The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-04-17
The Century Company.

hardly any one who hasn't seen Mr.. We'd
der's original and beautiful designs upon the
one, and Mr.. Sidney Smiths scarcely less
beautiful, though somewhat less striking,
designs upon the other. A magazine OF
which there are a quarter of million copies
goes everywhere and the Century finds its
way to every remotest village, to every
school district, TO towns and hamets scat
tered here and there in England and upon
the Continent of Europe and even TO the
lowllest missionary stations in Africa, China
or distant India. And the 81. Nicholas,
perhaps the most elaborate and certainly,
on the whole, the most artistic magazine for
young people in our tongue if not in any
language of the world travels as far and is
almost, II not qste, as extensively read
not merely by the boys and girls, but by
the fathers who don't know they are not
boys and by the mothers who know they
are still girls. Heaven keep them every
one from ever growing olderl
But while these magazines go everywhere,
and are familiarly known to everybody, it is
not every one, even among their most regu-
lar readers, who stops to think Just what
they are to our native literature. They all
recall Mr.. Cables delightful pictures of
Creole life. They have all learned some
thing happily, of the kindlier side of south
ern life in the fast-receding days OF slavery,
and of the humor, and of the pathos which
is necessary part of humor so true and
fine, of the older darky character in the old
! plantation lore of Uncle Remus. We all
know Tom Sawyer and how much more in
teresting than fishing 1t is, under certain
circumstances, to paint the front" fence;
and Huckleberry Finn, though recent ac-
| quaintance is almost as well known. We
all have read Gf we hadn't of course we
wouldn't acknowledge it) The Lady or the
Tiger " and "The Casting Away of Mrs.
| Lecks and Mrs. Alechine," and as we have
read we have all wondered l suppose, over
the mental garrett of odds and ends which
must have been rummaged to find Mr. Stock
tons once unheard-of title So we all have
read Dr. Eggleston and Mrs. Burnett, and
the long series Of stories of battles and
campaigns, now, | suppose, nearly ended.
The latter is still fresh in our minds But
not all of us remember that the Century is,
of our American magazines, the most dis
tinctively American. From the first it has
published the works Of few but American
writer's; and it has published great num-
Der of articles upon topics purely American
or stories having purely American setting.
! The historical sketches which have ap-
peared within the last year or two have
been specially noticeable. Indeed, for bet
ter or worse, they have been the principal
feature of the magazine Their precise value
apart from literary quality, it is now too
early to estimate, but they have at least
helped, doubtless, to settle many disputed
points of one sort or another; and it is GER
tain that they have created an interest in a
portion of the history of oar country for
many people who would otherwise have
tuOuEuN IlllCi IL at all dDOul IL. lndI Is
something gained. Many an old farmer on
the stony hill-sides of New Hampshire or on
the lonely praries of Nebraska or Dakota
has read with glow Of pride, perhaps not
unmingled with deep STRINGS Of long
buried but unforgotten grief, these graphic
accounts of battles and of weary marches
in which he or his brother, or perhaps his
son, had part. Many an old soldier has
again fought over his own campaigns with
pleasure such as, it is safe to say, he never
a cd FROM tIar tIo,,
with an approximately greater feeling of Sc
curity. And the bereaved mothers, the
lonely widows, the fading sweethearts--
what tender memories have been awakened
for them.
But with all these papers nothing has
been published for long time in any Amer
lean magazine more interesting than the
Life OF Lincoln" of him who is admitted
to be the central figure of that by-gone war
time. This biography has brought before
us not only careful picture of the lawyer
and the statesman, who was called to stand
at the head of our government when the
storm. gathering through many heavy years,
burst at last in civil war, but the first full
length portrait of one who mast ever he re-
garded as one of the finest types of the ma
tive Americana man without the so-called
culture" but of tact most rare, of truest
though simplest dignity, and OF the noblest
courage, patience and fidelity. The writers
of this life contend for something in the
nature OF far-reachlng plan and prescience,
But, after all, what is it more than chance
such chance, that is, as COMFORTS with an
overruling providence? As if the " best-laid
plans o mice and men the line is familiar.
! Plans and insight and contamination of deep
purpose, forsooth. Ha,n'tevery campaign its
DR.. Burchard or its mugwump influence?
The wise may plan, but who can tell who'll
/, be elected until after the election?
The Century has had from the beginning
an influence more important than many peo-
pie know upon the development of certain
forms of art in America. 1t was a true
pioneer in the matter of illustrations which
really serve to illustrate 1t has commits
; stoned the very best skill; and has done
much, very much, to encourage the rapid
growth OF the last ten years in the arts of
design and engraving upon wood. 1t is en-
titled to large share of the credit for plac-
ing our artists in that field in the position
of pre-eminence which is accorded them the
world over. And really, it would not be
easy to find anything in black and white,
and on a scale so small, more beautiful,
more POLITICALLY suggestive, than many of
the engravings which have appeared in the
Century within the last few years. While
people read their Century and are thankful,
thinking, perhaps, little OF its general aim
and tendency, either literary or artistic,
, they think as little and probably know less,
of the great staff of workers in every de-
; partment necessary to its production. OF
its editors and writers, particularly the
slOIy-ltlItTS, luty nave lHtlr nOLlOuS-nO-
tons which as to the personal appearance
of some of these people are doubtless often
all wrong.
Who that has looked at "The Brownies E"
in the 81. Nicholas, for instance land who
, has not?), and thought at all of the man
who created the funny little beings who
wrote the merry little jinges, has imagined
his real figure? In his minds eye he sees
a fat, round, jolly little man; it is natural
conception, but it is a mistake. Palmer
Cox is tall, very TALL and thin, very thin,
and seldom laughs, and never, almost never,
} looks jolly In truth, though perhaps l
shouldn't say so, he'd look more comfort
able if he would drop in at the Brownies
, breakfast hour and break his fast along
with the well-stuffed little creatures of his
fancy. They seem TO have Jared we'll
though their legs are thin-really, Mr.
, Cox, unnaturally thin. And who of all the
millions who have laughed over the Jump
ing Frog" and other like queer hits of fan
tastic invention, has proper notion OF
Mark Twain? Imagine shaggy mass OF
ed-brown hair, now turning gray, upon a
head both square and round, rusty brown
overcoat and shuttle figure neither tall
l1a.arf NOTE