New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-20

hars in the beginning took a hint from ''Titbits
or from "Pearson's Weekly and founded a
nimsy thing called Answers" 1t has ceased TO
be hmsy financially speaking: has grown and
spread all the country and made money
enough to enable Mr.. Harmsworth 10 found other
periodicals. all of which circulate somewhere in
space where have no idea They may be bought
perhaps in the West Erd off the pavements
which. in this thrifty metropolis. serve to some ex-
tent as bookstalls SO may "Ally Slopers jour
nal" which a very eminent American journalist
once recommended TO me as goQd means or
studying one stratum Of English life. But
missed the opportunity
But the limit of high prices is not reached by
the half-crown reviews. THE yellow Book takes
a step beyond them and CHARGES five shilllngs for
itsef-sl 25 II has always been question
whether The Yellow Book now published by
Mr. John Lane at the Bodley Head. Nigo-si. was
a periodical or n book Mr. Lane treats II as
book of which successive volumes appear quar-
terly. This too is illustrates at times fearfully
and wonderfully illustrated by such amateurs or
the grotesque as Mr.. Beardsey and Mr.. Sickcrt
Their art contributions. like some Of the original
letter-press served to get the thing talked about
and earned for this venture that notorlety which
in these DAYS for laCi; OF something better Is held
to be a condition of success. The notoriety at
tanned. II IS then permissible by degrees 10 drop
the rrotesnue and to rely on what is genuine in
either art or literature.
The present number or volume OF THE yellow
Book" leads off with poem by Mr.. William Wat
son. which his admirers you is the best he
has vet given to the world: remark which oc-
ours with regularity as each succeeding poem
makes its appearance. Mr. Trail is also a con-
trbutor a writer Of real attachments In literature
both original and critical. But then follow MI.
Richard lie Gallienne and sundry other profess
sors OF the precious. They are said to have adj
nrers in America. The conservative critic
mean conservative from n literary. not political.
nojnt Of vew-sometimcs tells his flock that what
is crue and affected and capricous in the new
writing Of the day. finds reader acceptance.
or at least a more len!ent audience. in Amer
ic, than here lie will have it-Mr. Andrew
Lang for example. will have it-that there Is n
wan; of real culture In America. and Of serious
views OF literature. That say some OF these con-
sentative persons. is why SO many enthusiasms
burs. forth in 'the States; enthusiasms not ac-
cording to knowledge or judgment: not literary.
but impulsive. emotional. jejune. They cite the
"Trilby" craze illustration. Whether in
truth Mr.. lie Caffeine have an American pub
lie must be left TO those to say who. being IN
America have good means Of judging. need not
cite other names
Finally. we come to those periodicals which are
still spoken of as the quar,erlies; sometimes IN
a tone If awe. II some Of Their prestige Is gone
they still hold the field. The number OF people
who arc content to wait three months in order 20
be told what they ought to think on given set OF
subjects. is certainly not SO large as formerly
The edltorship Ct The Edinburgh or of THE
Quarterly is no longer the great pos, /; oncn was
icD no There : ID
ford no Macvey Napier. not even Or. William
Smith who really was an excellent editor and
died but the other day. Mr. Henry Reeve still
presidos over The Edinburgh" and he II any
body belongs TO the old Guard; an accomplished
man OF letters but always little heavy-handei
as editor Shall we take the contents Of the pres
ent number as specimen Of Mr.. Reeves idea 81
keeping in touch with tbe public? Here they are
The Progress of Canada.
The Classical Studies OF Dante.
Life and Letters Of Mrs. Craven.
SOmersetshire.
Alter Fritz"
The Sutherland Book.
Memoirs Of General Thebault.
ST. Sophia ana Byzantine building
Mr. Stopford Brooke Tennyson.
Weather Provision.
Perhaps as a whole. a little cxhaus,nS and
certainly lacking in freshness and in aptncss with
hardly one first-class topic among the whole
The Quarterly" offers a contrast:
The Bible at Home and Abroad.
Robert Louis Stevenson.
The COnciergerie
A Century Of Science.
Parish Agriculture.
The Waverey Novels.
Jeanne DArc.
Mr.. Balfour's Foundations or BeNcl.
The Poetry of Chaucer.
The Conservatism of To-day.
Out of the ten titles at least seven are alive, re-
lating either to matters OF immediate interes. or
OF perennial interes.. The treatment Of these Is
also modern and novel. Mr. Prothero. the new
editor succeeds TO good traditions Of editing. and
there is a great deal in that. Probably II matters
less than we in our journalistic impatience are
ant to think whether publication Ike this comes
out once a month or once "A quartcc. We may con-
cider IL IL we Ike rs book. and three months Is
no very long time to walt for a volume which
shall give you really considered ana competent
essays on timely subjects. The choosing OF the
suhiccts and OF Tho men to handle them is art
nv itself: not vet a lost art; probably no nearer
bcng lost than II was in the carly days Of such
men as I named above IT may be said Of '"rhc
Quarterly Review" az Emerson said OF The
Times forty years ago. and as any journalist or
any man verscd In public affairs would say OF II
now with still more emphasis: "These are us
palmy days" The tendency Is not to degenerate
but to improve. 1t mus. be so WIN an INSTITUTION
TO use the American word sometimes ridjculcd
here-which has In it the element OF vitality ana
which adapts itself to changing conditions.
G. W. s.