Birmingham age-herald., 1894-09-16
GOSSIP FROM BOOKLAND.

The opening article in Munsey's Maga- zine for September is 'tArtists and Their Work '' with painters and engravings of represen tative canvasses of the French, English, German and Italian schools
 'Favorites of the Paris Stage" ," by Ar thur Hornblow, is an entertaining sketch of the foremost figures ofthe Freneh theat- rical world.
 And in reading the short synopsis of their lives and work it is wonderful to ob- serve the tremendous success they have each achieved. Speaking of thatwonder- ful woman, Sarah Bernhardt, the writer says: $f
 ''Probably no actress in anycountry Is so universally known. In some interest ing pages of personal "reminiscences Mme. Bernhardt tells how she came to go on the stage: ' family council was assembled It consisted of my mother, my aunt, my godfather and an old friend of the family. My own wishes were consulted, and said timidy that thought should like to be painter, against which audacious proposal every one protested emphatically. Well, make an actress of her. put in tn e amily friend.
 {" An actressI She's as ugly as she can be, said my god-f father kindly. 'Uglyl' cried my mother, up in arms at this insult to her maternal pride. My daughter ugly? You are mad, manl She is charm ing with that wild air of hers. Look at her eyes--aren't they superb? Uglyl You are crazy, my dear sirl' And wounded in her feelings, my mother marched up and down the room till my future vocation was decided.b
 An article, delightfully."- written and full of interest 10 all, is 'Scott's Life Scenes and Life Work, |" by George Holme. In famous review of Lockhart's "Life of Scott,' Carlisle protested against man writing without preparation. It was said that the immortal novels of the Waverly series were written nt speed of 5000 words day, but going along the life of Scott we find that his whole boyhood was prepara- ton.
 1t was as verse writer that Scott made his first reputation. In 17SS he had heard a lecture by Henry Mackensie upon German learning German. It was while he was at the height of his enthusiasm that Mrs. Barbauld visited dinburgh and recited an English translation of 'Lenore, by Burger. Two lines caught bis fancy:
 Tramp, tramp, across the sea they speed;
 Splash splash, across the sea-
 not because they were so beautiful, but be- cause he said he could write that kind of poetry. He tried and produced The Eve of Sc. John and "rhe Gray Brother.
 Speaking of southern writers in the lit- erary chat of Munseys, the writer says:
 s'They are Grace King George w. Cable, Mrs. Ruth McEnery Stuart and Thomas Nelson Page. These are the people who have used the south in artistic fashion, and have given the essence of southern life.
 'Cable is almost a caricaturst. Grace King knows the life she depicts, but that has nothing whatever to do with the value of her work. Its humanity is it's keynote. ries, the traditions of slavery. Ruth Me- Emery uart has the clear vision which sees all around her subject, and sees it as the real artist always sees 1t, optimisti- cally.'
 The Century Illustrated Magazine is re- plete with delightful articles. "Schoos' Excursions In Germany" by J. M. Rice; pictures by Werner Zehme, "Across Asia on Bicycle, /" and by Thomas Gaskell with pictures after photographs by the authors. "Addison, the Humorist, :" with portraits by M. o. W. Oliphant. .'He had his critics in his day, but the burden even whelmingly in his favor, and now-a- days there is no one in the world, we believe, who has other than gentle words for the gentle writer-the finest critic, the finest gentleman, the most tender humorist of his age. It is not only admiration, but sort of personal affection with which we look back, detecting in all the bustling com panies of that witty and depreved period his genial figure, with a delightful sim- pliciiy in the midst of all the Journalism, and whole heartedness among the conceits and pretensions of the fops and the wits, the intriguing statesmen and busy con- spirators of an age in which public faith can scarcely be said to have existed at all. Addison is the very embodiment of that delightful. gift of humor on which we pride ourselves so much as a specially English quality.
 &S
 In this same magazine Is found "Poe in Philadelphia selections from the corre- spondence of Edgar Allen Poe; "A Jaunt into Corsica," with illustrations from na- ture by A. Castaigne. "I was much sur prised to find that Place Letizia was short, narrow street not over or 10 feet wide. A short distance up this narrow way stands the four story yellowish gray house which