New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-21
LITERARY NOTES.

Most OF the reviewers OF the recenuy Ppoh."o-
Memoirs OF Laurence Oliphant have great deal 70
cav about "the American mpostor," Thomas Lake
Harris who played so unpleasant part In the hie
of bis brilliant and cratic disciple. But IL happens
that Mr. Harris not born In this country ou' III
England-at stratford onAvon in 1873
Mfr. FInck's book Romantic Love and Personal
peauty.s has had practical success worth noting
fifth land cheaper) edition will soon be brought out
by Macmillan.
one Of the most delightful bits Of biography seen
for many day is the sketch of the late Professor
sophocles OF Harvard in "The Atlantic" Therein his
friend Palmer describes with acuteness taste and
tenderness q" tile most Homerfc man" he ever knew,
cynical, austere and sterny reserved to the last
bearing to the average college student the character
OF sphinx, the Greek was, beneath all this singu-
larly selfdenyng and tender SOUL" The incongrity
between his bitter speech and his kind heart endeared
both to those who knew him. Like his venerable
cloak his grotesque language often hid bounty under
MEATH For he never weary In welldoing. How
many students have received his surly benefactons
In how many small tradesmon's shops did he have
his appointed chair His room was bare: but In his
native town an aqueduct was built his importunate
and nnGrateful relatives Densioned: the monks
OF Mt Sinai were protected ssanst want the children
and grandchildren OF those who mad befriended his
years in America were watched over with fathers
love- and by for helpless creatures wherever they
crossed his path he kept himself clean OF selsness.
One winter night, at nearly 10 O'Clock,
was called td my door. There stood
sophocles. WhU asked him why he
was not in bed hour ago, a. has gone home he
said. 1 know it, answered; for A. was a young
instructor dear TO me. : He is sick' he went on.
Yes He has no money Well we will see how
he will get along.' But You must get him some
money, and must know about IT, And he would not
go back into the storm-this graybeard professor
solicOus for an Overworked tutor-till assured him
that arrangements had been made for continuing AS
salary during his absence. declare in telling the tale
l am ashamed. Am l wronging the good by
disclosing his secret, and saying that he not the
cynical cramudgeon for which he tried to passl But
already before he in his grave the secret had been
discovered, and many gave him persstenty the love
which he still tried TO away
Toward dumb and immature creatures his tender
ness more frank, for these could not thank him.
Children always recognized in him their friend A
group OF curly heads usually appeared in his window
on class day. stray cat knew him at once, and,
though he seldom stroked her. would quickly accom-
mOdate herself his legs. BY him spiders were
watched and their thin wants supplied. But his soil
tary heart went out most unreservedly and with the
most pathetic devotion toward fragile Chickens and
out of these uninterestng little birds he elected de-
gree of responsive Intelligence which startling to
see. . . To eat chicken itself kind of
cannbalsm from which his whole nature shrank /
do not eat what love- he said rejecting the bowl OF
chicken broth pressed upon him in his last Sickness
Somewhere appeared, the other day, paragraph
crediting certain three among New England women
with describing more accurately and cleverly
than all others the life and the region
about them. With this judgment as regards
at least two of the three, we have no fault to
find but to the number ought undoubtedly to be added
Mrs Rose Terry Cooke and Miss Maria Louise Pool the
biographer Of Roweny in Boston," Mrs. Cookies
Iaurels were won long ago-how justly the exquisite
piece Of New England portraiture in the current At
lantic' may witness Concerning Miss Pools powers
we will quote one Of the masters in American literature
She has applied staccato method akin to the French
but mutatis mutandisl to our DownFAst life. and this
with great dramatic effect and condensation. Every
stroke tells II her work were something foreign we
sbould see how full it is Of and laughter She
certainly knows a maiden's heart. Yet think her
very best characters drawn with few touches
such as that thoroughbred city woman who comes and
goes in the Carliny story
A biography of Jasmin the Gascon barber, the
greatest Of troubadOurs past present and TO come,
under process Of construction by Dr. Smiles
Walter Besant tells an odd story of English journal
istic methods certain writer sent an article-signed
and with an attractive tle-frst to one Journal and
when declined TO another. Both times 1t came BACK
to him after longish interval marked by the lnKy
thumb of the composltor" The author put away his
~
two Journals In fortnight he found his article In
each of the papers, unsigned and under another title
DR.. Holmes-bless his kind heart has a good word
even for the writers Of very poor poetry scarcely
a month ago, writes Miss F.. A. Thackray to The
Epochn one hundred and fifty college girls belonging
IN the Harvard Annex gave the aged poet reception
with infinite pathos and feeling the poet read Dorothy
o. and THE Chambered Nautilus Chatting pleas
antly with one of the seniors afterward he asked
Miss b do You ever write poetry p
"With smile and blush, the bright young woman
replied: 20 no, sir never indulge?
"The aged poet smiled at the eager disclaimer, then
thoughtfuly shook HIS gray head and said: Perhaps
IL is besperhaps it Is BEST real poetry IS so hau 10
write; many called, but few are chosenP Yet
If one wrote a thousand lines OF doggere and In 1t
were found hidden two three lines OF real poetry
wouldn't the game be worth the candleP"
Sir William Fraser says that Mrs Disraeli strongly
objected to her husband being called Dizzy Com
menting upon this statement, another Englshman
says "The fact Is that she habltually called him
Dizzy herself, and he her choicest topic of
conversation as long as she lived. She quite an
old lady when first had the honor Of meeting her;
and what struck most for the moment was
strangeness of attire that recalled the stories OF Dis
raclps extravagant get up In the days Of his youth
IT seemed il admiration had begOt imitation even in
that astonishing particular. l remember that the old
lady dark-colOred sken skirt (be II said
that this ut an evening party Of no more than
dozen pcrsons) kind Of short tunic not unlike an
abbreviated Norfolk jacket, but fitting close TO the
figure, and made Of dark crimson velvet. 1t was
evidently original; nothing like it seen in the
fashion books. But the most striking thing about 1t
ovalshaped jewel as large in circumference as
"a swans egg, which fastened on the left breast
At a little distance and in rather dimly lighted
room il looked like "decOration," worn as it was
where Knights Of the Garter wear the star of their
Order. on VIEW it appeared that the ador
ing old lady had mounted on he: nondescrpt jacket
q picture Of her husband framed in gold and gems
That was her proud decoration; strange, but not
unbeautiful. on that occasion she talked OF
Dizzy and how she talked Of him! 1t was my
good fortune at the close Of the evening
to see her to her carriage. But first thick CLOAK or
mantle had to be put and this cloak had 10 be ed
at the thrnat with strngs and was permitted 70 tie