The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-20

sung uy INC song anu uhECe lffbnmen Of tnb
vaudeville stage. In "Vagrant vsrses,' tho
second part OF the book. Mr.. Chambers comes
nearer to the commonplace. When he sings Of
Pierrette and Picrrot and lie QUARTER Latin he
takes UT well-worn themes that, clothed in any
language but their own. are apt to have a curl
ously hybrid air.
The sersots slouch by the old vachette,
And the tramps on the benches get up and get;
SO | kiss your hand. and l sigh farewell
Bonne mutt, ma charo petite Gabrielle"
There is what one OF stovenson's characters
calls an "Americo-P arisienne" flavor about |
this sort OF verse. that is not altogether for
tunate. TAKEN as a whole. the Volume shows
that Mr.. Chambers should be as successful in
verso writing rs he has been with his excellent
short stories. lie has versatility, a Enack OF
rhyming. ana q correct ear.
In Literary Landmarks OF Florence" liar
pers), Mr.. Laurence Hutton In his always
pleasant and entertaining way, conducts the
reader through one of the most beautiful
Of Italian cities. pointing out tho differ
cnt places hallowed by association with
the great names OF medleval and modern
literature. from Dante. Calico, and Sayo-
narola, to Dickens. Hawthorne. and Robert and
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. lie takes him to
the villa Gherardo, on tho Via Settignanese,
which some believe to have been the scene of
that picnic party In 134s. when n number of
fair ladies and gallant gentlemen entertained
each other with those delightful tales
that the world has not yet grown weary Of; aud
where some Ave centuries and q half later Mark
Twain diverted his guests with tho stories Of
Jim woolf aud Huckleberry Finn: and whether
Mr.. Hutton Is showing him the site OF the birth
place of Amerigo Vespucci. or the villa in
which Hawthorne wrote the first sketch Of tho
y" Marble Faun." he has ever at command some
pleasant nnecdote or happy quotation. We
wish, though. that he had not been quite so go.
rious In his comments on the legend of Dante
and Beatrice. There Is something that appeals
to the readers sense Of humor In the solemn re-
Election that Beatrice was probably not the
woman that Dante imagined her to be: and IL
would have been a great deal better for Dante
and for all concerned. IL he had not set the fash
ion OF failing In love with and rhapsodizlng over
an ideal creature"
Anthony Dillon. soldier OF fortune and a
gentleman of the Irish Brigade, who fought
under sake and Noaillcs. and who narrates
some OF his stirring adventures In The Last
Recruit of Clare's," by =. r.. Keightley liar
persD, Is ono OF those fine old warriors of fiction
who. In their declining years. sit down with
Zen. ink. and PAPER to fsht their battles DER
again. And n d-lightfuily garrulous and
bombastic old war horse he is. with
! his ever reiterated pride Ia his honor
as n gentleman. and his race that
drew its lineage from the loins Of kings"
There is n mellihuous richness in his die
t!un that atoncs for the disiointedress and
lack of sequence In the narrative, and makes us
overlook his habit OF turning W. without ex-
PLANTATION, in unexpected places. We think we
have him safely fixed IN Paris. and IN the next
chapter find him wandering in the wilds of
Scotland; but there Is consolation In the fact
that wherever he Is. lie Is fighting somebody.
With him the hand is ever at the sword hilt.
A cholerlc word or a disrespectful look. and
swords are out, and he aud his adversary at IL,
hammer and tongs: and in each fight he spits
one Of the numerous villains OF the book. Not
since the immortal Major Gahagan OF tremen-
dous memory. have we met with u warrior so
wonderful with sword and tongue.
In "A Book Of Rhymes" Miss Grace Clarke
has written a number OF simple and often musi.
cal verses. While not burdened with any
weight of thought, most of them are pretty and
pleasant, some OF the humorous attempts being
the least satisfactory.
A very compact and Useful text book OF
Greek and Roman Mythology" Leach,
Shewell g. Sanborn,, based on Standings
"Gritschtsehe und R6misehc MythOlogic. is pub
lished In The Students Series" The work OF
translation and condensation has been done By
Prof. Karl Pomeroy Harrington OF the Uni.
versity OF North Carolina and Prof. Herbert
Cushing To.man OF Vanderbilt University. The
genesis and growth OF the myths are set forth,
the texts supplemented by references TO some
OF tho most useful authorities. and the book
forms. within a small compass, a Systematic eI-
position oil the development OF mythology and
religion among the Greeks and Romans.
New Latin composition based mainly upon
'Hsar anu oicerO' o' moses "taht oahieil.
Inc stuGehts series OF Latin CLASSICS
'Leach. She"elI " 9auooFnl' Is revision OF
inc Suthors LAe''ls's IN Lain iroee 'ompo-
sltlOn, Win some alterations anu ADDITIONS.