New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-14
LITERARY NOTES.

whether the Real of the scullion or the Real OF
prophet and poet? "Hc will never be great ar
tists says a writer IN "Tie Contemporary Review
awho does not aim at the better'-who has not
vision Of unrealzed beauty before him. ideal after
which he strives, luring him forward but never
actually touchec-'the CLEAN, the light that never
was on sea or land.' The artist be he poet or
painter, is not mere copyist OF nature; ne is her
Interpreter her prophet giving astlculate expression
20 her dumb spirit. Herein lies the value OF the an
tique to the student Of art. The great artists OF
Greece were realists and idealsts in one. They
were scrupulously true to nature but they localized
her, Sophocles claimed credit for depicting men as
they ought TO bel. he painted humanity not In
dividuas. Aristotle who quotes the boast OF eopho
cies with appreciation, praises Poygrotus because ne
painted men better than they are; and in his Poll
tcss he forbids the pictures Of Paueon TO be shown
10 young children because he painted men below the
ordinary level Of human nature lola is oad ar
tst, because his deineation of human nature Is an
outrage humanity at large"
Frau Emden Heine, the sister Of the poet Hdne
ts now preparing for publication her correspondence
with her brother. He wrote to her often ana con-
6dentially
The "Tauchnitz Magazine which appeared in
Germany for the first time this month, has had much
success. Like the long list Of English and American
books from the same famous house, books familiar
and so welcome to travellers In Europe, 1t is only in
tended for circulation on the Continent Each num-
her win contain complete story. 1t is sold for the
modest price of 90 pfenDigs, IL 1-2 cents. Edu-
Gated Europeans, who are usually good linguists,
have for many years manifested great fondness for
English and American literature. To this native
fepdency more than TO the custom Of travelling
Engushmen and Americans, the Tauchnitz house owes
its immense success.
The fourth article OF Theodore Stanton upon Abra-
ham Lincoln appears In the September number OF
@The Westminster Review" Qondon). 1t deals par
ticularly with Llncon's moral qualities, including
his RELIGIOUS sentiments. Mr.. Stanton, In sum-
ming up what has been written upon this point by
all those who had the best opportunity OF scquant-
ance with Lincoln, says: "a man about whose
theology snch things b said Is Of course, far re-
moved from orthodoxy. II may even be questioned
whether he is theist, whether he is deist. That
he is ree-thinker is EVIDENT that he is an agnosc
is probable Addson's line seems to fit the case;
Atheism is an old-fashoned word; am a free
thinker In connection with Frederick Douglass's
relations TO Lincoln, Mr. stanton tells this new anec-
dote that came under his personal observation "Two
other men Of distinction made in This respect per
haps deeper impression the present United States
Minister to Hayti. When Douglass babe good-by to
Victor Schoelcher, tie famous French abotonist,
the latter kissed him on both cheeks. AS left the
was silent for some time. Then, turning on me sud
denly he exclaimed, If having at length recalled
the fact: But two white men have ever kissed me;
one Senator Schoelcher and the other was Gerrit
Bmith.'