New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-25
OUTDOOR STUDIES.
HuMoR. LITERARY "REMINISCENCES AND
SOME COMMON-sENsE.

IN Portals GAERTNs ~ w so.on S Brsd
NATURE CITY YARR sS R'%0l sRn Dii
pnodecirno pp. lss The Century Company
WITH FEET TO THE EARTH BY Ch nIi;1hi M
skinner rI bu ode t0Sn5 PP. v'' 20
THE FREEDOM OF THE FIELDS %, BY p Snaf.e<
G. Abbott Duodecimo, PIP. vii ZSa fh''a"7'
phia: J. Il. Lippncott Company
YEAR IN THE FIELDS. Selections from inc
Writings Of John burroughs: with Illust "a
Oas IRON; n0 vi nhqiSsT1H{ 6ng Py Mimi Co.
NATURES DIARY. Compiled :, by rTanc M,e1 r.
Alien. Duodecimo. unpased Houshton' M''n'h
OWNED The Life. Travels and Dissertations Of
Dog By John Sergeant w Mase 3 CO. p'
THE GALIINACEOUs GAME BIRDS OF NORTH
Sarmisaa and %d turkeys BY b o"isv Girr UD
E EiIiI' 20 WI" Fran es' ? Harper '''
THE STORY OF LIFE N THE SEAS BY, BY syy 5lne
Do I75. d Appleton & Co.
NATURAL HISTORY Concise KnISyW'lcdge, d
Westward By + Kxaspsfios Pocock
Bowdler Sharpe. W Ciarstang F. A Butler and
H NJ Bernard Octave pp XVI "i D. Apple
CHAPTERs ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF
THE N dGT b srA n.Pses s o Se
ence Association Of America Quarto. PIP az
Suder Brothers.
Mr.. Ernest Ingersolrs chapters on wild Neigh
bors" are decidedly wholesome and invigorating
He has n clever well as enthusiastic way OF
telling the strict truh-a use. by tho by, to which
cleverness Is seldom put The reader will get from
him much the sort Of pleasure TO be had from
walk on a day when tho atmosphere seems rare
and every outline in foreground and background is
sharply defined. To make the analogy perfect
however must imagine a sprightly alert COM
panion at ones side. The authors wit IL an even
constant stimulus that on the one hand never lets
him fall into tedousness and commonplace. and
rhaof bA rf1i in oven n
surprising: it pervades the book with genera VI
vacity OF spirits. To such manner OF wit II Is diff
cult to do Justice ny quotations. The authors cata-
logue Of the various functions performed by tails
may serve. however to illustrate his ingenious con-
creteness OF expression and the note which he APP
ponds to his chapter the service Of tails will
Illustrate the ease and spontaneity of his humor
Tails serve their various owners as shelters: as
as or o5 sna as
ons. both for offence and Defence as anchors sup
Under the water and through the air: as musical
instruments Gor example. by the rattesnakes) or
gestures as matrimonial advertisementsi as egg
holders and incubators. and finally. as baoy-car-
rtages.
As to his title. the Service Of Tails" he write.
gravely in a footnote thus:
To the nght-mnded better title would be "A
perhaps "A Caudal Lecture"-instead Of the words
at the head Of the page That would be pun Of
Of the bulls OF Dashan. A pun should no; come
ocmns up oWy 6s sS ike s
house In fog II should appear unexpectedly at
the Of e on yG
lookout you do not at once perceive the alluson.
the bubble declares Itself as Certain oandies dis,
appointing and favorless at nrst presently disclose
liquid centre OF sweets to the surprised palate.
Mr. Ingersolls chapter the skunk Calmly
Considered, is captivating bit Of appreciation. re-
sponsible in It's statements Of serious interest In
the nature OF its details. Of interchangeable taste.
and Of quiet sympath etic humor. Other chapters
deal With the woodchuck. tho coon, the porcupine
tho squirrel. tho badger and tho puma.
No ono doubt the heartiness and gusto Of Mr.
William Soane Kennedy's enjoyment both Of nature
and Of books. It Is an omnivorous enjoyment.
Whatever has associated itself with the rich and
distinctivciy physical aspects OF nature gsins his
attention whether II b the theories Of Emmanuel
Kant on tho sense Of smell or the practices OF
Johnny Appesesd," OF Ohio. on tho planting Of
fruit trees: whether be tho scent Of the sweet
brfor luof or tho waddling gait OF the woodchuck
His volume. TN Portals Gardens" 90 gathers into
one compact mass facts. legends and literary ellu-
sions that 1t reminds one OF the quaintest Of all
literary storehouses. Burton's Anatomy OF Melan-
choay" The "reminiscences. however, 70 but tran
sdent, for. though he has breadth of interest and
sincerity OF fealinS. Mr.. Kennedy has none OF that
nneness OF taste which is essential to charm
Words grotesquely out Of fashion 1ostle I'D. cheek
BY jowl with the crude upstairs Of tho last decade
and humor. never Of tho subtlsst, elbows Its way
m with constrained assumption Of familiar man
ners whero 1t Is not wanted In brief. with all his
literary alusion, Mr.. Kennedy does not vet writ.
hke one VOL read; his style is UNFRAMED though
vigorous. and his mann Is as self consciou, ms n
Is opsn and ready. And yet many q book mar.
skiifully written would prove less worth reading
There Is plenty Of animal spirits In Mr. Charles NJ
6knner's recommendation OF outdoor nlcasrr.,.
no Is man who takes naturally 10 the hiShroad
"ners on tho ono side he may see weed xrass
ana tanyie. and on the other the dusty children
OF mon There Is plenty Of invxorating common
sense In his advice TO pedestrians with haversacks
and slim purse. and OF stimulus in his hints to tho
more restricted. whose only chances for an out,ng
are In narrow streets and neglected backwards n
Mr.. SINNERS appreciation Is far from subtle ~ hi.
style Is marred by soma crudities he U.s. after all .
capital hand at showing how to make much
OF small opportunities What Nature in a Civ
Yard will do for a man who has no vacation
with Feet 10 the Earth" will do for his luckior
fellow who has two weeks OF freedom and a SOUND
pair OF legs.
Tho Freedom Of the Fields" by Mr. G q Ar
bot. is largely spun from the authors inner con-
seriousness. and the gossamer therefrom Ia pretty
tenuous 1t Is hardly possible discover any fact in
Mr.. Abbotts volume: 1t Is difficult to discover any,
thing as substantial the Impression OF a fact
The fields have suggested to the author an excel.
lent vocabulary. nature has endowed him with q
good ear-an admirable sense OF cadence IN fact
and from these two gifts. snd these alone has
come his very soothing volume of little essays
The time has long since come when work 30 I'M
even ~ Mr.. Abbotts should Fall under the nail OF
q conscientiously selectvo editor but tho Proyi-
dence which shapes the world has devised other
wise. and apportons editors only to those authors
whose work least needs excision. John Burroughs
for instance. can be read at length, yet no one
will bsgrudge him the honor Of an editor or will
regret the fact that Mr. Clifton Johnson hos gath
cred under tho title "A Year In the Fields" a oath
Ollie and yet compact selection OF his writinss Thu
volume u properly and pleasantly illustrated
Roughly speaking Mr.. Francis H. Aliens COM
pilation. Natures Diary" looks like the elder