Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-29

a sample of all-they are much alike and
all more or less tedious to read.
Richard Harding Davis has written
some excellent papers on travel in Central
and South America which have appeared
In Harpers Weekly and Harper's Mag
azine They are now reprinted in book
form under the general tile of Three
Gringos." AS lovers of Mr.. Davis are
aware, he writes very entertainiugly of
these scenes, particularly of Caracas,
which he calls the Paris of South Amer
ica." This statement has been ques-
toned by those who claim that Mr.. Da-
Wis did not visit ether more attractive
cities.
When an author has story worth the
telling he may be sure of an audience.
And such writer Is o. the young
Cornishman, who abdes on the west coast
of England vastly content, so the story
goes, with his wife, his yacht, his canoe,
pipes, books, etc. Co." who Is Arthur
T. Quiller-Couch, was born in 1863, and
while at Trinity college, Oxford, he be-
gan writing in the Oxford Magazine over
the signature @" which, he says, he
still likes to stick to as nom de guerre.
His first book was Dead Mans Rock,
a tale which brought him instant notice
and much praise.
other books of his are 1.-THE Blue Pa
vilions" and 1.-THE Warwickshire Avon. =
90" is at work upon new novel, and, in
answer to a question about it, said: 1T
Is the story of family who lived in the
hail. the old residence up there on the
cliffs-the old home of the Mohuns, whom
Thackeray wrote about. The plot Is SIM
pie, and l am writing 1t as I please. l
am not hampered by restrictions of
length and style. That Is as 1t should be,
1 think. Too many novels are written
with a view to publication in some par
ticular form, and 1t is burdensome. This
is going to be just-a story"
Among popular illustrators a name
often seen on dashing and vigorous pic
lures is that of "Thure De Thulstrup."
In appearance it Is said he is the typical
Norseman with a good deal of the sol
dfer's bearing, for he began life as sol
der, and lacking war in Sweden he join
ed the French army. In 1872 he came to
Canada and worked as a civil engineer
and kept up his drawing. He finally
drifted to New York and found employ
ment as an artist upon the Graphic. OF
this time De Thulstrup says: MY work
included everything from fire to a flu
neral, and when l got chance l did
more ambitious cartoons for the Harpers
and Frank Leslie" Mr.. De Thulstrup Is
painter as we'll as an illustrator. TN
his studio are some highly interesting
particular. entitled Sunday After
noon.
Another illustrator whose name Is
found on some of our best works is Audre
Castaigne, a Frenchman by birth and ed
ucation. He was a rising young artist
when he came to America, less than five
years ago. His home is in Baltimore,
where he held the position of instructor
in the art school. and once while on a
pleasure trip to New York some Illus
trating was offered him and he accepted
it. Since then his work In the Century,
Harper and Scribner has made his name
well known to many readers. 1t is said
that M. Castaigne's studio Is charming
and that he gives the most delightful of
soirees and occasional o'clock teas in
his studio. Just at present M. Gastaigne
Illustrations of the Olympic games at
I Athens for the Century Magazine. He
has already drawn series of pictures Of
the games assthey used to be, which will
appear in the April Century, accompany
ing paper by Prof. Allen Marquand of
Princeton.
Is it not characteristic of Jerome X.
Jerome that he should have said: 1.-The
one thing that kept my first novel from
making a sensation Is that no one read
it?" Since that time, however. countless
numbers have grown to love and enjoy
the humor and delicate drollery of Je-
rome.
OF this first book the author says: II
draw him from his shelf Che is of a faint
pink color, as though blushing all over
for his sins) and stand him up before me
on the desk. Jerome X. Jerome the
K very big, followed by a small j, SO that
in many quarters the author is spoken
of as Jerome Kjerome, a name that in
certain smoke-laden circles still clings
to me. / suppose I ought to be ashamed
of him, but how can l be? Is he not my
first born?"
1t is said that Emile lola has never
used his wondrous power of description
to greater advantage than In LA Ventre
de Paris To depict adequately the
great markets of Paris he has employed
"the eyes of an artist, the fancy of a
poet, the genius of statistician and the
Infinite knowledge of specific details that
might be imagined the accumulated wis
dom of many commercial specialists. 4"
And yet I'll venture there Is a point of
view of these great markets of Paris,
laden as it is with infinite and unbound
ed resources, possibilities or development,
which did not occur to the author In his
great masterpiece, and that Is the rich
experience of the stranger that does not
"parley Francois" trying to purchase a
picnic lunch in the great market "cen-
trail" and the discomfort, vexations and
perturbations of spirit incident thereto.
The book cannot be complete without
s this phase of the question.
PAUL PRY.