New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-12
SOME MAGAZINE NOTES.

A brilliant number OF sThe Atantc' opens with
Che FIRST chapters OF Mr.. stocktcns whimsical s'o1y'
Tie House Of Martha, There Is irresistible nun IN
mia ctncedt Of the travelled man who find NOBODY
to listen patiently to his longwndcd "reminiscences OF
his year in Europe and is therefore forced TO nre
Listener. A..
DIR. Holmes in his concluding chat "over tho
Tcacups offers gracious farewell 10 MS rcaoers,
hut accompanies IL with the comforting sussesoon a'
an occasional evening call. may be looked mr. may
these gentle vistattons be many ana ions' Inc
h.ovs Autocrat xays that ne finds the burden and
restrictions OF rhyme more and moro trouoiesome as
he grows older and he adds: "The use OF II as tho
vehicle Of the commonplace is so prevalent that one
"a not merely tempted to select 1t as the medium Tor
his thoughts and emotions. The art OF rhymng mas
almost become part of o hgh-school educsuon, ana
It's practice is far from bctrg an evidence OF In
tcllcctul distinction. - Tho immense majority OF
.ne verses written are stamped with hopeless
mediocrity.s With few exceptions the magazines Of
the month bear sufficient testimony to the sweet reason
abIencss of DR.. Holiness opinion There be many
MUSES. for whom the weighing out OF good Goldfish
or the mixing OF toothsome puddings would b wiser
employment than the wasting Of excellent black ink
and the arrangement Of epitaphs
The most engaging BIT Of creative work in "The
Century, is Mrs. Kings pauant Legend Of Old New
York" In its humor its air Of bubbling spontaney, 1t
reminds one Of Irvngs treatment Of the same old city,
We are not making invidious distinctions, for Mr.
Smiths clever sketch of vrginian gentleman is to be
continued and should be judged as a whole
General BidwclPs paper the first emigant train to
California Is full Of exciting incidents and leads series
which promises to be Of permanent value to Amer
Mr.. De vnnes article the printing of "The
Century, celebrates appropriately the twentieth ami
versary Of periodical which has undoubtedly given
remarkable impetus to the illustrative arts as well as to
the American literature of the time.
Mr. Warmers fascinating paper on Southern Cali
forna takes the reader of Harper from chill autumn
winds into region of Sweet Airs Of bursting
bloom, and luxuriant greehery. What prophecies OF
wealth sparkle in his pages "The time,' he de-
cares, is not distant when this corner Of the United
States will produce in abundance and year after year
without failure, all the fruits and nuts which for
thousand years the civilized world Of Europe
has looked to the Mcditerraiiean to supply
We shall not need any more to send
over the Atlantic for raisins, English wal
nuts, Almonds figs olives, prunes oranges, lemons,
lines and variety of other things which We know
commercially as Mediterranean products We have
all this luxury and wealth at our doors, within our
limits. The orange and the lemon we shall still
bring from many places; the date and the pineapple
and the banana will never grow here except as
Illustrations of the climate but it is difficult TO name
any fruit Of the temperate and semitropc zones that
Southern California cannot be relied on to produce,
from the guava TO tho peach
The painting Of the face of the earth as 1t is In
distant regions is greatly to the taste of the time and
is branch of realism to which the most ardent TO
mancst will not object. In this paper by Mr. Warner,
that dealing with Chilli, by Mr.. Child and Mr.. Hearn's
description Of his journey to JAPAN Harper" presents
admirable collection OF chronicles Of the actual.
But why, why will not Mr. Hearn abolish his fad Of
freckled composition which makes his paragraphs TO
by spasmodic bitches
And why should any magazine print-and, moreover,
beautifully illustrates story weak that
tributed by MI. William Black? And why does not
Mr.. Black do better instead Of poorer work the
years go ont
A Day with Country Doctor" seems to fill the
pages of "Scrbners with scent Of new milk and
sweetbrar 1t is refreshing breath Of its own
country air.
Professor Shaler in his concluding paper on {" Ma
tue and Man in America lays before many cheerful
convictions to the persistence of race on this
continent We supposed to be dying of ovcrvork,
he says but the fact is that witnessed by the duration
of life in the of men who have appeared the
records Of insurance companies, there is indication
that the term allowed to is growing less in this
country than IL is across the On the contrary.
the evidence to point to the conclusion that the
American man lives longer than those OF the same
race in the Old worlds
To be found among much entertaining matter in
The Magazine of American History, is an amusing
order issued by General Scott preserved in the Order
Book of General Henry Dodge, and now in the Iowa
State Library. General Scott was in command at
Rock Island when the cholera broke out there. and
after various injunctons in this Order to sobrety
and cleanliness. he adds this curious paragraph :
In addition to the foregoing the senior surgeon present
recommends the Of flannel shirts, flannel drawers
and wOOen stockings; but the commanding general,
who has much OF disease, knows that 1t is in
temperance which, in the present state of the atmos-
nd odc fno ca1a and That
when once spread good and temperate men likely
to take the infection. He therefore peremptory
mands that every soldier ranger who shall be found
drunk scnsbly intoxicated after the publication Of
this order be compelled, soon as his strength will
permit to dig grave at suitable burying place, large
enough for his reception, as such grave cannot
fail soon to be wanted for the drunken man himself
or some drunken companion. This order is given, as
we'll to serve for the punishment of drunkenness, to
spare good and temperate men the labor Of digging
graves for their worthless companions"
In an account of a notable private library in Pla-
delphia mention is made of what is indeed rarity
Dr. Franklins personal copy Of the English Prayer
Book with his Ms. alterations and amendments i'll his
own hand 1t is the Doctors original part Of the
revision which he made in company with the " re
formed Lord De Spencer and which had no cOnsdera-
ton in England, though some Of the changes were
adopted in America Franklin says the chronicer
always radical in religious matters, made fearful
havoc in his alterations. Column after column Of the
calendar disappeared with single stroke Of the pen
nearly the whole Of the Elaboration, portion Of the
Confession, all the Absoluton, nearly all the Venite
exultemus Domino. Likewise the TIE Deum, and all
the Canticle"
Colonel Richard Malcolm Johnston's story In The
Cosmopolitan" deals with Southern family feud, and
has a tragic touch two stronger than anything nc
has heretofore presented.
Er,n nthlicnfinne