The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-09

diers Three" and from tho earlier pages. In
which we see the big ocean liner ploughing
through the North Atlantic fog. to the end there
is no moment at which the writer's grasp OF his
story 10 slackened or tho readers interest al
lowed to flag. Here is a wonderful picture OF
tho seventy.ton fishing schooner hauling at her
anchor In half a sea:
The little schooner was eambollinE all around her
anchor among the silvertIpped waves. Backing with
Rstart Of affected surprise at the siGht Of the strained
cable. she bounced on II like a kitten. while the spray
of her descent burst through the hawsc'hoies with the
report OF a gun. Shaking her head she would say'
"Well, I'm sorry I can't stay any longer with you
I'm going North and would side on. hating sud
denly with a dramatic rattle OF the rigging. "A l
was Just going to Observe" she would begin, A.
gravcly as a drunken man addressing alHmppost, The
rrst OF the sentence Cshe acted her words In dumb
show. OF course) was lost In a Mt OF the ndEeta, when
she behaved like q pu ppy chewing a string. a clumsy
woman In n side saddle. a hen with her head cut on,
or a COW stung by a hornet, exactly as tho whims OF
the sea took her.
"Sec her sayin' her piece. She's Patrick Henry
naow " said Dan.
She swung sideways on a roller, and gesticulated
with her Iihboom from port to starboard.
~But-eL-fer-me, give me uberty-er give me
DEATH"
wopl She sat down in the moou.path on the water,
courtesying with = flourish OF pride impressive
enough. had not the wheel gear snggered mockinsly
In It's box.
Harvey laughed aloud. why, IT'S Just as II she
was alive" he said.
"She's as stidy as q haouse an ~ dry a. .
hcrrin'." said Dan. enthusiastically. as he was slung
across the deck in a bait r Of spray. "Fends 'em on.
an fenis EN- OF. Don; 70 rome anish me- she say.
Look q, her-iest look at hsrl"
When. In 1898. DR.. William Wright issued
his book. The Brontes in Ireland: or. Facts
Stranger Than Fiction 1t was received by
Enuliah rriftca Nth m ,horua ~ n1p,oat unani.
nous praise. one enthusiastic gentleman find.
ing in 1t "a real Homeric ring" and many
others giving 1t welcome as a great literary
ACHE vement. But n modern Nemesis has been
waiting for tho doctor with a Ratchet in his
sleeve, and now Mr.. Angus N. MacKay, having
carefully sharpened his weapon. proceeds in the
pages of The Brontes. Fact and Fiction
tDodd, Mead & Co.., metaphoricaily to lift tho
offending authors scalp. Romantic incidents
narrated by tho doctor are taken. one by
one. and pulled TO pieces. That excellent story
OF the fiery Uncle Hugh, who armed himself
with a bludgeon and came from Ireland to kill \
Quarterly Rerieurr, is proved to be apocryphal.
Which seems a pity. for it had q fine dramatic
Observation-Disclosures flavor, and the picture OF the
avenger. making his will and setting forth TO
track down and STAY the villain twho was a wo-
man, by the way, was one calculated to impress
the critic with II proper sense o! his
hASbs WV NS sANoA ~
an irish origin for the Bronte novels
Is blown to the winds. and all this
work of destruction is done in the most polite
and pleasan way. "Imake no charge OF dis
honesty against DR.. William Wright" says Mr..
Mackay in his preface. "Iconcern myself with
the credibility OF the book, not with the motives
or character OF its author. In the seventeenth
century, long before the kew to Egyptian hero
glyphics WAS discovered, Kircher protested to
give trnnslatiOnk Of EA,yufinn Stain. hn WINS
enthusiastic. he was honest, he had spent years
in studying the subject; nothing could be laid to
his charge except perhaps a little unconscious
selt-deception. and yet his TRANSACTIONS bore not
the slightest resemblance to the true meaning OF
the originals. So DIR. Wright has. / an in
formed, been diligent in inquiry. and l do not
accuse him Of bad faith; but I am convinced
that his volume is unreliable almost from cover
to cove"
In a shorter essay. entitled Fresh Light on
Bronte Biography" the old. old story OF Char
lotte and her Brussels tutor. NJ. Hcger, is rctold
and Mr.. MacKay is at great pains to prove that
there was nothing discrcditablc in their relation
ship-and surely no decent man or woman ever
believed otherwise-and further that the plain.
awkward pupil was the victim OF n hopeless.
unsclhsh, and unreGutted passion for her tutor
which. even II IL b. true. might we'll be
left untold OF now. Where did Charlotte
Bronte obtain that intimate knowledge
of love, in which she surpasses all novel
istsI seems to US an entirely unnecessary
, and improbable sort OF speculation. What. we
wonder, would happen to he inquisitive person
who put such a question in the case OF one OF
our modern young women writer's OF the Key.
notes and kindred schoolsi
II 1t be true that New York swBrms with
young men-Reniuscs unrecosnized-who walk
!, from house to house In lower Fifth avenue with
pockets bullying with rejected manuscripts. it Is
the more remarkable that publishers should
, find 1t necessary 10 import from London books
: such as Mr.. G.. Is. Rrrgin's Fortunes Foot
balls" tAppletonsI. 1t seems scarcely worth
, while to import and dress up in dainty print and
binding a stupid farrago OF vulgarities tricked
=. out with such specimens Of cockney wit as
= might pass muster in some ffth.ratc London
. " Literary club. We can produce some pretty
a poor books of our own. but nothing quite equal
to this volume. which is thus dedicated to Sir
Henry Irving:
n DEAR SIR HENRY: You may remember how I car.
ried on the glass from which you drank after the
nrst performance OF Booklet" History repeated
!, itself-NiIh . difference. The Pretenfcr's adheren,
sat upon his goblet. aud broke 1t. A domestic broke
mine. Were l master Of golden phrase and honeyed
d speech. l would tell you pretti!y of the pang Il cost
. me to lose my goblet. But rough am I. OF uncouth
v tongue. with no better reparation to make for my
original offence than TO aggravAte 1t by laying THU
poor tale az your feet.
No one who looks into the book Is likely "a
. quarrel with the authors estimate of his owI
II qualifications as expressed In the last few lines
a There is infinite variety OF entertainment tc
Il be had In the volume Of Selected Poems by
n George Meredith" lScribnersl. Sweet music IL
some Of tho simpler verses like Woodland
Peace and THE Skylark Ascending" a toucl
OF romance in THE Young Princess a sue
ccssful essay in the old ballad form. and through
all the scent OF apple orchards and the rich colo
OF autumn leaves. Here and there. as In hi
prose. Mr.. Meredith becomes so cryptic anc
obscure that. like Touchstone. he seems TO DO fl
u dancer Of breaking his shins over his own wit
" but that he can treat a simple theme with ex
II qulsitc grace is shown by such q gem a
~ Mother to Babe:
~ Fleck OF sky you are.
- Dropped through branches dark.