Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1893-02-16
WITH PEN AND INK.
By l. II. ".
MAGAZINE NOTES.


be mistress OF this art and yet bear a
name so little known as Margaret Collier
Graham's.
Books and Reading in Iceland, gives
much curious information on this out-of-
the-way subject. IL would be interesting
to know how large an edition Of the ar
ticle will be translated into Icelandc.
The advance sheets OF the Atlantic an
nounced this as one of the best magazines
that they had published, but it is safe to
assert that by one reader it will not be
enioved. Mrs. van Rensselaer's recent
volume IN English Cathedrals" is very
thoroughly criticised and a great many
errors revealed in her more sweeping
statements concerning the history of
architecture. The criticism seems to be
made only in the interest Of truth and
accuracy, but of course the exposure Of
its faults will lower the standing OF the
work as a popular book OF reference.
Mrs. van Rensselaer, will probably profit
by the corrections in any future editions
of the book
The department called, Comment on
New Books" is not as thoughtfully writ
ten as one has right to expect in the
Atlantic. and this is the more noticeable
this month, az it follows the careful book
review just mentioned. For example G.
F. Lummis' "Some Strange Corners OF
our Country" is commented upon in these
words: "Mr. Lummis writes OF the won
derful natural features of the Southwest,
and Of the Indian and half-Latin races
that people the inhabited portions. There
is an agreeable restraint in his manner,
from the clear sense that the country is
already exaggerated enough and needs
no agony Of words, and the book is adj
mirably illustrated. The narrative is
frank and unaffected, and boys are to be
congratulated at falling into such good
hands," This estimate of Lummis' book
must be founded upon the old-fashioned
conception that what is not literature at
all. in the adult sense, sstill good enough
literature for boys. Although Lummis'
book is certainly Of value as fresh mater
ial, it is crude and slangy in style and
bears thick upon it the evidence of
being the work Of an inexperienced, un-
cultivated writer. 1t is little droll that
the Atlantic should unreservedly COM
mend a writer who describes Handsome
vallies" and "tousled ruins" and book
as being admirably illustrated" when
number of the illustrations have to be
turned toward every point of the compass
in order to ascertain which is bottom or
which top. The lack Of discrimination
in some OF these very short reviews in
this department probably arises from the
difficulty, which every reviewer has felt,
OF doing Justice in small space, and the
Atlantic notices very large number of
books within this crowded department
each month. We have been taught to
look for quality in this periodical, devoted
first OF all to literature, and quantity may
be found elsewhere.
The February Century is bright and
varied number Of the magazine contain
tanning rather unusually large percent
age Of fiction and descriptive articles Of
the lighter sort The opening article, by
7. A. Janvier, called IAN Embassy to
Provence" of which there is to he more
later. is good example Of how much IA
clever and thrifty writer can make OF
modicum OF material. The society sand
wich, very little bread and less butter, re-
sulting in certain chic etherealness, is
the material symbol Of this prevalent
style Of magazine article. OK
"Life in the Malay Peninsular," by
John Fairlie, is an article that fails OF be-
inggood through exactly opposite reasons.
Here is dull congestion of information,
stated in short didactic sentences, of
which the following agiaph is good
example:
1.-TWO gunboats and an army of five
hundred men were the force at command
OF the government. The climate is damp,
and the thermometer ranges from eighty
to one hundred degrees all the year
round. and there is great deal of ma
laria. The SOIL" But what has the
inofensive reader of this column Gone
that he should be dieted with slabs of
black bread made from the whole grain
of unbolted facts? The society sand
wich is less filling but more palatable.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich contributes an
amusing little story called, "Goliath."
"The Lustigs," by Mrs. Schuyler van
Rensselaer,, is very clever glimpse of
life in the tenement house district. She
has rendered the German-American
lingo to nicely and without exaggera-
ton.
STRAY Leaves from a Whaleman's |
Log" smacks OF the brine with tonic
freshness.
A beautiful head ofTennyson forms the
frontispiece, and some of the illustrations |
OF the article on the Malay Peninsular
are particularly attractive. Several of |
these drawings are by Malcolm Fraser, |
one OF youngest Of our illustrators and u
son OF w. Lewis Fraser, art editor OF the |
Century magazine. Young Fraser illus |
trations, in this article, directly face !
drawings by Harry Fem aud lear re-
markably well the comparison thus
challenged with the work of this exter,. .