The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-08

x
Coweney Baylor contributes the hrst part
of n picturesque story of Virginia lie, OF
the old regime and the new. Wlthln the
Walls, is nleasantly written. Two OF the
contributions seem to be by negroes.
cont Of Bondage" and "Strivings of the
Negro People,"-the latter certainly Is,
and is of such a tone as to make one
doubt that the editor of the Atlantic was
horn in the South. Let every North caro-
linian read it for himself and draw MS
own conclusions. Charles Egbert Grad
dock continues his vigorous story OF the
Tennessee mountains.
Taken as a whole, this Is representa-
tive number of the magazine.
Published by Houghton, Mlhlln u Co.,
Boston.
John Muir is also contributor 10 Ihe
current number of The Century Masa-
zine. 1.-THE Alaska Trip" from his PEN
is as delightful reading these August Gays
as one could desire. 1t is especlally Iiile
ly too, now that the new I'll Dorados are
being opened up In the far northwest
Read this description of the birth OF ace
bergs:
saTbe number of bergs given off varies
tides. For twelve consecutive hours L
counted the number discharged that were
largo enough to make themselves heard
like thunder at distance of a mile or
two and found the average rate to be one
in five or six minutes. The thunder of the
largest may be heard, under favorable
circumstances, ten miles or more. When
a large mass sinks from the upper MS
sured portion of the wall, there is first
a keen, piercing crash, then deep, de-
liberate long -drawn-out, laundering roar
which slowly subsidies into compare
lively low. far-reaching, muttering groWl;
then come crowd of grating, clashing
sounds from the agitated bergs that
dance in the waves about the newcomer
as if in welcome; and these, again, are
followed by the Swash and roar of the
berg-waves as they reach the shore and
break among the boulders, But the
largest and most beautiful of the bergs,
instead of falling from the exposed
weathered portion of the wall, rise from
the submerged portion with a still grand
er connection, heaving aloft nearly to the
top of the wall with awful roaring, tons
of water streaming like hair down their
sides. while they heave and plunge again
and again before they settle i'll poise and
sail away as blue crystal islands, free at
last after being held fast as part of
slow-crawling glacier for centuries. And
how wonderful it seems that ice formed
from pressed snow ON the mountains two
or three hundred years ago should, after
all its toll and travel in grinding down
and fashioning the face of the landscape
still remain pure and fresh and lovely in
colorl When the sunshine is pouring and
sitting in iris colors through the midst of
all this wilderness of angular crystal ice,
and through the grand, flame-shaped jets
and sheets of radiant spray ever rising
from the blows Of the falling bergs, the
effect is indescribablv 'lorious."
The description Il khout this article
is of the finest order i. "A the scenic beau
ties that he portrays will appeal to thou
sands now when all eyes are looking
toward the gold fields Of Alaska.
This beautiful midsummer number is
another evidence that The Century
stands easily at the head of the maya
zines. 1t contains charming articles on
Thessaly, Java, Norway, London, the
Alps; besides the fiction and poetry, in
both of which departments the magazine
excels. Here is a magnificent sonnet
THE ARGONAUTS.
From east and west we gathered in one
crew,
The restless and unruly of the world
The stars laughed from the banner we
unfurled;
We were stout hearts, boon spirits,
tried and true.
Then lightly from the mast thronged
port we drew:
For it was ours, from utmost isles inn
pearled,
In stormy sea, where wave and tempest
swirled,
To fetch for man lost and priceless
clue.
And still. for many a day, our mighty
With roaring sail flies onward DER the
deep;
And we, at dawn, with anxious vision
Each new horizon, lifted from the dark
For islands which have Liberty in
keep
The Golden Fleece which we must win
for man.
-[William Prescott Foster in the Au-
gust Century.
st. Nicholas, published also by the
Century company, New York, is to the
young people what The Century is to the
older.
Current Literature for July contains
excellent protraits of the Century editors,
Richard Watson Glider and Robert IN
derwood johnson. By the way, Mr..
johnson is to issue his second book of
verse this fall. "Songs of Liberty" is the
title he has chosen for the volume.
Scribner's Magazine appears in the
most beautiful cover yet donned by any
American magazine. Nor does it lack
anything in contents,-as is too often the
case with the deliberately attired periodi-
Gals of the day with their extravagant
parade to catch the eye. The August
number is always a Election Number"
and is super excellent in this depart
ment. The present issue is no exception to
the rule. Rudyard Kipling has a unique
story with the singular title ".007," this
being the number of new engine, which,
with its comrades in the round-house, is
given the power of speech. The conversa-
tons are written by a most sympathetic
hand, and are exceedingly enjoyable. The
story is handsomely illustrated. Perhaps
the most successful color reproduction
ever achieved by an American magazine