The herald., 1898-09-25
edited by Enoch Knight.)
Opportunity

Opportunity
CBy Ex-senator Ingalls)
Master of human destinies am 1!
Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps
wait.
Cities and fields 1 walk; I penetrate
Deserts and seas remote, and passing by
Howell and mart and palace-soon or iate'
/ knock unbidden once at every gate!
II sleeping, wake-if feasting, rise BEFORE
I turn away 1t Is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every state
MortaIs desire and conquer every Zoe
Rave death: but those who doubt or hesitate.
Condemned to failure, penury and woe,
Seek me in vain and uselessly nmpiore'
I answer not, and return no more!
O O Q
This Is a story going the ROUNDS says
the New York Times:
There was a rich and fashionable
young woman in New York. She wrote
4 novel, and, of course. wanted IL
printed. An editor was invited TO near
It read. The unfortunate editor. who Is
accused of having made night OF 1t the
evening before celebrating something or
other, is ushered into grand house,
and the lady, rugged out In an elaborate
rovn. receives him. She is gifted with
a soothing voice, "a contralto," and the
man listens for whie-a brief while
and then goes sound asleep. Did he
enore? He wakes. He is alone! He
makes his way out. In the hall by the
electric light he looks at his watch. He
owns a Waterbury, 1t is half past
twelve" and a solemn butler sees him
out. "Since that time, although the
editor wrote a letter of apology to the
avthoress, he has received no communi-
cation from her." Poor man. did he
ever know how near he was to death?
He might have met another literary
Lucretia Borgia. There is no such hate
as that of woman scorned, excepting
the woman whose copy lis returned with
thanks" Perhaps some mysterious
disappearances may now be accounted
for.
The literary periodicals, like the Book
Buyer" "The Bookman" "The Critic"
ETC., are very thin and bare of matter
about new books. But the next few
weeks will see a change, and in two
months will be the deluge.
Here Is light but rather sure touch
Of George Merediths ways, from the
Critic:
THE vexed question Of Meredith's
style-whether he is a master of the
English tongue or one Of its betrayers-
must be settled by his Individual readers
in accordance with the notions each
holds as to what constitutes mastery of
language. He is blind sometimes, and
grandiose often, but oftener still he Is
in lucidity and brilliance.
and he makes both his clearness and his
turgidity serve his purpose of expressing
what is nearly inexpressible. This much
is certain: Both his thought and his
written speech move with a certain, ro
bust rhythm, the swinging pace of
matured and powerful mind. If once
you "catch step with him mentally and
allow yourself to go at his gait, you will
wonder thereafter at the UNACCEPTABLE
minds that find him hard of comprehen-
sion and difficult to read"
THE STORY OF GLADSTONE'S LIFE.
New edition. By Justin Mccarthy,
NJ P. Author of "a History of Our
Own Times etc. With additional
chapters describing the last months
of Mr.. Gladstone's life at Cannes,
Bournemouth and Hawarden, closing
with an account Of the imposing
funeral scene at Westminster Abbey.
vo., cloth extra. Price $500. The
Macmillan Company.
Here is a superb volume, fine in all
ways. The paper, the print, the illus
trations, are all excellent, and, what
is best Of all, when one arises from read
ing any portion of the volume, he feels
that he has been in the company of great
mentor to read of Gladstone is to read
also Of a famous company, statesmen
ard scholars. There will be no end of
books about Gladstone, following out
the hint of the single papers in the peri
odicals, but there can hardly be better
one that this. And this is the average
Judgment Of critics, whose opinions are
entitled to weight. A fair examination
of the volume shows'it happy symmetry
of construction, and its manifesty fair
treatment of Gladstone's contempora-
ries. Especially interesting, and even
captivating is the comparing of him with
his great rival, Disrael. Nothing could
be more discriminating and just. it seems
to us, than this estimate Of the char
acter and the public services of these
two men, whose careers met at so many
points, and Were connected with so
many great events in English politics.
The volume comprises the very latest
matter connected with the closing days
of Mr.. Gladstone's life and the imposing
scenes at his burial in Westminster Alb
hey. Indeed, nothing could be more
complete and satisfactory than this vol
ume. both in matter and in style. 1t is
the work of an acknowledged master.
One instinctively compares Gladstone
with Bismarck-or rather contrasts the
two. They had one master purpose in
common, mighty purpose, to do well
for their country. And both men were
of deep religious sense. In his last
days Bismarck declared that he never
could have served his king as he did but
from an abiding faith in God. His weld
ing together of the smaller states into
the German empire he deemed to be
great work for the good of the world
and the German people. He believed
in monarchy, and he worked for it as #
1t We're ordained of heaven. On the
other hand, Gladstone was no doubt al
ways for charging the freedom of the
individual and the franchise and these
were greatly broadened during long
public life. He was also accredited wit h
genuine desire to see a better govern
ment for Ireland, even if he had doubts
about full home rule, as popularity un-
Gerstood. One cannot help feeling that
his religion was of a more vital kind
than has been the DosseSSicp of apx