New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23
LITERARY NOTES.

Mr.. T. Il AldriCh mas all ns poetcaI life tons
shown fondness for dramatic themes and several
striking fragments have justified his taste But NOT
since Mercedes has he attempted so elaborate a
work as the Judith and Holofernes" which IA soon
10 be brought out by the Houghtons. He has So
lccted a noble theme. No one who has risen to the
height Of Judths heroic deed whether II has been
the stately old narrator Of the Apocrypha. Botti.
CELL I'm his painting or Ruskin In his splendid
prose has failed to touch the heart with a sense OF
pathos beauty and strength. Judith as Mr. Rms.
kin pointed out with wrath. has provided the hyh
light for more nashy pictures than most Of the
herolnes Of antiquity; but Judith. once she Is SYM
pathetically interpreted seems TO meet her inter.
prefer halfway and 10 glorify his work Mr. Ald.
rich has already published some OF his lines Thu
oornIe,e work will be awaited with deep interss,
for no has not cared much for the sobre string.
Of his lyre as for the lighter, gayer ones He can
lie serious elevated. but TO do Judith justice he will
have 10 be hardly less than sublime. Altogether the
prospect IS suggestive and exciting.
Rret Uarte has contrived az last 10 &c, new
and complete library edition Of his works into
shone and Il IS to issue from the Riverside Press
This autumn I'm fourteen handsome volumes. The
,vnography and manufacture generally will be a.
coed al the publishers can make them and Mr
Harte has edited the stories carefully atixing
notes here and there. There Will also be. in addi-
lion TO some portraits. number Of Illustrations
he good or bad? II they good they ought to be
very good Bret Harte is a superb author for an
illustrator II they are had they are certain 20 be
awful An ordinarily good illustration to Bret
Harte is Impossible. He Is exactly the author to
MAKE medocrity seem twice mediocre when his
vivid pictures are challenged ny some aihoitious
but inadequate pencil
He is bringing out, by-the-vay a new book At
the same time. i Convert Of the Mission. and
Other Stories" will contain eight new things Moth.
ing is said about the new poems which were talked
OF n few months ago.
The most extraordinary Of the yarns aDout Thack.
cray has been reprinted in Notes ana queries"
on the authority, II is SAIL OF IAN American pro-
fassor" II IS the old concerning the dinner
party at which John Kennedy. Of Baltimore was
one of the guests. Thus runs this tale
While the evening still young ThacHeray rose
leave the party stating ~ his excuse that ne vas
Virpinians which he had not yet written. The
whole company Joined in protesting mat ne ne Iie
Kennedy added to his protest the offer to 20 and
write the required chapter urging may as IL was
10 deal with incidents in country with winch ne
was personally more familiar than Thackeray.
mere indication Of the line 70 be followed would en-
proposal Thackeray Ultimately assentcd No copy
the number Of the chapter referred to. which was
told il about the longest in the novel and suisse
quen search has not led me 20 ar ?, m Is
this story known? And IL IL trueF ii II DE uua
which is John Ken ledy's chapter
1t IS time that this myth should be dropped.
Thackeray was a 'crbable man" II ever there was
one but that a writer Of his instincts and rectude
should ever have indulged IN such a careless prank
as this is altogether beyond the imagination OF any
but disbelievers In his literary conscience.
Mrs Mabel LOOMS Todd has heavy RESPONSE
bty TO answer for First she printed colec'
ton Of poems by her friend Emily Dickinson Then
We had moro poems from the same source ana
lot Of letters. Now. ncIfdible as 1t may seem.
there Is I'm preparation under Mrs Todds editor
shin Emily Dickinson's Poems Third Series"
This s really too much. II seems that the in
teIectual activity of Emily Dickinson was SO great
that large and characteristic choice Is still pos
sible among her literary MATERIAL but while this
may have some weight with "the admirers OF her
peculiar genius who have asked for more We
do not think It will appeal TO a sober critic
little of her work Is poetic I'm quality and is col
ored by certain amount OF originality. bu' al
the best /, minor verse. and the very hnest Things
gathered from her three volumes would not make
one book Of any thickness
There IS no injustice in thus anticipating tne
character of the third series" The first con-
tained much inferior matter. the second was even
more disappointing. and IL Is incredible, We re-
peat that Mrs. Todd could have brought together
enough good 10 make new collection what
she has really DONE We suspect. has been to collect
fragments or even complete poems which belong.
as nine-tenths Of Emily Dickinson's verses be-
long to the sphere of casual. moody writing. TO
class of which most poets. whether they
have genius not. regard as mere trihes or ex-
periments. Sometimes the genius. the great genius.
can afford to print these trines once he has made
his position secure: but poet like Emily Dickn-
son could never safely do any such thing. Her
vogue has passed-lt was temporary affair in It's
highest estate-and now such reputation as she
has among minor WRISTS Is imperied by the indis-
erection OF her executors. Poor misunderstood au-
thorship. How it must hunger in IT'S grave to b
protected from It's friends.
Mr. Campbells book on the Puritan In American
history IL to be followed by work from the press
OF Roberts Brothers. in Boston, which awakens
considerable curiosity VIII this volume, me
Puritan In England and New England" attempt
to answer any OF Mr.. Campbells radical state
ments as to our mistaken idea of what the Puritan
was or will ii fall in line with the iconoclasue
views Of the earlier book and consider the se''lef
Of New England as the mixed character that ~
was not the character of tradition? DR.. Esfa
IIoyt Byington. the author of the new history Is
churchman. and may take churchly views. just d.
his predecessor took legal views. In both instances
the professional outlook has TO be reckoned WIN
The theme IL a fascinating one. IL Dr byihs.'"
could throw real light ,he subject his contribution
TO the literature OF Plymouth Rock times wouid %
highly valued.
A long very long piece Of versihcation by MI
Theodore Watts Dunton appears In an Engllsh
Journal under the title vi "Rhonas christmas VS.
ion" There are ten stanzas and tr1ins soSSa'y
Of no less than twenty-siX terms Is printed VII"
the text That Is characteristic OF MI. lheouo's
Watts Dunton. lie never yet has written me
OF verse that could stand OF its own feet bu' "'
goes on writing just the same. alas
The late Martha Lambs history Of New-ioIN
one Of the useful typographical books we nave
"A thoroughly methodcal work. when. u II "A'
little literary grace, is. AZ least. accurate oVN
pendious and necessary TO the student OF America"
localities The publishers of Mrs Lambs history
A. 3 Barnes & CO.. are preparing n new edi'0N'
which Mrs Burton Harrison has undertaken" "
edit The narrative will be brought up 10 the pres
ont time Mrs IIarrisons supplement. in fact VIII
be OF some length. and the publishers VIII pr'h. -