New-York tribune., 1893-12-03
LITERARY NOTES.

fu reading that the first authors Of his heart were
Goldsmith, Cervantes and Irving, he proV'oes d
strong argument for those who contend tiiat o'i"
dren should read only few books and the best
books These lovers of literature say In support vi
their poslton that these few strong works OF genius
being read and reread, help to form the char'er u
discipline and enrich the intellect ana 10 reniie
and enlarge the vocabulary Against the omniv-
orous reading OF the modern flood OF ch'idreh
books. they argue that It weakens the mind by
introducing n mass of superficial ana merely anus
ing stuff which awakens original thinkng-de-
velops no Intellectual powers. in fact-and harms
the character in far 1t cultivates the yearihIS
too prevalent among young people'to De amused
TO ..haye n good time and to shirk daily duties.
one thing is certain no matter how opinions on
this matter may vary-the reading OF only the r's'
literature in childhood does give an excellent
literary style which IL Is difficult to acquire In
any other way Then 1t becomes part OF the
fibre Of the mans brain and not thing OF study
The biography Of the great Marlborough which
Lord Wolse,ey is writing is making progress, but
no date has yet been fixed for its appearance.
4 number OF the unpublished letters of s T. Cole
ridge will appear in the pages OF Ihe Aua''''c
during the coming year.
The new Hazlltt book which is tust coming from
tho In LONDON. VIII contain IL icpihie i''''
the original MSS Of the "Iiber Amoris," hitherto
earbled: letters from Haztt TO Patmore, and tn"
diary kept In Scotland by Mrs. William Hazltt
while the divorce proc ,ediags of s22 were gong on
It is not certain whether the Intimate letters
10 Mr. T. c. Patmore, concerning the love aiiair
which formed the subject of the ''Liber Amoris,
will be included in this book. The originals were
sold at auction In London the other day. the sale
calling forth from Coventry Patmore. the son or
Hazlitts friend. a letter Of protest addressed to a
newspaper He expressed the regret that when the
correspondence was inherited by him he had not
p, rnel II and so destroyed forever 'he "unpleas-
ant secret Of IIaztt's mental and moral disease.
Instead says Mr. Patmore, he forwarded the
letters to the late Mr.. Registrar Hazlitt in order
that he. as Iiazlitts son. might have the salts
faction OF removing evidence calculated TO be so
damaging to his fathers fame Mr.. Registrar liaz-
litt apparently thought differently. 80 does Mr.
Carew Hazlltt the vendor; for. although agreeing
that "the ground for the suppression OF certain
passages is obvious" and although to part with
the manuscripts does great and sincere violence
to his feelings yet he is willing to hand them over
to the stranger who bids highest for them
In Mr. Coventry Patmores communication to The
London Times" he says severely Il presume that.
as my fathers representative. | could II choSe'
stop the publication of these letters. by inJunc-
ton: but feel that there would be some aDsuruity
In my assumption of tenderer care for HazItts
fame than that which is shown by his nearest
relatives
The Editor OF THE Century writing concerning
"the unknown authors chance says something
which will not please that upposcl-to-be-abused
person: Looking back over all the years OF me
century, sometimes think that the editors have
wasted too much time and energy have expended
too much sympathy. in trying to fan feeble hanes
OF talent. 1T Is a question whether this method
cannot be overdone 1t nterferes with the oppor-
tunities strong and original genius, scaters the
f.1c hnp In
many bosoms"
"When something Is very difficult to understand
said the distinguished professor of biology, lit
is called SCIENCE when it is impossible it is called
philosophy"
Mrs Cralgie John oliver Hobbes) is said to be
ot work upon long novel. her industry having
been interrupted OF late by serious illness.
There are some interesting letters in the current
"Atlantlc, which were addressed to Thoreau years
ago nv his clever English friend. Thomas Chol-
mondeley one OF them contains this suggestive
passage apropos Of Thoreau's hermit life; You
ought 20 have society. college. a conventual h'e
Is for you. You should be the member OF some
society not yet formed You want 1t greatly. and
,vi,bont this YOU will be liable to mouder AWAY as
Won get older. Forgive my English plainness OF
speech. Your love for, and intimate acquaintance
with Nature is anclary 10 some affection which
you have not yet discovered.
The great Kant never dinel alone. Once when
there was a danger OF the empty dinner table, he
sent his valet out, bidding him catch the first man
ne could find and bring him in. SO necessary was
the tonic the cnervcscing cup OF conversation. 10
his deeper labors Laughter, chatter, politics, ana
even the prose OF ordinary talk Is better than noth-
Ing Are there no clibs in Boston? The lonely man
Is a diseased man. / greatly fear See how care
I'm all essentials more reigiously free than he?
Now would have you one of wellknit society
or guild from which rays of thought and activity
might emanate. and penetrate every corner OF
your country. BY such course you would not lose
Nature But supposing that reasons. of which l
can know nothing determine you to remain in
quasi retirement; still. let not this retirement be
too lonely. Take up every man as you take up
a leaf. and look attentively at him.
Robert Louis Stevenson has been writing re-
Elective. half-melancholy poem, ITO My Old Famil-
lars" the old famliars being his kinsfolk ana
friends in the windy. rainy town of Edinburgh
As the of life begins to wane the thought or
the old home comes back
Yet when the lamp from my expiring eyes
Shall dwlnde and recede. the voice OF love
Fail insignificant on my closing ears, . A., =,
What sound shall come but the old cry OF the wind
In inclement city?
An essay on The Function OF the ioe' "mch
was found among the papers OF James Russell
Lowell will be published for the first time In the
January Century"
Professor Huxley s writing for the forthcoming
Life and Letters OF Sir Richard Owen, the chap
ters dealing with the scientific work OF the great
palaeontologist.
The last of the Sherlock Holmes stories appears
In the current number OF "McClure's Magazine
Therein DR.. Conan Doyle kills of ms nero win
dramatic detail and In company with criminal
as marvellous In his criminaty as Holmes Is In his
detective powers.
Strange to say. the intellectual methods OF Dr.
Doye's hero on the way to become practicaiiy
useful. A presiding justice in Natal was heard'
not long ago. to advise the police In the court
room to study the art OF detection In the Sherlock