New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-26
NEW PUBLICATIONS
A JOURNEY ON THE WHEEL.

OUR SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY. BY Enzape w
Robins Pcnnell Illustrated by joseph fchhoii'
Longmans Green q Co.
n clear that the realistic students of the literature
nj the day have given insufficient attention to the part
ulayed therein by the bicycle and tricycle.. horse
on a boat may be invested readily with romantic as
soctstIons which will be generally understood, but the
bcyclc is severely utilitaan in its design and USE
appeals especially to those able TO ride It, while others
src apt to find something grotesque In the spec'aco
of revolving legs and spokcs, and outsetched NECK
and anxious face afforded by rider at fun speed
To the rider himself tho wheel is in every way ABOVE
and beyond all other means of progression ana We
have no idea of dispung tho enthusiastic views COM
mon I'm publications devoted TO bicycling All that
the wheelmen may say VIC grant, but IL IS heeoih
10 acknowledge that whcelmen form after all but
small proportion of the reading public addressed oy
bicycling books aiming at general interest.
II the wheel has not made permanent impress upon
che fiction and poetry of the time, 1t has certainly
taken its place In records of travel We have had
the acyclng tours Of patient souls who have been
indefatgable in measuring distances, reporting upon
the quality of roads, and experimenting on their
own @vlle bodies with the fare OF country hotels
There have been the tourneyingo Of adventurous
wheelmen who have explored strange countries and
recorded with much particularly the amazement Cd
the natives Those who have wheeled" over moro
Familiar ways and have sought to impart "literary
flavor" TO the description Of their experiences, arc
still more numerous. OF this class Of bicycle and
tricycle. literature the volume before us is an example
This Is the last of three describing journey from
London to Rome. We have had Canterbury FL
grmage," for which Cha icer unwittingy stood spon-
sor ~Two Pilgrims Progress in which the shade
Of Bunyan invoked and now Laurence Sterne,
himself expert, is made the subject of an expert
nent in putting new wine into old bottles. But there
is so little efevescence that the bottle IS not en-
dangered. The experience of the riders appears to
have been in way remarkable, nor very enjoyable.
They had more than the usual experience Of trying
hills rainy and windy weather stupid and uncvil ma
tives and shabby treatment generally and the record is
likely to discourage any wouldbe imi-
tators. The journey seems TO have
taxed severely the writer's strength and the artists
temper AS in most books Of the sort an effort is
made to avoid information at any cost, but in avoid
ing the ddacve there is danger of the other extreme
Of too commonplace personal experiences The little
sketch Of Barbezon place where every peasant,
on being discovered, strikes atitudeSand "poses7
as a son of toll is amusing; but must confess TO
finding this narrative of uninterestng details little
tircsome The writer has read her Stevenson faith
fully as the text occasionally shows, but Mr. Steven
son has not yet lent his mantle to any rider of
wheel
There is an abundance Of illustrations. Most of
the larger figure pieces and certain others have been
drawn after pictures by Millet, L'lhermtte, Gray
son, Prout and other artists. The figure is not Mr..
Pcnnes strong point. His sketches of buildings and
along the road drawn, usual, suggestvey
rather than conclusivcly with free use of broken
linc and with reliance upon emphasis by sharp con-
frasts Of white and black which is perhaps well
adapted to process reproduction. 1t Is impossible
not to note here and there suggestions, which may be
baselcss, Of the use of photography. Mr. Pencils
light sketches envening and interesting, although
they bring TO mind Mr. Hamcrton's recent dfttum
The modern picturesque has been terrible enemy
Of accurate drawing. Many things not at all pct-
urcsque when accurately drawn, yet they can be made
TO look so by altering their character" But Mr..
Iiamerton has chosen Mr. Pcnnel to illustrate " The
Saone' In part, and for other work, 1t may be as
sumed that the latter is excepted from these strict
urcs.