New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BOOKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

season has given birth is rich as any or them.
and yet is compacted of only one mans wit.
1.-THE Oliver Wendell Holmes Year BOOK
QIoughton Mihlin & Coz. has not dry page IN
It, and 1t leaves the reader. moreover, win the
confidence that many more volumes ike IL
could be compiled from the same sources out or
which IL has been made. This is one OF the
purest delights the Autocrat gives. the sense OF
reserve power, the sense Of rounded WISDOM es-
tablishing each wittcism on the deep reaiities OF
human nature Poetry and prose alternate in
the prettily made little volume before us. Dut
the urbarc philosophy is the same throughout
the glow and tenderness Of the writer hoid yo"
whether he is conversing with exquisite humor
or versifying with exquisite grace Indeed a
hook like this Is extremely interesting In the
light which II throws on the specific character
Of Holiness genius on the personal fascination
which it is ever his first prerogative to exert no
matter what the form in which he addresses ms
audience Philosophy. criticism, biographical
and even photographed fragments are sowh
broadcast through these pages, and In the verse
there are appeals to the most diverse emotlohs'
vet in the end they all provocative or the
Judgment that Holmes had. as he himself said
of Lamb "a personality which was quite apart
from that of all average humanity. ana ne Is
adopted as one of the pleasantest inmates of
gentle speech seem to Nnger in his quaint saws
and whimsical badinage. One can fancy MN
saving. with an irresistible twinkle In his eye
mo shouder-striker hits out straighter than
child with its logic. Why. can remember lying
in nv bed in the nursery and settling questions
which all that | have heard since and got out
Of books has never been able 10 raise again
There are year books and year books This
one dainty made. and with an interesting por-
trait Of the author in his eighty-fourth year.
will, prove companionable in the best sense 10
any one having sympathy for pereniaiiy JOY
ous and helpful nature. 1t Is good for every day
in the year. and for many years after
The volume OF "Old English Songs (Macmillan
& Coz for which Mr.. Hugh Thomson has made
illustrations and Mr.. Austin Dobson has written
an introduction is begung one. 1t is httIe
and pretty and the quaintness or the arust
fancy keeps pace with the quaintness OF 'he o'u
rhymes-with Coridon's song, and Piscator s.
with the ditty from "Deuteromelia' with Tom
D'Urfey's Come. Sweet Lass" and Gays I'M
mortal verse How Happy Could | be WIN
Either: with Fieldng's Hunting Song ana
the satrical ballad Of Sir Dlberry Diddle me
delicacy the grace and humor of Mr.. Thomsons
drawings are delicious. Ii is hard TO say which
arc most fascinating his coy girls and bashful
SheDherQS
berry. The scenes through which this redoubt-
able militia hero. "foaming as furious as
wh,sked new milk" is conducted TO the wars are
&c con,ical as they are technically charming
Writers like Holmes writers who pass their
treasures Of thought through the channeIs OF a
peculiarly rich temperament are as rare as
rubles and it Is very gratifying circumstance
that to modern letters America has given GER
tain types Of this sort. Godfrey Crayon Is one.
Two editions Of Irvng's most personal literary
legacy have reached us. The Putnans pupllsh
1.-The Sketch Book" in two handsome volumes
with decorative cover. a coOred border on every
page and seveual good Photographic hlusta-
lions: and from the J. B. Lippincott Company
the book comes in two smaller octavos, on
thinner paper and with cuts that date from
the earlier days Of the publication. Both present
the inimitable text in come.y shape and printed
in fair. readable type. The L!ppincott edition.
less sumptuous on the whole than that 10 whlch
the Putnams have given the apt title OF the
ivan Tasse." has nevertheless, something OF
an advantage over it's rival in being lighter and
handler Convenient size is worth considering In
the cas- of this particular book OF lrvings. lie
is discursive here. he rambles in his most des-
ultory vein from the art of bookmaking 10 the
Boar's Head Tavern in Eastcheap from the
R:p of our vernacular to the exotic Won LANDS
horts and Observation-Disclosures OF THE Sceptre
BRIDEGROOM" As such q fabler and historian. he
is most appreciated in guise that permits nm
TO be carried lightly anywhere. for snatches or
entertainment at intervals. Irving writing IN
the Ahambra is an author for the library; nv
ing discoursng of $4,000 things. as in the
Sketch Book" is man to pick up at odd mo-
ments and to be enjoyed IN perfect heedlessness
of place or time This correspondence between
the spirit OF book and its material form Is IN
variabIy interesting and worthy of comment. 1t
is most agreeable. for Instance 10 hnd Dodo'
Mead & Co publishing IN four tiny booKie's'
with pale gray covers showing their black deco
rations as through a veil. the quartet OF fam
tastic tales with a fifth thrown in as bonnie
bouche which has been translated from Paul
Heyse by Frances A. Van Sanford. AT the
Ghost Hour" is the happy title for the little
eroup OF stories which includes THE Forest
Laugh" MIDDAY Magic" THE Fair Ablgal'
and THE House Of the Unbeieving Thomas.
The pages are enliyened by pen and INK
yignettes and arabesques from the deft hand or
Alice c. Morse and taken all in all, each one OF
The four books is ideal resource for the half
hour between jumping into bed and blowing out
the candle. Heyse has a winning way with him;
he is genial writer. even when he is playing in
cu,sitively about supernatural motives, and TO
these sympathetic translatons the publishers
have given exactly the right dress
II Is possible to speak with the same cordially
~ the two little volumes. Romance Switzerland
and "Teutonic Switzerland" Joseph Knight Com
nany). In which MI w. ID. McCrackan has retold
pleasantly and concisely some Of the Interesting
enisodes In the history Of the Mountain Repub-
lie He takes up great themes. talking OF Vol
taire and Mont Blanc. Nine de Stael and the
Northern lakes William Tell, battle-helds and
famous cities He is brief and superficial, but ne
is also intelligent. and writes with vivacny
which ought TO make his slender chapters OF SER
N Alps. They VIII