San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-02-15
ABOUT BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Written for the LIGHT.

Probably not. 1t contains a more than
unusually interesting article from the
pen of Guillaume FerrerO, by title:
Cruelty and pityin Woman" He quotes
Spencer, who says that among SaVages
women are as peTyerSe and cruel as the
men and that they only work less evil be-
cause they are weakly and less able TO do
harm, then cites instances of both traits
and seeks to reconcile the seeming con-
tradiction.
The entire article is well written and
worth reading.
The February number OF the century Is
good, of course; that is foregone con-
clusion when you have read the table CT
contents; in fact, a bare list OF the CON
tributors to the number will convince
you of its excellence: Janvier, Grace
King, Mrs. Burton Harrison, Camille
Saint Saens, Wolcott Balestier, Mary
Hallock Foote, Thomas Bailey Aldrich,
TomaSso Salvini, Mrs. Schuyler Van
Rensselaer,, Mary Mapes Dodge, and 9th
er very excellent folk, even IL not such
old friends.
Something ~ appeal to each Of US,
Camille Saint Saens gives an article on
Franz List, that wonderful man who
fascinates a world with his genius and
his strong personal magnetism, If you
will pardon the much abused word, |
had for the moment forgotten that only
politicians are magnetic.
The "open letter" of Fanny Morris
Smith entitled "How Pianists may be
different and yet each be great" forms an
excellent pendant tn the article by Saint
Saens, and both are timely, while the
great young artist with the "chrysanthe-
mum hair" is delghting Boston audiences
| by his wonderful playing.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich gives an in
pertaining account of his adventure with
Goliath.
Since the death of Englands great
Laureate many have written of him and
his work, of these / think like best the
| article in this magazine by Henry Van
Dyke written to record memory and
to express thought"
Something in the poem, by Bissin
Chandler, reminds me of the poetry OF
Frederick w. Faber. l give it entire.
{ On a head of Christ by Quentin Mar
tyrs. Q5th Century,
A grieving face, adown whose hollow
cheek
The bright tears fall from tender
| mournfu: eyes,
Eyes sad with never finding what they
seek,
Lips curved by many weary wasting
signs.
The tear drops glisten-frail they seem
and slight,
AS though breath would melt them
into air;
And yet four hundred years of day and
night
Have passed since first the painter
formed them there.
How strange that they should last, those
painted tears,
While Kingdoms perish, nations fall and
rise;
Strange that through all the rush of
They lie unchanged in those sad, griev-
ing eyes.
Does he yet mourn? The world from him
enticed,
Wanders afar, and will walk his way.
o patient one. o weary, watching Christ,
Are the tears wet upon thy face today?
We have read so much about Russia
of late years, mostly condemnatory, that
| the contribution from the pen OF the sec
rotary of the Russian Legation will
prove OF interest from the fact, may say.
the surprising fact, that an official of
the Russian government has been per-
mitted to break through the reserve of
his position in order to make an eXplana-
ton to the American people of the Situa-
tion as he understands it. As the rural
orator remarked Its a mighty poor
question that haSn'l got two sides to It,
f c. Buell. gives us interesting Pre-
liminary GlimpSeS of the Fair" and shows
our American artists at work doing their
part toward making the great fair worth
seeing. 1t is greatly to be hoped they
will succeed in doing work that will not
only be a credit to themselves but add
Iustre to the fame of American art.
f. d. Millet. Beckwith and Blashticld,
Kenyon Cox, Robert Reid, Reinhart, 1--WE
all know Reinhart) Shirlaw. Edward
ut ha
done" cuttings for our admiration.
Aside from their undeniable merit
from literary point of view, it seems to
me that Grace Kings stories have an
artistic value which we do not find in the
writings of Cash. The latter given at his
best, (and his best, is very good indeed)
writes as an outsider. no danger of mis-
taking him for creole, but not for an
instant.
Read Grace Rings Balcony stories"
and Judge for yourself.
Ali the articles in this number of the
Century are good and some of the pict-
ureS are excellent. t
1t is a common weakness, II weakness If
be, to take an interest In all that relates
to the personality of the great leaders of
thought, or action, consequently which
ever leaves Of the magazine may re-
main uncut, so will not, those lin which
may be found facts and "reminiscences Of
our political or literary heroes. Certain
ly no two Americans.
ever appealed in a nobler or finer way to
the American heart and to the American
| intellect than the two men va read of in
the February Harper, Whittier and
George William Curtis So much has
been written, and so ably, relating to the
| gentle Quaker poet that il is not for me
| to indulge in idle praises
The "Recollections of~George w. Cur
| tbs" by John w. Chadwick, are timely
| and gracefully written. The time will be
Il mic . o oboi