New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-26
MAGAZINE NOTES.


/ desd Mr. Richard Whiteing the author OF british
Opinion OF America" in the March "Scrioner. tells
nothing particularly new. But what ne mas 10 say
is not said very often. is 1t SAID with quite the
common sense and straightforwardness when char-
acterize his remarks He writes frankly from the
point OF of the Man in ;he street, the BRUSH
equivalent for Average Man. and he goes 70 the
root OF the matter when he shows that except IN
certain commercial and religious directions. TINS
important unit OF tho empire KNOWS holhihs OF
America and has "opniOns' according 10 MS
knowledge. "All the nice things said as between
country and country" observes Mr. Whiteing' are
said by travelling mil!onaires or other persons or
position The democracies longer exchange
cards" This is n suggestive statement. and one
which might provoke dissent and approval In equal
measure for It would be possible to support each
side OF the controversy with passages cited from
international history. On the other hand there can
be no disagreement with the broad conclusion at
which Mr.. Whiteing arrives. that the great mass
OF people in England far less instructed about
America than about Great Britain and
Europe The Man In the street gets all his his
tory from the newspapers" and Mr.. Whitcing who
is newspaper himself. admits that English
papers conducted in such way that Few Of
Nus get the best view Of any country The paper Is
n no sense chronique du bien, record Of tho
fines; in nations life Our American re-
porNis all about the dreary Dunraven sqIabble
the lyShlngs. the peculaions the fierce and bloody
strikes What have almost the proportions OF civil
No one acquainted with English Journalism and
the men who make 1t is likely to differ with Mr.
Whitelng 8 to the explanation he gives OF their
contribution TO British opinion Of America. Tho
high character OF the best English papers Is well
known and needs to be discussed than
that OF their parallels here. But the Man in the
Street does not get his views from these and. ac-
cording 10 Mr. Whiting. the Man in the Street is in
the majority. The opinion OF that majority as re-
CARDS America is In the main a nebuous affair
pierced from time to time by some light due 10 OK
pcrence. to the contact Of sional English
man with America with an American. Couple
with the statement quoted above smother equally
accurate passage from Mr.. Whiteins's essay: In
spite of Your annual exodus. orr Average Man
rarely meets American" and the extent 10
which that Average Man" may be taken seriously
in respect to this country and It's doings Is clearly
seen.
There Is an interesting paper on "Carnations'' in
this number OF "Scribncr" good in the text and
well illustrated. The paper on "Fvo-ent!ne Villas"
is also worthy Of note. although in this case tho
many fine illustrations wasted on a mass OF
amateursh and tiresome text.
In "Harpers Magazine" for March there is an
Mr. Wilson'S essay Washington as a colonel.
There Is clear and edifying scientific exposition. a
In Mr. Renjamins account Of THE Nerves Of a
War-Ship" Among the stories there IS an amusing
narrative by Mr.. owen Ws;er. where Fancy
Was Bred, wherein he deals cleverly with gentler
theme than he usually prefers and toward the back
of the magazine there is a sketch by Mir. Julian
Ralph. which ought to have been placed more con-
spicuousy for IT'S contemporaneous and judicously
funny flavor. In The Boss OF Ling Foo the
seamy side Of Oriental life is admirably exploited
by Mr.. Ralph In OF its most modern and
most interesting relations But all these things
stories. histories and the rest seem OF account
whatever when the reader has once begun the
article on "Arcadian Bee-Ranching." by Miss
Ninetta Eames. This writer is sometimes a Nttle
rhetorical. but the whole she writes without
affectaton. and she brings to the pages Of the
magazine the fragrance and the hum OF Californian
slopes. where there leagues leagues OF ideal
pasturage. left solely to the harvesting OF Wild
bees and various species OF wasp and humm;ng
bird" Miss Eames enjoyed her experience IN these
pastures so much. and she puts the picuresqueness
Of them into her essay with such sympathy and
SKILL that many reader Will feel inspired 10 take
the next train for Southern California and turn
Arcadian the spot. One description from this
charming paper IS too Interesting TO be left
quoted. Miss Eames had asked the bee master how
he prevented his new swarms from taking the
hills stopping in front Of hive where the swarm
hung listlessly the outside my companion
cautiously drew from the black moving mass
but should recognize imprisoned royalty behind
those tiny bars. When once beheld. the queen bee
never re mistaken for either % her ylebcan
subjects. the drone or the worker. Not only e
she far elegant IN shape. but she has the
distinctive habit of crossing the tips Of her wings
after the helpless manner OF eenteel feminln.y In
disposing of their hands. Truth. however. comrols
10 state that In this instance the dainty sovcr-
eign lacked the repose under n1ignity which i'm
aginaton is wont to reegate 10 royalty. Her fret
full racing and fro savored OF the impctuosity
OF the 'canaille. and I'll comported with the ars-
tocratic taper Of her sashed jewelled body and
the svered lace ~ her lady wings. Fortunately
her subjects proved less hypercrtcal for instantly
upon discovering tne whereabouts Of the cage they
heaped themselves upon 1t. their frenz.ed buzz and
motion eoquently testifying the genu!neness OF
their anxiety for tine safety OF their mother and
queen"
There Is another paper by Miss Eames in the
current Cosmopolitan" account OF sheep-ra.s-
ing in California; but her pen less happily
guided in this case. and she Is entertaining
when she is talking about the bee ranches. II
Is hardly her fault The bees provide subject
quite apart from the familiar fields OF periodical
literature. This number OF the Cosmopolitan sets
out to be Instructive and. while there is little OF
the instruction which is so welcome the short
tale by Maurus Jokai THE Last Mass" there
must. nevertheless. be a wide and apprecative
dience for DR.. Shaw's lucid sketch OF Empire
Building in South Africa for Major Fechets
spirited True Story Of the Death of Sitting Bull"
and for Mr.. Johnson's too brief paper on ''Old Eng
lsh Silver" This last Is a subject in which people
in America have taken moro and more interest
within the last few years. There Is nothing
attractive to the collector than antique plate and
in England II Is to be found in splendid examples
often than anywhere else. Little by little II
Is taking Its place among semi-popular hobbies Ike
Oriental porcelain. tapestries. armOr. and
Mr. Johnson writes for the general reader. but his
notes will practical end. nevertheless. and