The critic., 1890-12-29

Esther and little Ben Holiday, the chill
dren of the famous old overland stage
driver, Ben Holiday, are now the wards of
General Rufus Il. ingalls,, who intends to
place them in some New York school.
The estate of their father has dwindled
but there still remains about 100000 to be
divided between them. General Ingalls,
was one of Holidays warm friends in the
early Gays long before he had amassod
fortune from his stage line and become
the financial and political autocrat OF
Oregon.
DR.. William II. Milburn, chaplain of
the House of Representatives, and Mr..
Charles Burr Todd in collaboration have
nearly ready for the press a work entitled
THE Mississippi Valley: Chapters on its
Explorers, Pioneers, Preachers and
People" in which anecdotc ana reminis,
cciiCe will have large part.
One Of the best Indian authorities in
the United States is Captain Bourke, who
was on General Crooks staff for eighteen
years, and who has spent the most of his
life upon the frontier Captain Bourke
has made study of the Indians. He has
written number of interesting books
about them, and he is now writing vol
ume for the Government on Indian medi-
enc men. lie knows more of the dances
of the Sioux and the other Indians than
any one in the country, and IL was he who
gave to the National Museum q necklace
of human fingers, which he captured from
an Indian medicine man.
The literary menu of the North Ameri-
can Review" for January is very appetz-
ing. Mrs: llumphry Ward gives on nc.
count OF the new brotherhood established
in London on the lines marked out by
Robert Elsmere, the hero Of her famous
novel.
Jerome X. Jerome, the humorist, whose
books are selling up in the hundred thou
still skeptical of their merits, is man Of
only so years. lie is of medium stature
rather good looking and has brown hair
that is usualfy yfumpled over his high fore
head. Ills gray eyes are deep set, and he
has thick, dropping mustache, good
straight nose and large head. He lives
| in Chelsea Gardens and his rooms over
| look London.
The Countess Alfred Won Waldersee,
| army, was Miss Lee of New York. As
| Won Moltke is a widower, she has been for
| years the first lady in the military circles
Of Germany, and she has shown herself q
thorough mistress of the position. Gem
eral Waldersee occupies handsome apart
ment, Immediately opposite that of Count
Won Moltke, in large building belonging
to the government, in Herwarth Strasse.
| The Countess Won Waldersee is woman
of great strength and purity of character,
and Of rare social accomplishments. In
addition to the immense demands of So
ciety imposed upon her by her husband s
station she finds time for q great deal of
| charitable and benevolent work, and hav-
ing no children of her own she is called
the 'mother of the poor"
An intimate friend of the Countess Won
| Waldersee is the Frefrau Won Overlook,
daughter of Mrs. Dahlgren of Wash
| ington. At the time of her marriage she
was only ~ years of age, and was con-
sdered one Of the handsom est women in
Europe. She is one of the most brilliant
amateur musicians in Germany.-Epoh.
nhor "Glimpses OF Old English Homes
the late Miss Elizabeth Balch, an Amer
lean lady who went to London, and
through her Americanism found easy ac-
cess to the historic places of titled people,
gives very accurate account of famous
castles and country places i'm Merry Eng
land. The papers from which this volume
has been composed appeared in the "Maga-
zine of Art" and the volume itself is
issued by Macmillan. Portraits Of Henry
| VIII, Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Eliza
beth, the Earl of Surrey, Algcrnon Sid.
ney, Oliver Cromwell and other departed
magnilicos are engraved from the can
vases preserved at one or other of these
seats Miss Balch had all the reverence OF
an American literary lady for these pill
lars Of history and the scenes where they
and their descendants have dwelt. She
has described eight seats; Penshurst
Arundel Castle, Interchangeable, Fridge
Castle, ChiswiCk House, Berkeley Castle
llighclere Castle and 0sterlcy Park.