The herald., 1893-05-28
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refusing to testify in q case in which his
own family was concerned. Longfellow
cast the same story in dramatic form in
I, his New England Tragedies few years
ago. and made it as simple as it was
tragical. Miss Williams amplifies it,
tempers its severity with some of the
humor which Yankees probably never
were without, even at times when
witch might glide through a
keyhole and prod them with
invisible pins; she makes the awful
blunder seem very real and full of
human interests, which Longfellow
failed to do, and she also makes clear the
bloodthirsty, brutal nature OF some of
the thick headed old fellows who i'm
agined themselves OF the elect. In
spite of the authors skill, though, the
story remains as delightful as q night
mare.
Messrs. TAFT, Sons & Co. have re-pub-
lished in book form, under the collec-
tive title, The Drama, four lectures by
Henry Irving, two ofwhich were de-
livered before etheePhilosophical institu-
tion IN Edinburgh, while q third was
addressed to the students OF Harvard
university and the fourth to
the members of the university
Of Oxford. They all deserve to
be carefully examined, both because
of the exceptional position occupied by
the author in his profession, and because
they bear witness to a long and fruitful
study of the history of the English stage.
| We purpose to consider them not in
their chronological, but in their natural
order, beginning with two discourses on
the Art of Acting, and then proceeding
to the authors applications Of his princi-
| pie in the lectures respectively devoted to
Four Great Actors and The Stage as it
Is. OF course man who takes himself
and his vocation 80 seriously as does
Irving repels with heat the notion that
the theater is merely place of amuse-
ment. He has to admit that it is pri-
marily regarded as such by its frequent
ers. Otherwise they would never enter
its doors. He contends, however, that
| for authors, managers and actors it is a
serious employment, to be undertaken
| gravely and adhered to rigidly. 1t
should be considered from their point of
view as we'll as from the position occu-
pied by the spectators. This is obvious,
| but Mr., Irving goes on to argue that the
etate is profoundly interested in the
condition of the stage. He says truly
that far-sjghted men in civilized coun
tries are beginning to adopt the Atheni
an rather than the Roman conception of
the theater, and to see in it an educa-
tional medium of no mean order.
There is no doubt that during the last
century it has been the means of teach
ing millions of people multitude of
facts which otherwise would in all like
lihood have been missed by them. How
many, asks Mr.. Irving, are there who
have had brought home to them by
stage 3eplays the costumes, habits,
manners of countries and ages
other than their own; what insight have
they not thus obtained into facts and
vicissitudes OF human existence, into
passions and sorrows and ambitions out
side the narrow scope of their own
lives?
In new books issued by TAFT, Sons &
Co we notice a hook entitled ORIOLES
Daughter, by Jessie Fothergill. Like
Cosmopolis, this most interesting book
-the last written before her death
by the gifted author of 'sThe First Vio-
lin," opens in the city OF Rome. Life in
! the Eternal City is sketched with mas
terly, and sympathetic touch, and when
the scene changes to the north Of Eng
ldnu tLC dbuiobDhOiSOt VI tlAo btOly ChnhkCb
as abruptly from the humid breath of
the south to the bracing air of the Eng
lish shires. The story is well and clearly
told; it is full of exquisite passages, is
delicately written, and absolutely free
from any suspicion of grossness.
All the above books for sale by the Stoll &
Thayer CO., No. 139 South Spring street.
Book Chat.
Walter Besant, the novelist, will sail
on the steamship Etruria for New York
on June 10th. He will visit several
cities in New England before leaving for
Chicago.
Rider Haggard has just completed a
new novel, which 10 said to be some
what in the manner of Beatrice. 1t will
probably be called The Way of the Trans
gressor.
Mr.. George Meredith has just been
giving some sittings to Mr.. g. F. Watts,
K. A. He is now busily engaged upon
serial story entitled Lord Ormont and His
Aminta, which will be published in the
Pail Mall Magazine. Mr.. Meredith has
also undertaken to write a serial story
which will bear the title, The Amazing
Marriage, for Scribner's.
The tenth and last volume of Mr..
Spencer's Synthetic Philosophy will be
issued soon. 1t is the second volume of
The Principles of Ethics, in which, along
with Justice previously published there
are included two new parts on Negative
and Positive Benefcence. Mr.. Spencer
has not finished, however; for there
still remains to be filled up the gap left
in The Principles of Sociology.
Mr.. Henry B. Fuller has written q
novel concerning life in big business
block in Chicago, and has given it the
odd name of The Cliff Dwellers. 1t ia to
be published as a serial in Harpers'
Weekly.
Prime Minister Gladstone, on the 8th
met, offered the place of poet-laureate,
made vacant by the death of Lord
Tennyson, to Ruskin.
George r. Wilson, NJ. B. @. NJ, au-
thor of Drunkenness, the new issue of
the Social Science Series, employs as
his primary object the presentation to
the student of social science a study of
drunkenness, regarded as a nervous
disease. He considers also the most
hopeful means of cure, devoting atten-
tion also to the moral treatment of the
patient.
The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans
is fourth edition of this valuable little
book, complete with colored plates.
This edition contains a list OF badges,
war cries and historical sketches of the
clans, with full double-page productions