The record-union., 1897-02-14

for the time to have spent its force,
and, as usual, the pendulum swings TO
the opposite extreme. A year or two
ago Gluck'S ''Orphee" was revived and
took the world by storm; to-day tout
Paris has gone wild about Mozart.
Don Giovanni opera of op
eraS"-after q generation of neglect
has been performed to enraptured au-
Giences at both opera houses and on
the same nights even. The revival is
the event of the season and the sub
ject of special articles in the prin-
cipal reviews.
r. H. Stoddard in New York Mail
and Express: If the past year was dis
tinguished beyond all that preceded it
during the present century for its sue
cess in adding fresh laurels to the
memory of Burns, in the shape of COM
plete editions of his verse and prose,
,the coming year is likely to be equally
distinguished by complete editions of
Byron, one edited by w. E. Hanley, Of
which the first two volumes have re-
Gently appeared, and another by the
grandson of Byron, Lord Lovelace,
which is soon to appear. To these re-
prints Will be added a study, or mono
graph, on the noble poet, by Clement
K. Shorter, Who lately added to Bronte
literature a thick volume entitled
Charlotte Bronte and Her Circle" !"
which was republished here. Mr..
Shorter's intended book will not, We
are told, interfere with the laborS of
Lord Lovelace, or Mr.. Hanley, his OBJ
ject being simply to present a charac-
ter sketch of Byron, with especial ref
erence to the influence of hereditary
on his life-the Celtic strain in his
blood, the Scottish surroundings of his
childhood. and so on. It is a tempting
subject to those who care to consider
genius curiously, and We shall await
its illustra ton by Mr.. Shorter with
some anxiety, contenting ourselves in
the meantime with Moore's kindly, if
not profound, estimate of his famous
friend.
Frederick PauIding has been request
ed to sit for a life-siZe portrait as Ro-
meo. 10 be exhibited at the Paris Salon
next year. It is expected that the pic
ture will be finished next month, and
win be on view in New York.
Once more" says The Saturday
Review" the project IS broached Of
restoring the Venus Of Milo. The price
less work of Greek art brought to
France by Dumont d'Urville is to have
two arms fitted to it's stumps. The
question is In what attitude are they
to be fitted? The main difficulty ap-
pears 10 be with regard TO the right
arm the hand of which is supposed to
have held the folds of a peplos. Some
authorities contend that the movement
on Aphrodite's part was intended to
afford Paris a glimpse of the ankle and
the foot: others maintain that II was
neaut to bring back the garment to
her shoulders. We remember hearing
the question discussed about a decade
ago in the salon of the wibtie9t woman
in Paris, why should Venus have
wanted to afford Paris another glimpse
of the ankle and foot, considering the
prize had been awarded, for there is
no doubt that the left hand held the
apple?' asked a clever journalist. Mon
cher replied the hostess, clever as you
are, your question proves that you do
mot know the wdles of woman, and that
You are blind and insensible TO the
effect of une robe bien retroussee.
Mr.. Hazhtt has also given us some
paragraphs about Lambs Library. -
"a few new points on The Rarer
Elian," three Letters to Lamb" and
some uncollected poems, among which
we notice the following, in Emma Iso-
las album:
WHAT is AN ALBUM?
',ris a book kept by modern young ladies
for show.
OF which their plain grandmothers moth
IT'S medley of scraps, fine verse and fine
prose,
And some things not very like either. Goo
The soft first enusons of Beaux and OF
Bellies,
OF future Lord Byrons and sweet l. E
Where wise folk and simple both equally
shine,
And you write your nonsense, that may
write mine.
And so on
But the gem of the collection. the
treasure for the possession of which
we are ready to forgive. is a bundle OF
new or revised Letters OF Lamb" The
section is headed "Sixty-four Letters
and Notes" 1t contains only sixty-one
of which forty-seven. from Mary OF
Charles. have apparently not beer
printed before. This is a handsome ac-
QUESTION. and right welcome.
The new letters are not equal, ir
charm or interest, to those which have
previously appeared. but they contain
some very characteristic passa ges. This
little group to Mrs. Williams about
Emma Isola's Illness is something like
a revelation. They are absolutely
simple. straightforward, but almost
distracted expressions of his absorbing
and tender devotion to the young CIR
he had 50 generously adopted. Strange
ly complex in comparison Is the letter
of coincidence to Hood, accompanying
the dainty verses .'On an Infant Dying
as soon as Born with its blessings tt
"the. mother Tor should be mother) oi
your sweet girl that should have been,
and its confession of sixpence won 20.
Noxon by the sex of the dear gone
one"
There is one letter of sus stained and
anasteray humor which we long tt
quote In its entirety. Who shall dare
ITO pretend, after reading this exqui-
site fooling, that Lambs epicureanisn
was q pose?
with regard to the John Dory,
honor the fish, but 1t is rather on ac-
count Of Quinn, who patronized It.
Elise in itself, and trusting to my
own poor single Judgment. it hat moi
that moist. mellow. oleaginous gliding
smooth descent from the tongue to tbs
palate, thence to the stomach, etc.
that your Brighton turbot hath. which
j take TO be the most friendly and IA
miliar flavor of any that swims-mos
genial and at home to the palate
Nor has ii. on the other hand. thai