New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-12

things in this magazine is the collection o. Hius.a
lions to "Midsummer-Nghts Dream maze os vi,
Abbey and talked about in desultory way, through
some pages of text, by Andrew Lang over 'he
authors share In the proceedings we need not inger
for II is poor stuff Mr. Abbey's pictures invite spe
cial comment, for some OF them are very goou anu
Others are very bad. Among the latter IL the IRON
tispiece depicting Hernia in the Wood. an erect
I've design spoiled utterly by lack OF rehei III ''e
reclining figures II is possible that the picture
NAV have been injured in process OF reproducVoi
but we are led to believe that 1t is Mr.. ABBEY
fault by the fact that other OF these llus'ra'o"'
show him nodding. "Titania" Is DISAPPOINTING
,;sure as conception-just a characterless Great
ure with absurdly enormous wings-and as OIL Oh
black and white work the drawing Is far peo"
Mr. Abbey's standard for variety. vvidness ana
strength OF line On the other hand. we nave III
one a, least of these illustrations absolute mas
terpiece. The picture showing the entrance OF lhe
seus in the first scene of the first act is brilliant
composton handled with noble breadth ana ais
tlngushed originality. 1t has been done with the
brush 1t is to be hoped that 1T may some day be
exnanded from a wash illustration into great can
vas done in oils
A notable contribution TO the history Of President
Grants Administration is TO be found IN Ihe Az
,antic" in ex-Secretary Coxs explanation OF the
late Judge Hoar's resignation from the Grant Capi-
ne, The correspondence. originally published
shows only that Hoar resigned and that the fresi-
dent accepted the resignation IN an amiapie anu
complimentary letter. Cox discloses the TACT 'ha'
Grant demanded the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS pace IN
cur, note giving no reason nor explanation. SUD-
seouent interview between the two men lurnisheu
these Grant frankly letting his discarded oficer
see that the price be paid by the President 1or
Southern Senatorial support for his san Do"'iso
echeme was a Cabinet office TO be given 10 'he
South and that Hoar was to reHnqush MS pace
for this purpose. The story told by Hoars frieho
a lpht on
acter-on his ductlity under selfish influences ana
on his unreasonlng persistence in travelling wrong
road when he had once started upon IL. Inc san
Domingo business one OF the queerest episoues
of his Administration. and the future historian VIII
probably find none more valuable in a study OF
General Grant.
professor B,rkbeck Hills Talk over Autographs
serves as peasant vehicle for "reminiscences, orig
inal and selected. OF many famous men. Adoed 10
these are some amusing recollections OF one more
notorious than famous. namely. the great upper.
Apropos OF this prodigious bore. Mr. Hill says tha'
An his undergraduate days he once heard Swinburne
mock his brother bard by payfully maintaining
that he had seen a book advertised with the title
s.The Poet the Proverbalist and the philosopher
or Selections from the Writings OF solomon snake
speare and Martin F. Upper. Of such selee'ioh
and such a title" adds Hill. Topper would have
heen quite capable. A slight but amusing instance
q, his vanity was told me by friend of mine. who
mas taking mart in the election Of the representa-
tiyes to Parliament of the University OF Oxioro.
Tupper who had come up TO vote with an ar OF
Importance had given in his name. The Official not
catching L. asked him 10 repeat II. With great Dig
uity but yet with a certain plaintive tone as II
such a question should not have had to be put 10
so famous a man. he deliberately said Martin FAR
uuhar Upper, the poet.
The August "Scribner" is specially devoted 10 nc
ton. and the supply may be said to be credtaoie
n not extraordinary. The cleverest Of these oner-
,nes OF sentiment is Anthony Hopes Wheei OF
Love" which is cynical and now ana theh ra'her
witty and leaves the reader indisposed 10 oeheVe
4, the reality Of the tender passion. Richard
Harding Davis's story Is labored and commonplace
and quite unworthy Of the author OF Gaiiegner
which of its kind was real and spontaneous The
.Scab'" by Octave Thanet Is picturesque ans val
uabe as 10 moral-but It is a bit too meiodr&matic
for art.
Again with an Old World charm Mr.. Abbey greets
us in the first pages OF this magazine his recent
works In pastel are there made the subject OF an
sppreciative paper by Hopknson Smith. the
text serving as an accompaniment to seven or eight
REPRODUCTIONS 1t is good TO see these pastes recog
nized and celebrated In this way Mr. Abbey re-
yeaied a phase Of his art when ne brought
them forward. and ne took pains that his venture
should have than the specous attraction OF
novelty He produced In his pastes some OF the
maturest and most subtle pictures he had ever exc
cued and he saturated them. above ALL with poetic
a,mosphere The women Of these portraits from the
realm of ideastlc types are stately, even queeny.
figures In the main. and the present reproductions
have been so excellently done that the back and
white is very fair equivalent for the original ef-
feet as such things go.
The one piece Of fiction of the month which has
survival written across 1t is Mr.. Kiplings sketch in
sMcClure's Magazine" The flight OF Moweli before
the ravening beasts on his track, the weird and
terrible onslaught Of the Little People of the Rocks
these things set before us in a virile and fiery
fashion possible. believe. to no other writer Of
to-day We see dimnution OF this young mans
movers nor any sign Of the blase mood which
often attacks the modern story-teller Other people
write themselves OUT this has apparently found
the secret of renewal.
The August Century" is issued. like all the other
magazines at this time. as midsummer holiday
number" but the truth is that II is rather srenu-
GUS as to much OF It's text. Mr.. Nordau answers
his critics in article spirited II somewhat super
fcial Miss HapgOod contributes a sketch of Sonya
Kovalevsky. the interesting but hysterical lady
whose career lately touched upon In The Trb-
une Mr. Sloane includes Marengo in his instalment
Of the Napoleon Life" and there are two sugges-
tive papers on the battle Of the Yaloo, by Cap
tain Mahan and the other by Commander Philo y.
McGffin. who took the Chen-Yuen into action. On
top Of all this Mr.. Crawford reaches some exceed
1ngiy grim episodes In his Casa Braccio. Truly
II as though the century were DENT OF
stirring the blood of its readers these warm mid
summer days But there other contributions OF
a less exciting nature. Dr. Henry van Dyke writes
invitingly OF "Od-Fashoned Fishing" and there
are sketches from George Wharton Edwards,
John Fox. jr.. and Mary Scott-uda. which
ceptable even IN warm weather
Mr.. Sedgewcks discourse on literary Berkshire is
disappointing. He is apparently afraid to be too
personal. when writing about famous people OF
q past generation. and what few anecdotes ne does
tell are painfully hackneyed The article is inical
rather than tasteful
The current number OF The Pail Mall Magazine"
Is In somewhat CHASTITY vein w. w Astor's
own story, Monsieur de Neron" is a thoroughly
we-worked-out study OF reincarnaton- by
the detail that Nero. the Emperor. remembers all
his past when ne becomes De Neron. the modern