The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-05-05
CURRENT LITERATURE.
May Magazines.

Reute,o most attractive paper entitle,
simply Henry Drummond." AS tn
fellow student of Professor Drummon,
at Edinburgh University, and life
long friend, these memoirs of one O.
the most brilliant men of our day from
the pen of the author of Beside tn,
Bonnie Brier Bush" are invested will
a charm and value peculiarly and un
approximately their own.
On the question how to save til,
fur seals the RevieW of Reviews take
the ground that President Jordan's re
Communications should be needed a
once, and that without waiting TO
England sanction the United Statel
should absolutely prohibit American
citizens from engaging at any season
of the year in the taking of seals in the
open sea. The Reuie,D also urges that
if other means fail to make pelagic
sealing improbable, all the young
female seals on the Pribilof Islands
should be branded in such manner as
to make their fur valueless.
THOSE who complain that science is
taking the poetry out of life will find a
text in an article, by the late William
Hamilton Gibson, in the May Harper's
The flower of our fathers, which was
born to blush unseen, and waste it's
sweetness on the desert air." is now
known to have its woodland sweet
hearts, and to receive love-messages
carried by postmen bumb!ebees and
moths. This fact explains why orchids
kept in greenhouses blush so much
longer than those growing wild-they
are waiting for the message of the
moth or the bee, which, alas never
comes. 1t is only the flower which
men keep to look upon that bushes un.
seen.
A BEAUTIFUL cover in nine colors,
from design by Gorguet, the distin-
guished French artist, gives promise of
the bright and spring. like contents of
the May number of Scribner's Maya.
zine. 1t launches new kind of college
article-nOt history of the institution,
count of Undergraduate Life" old
and new, which is always The College
in the minds of its graduates. Edward
S. Martin, one of the founders of the
Lampoon and graduate of IT, opens
the series with Harvard. The abund-
ant illustrations are made from actual
scenes by an artist who was taken into
the college life and saw it at first hand.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOHN M.
SCHoFIELD contributes to The Centsry
for May chapter of secret history en-
titled 1.-THE Withdrawal of the French
from Mexico" 1t was intended by the
United States Government that Gen
eral Schofield should take charge of
volunteer troops to drive the French
out of Mexico, but afterward he was
sent on confidential mission to Paris
to induce Emperor Napoleon to order
a peaceful withdrawal. General Scho-
field gives hitherto unpublished let
ter from General Grant to General
Sherman, then in command of the Mil
itary Division of the Gulf, showing to
what extremes the government was
willing to go to accomplish its purpose.
THE May number of McChve's Maga-
zine is especially abundant and inter-
esting in the matter of portraits of
famous people. In illustration of
paper by Miss Tarbell on the remark
able work of G.. G. Cox in Photographic
portraiture, there are truly speaking
likenesses of Donald G. Mitchell &c TX
Marvel ", Walt Whitman, Eleanora
Duse, Henry Ward Beecher, and 9TH
ers; and a series of life portraits of
Daniel Webster exhibit that most au-
gust and impressive of great men at
close intervals from middle life to the
year of his death. Some of the Web
ster portraits have never before been
and all have interesting his
tories, which are set forth in notes by
Mr.. Charles Henry Hart.
THE May number of the atlantic
Monthly takes up the problems of rural
New England in two articles which
present a study of country life in two
different communities in two different
states. These descriptions of the pres
ent life and ways of the rural popula-
ton throw light on such problems as
these: Whether The rush to the cities
is likely to leave the country barren of
men; whether the falling away from
old-time religious beliefs is causing a
deterioration of character; whether the
civic pride of the country town is de-
caying; and whether the stanch and
homely virtues of preceding generations
are maintained. These two articles
have been prepared for the Atlantic by
two writers of experience, who have
made special studies on the ground for
this purpose.
THE May Ladies' Home Journal
uniquely reflects the sentiment and
spirit of spring. " In an old-fashioned
Garden " fairly emits the seasons fra
grant flavor, as do other contributions
In prose and verse. Hon. John Rus
sell Young recalls the notable Incl
dents-fetes, receptions and pageants,
etc.-of General Grants memorable
tour of the world, and ex-President
Harrison gives highly interesting
glimpses of the Presidents home and
home life in an article on 1.-THE Do.
mestic Side of the While House - the
concluding one of his admirable series
In brief, the May Journal contemplates
directly aud practically every feature
of home life, and appeals to every
member of the household. Among it,
notable art features are the dainty
cover by Howard Pyle and Alice Bar
Der Stephens drawing Of" The Woman
L l. IL IL L