Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-21
.gnetic iron and coal. and tine marble ard

magnetic iron and COAL and fne marble ard
gold.
Mr.. Ballou suggests that the ambitious Alp
inc climber would do well to leave those slight
elevations, and come out and attempt Mt. st.
Elias AS for the natives of Alaska, they seem
to be in great need of "Bibles, spelling books
and SOAP"
1t is too bad that there are no pictures in
1.-THE New Eldorado," and no map. The only
picture is the representation of a totem-pole
on the corner. Mr.. Ballou ought to carry a
Kodak camera with him. However, he has
such a delightful faculty of seeing just the
things which we would like to see, and telling us
exactly the things which we want to know
about them, that one hardly misses the pict-
ures.
ssThe New Eldorado'' has for its subtitle "a
Summer Trip TO Alaska" Mr.. Theodore Child
took his summer journey in quite another di-
rection. We have the notes of it in his Sum-
naer Holidays. (Harper & Bros, ]. r. Weldin q
Co.) The Summer Holidays begin with jour
ney 'Down the Danube to Constantinople,"
and end with holiday on the rivers of France.
Mr. Child travels our beaten tracks, but he
cares little for the conventional sights" He
has an eye for the picturesque always. whether
in river or mountain, and sees things as
an artist sees them. He tells MS about the
pictures in the galleries, and how the houses
are built, and how the windmills loom up
against the sky, and the colors OF peoples
dresses Mr.. Ballou travels like tourist with
his eyes open and clear and his note DOCK
ready, and a good, common sense judgment to
guide him through the difficulties Of selection.
Mr.. Child travels like an artist and man OF
letters. Madame de Stael held that travelling
is one of the saddest pleasures of life" That,
however, depends upon the traveller. MI
Ballou and Mr.. Oh lid not only enjoy travelling,
but they make us enjoy it too.
One of the places which Mr.. Child visited was
the "Grand Chartreuse." 1t is a strong con-
trast after this new land Of Alaska to be set
climbing up that bleak mountain which the
good st. Bruno chose for his retreat, and to get
within the walls of that ancient monastery
where the day passes still. just as it did 500
years ago. Men keep the same hours, and sing
the same chants, and wear the same dress,
and observe the same hard fasts and
vigils as their predecessors, for now these
hundreds upon hundreds of years. When the
porter opens the gate he ushers you into the
middle ages Mr.. Child's description OF the
midnight service, where the monks In white
and black, each with his lantern, chant the
psalms and litanies of the hour, is one of the
best things in the book. As for the famous
Chartreuse liquor Mr.. Child says that it is the
most diabolic and alcoholic drink that is made
by man.
'Paris," Mr.. Child says, sis intolerable In
August" To Madam Carette, however, Paris
is delightful at all seasons or was rather In the
good days of the Empire, when the Empress
Eugene was at the head of the court OF
France. For Madam Carette was Eugenie's
favorite lady of honor.
'Recollections of the Court of the Tuileries"
ID. Appleton & Co.: ]. r. Weldin Co.. is
quite the sort of book which one would expect
a lady of honor to write. 1t is bright, agreea-
ble chatty full of interesting gossip, rambling,
and tells just how the palace of the Tuiler1es
was arranged and furnished-carpets, curtains,
pictures beds and tables; stores and candle
sticks-and what the Empress and her courtly
visitors wore and how they conducted them
selves.
pretty hard nine or ten hours every day; and
the Empress spent most of her time arranging
letters and reading the newspapers. Anybody
who thinks that the main occupation OF the
King is to count out his money" and OF the
Queen ito eat bread and honey" will be un-
deceived if they will attend to Madam Carette.
As for the palace itself, in which they lived, it
was built on so sublime scale that it seems to
have been but an uncomfortable residence.
The good lady Of honor takes us over this fine
palace, however, very kindly, and shows us
everything. Here is a room in which are hang
ings of dull India silk, !" with satin stripes Of
pale green; doors and windows Of mahogany;
the mantel of red marble; tables covered with
green rep" embroidered by the Empress her
self; an eighteenth century clock in brass
Here are the Emperor's ushers with their
brown coats and knee-breeches embroidered
with silver, black silk stockings and buckled
shoes, ''and the silver chain which was their
badge of office" So the story goes.
x~x
They had no such tinery at Holland House,
which, I see, is soon to be torn down. The at
fractions of Holland House were of quite an.
other character. 1t is in print, however, that
see this literary palace the General, SO says the
gentleman who escorted them, walked with
US as far as the door and, seating himself on a
convenient bench, told me that if would take
his wife in, he would stay where he was and
smoke till we came out"
General Grants example is good one to
initiate, beside the front page Of several books
which invite criticism this week. THE Lost
Dispatch" (Galesburg Publishing Co.; 81. Watts
& Co.., is very slight story Of the Civil War,
The author says 1t is true. He put on his rebel
cousins clothes and went to see her lover in
the rebel army. The lover thought that this
visitor was his sweetheart, and proceeded TO
detail the secrets of the campaign. In the next
battle he was pretty badly shot, and served him
right!
IA Social Diplomat and "a Woman of To-
day. John W. Lowell Co., Il. Watts & Coy are
marked to be sold at so cents each. They are
worth half cent pound. "Fedor'' (The EN-
pire City Publishing Company goes into the
same wastebasket 1t is both dull and dis
agreeable.
D. Appleton & Co. publish "Great Leaders,"
edited by G. I. Ferris. 1t is a we'll selected
series Of historic portraits from the great his
tOrians." The range Of heroes is from Themis-
tocles to Wellington, Gibbon, Grote, Momsen,
Hume, Macaulay, Green and other good
writer's are represented. The extracts are
brief, and are prefaced with good historical
summaries. ]. R. Weldin & Co. have this book
for sale. 1t is good book to own.