The herald., 1893-02-26

he struggled with his phrases as with ,
nervous malsdy. There is something o
Meissonier in the elaboration of hi
pictures, while oddly enough there il
also in his work the same grand anC
thrilling sense of combination of vas
subjects to be found on the canvases o
Rubens. In TACT, Flaubert was like {
painter trying to cover canvas worthy
OF Rubene, with the excessively minute
and perfect finish OF Meissonier. Mhat
wonder that his life was filed with un
remitting study and toll, and that tbs
practice of his art almost broke his
spirit.
To his long wanderings in Pheuicia
in 1850 is due much of the subtle charm
which exhales from the pages oi
Salammbo, in which the author has
resurrected for us the life of that ancient
world where the Hebrew fugitives from
Egypt, the dauntless NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
were supreme until the final triumph OF
that Rome which they had detied with
the arrogance of success for go long q
time. Even had Flaubert paid less at
tention to the perfection of detail in his
description of these ancient battles and
these imagined or somewhat idealized
less wars long and gloomy course, his
work would have been certain to endure.
There is a magic in the atmosphere, a
truth in the deIineation OF passion, SO
abundant a sympathy in the accounts OF
battles and the privations OF the COM
batants, and such simplicity and
strength in the hundreds OF genre pic
tures scattered through the book, that
it must be accounted masterpiece.
So long as men battle and women
love, 30 song as human nature suffers no
change in its great attributes, so long
will the story of Hamilear and Speudius,
of Martha and of Salammbo, of the
leprous Hanno and the fiery Nsrr'
Havas, be read with strong emotion and
with avidity. 1t awakens only noble
thoughts, despite it's sensuous setting.
1t is like an exquisite piece of Greek
sculpture, mighty, yet too ethereal in
its beauty for modern hands to create,
set against a background flooded with
eumptuous color.
x*x
On Monday evening, February 9th,
at Grand Opera house, the readers as.well
as those who do not read but belong to
the army who listen, will be entertained
by that King of Humor, Edgar Wilson
Bill. In connection with this fact few
words concerning his books would be
not amies. At one time his books were
only published in the cloth binding but
now they can be secured in an elegant
paper edition issued by Morrill,, Higgins
& Co. of Chicago.
In the volume devoted to Bill Nye's
Chestnuts, old and new, we are presented
with the --latest gathering" and those
most freshly roasted. As the reader
slances down the pages broad grin
chases itself over his face as he reads
the bits of delicious burlesque and odd
phrases written in such an original way.
This particular time his Chestnut Burr
which describes how, sin an unguarded
moment Bill Nye is captured by polit-
ical Riren," will be doubly interesting
and will tickle the fancy of the gray
matter OF many politician.
In Baled Hay you will find many trite
and beautiful sayings, but no poetry
and there ia not a thought or eugges
tion contained in it that would soil the
most delicate fabric. But there are 8
few items in regard to Autumn. Bill
Nye's Cat and The Public Printer
which will cause sober men to sit at
times with tears running down their
cheeks, or falling over almost with hi
larity.
In Bill Nye and Boomerang you will
find touching tale of a meek-eyed mule
mule whose bright smile will haunt
you. and whoee low, mellow notes you
can hear sounding in your ears as yor
read Nye's Letter from Paris, An Apos
trophe to an Orphan Mule, The Rocky
Mountain Hog, Shoeing Bronco. etc
By far the best of the series Ia the on,
whose title, Forty Liars and Other Lies
was suggested in line quoted iron
Byron, Praised Be All Liars and al
Lies. This book, according to the author
marks an era in the history of clgssica
literature. The spelling may be eccentri
ia places; and the etymology, synta,
and proeody may be erroneous and ab
normally picturesque, but the emaciate
statements contained in its pages vii
shine on through the coming years, lon
after the statistics compiled with g
much care, in the great field of liters
ture, by the United States entomologis
shall have disappeared in shoreles
sea of oblivion.
When the readers look over the art
cles headed Sitting Bull. The Fort
Las, chronological and Some Earnef
Thoughts, ETC., etc.. he will hold hi
sides to prevent total collapse and vot
Mr.. Nye's style inimitable and hi
wealth OF drv humor inexhaustible.
WV
James Pott & Co. have just publishe
an address by Henry Drummond, Ell
titled The City Without Church, i
sued in neat booklet, bound in ege
shell paper and printed on calendere
paper.
The frat part OF the address treats O
the subject, "F saw the city," te1
taken from the writings of st. Johl
Two statements made by him attract a
tention in very startling way: Firs
that the likest thing to heaven he coul
think of was city; second, that the
was no church in that city. The mo
original and striking thing in this
vision of the subject is the simple CO
ception of heaven as a city. In th
world a city is almost the antipodes
heaven. No other religion which has
heaven ever had heaven like this. II
Greek, if he looked forward at q
awaited the elysian fields, the orient
sought nirvana. All other heavens ha
been gardens, dresmIands-passiviti
more or less aimlees. Even to the 10
J jority among ourselves heaven is sizes
, and not city.
But the readers of this little volur
J will be set thinking when they col
J mence to consider the other extrer
, from their present mode of reaaonil
and select the citadel of the worlt
| feuAr the oanulinn of ita IlnrRat [