The record-union., 1897-02-28

on the Spanish programme OF reforms
| in Cuba the United States Senate's at
! titude toward the arbitration treaty
/ with England, the immigration DILL
the proposed international monetary
| conference, Presidential Mckinley
| Cabinet selection, the recent Senatorial
| elections, the New York trust investl-
! CATION, the famine situation in India,
/ the affair of the Greeks in Crete, the
foreign policy of Russia, the position OF
England France and the other great
| Powers and many other matters of
current interest.
| 1t has the only complete and accu-
rate account of the life of Lyman j.
Gage, Major McKinley's choice for Sec
retary of the Treasury. An English
mans study of the longest reign in
British history is contributed by W. L.
Stead The notion that King Oscar of
Sweden and Norway would be unduly
prejudiced in favor of England and
against the United States in arbitration
proceedings is altogether a delusion.
| Speaking of the munificent bequest
of the Swedish engineer, Alfred Nobel,
whose name is known wherever dyna-
| mite is used, as the Thor Hammer of
| modern industry, the Review" says:
The interest annually accruing from
| this magnificent endowment of sci
| ence, medicine and peace, say about
| $500, 900, is to be divided into five pOr-
| tions, to be awarded in prizes, for the
| most important discoveries in Cd ply
| sizes, CD chemistry, CD physiology or
medicine, respectively; a. for the most
| distinguished literary contribution in
| physiology or medicine, and (J) for
| achieving the most, or doing the best
| to promote the cause of peace. The
| competition is open to the world, and
| the adjudication will be no easy task.
Just imagine the difficulty of deciding
who best served the cause of peace in
| 1896. We should be inclined to back
| Secretary Olney for that prize. But
| that is a detail. The important thing
is that here we have a millionaire who
| has struck out for himself a method
of endowment which is neither eccle-
siastical nor educational"
"The Century" (New York; for March
| is styled an Inauguration Number, -
| and contains several features relating
to the city of Washington. The from
| tispieces are three portraits from pho
| tographs by Cox-two of Major McKin-
| ley and one of President Cleveland
Those of Mr.. Mckinley, taken Decem-
ber 9th and 10th, show him in profile
and in full face. The one of President
! Cleveland gives a very interesting view
| of the President at his desk, Novem-
ber %, 1896. These portraits accom-
pany the opening article of the num-
| LAv. L,aII
House." in which c. c. Buel sets forth
| in an authoritative and entertaining
manner, the official life of the Presi-
dent, social as well as political.
| Another Washington feature con-
Germs THE Nations Library" which is
the subject of articles by the Librarian
Mr.. Spofford, and William A Coffin
! the art critic, and is impressively il
| lustrated by drawings and reproduc-
tions of decorations in the Library, be-
ing the most complete account on the
subject yet printed.
| A third paper, by j. B. Bishop, re-
counts inauguration Scenes and Incl
dents" of the past, and is attractively
| illustrated with pictures relating to the
| Inauguration of Jackson William
| Henry Harrison, Polk, and Buchanan.
| There are also editorial articles on the
outgoing and incoming Presidents.
Of the other material the most nota-
| bic is a wood engraving by Timothy
| Cole of Turner's famous picture. The
Old Temeraire." 1t is one of the illus
| trations of a graphic article on Mel
| san at Trafalgar by Capt. A. L. Mahan.
Other articles are the continuation of
Horace Porter's anecdotal narrative
series, Campaigning with Grant" and
DR.. S. Weir Mitchelrs vivid story of
| colonial times, Hugh Wynne." There
are two short stories, Our Witch" by
Richard Malcolm Johnston, and The
Man who Worked for Collister," by
Mary Tracy Earle; also a paper on
The Art of Large Giving" by George
Hes, and a charming essay on f'Some
Writers of Good Letters" namely, Fitz-
gerald, Lowell, and Arnold, by Royal
Cortissoz. with verse by George z.
Woodberry, Maurice F. Egan, and Rob-
ert Underwood Johnson.
Other articles are "On the Public
Wearing of Political Collars (edi-
| toriaD, "A Scientific Basis for Liquor
Legislation by Walter H. Page, and
diverting sketches in the department
In Lighter Vein.'
The world will have nothing more
from the magic pen of the late Robert
Louis Stevenson after the romantic
novel of "St Ives" which begins pub
lication in the March number of Nc
Clure's Magazine (New York;. We
know from Stevenson's letters to Sid
ney Colvin, already published, that he
most to the moment of his sudden
DEATH and that it interested him deep
ly He had the good fortune to leave
it substantially complete. The last
two chapters, perhaps, were not fully
written; but he left such "a summary OF
them that the course and conclusion of
the story are quite satisfactorily
shown Persons who have read the
novel pronounce it unhesitatingly one
of the most engaging of Stevenson's
works. 1t is written in his most cheer
full vein; it moves with rapidity and
thrill of incident unsurpassed; and 1t
presents a succession of personageS of
the utmost variety, subtlety and at
tractiveness. 1t is love story, and
the heroine is as irresistible as she
who engaged the affections Of David
Balfour, and of MI who read the inn
mortal record of his adventures. The
right of serial publication of "St. Ives"
in America was purchased by Nc
Clure's Magazine" of his executor very
soon after Mr.. S-evenson's death
"Harper's Weekly" of February 9th
contains two notable features, in elab-
crate descriptions and illustrations of
the Congressional Library at Washing