New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-10


cued from Oblivion. and will appear in Dean
Stubbs's forthcoming book on Charles Kings
ley and the Christian Social Movement"
new novelette, by Mr.. Frank r. Stockton
is TO bear the title OF The Vizier of the Two
Horned Alexander" 1t will appear-with Illus
trations-in the November and December num-
bers Of THE Century
when into The Man Of Feeling the incident
was introduced os the rescue OF valuable
manuscript from piece Of gun wadding, II was
after ALL" says The London Literary World
mo liberty that taken with possibility.
Plenty Of parallel cases are given by Mr. Samuei
Davey. F. r. s. L.. in his paper on Romanuc
Incidents in Literary Discovery read BEFORE
the Royal Society Of Literature. The poems OF
Proper,us. for example. were found hidden un-
der some casks In a wine cellar. Most certainly
they would soon have been destroyed. por-
ton of the second decade of Livy was once dlA
covered by scholar on the parchment Of
battledore and alas for literature. when the
battledore- maker was discovered he had used
M the last page OF Livy a few days before!
Another instance was that Of Boswelr's letters
addressed TO the Rev w. ]. Temple and pub
lshed as late as 1857. In the preface Of the
volume that contained them 1t was explained
that q gentleman had occasion to buy some
small articles at the shop OF one Nine. Noel. at
Boulogne The paper Ia which the articles were
wrapped proved TO be fragment of an Eng
lsh letter, and bore date and name which en-
abled the purchaser TO discover that the letter
was from Boswell 10 Mr.. Temple. written GEN.
tury earlier Then 1t was discovered that the
paper had been taken from large parcel
bought from hawker. The clew was followed
up, with the result that extremely interesting
letters. extending over more than forty years
were brought to light"
Mr. Archibald r. Colquhoun has written an
article for the November Harper on the
Eastward Expansion of the United States" 1t
will show TO what an extent the United States
is interested in common with England in COM
merce in Eastern Asia
Joseph Jefferson, the actor. has written an IN
PRODUCTION 10 the edition Of Dckens's Cricket
on the Hearth which has been added 10 the
pretty little Thumb Nail Series Of the Century
Company. One of the gentlest and most sym
pathetic bits of acting with which Mr.. Jeffer-
son has dgnifed his career he found In the play
made from Dickenss tender little story.
Mr. F. Brocklehurst. a well-known Manches-
ter man. voluntarily went TO Jail as a protest
against some local park regulation and has
written a book called When Was in Prison"
Here is story he tells about his experiences
The rule about literature in British jails IS
that only books of moral hepfulness shall be
given TO the prisoners. Mr.. Brocklehurst asked
for Shakespeare. Cant let you have Shakes
peare." said the governor. We'll why's that?"
was the protest An author who wrote Don
Juan cannot be a moral writer'-such was the
governors cold verdict. Mr.. Brockehurst had TO
be content with Euclid" whose moral instruc-
tion is not very evident
Mark Twain, writing in THE Forum" About
Play-Acting" advocates a judicous n.ingling Of
tragedy with the too popular comedy in New
York theatres:
1t is right and wholesome to have those light
comedies and entertaining shows, and /
shouldn't wish to see them diminished. But
none Of us is always in the comedy spirit; we
have our graver moods they come &c us all; the
lghtest OF us cannot escape them. These moods
have their appetites-healthy and legitimate APP
petites-and there ought 10 be some way OF
satisfying them. II seerls TO me that New-York
ought 10 have one theatre devoted TO tragedy.
With her three millions of population, and seven
~ outside millions to draw upon, she can af-
ford 1t, she can support 1t. America devotes
more time. labor, money and attention TO dis
tributing literary and musical culture among the
general public than does any other nation. per-
haps; yet here you find her neglecting what Is
possibly the most effective of all the breeders
and nurses and disaemnators Of high literary
taste and lofty emotion-the tragic stage. To
leave that powerful agency out is to haul the
culture-wagon with a crippled team. Nowadays
when q mood comes which only Shakespeare can
set 10 music. what must we GO? Read Shake
speare ourselves Isn't it pitful? 1t is playing
an organ solo on jews-harp. We can't read.
None hut the Booths can do II.
Thirty years ago Edwin Booth played Ham
let" hundred nights in New-Iork With three
times the population. how often is Hamlet"
played now in year? If Booth were back now
In his prime. how often could he play 1t in New
York? Some will say twenty-five nights. will
say three hundred and say 1t with confidence.
The tragedians are dead; but think that the
taste and intelligence which made their market
are not
What has come over us Englsh-speakng peo-
pie? During the first half of this century TRACE
dies and great tragedians were as common with
us farce and comedy; and II was the same In
England. Now we have not tragedian. be-
lieve; and London with her fifty shows and the
aires has but three. think. 1t is an astonishing
thing. when you come TO consider IT, Vienna re-
mains upon the ancient basis; there has been no
change. She sticks TO the former proportions:
number OF rollicking comedies. admirably played.
every night; and also every night at the Burg
Theatre-that wonder OF the world for grace and
beauty and richness and splendor and costliness
Il majestic drama Of depth and seriousness. or
a standard old tragedy. 1t is only within the
last dozen years that men have learned TO do
miracles on the stage in the way of grand and
enchanting scenic effects and IL Is at such a
time as this that we have reduced our scenery
mainly TO different breeds OF parlors and vary
ing aspects OF furniture and rugs l think we
must have q Burg in NewYork and Burg
scenery. and a great company like the Burg
company. Then. with tragedy-tonic once or
twice a month shall enjoy the comedies all
the better. Comedy keeps the heart sweet: but
we all know that there is wholesome refresh
rnent for both mind and heart in occasional
climb among the solemn pomps OF the intellect
ual snow-sumr?ts built by Shakespeare and
those others Do l seem 20 be preaching? 1t is
out OF my line; only do II because the rest OF
the clergy seem 10 be on vacation.
New editions Of standard authors appear 10
be in constant demand in England; and the odd
thing Is that the English publishers do not as