The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-09
NEK ROOKH.
nr,.f Reviews OF ImportNrt and Tnterest-
lag Nav Pnbllcntlona.

page 121: "Untidiness even affects thought. 30
that a person thus affected thinks dtsconnect-
eddy. snasmodically. There Is no orderly Sc
qucnce in his ideas, and his actions suffer cor
respondinuly." Henry Fielding used to get Ink
on his rnfies. and DR.. johnson spilled tea on his
waistcoat and got his fingers Into the plate on
more than ono occasion. Macaulay character
ICES Johnson's shirt rs one which ought to have
been in the wash, and records that he tore
h'o meat like a tiger and swallowed his
tea In oceans. Still, and notwithstanding
furthor the anfractuositlos OF his mind
ana temper" Macaulay declares johnson
TO nave been q great and a good man.
1t is generally held that the sequence OF
his ideas was orderly and the habit OF his think
ing as good as that of most persons accustomed
TO be particular about their shirts and scrupu-
lous not to SPILL their tea. Neither. so far as we
know, has anybody ever declared that the ink
on Flelding's rufies interfered with his ratio
~ctnative processes. Still It Is not to be denied
that n great many tidy persons have won merit
ed regulations as thinkers We could name
forty at least IL we considered It necessary. Or.
Giles further says that Incidence leads to in
completeness and to want OF continuity
That depends. We have known indolent per-
sons, for instance. who were continuously
and completely indolent. on the other hand,
we must agree absolutely with a great deal
lunJ Lnc tsSuylbJ bnySs lnuOlenCe lenuS 10
many faults. " . = The work OF an indolent
person is not thorough; II he is compelled by
circumstances to do work of some kind. 1t Is apt
to be scamped and superficial. The best exam
pie of this is seen In the work Of an indolent
servant. Dust is left in corners and crevices
and in nll places that do not ct once attract
attention; vessels are wiped instead OF washed;
rubbish is allowed to accumulate In cupboards
and dark places.' These are allegations that
will hardly be denied. They and u great many
more like them prove to us that 1t Is the habit
OF DR.. Giles to observe phenomena accurately.
IL is a pleasure to DO able to agree. and 1t is
probable that upon nothing do we agree more
readily than we do upon the obvious.
The mind in some Of It's CONCENTRATIONS is
stunned by the vastness OF the horizon, and 1t Is
not likely that any one can consider with equa-
nimity tho amount of humor that has been cx-
pended upon the subject Of dime museums.
That Mr.. W. l.. Alden should have produced a
book upon this subject at this time proves OF
this we'll beloved and meritorious humorist that
he is gifted with the spirit that does not tire.
Other qualifications must n humorist have,
without which the mere spirit were in vain. and
that these are still commanded by Mr.. Alden
should be apparent to the reader OF Among
the Freaks" Longmans, Green d Coz. Not
everybody. indeed, can regard any kind
or degree OF conscious humor with patience,
and we think 1t very likely that in q
company of Ibsenites or Maeterlinck!ans
such q book as this would be held to be intolera-
BILE. Such a yarn as that which Mr.. Alden tells of
the strong woman, the giant, and the dwarf. for
instance, and which is founded upon the cir
that the dwarf runs a pin into the
strong woman's leg at a moment when she is
head downward. holding the giant in
her teeth, would never DO received with favor
hv NJ nntorlin1II. ,a ssC1a 1,.I - hAr,,1n,,l l.u
fixed on tho stage, about ten feet above the
floor" says Mr.. Alden. speaking Of the strong
woman. ION this bar she used to swing head
just hooking her knees around II,
as all trapcze artistsdo. 1t looks sort of uncom-
but 1t is nothing when you are used
to it. | had trapeZe chap once who would often
go to sleep that way in hot weather. He said
that all the blood In his body went into his head
and that it made him feel sleepy. while 1t cooled
off his body and legs. There's no accounting for
tastes. but as for me. give me a good bed. where
] can stretch out, and I'll never ask to sleep on q
trapeZe bar" II Is not necessary to repeat here
what happened when tho dwarf ran the pin into
the leg of the strong woman as she swung from
the bar. holding the giant in her teeth. Plenty
OF authors are sensitive In this particular. and
1t may be that Mr.. Alden would not thank
us for revealing his plot. We have
wished merely to Indicate the humorist's
manner and to show why 1t is unlikely
Among the Freaks" would be appre-
ciated among Maeterlinckians. The book 10
illustrated. picturing for us with
great accuracy rs well as art not only the
strong woman, the giant. and the dwarf. but
also the gorilla, the two-headed girl, the fat
the lightning calculator. and the su-
pernumeraries. There is also an illustration of
the best classes Of Boston society" but this
suggests itself TO us as a work insufficiently |
by conscience. 1t may be that IL
offers to represent an aspect and expression as
sumed temporarily by Boston society as a pro-
against the Common being torn up. In
that case 1t is e1cusable.
or fiction newly published we have received
'Madclon.' by Mary f.. Wilkens: Personal
Recollections OF Joan of Arc" by Mark Twain;
"A Gentleman's Gentleman" by Max Pember-
.on; 'OutofTown." with Illustrations by Rosina
Emmet sherwood, and desperate Remedies"
by Thomas Hardy. a new edition; Stories by
Authors" two Volumes; cinderella
md Other Stories" by Richard Harding Davis
Charles Scribner's sons; Tho Dancer In Vel
ow." by w. L. Norris: The Seats OF the
Mighty" by Gilbert Parker, and "A Winning
by Mrs. Alexander ID. Apple
on IL Coz: "A King and a Few Dukes"
W Robert W. Chambers &c. p. Putnam's
"Dedora Haywood" by Gertrude
'mith tD0cd, MeaC o. co.: Tho Lure OF
Tame," by Give Holland New Amsterdam
3ook Company; "A Bride from tho Desert"
" Grant Allen; "The Unclassed." by George
Kissing. and "A New Note" by Ella Mac
iahon H. F. Fenno 81 Co..; "A Strange
lad Comedy" by Molly Elliott Seawell Century
white Aprons" by Maud Wilder
iood little. Brown & Coz; Asa OF Bcthle-
en-" by Mary Elizabeth Jennings (Anson u. i.
randolph Il Coz; "fhe Peacemaker of Bour-
on; n Tale of tho New SOUTH by S. j. Bum
tead (G. w. Dillingham;; AN Engagement"
" Sir Robert Peel, and "A RoKue's Daughter"
" Adeline Sergeant Stokes Company); Had
ira; a Turkish Love Story by "Adalet "
Edward Arnold; "Conjugal Amenities" by
Delta" "a. +. Cluet & Co.., and THE Scrip
ure Reader OF st. Marks" by X. Douglas King
Company.
We have received from the Century Company
The Puppet Booth" twelve plays, by Henry
Fuller. and Notes OF the Night and Other
Sketches" by DR.. Chas. Conrad Abbott.
Macmillan & Co, publish 1.-THE Balance OF