with artistic development In the first
man who has built up high reputation on fraud and
falsehood is the central figure The drama is an at
tack upon tho hypocrisy, cant, meanness and pusil-
lanimity of society," and the same note pervades An
Enemy OF Society," where the hero is driven out OF
society for trying purify the dangerously infected
he hfrh In 1nnifU
principally depends. Ghosts" is a powerful and
somewhat gruesome study OF heredity The ghosts
are the tendencies derived from ancestors which so
often control the mental development and determine
the physical constitution. In this case the sins of
father are visited upon child in an awful manner,
and one which must be exceedingly impressive upon
the stage. Ibsen enorces his ideas with directness
and emphasis His dialogue is nervous, clear and
smart his characters natural and his plots simple and
free from sensationasm. They have proved very
popular in Norway, though II is by means certain
that they adapted TO more sophisticated stage.