The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-12-11
Sharon.
Literary Notes.

DION BoUCICAULT, the veteran author
playwright and actor, contributes
paper to the January AreHd which will
doubtless excite much criticism among the
worshpers of Shakespeare. Mr.. Bouccault
under the caption Spots on the Sun, talks
of some of the blemishes found in the
works of Shakespeare. The article, al
though a criticism, is written in the best
of spirit, the author at all times showing
the profound respect he entertans for the
greatest of dramatists One point Mr.. Bou-
sicault emphasizes, which, although well
known to Shakespearian scholars, is not
generally understood by those who have
given little attention to the literature of the
stage-and that is the fact that Sh AXE
speare built up most of his dramas on the
skeletons OF plays then extant.
SCRIBNERs MAGAZINE for December is a
holiday number of striking beauty and at
Effectiveness in its illustrations, and the text
of the articles will appeal to the fancy and
sympathy of readers rather than to their
desire for instruction in practical affairs
With the exception of the fourth install
ment of Harold Frederic's serial, each arti-
Gle is complete in this issue. The contents
include sympathetic study of life in the
poorest quarters of New York's tenements ;
vigorous end paper, sure to provoke dis
eussiOn by Edward j. Phelps, ESQ.,, ex-
minister to England genial and discrmi-
mating review of the whole field of Ameri-
can humorous drawing, by j. A. Mitchell
the founder and editor of LIFE; another story
by Mr.. III. &. Bunner, editor of Puck whose
Zadoc Pine and Squire Five Fathom in
previous Christmas issues will he recalled :
vivid and picturesque account of some
characteristic Breton festivals and sunny
picture of life and eccentric character on
some of the least frequented of the Bahama
Islands. In the notable list OF artists con-
tributng to this number are Will II. Low
Howard Pyle, Kenyon Cox, Herbert Den
man, j. III. Twachtman, K. II. Blashfeld
A. b. Frost and c. ID. Gibson, and, besides
almost all of the prominent humorous artists
OF this country.
INDUSTRIAL science and political science
zoology, geology, physiology and scientific
history receive due share of attention in
the December Popular Science WORthiU. Dr.
Charles g. Abbott writes about the descend
ants of PalHolithic Man in Ameri ca, telling
what scenes surrounded those early Ameri-
cans who made the rough pottery and the
implements of slaty rock that he has found
in the Delaware valley Professor g. Han
ford Henderson contributes another of his
illustrated articles on Glass-mal<ng, in
which he picturesquely describes The Evo.
luton of Glass Bottle. Grant Aliens Plain
Words on the Woman Question presents
some considerations which every earnest
well-wisher of woman and of the whole
race will be glad 10 see stated. Some New
Phases in the Chinese Problem are set
forth by Willard b. Farwell, who does not
believe that the Exclusion Act will exclude
immigration, impelled by such misery as
drives the Chinese from home. One phase
OF the tariff question is sharply drawn by
George Nj. Wallace, under the title Gov
ernmental Aid to Injustice. In the Editors
Table strong plea is made for Everyday
Science, and attention is called to a recently
published essay by Professor A. III. Sayce,
which strikingly corroborates many of
Colonel Mallerys views in regard to the
Israelites.
HARPER's Christmas number is indeed a
Christmas number. Six short stories follow
the illustrated commentary on the Merry
Wives of Windsor by Andrew Long, the
illustrations of which are by Edwin A.
Abbey. Thomas Hardy furnishes novel
cite; two representative northern writer's,
Sarah Orne Jewett and Mary e. Wilkins,
and two prominent authors of the South
ern School, NJ. Il. NJ. Davis and Ruth Nc
Emery Stuart, contribute short stories; and
the artist author f. ID. Millet tells paint
er's tale of true love. Rev. Henry Van
Dyke, in his paper on The Flight into Egypt,
considers this episode from the boyhood of
Christ as it is recorded by the evangelists,
embellished in later years by myth and
legend, and then interpreted in master
pieces of medieval and modern art. Many
OF the famous pictorial representations of
the subject are reproduced in the accom-
panying engravings. Theodore Childs ex-
haustve account OF Modern Russian Art,
illustrated by many engravings from inn
portant paintings and pieces OF sculpt me-
comes with the force OF revelation to he