The record-union., 1897-08-29

1t IS we'll known that Mr.. stevenson
father, to whom he was tenderly at
tached, stood for a long time in doubt
of his gifted son His mother, how
ever, and his aunt steadily encouraged
his literary aspirations, and, as is we'll
known, Mrs. Stevenson gave the crown
ing proof of her devotion to her son
by going to join him in Samoa. When
she returned to Edinburgh she went to
live with the brilliant sister who sur
wives her"
Mrs. Oliphant has practically COM
pleted her book, "The Annals of the
House of Blackwood,' - though she was
unable to revise the final proofs Two
volumes will be published in Septem-
Der or October, and the last volume
may be expected about Christmas
Somebody with a fondness for fig
ures has been giving attention to the
subject of the women artists and writ
ers in Paris. and finds that there are
200 artists and 1850 writer's. Of the
200 female artists, 107 are scuIptors.
while the rest are painters, which count
does net, of course, include the hun
Another person who is fond of fig
ures, has computed that the cost of the
new Congressional Library mural dec
orations and ALL has been exactly five
and three-quarters cents for each Gu
bic inch.
The question as to who shall be at
the head Of the art section in the
American exhibition at the Paris Ex-
position of 1900, is now agitating art
circles. It viii be a post demanding no
little diplomatic tact, as we'll as ar
tisttc skill and judgment The name
of John lie Fargo has been suggested
for the position, though it is not known
that he would accept it.
Charles Lamb begins an essay thus:
"'I have no ear" This was his quaint
way of announcing that he could not
grasp the principles of melody The
solemn old done of Christ's Hospital
probably never mentioned scales, keys.
or transpositions in the boys hearing,
or treated him, in all those years be-
tween eight and fifteen, to the sight of
a musical chart of a blackboard exer-
else. They We're too busy with goose
quills, arithmetic. geography. Latin and
rattan to have time for anything else.
If Charles ever Joined in a Sunday
psalm or an anthem in honor of the
Lord Mayor we may be sure he did it
by rote" and not by note. Look at
him as he bursts through those iron
gates for a half holiday. He is a hat
less urcbin, with long blue coat, yellow
stockings, red leather girdle and the
white bands of a parson. And, swing
ing from red cord attached to his
button hole, behold a brass tablet! 1t
is his ticket of leave' His free shout
IS full of musical possibilities. Here
is no stammering The truth is. if
Ella had been scientifically trained in
melody, he might have found that. af-
ter all, he had "a reasonably good ear
in music"
jeremiah Curtin. the translator of
Sienkewicz, who has been interviewed
for the Sunday World said that he
began to translate Quo Vadis" in
Guadalajara, Mexico. 1T was pub
lished originally in the leading daily
paper Of Poland. The copies of that
paper followed me into many out-of-
the way places. read the installments
as they reached me, and then dictated
the translation to my wife. Afterwards
read and altered that copy. She made
a fresh copy, and it is a remarkab Bile
1act that never saw a proof of Quo
Nadis.' Most of the translation was
done IN Guatemala City and finished in
Northern Guatemala in places where
no white man had ever been. Mrs.
Curtin did all the mechanical work -
Mr.. Curtin acquired his knowledge of
Polish during the five years that he
was attached to the American Legation
at st. Petersburg. He has never met
Slenhewicz, but expects to do so this
summer.
Sir Henry Irving received an ovation
from select audience when, few
weeks ago. he read selections from Ten
nyson's Beckett in the Chapter House
of Canterbury Cathedral. Right nm
der the lee of the Cathedral" exclaims
one enthusiastic reporter. "and within
fifty wards of the actual spot of Beck
cts martyrdom. the Lyceum manager
may be said to have completed the Ia CT
links Of that chain of union between
church and stage which for many years
he has been SO patiently forging" Tt
is said that Sir Henry actually grew
pale rs he read the passage describing
the Arehbishop's murder. and for some
moments after he finished the reading
the audience sat in awed silence and
then broke forth into loud applause.
II must have been q most interesting
occasion.
The sixpenny illustrated magazines
are said to be cutting into" the old
fashioned weekly reviews and literary
papers in London, and no one will be
surprised to hear that one of the best
known of these is likely, either to
change hands, or to cease altogether
during the course of the next few
weeks. Nowadays. there must be pic
tures or fiction--or both-for literature
IS at a discount.
The Month: One of the most inter-
esting features of commencement at
Wells College was the presentation and
unyelling Of a memorial window. given
by the class of So on alumnae day. r.
w Glider made the presentation speech
and the window was unveiled by Mrs.
Cleveland. who is a member of the
class, and has been very active in Sc
curing this work of art for the college.
The window was designed and executed
by Messrs. John and Bancel LaFarge.
IL IS seni-circular in form, standing
opposite the main entrance, and is in
three parts. The central subject is All