Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-29
GOSSIP FROM BOOKLAND.

Life that, when youth was hot and bold, Leaped up in scarlet and in gold,
 Now walks-by graver hopes possessed In russet and in silver dressed.
 Such is the key note struck at the be- ginning of a collection of graceful verses by MT. Edmund Gosse, and entitled In Russet and Silver"
 Delightful half hours may be passed with this pleasing volume for com panion.
 The author of Alice in Wonderland" who uses the pen name Lewis Carroll. is Prof. Charles L. Dodgson of Oxford, England (born in 1S32). He is clergy man and mathematician, and never has acknowledged the authorship of the Alice books, the first of which was published when he was B years of age. To corre- spondents for his autograph he replies with a curiously worded printed slip, in which he says that Professor Dodgson does not acknowledge any books but those that bear his own name."
 "Contemporary French Painters is an essay by Philip Gilbert Hamerton, with sixteen photographic illustrations
 MT. Hamerton was peculiarly fitted by unusual qualifications to write upon con- temporary French painters, and those who have grown to prize him highly will regret that this splendid volume can be succeeded by no other.
 In treating of modern French art MT Hamerton takes David and his teachings as a starting point, and passes on to the rise of romanticism, and thence to ar lists who made picturesque nature their study-animal painters-and MT. Hamer- ton discourseS enthusiastically of Tro- yon, whose figures have such charming landscapes. Here the talk ends and by the death of MT. Hamerton a valuable writer Is lost.
 Uillia Wintar Whn has written so exquisitely of "Old Shrines of Ivy" "Shakespeare's England'' and others will soon publish another volume, Brown Heath and Blue Bells" We may indeed look for something dainty and clever when he writes of bonny old historic Scotland and the border country.
 q
 Julian Ralph is one of the best known best liked and ablest newspaper and magazine writers in America He was born of English parents in the city of New York in 1853. It seems to be the fortunate peculiarity of Mir. Ralph that the world interests him, and he is capa- ble of perfectly fresh enthusiasm at the sight of old famaliar objects. According to a story that is told of MT. Ralph, By love-" said he once to an old fellow New Yorker, have you ever seen the city hall? Have you? Well, I stumbled across it yesterday, and I'm proud to be in the same town with it"
 MT. Ralpn mas been WrltlnS TOT the Sun and for the Harper publications for something like twenty-five years now. He loves the pen, it is said, and 1t flies in his hand He is a great lover of change and was not perfectly happy in his work until 1t gave him the opportunity of trav- cling In 1S91-2 he travelled 25,000 miles and in 1893 30000 miles. When he went to China he prepared himself very care fully in pigeon English, which he had been told he would find useful, and on discovering a Chinaman in his bedroom at hotel in Shanghai remarked: "Hel- To! What-tng? What fashion man you b'long? What side you come?" 10 which the Chinaman replied: This is MT. Ralph. I presume. We have mutual friends who suggested my calling on you. Oh! that's all right I spent eight years at school in Norwich. Conn.," "Ahrsaid MT. Ralph, partially recover ing his presence of mind. ''vely well. vely we'll" MT Ralph has published three books, the last of which is Our Great West"
 "Dixie or Southern Scenes and Sketches" Is MT. Raphs latest work and