The record-union., 1898-08-28

In the press is George Glenn
enceau's lie Plus Forts" (The Strong
esD, a story of modern bourgeois so
ciety and morality. Clemenceau's en-
trance into the field of fiction is treat
ed in French periodicals as a very in
feresting event. Long a parliamentary
leader and fighter, the head of the rad
aca1 Republicans, an aStute politician,
who came to be called the "wrecker
OF ministries" on account of his skill In
driving moderate men out of office, he
has, since his defeat in 1896 devoted
himself to journalism and literature.
He has published some noted sociolog-
1cal books, and has edited La Justice"
and ''L'Aurore," the paper in which
lola made his famous assault upon the
Meline Cabinet in connection with the
tDreyfus affair. A few weeks ago he
published the novel above named, and
critics have declared 1t a work of art,
as Well as Of radical ideas and tenden-
cies. Clemenceau has in this novel pre-
Sented picture of modern French So
ciety, which has fallen under the COM
plete control of unprincipled politicians,
bankers, promoters and financiers. The
strongest in modern society, according
TO Clemenceau, are the greedy, domi-
neering and INSCRIPTIONS fortune hunt
ers, who trample all human rights I'M
der foot and who crush those who are
poor, weak and without influence.
y
A writer in the London DAILY News"
despairs of the modern novel in the fol-
lowing way: George Meredith is not to
be claimed by either side. He stands
apart SOrafbinc not ;oto
classification. He takes his age as he
finds it, as he would have taken any
other in which his lot was cast. HUI
man nature is enough for him. and he
has no particular aversions and no
hopes. But the newer men, living or
dead-the Stevensons, Hardys, Doyles.
Barries, Gissings and Hopes; the newer
women from Mrs. Ward to John Oliver
Hobbies, are simply good writer's. They
have no representative quality. Good
literature is enough for them, as that
and human nature are enough for Mr.
Meredith. Mr.. Kippling is of the more
heroic mold, and by virtue of a GER
tain insight into men as forces ranged
for conflict, he is one of those that
posterity will hardly find it safe to
neglect He sees the potentialities of
that common man who is also the COM
ing man, as none other sees them in
our day. He is as some student of
manners of the Roman Empire, whose
way Of life had thrown him among the
Goths and Huns.
The wonderful collection made by the
~ate Alfred Morrison consisting of cam
eos, antique engraved gems and vases,
was disposed of in London recently by
Messrs. Christie, Manson & Woods. The
most important lots We're a large Sas-
sanian intaglio upon a fine cabochon
carnelian, engraved with a male por-
trait, with long inscription in Peplevi
tai; bust Of Demitia, hair en- queue.
exceedingly fine intaglio upon a nicolo,
mounted as a ring, fS4; a large oval
sardonyx, engraved with portrait of
Arsinoe H., mounted in gold as ring,
t4o; very fine intaglio upon a black
Jasper, engraved with a male portrait.
toU; remarkable cameo by the cele-
brated Pistrucci, cut upon red jasper
or brilliant color, representing the head
OF Medusa, full face, two and an eighth
inches in diameter, f40. The ANTIQUE
gold rings, set with intagli, ETC., includ-
ed a massive gold ring, delicately en-
graved with floral design, set with an
lntaglio, engraved with the figure of
Bacchus, t1S5; a very massive Greek
gold ring, set with an intaglio. finely
engraved with bust of young Bacchus,
from the Tarsus hoard, $3.50; the cele-
brated signet known as that Of Asan-
der.
An interesting little story of Thack-
cray Is told by Edward Wilberforce in
the London Spectator"
Just after the completion of The
Newcomes,' he (Thackeray) told me
how he was walking to the Postofflce
On Paris to send off the concluding
chapters when he came upon an old
friend of his, who was also known to
me. Come into this archway,' said
Thackeray TO his friend, and I win
read you the last bit of 'The New
comes" The two went aside out of the
street, and there Thackeray read the
scene of the Colonel's death. His
friends emotion grew more and more
intense as the reading went on, and at
'<he close he burst out crying, and ex-
claimed: IF everybody else does like
that, the fortune of the book is made,'
And everybody else did, was my com
ment. Not l., replied Thackeray. I
was quite unmoved when l killed the
Colonel. What was nearly too much
for me was the description of Boy
saying "Our Father" 1 was debating
that TO my daughter, and I had the
greatest difficulty in controlling my
voice and not letting her see that I
was almost breaking down. / don't
fnI hof ha
it,"
Russell Sturgis, in "Scribner's Maya
zine; If landscape painting were
mainly a question of tress and green
ness there would then be no doubt as
to the painters duty and his interest
The men who make trees and greenness
their chief or principal study go to the
country in midsummer, perforce. But
it is quite notorious that this is not
the whole or even a principal part of
landscape painting. There never were
any green pictures until the present
half century began: before that time
summer landscape was a thing which
the painter took his suggestions from,
indeed, but whose suggestions as to
celebration he did not heed very closely.
Turner's vast phantasmagoria includes
no green vision, nor does the book of
nature as he turned 1t over through his
long and hard-worked life contain a
green page. Inness and Martin-to
name the two of our own great men
Z no have but now Joined the majority,
PWere not painters of summer green,
and those who have struggled with
that most difficult of problems, and
who yet survive, are few, and their