The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-03-01
LITERARY NOTES

The system of photography n use
is peculiar TO the service, and IS the
result OF its experiments 1t is free
from all conventional operations, for
the photograph is made simply to be
recognized. The poses chosen are
A perfect profile, since that gives t.
sort of anatomical cut OF ,he lace !;
then full face view, since there one
has the habitual expression and the
pose of the head The picture is never
retouched, since scars, moles, and
spots are such inialhble means of
Identification. Absolute uniformity
is sought in size, form and style OF the
different photographs. In order that
the distance may be invariable, the
chair and camera are screwed to the
floor, and there is a perfect system of
adjustment. The light is thrown into
the face. The result is hard on the
subject. One does not care to display
his judicial photograph, but for the
purpose they are admirably, bruUally
exact.-Mc Clore'S Magazine for March.
Sometimes the foreman gave me
an afternoon off on Saturdays, and
though the days were long the work
was not always constant, and was
never very severe, writes William
Dean Howells in "My Literary Pas
sions" in the March Ladies' Home
Journal. | suspect now the Office
was not so prosperous as might have
been wished. | was shifted from
place to place in it, and there was
plenty of time for my day dreams
over the distribution of my case. l
was very fond of my work though, and
proud of nv swiftness and skill in it,
Once when the perplexed foreman
could not think of any task to set me
he offered me holiday, but l would
not take 1t, so fancy that at this time
was not more interested in my art of
poetry than in my trade OF printing
What went on in the Office interested
me as much as the quarrels of the
Augustan age of English letters, and
l made much more record OF it in the
crude and shapeless diary which |
kept, partly in verse and partly il
prose, but always of distinctly lower
literary kind, than that | was trying
otherwise to write
The March number OF Current Lit
erature is as fresh and sparkling as
ever. The new department, Glimpses
OF the Future is, for this month de-
voted to The Next War, giving won
der.ul amount of interesting matter
on the marvels of modern warfare,
smokeless powder, nitro glycerine
boats, fog balls, torpedo finders, dis
appearing gun carriages, the balloon
in war &c. The readings and stories
are more than usually strong. The
Escape of Besia is an account of .
womln's lonely ride OF three days and
nights across the Russian steppes.
The Mysterious Mirror is quaint
Japanese story. A characteristic
chapter is given from the much talked
of new book The Superhuous Woman
and other bright stories are given, al
interesting and up to Current Litera-
ture's high standard The literature
OF the whole world seems ODE search
ed for the latest and best IN every lioe
and every phase Of life and effort
biography, travel, adventure, science
hnmor, religion, education, history
music, medical progress the whole
being characterized by brisk, fresh
UP to date spirit with no trace Of aed
antry. The poetry in Current Literd
tltre is in itself sufficient in quantity
and quality to make it name and tc
endear the magazine to large Glen
tele.
There is nothing that commerce
fears so much as change and uncer
tainty concerning the laws which at
feet commercial transactions. The
delay in the Senate in passing the sill
yer repeal bill practically ruined
trade last fall or deprived it of ali
profit. It now greatly to be feareC
that like delay In settling the tariff
question will seriously damage the
commercial prospects for the cominl
season. Whatever may be the ulti
mate fate OF the Wilson bill, it should
be decided promptly, in order tina
commerce may know what the law is
and adapt its operations at once tt
the changed situation. If, in order
to save the spring business, it were pc
Iiticaly practicable for the Wilson
bill Quot including au income tax tc
be passed at once by the Senate, with
an understanding on the part Of both
It's friends and opponents that sixty
days be giveL to the consideration o
reasonable amendments which Nigh
be subsequently adopted, a large par
of the bill would in the public mine
be considered as definitely settled
The country would then know at one,
what to depend upon as far as thu
main features of the bill are concerned