New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-29
LITERARY NOTES.


Ave years and are full Of interesting illusions
to the political. literary and social history OF
the time.
Mr.. Howells's new novel. Ragged Lady" Is
Just coming from the Harper press In book forn'
and in "Harper's Magazine" for January we
ind the opening pages Of the story, In WHICH
the author takes our old friends. BASH Marcn
and his agreeable. inconsequent wife. through
their silver wedding Journey abroad They are
growing to be old people. and March Is Ill ana
tired after his years Of work.
He knew ne in a rut as his vile oiten
said; but if 1t was a rut. 1t was support TOO
II kept him from wobbling. She always taxed
as IL the 1owery fields OF youth lay on eitheI
side OF the dutsy road he had been going 30
long and he had but to step aside from H. 10 oe
among the butterflies and buttercups again. ne
sometimes INDUCED this illusion himself IN a
certain ironcal spirit which Knocked whlle IL
caressed the notion. They had a tacit agree
ment that their youth. II they were ever "
find il again, to be looked for In Europe,
where they met when they were young, ana
they had never been quite without the nope
of going back there some day Tor long So
tourn They had not seen the time when tney
could do so; they were dreamers. but. as tney
recognized even dreaming Is not free from
care and In his dream March had been ooligeo
to work pretty steadily, II not TOO intensey.
He had been forced to forego the distine'y
literary ambition with which he had started IN
life because he had their common living 70
graceful verse, or even gracefui prose-
The forthcoming biography Of the late En-
press Of Austria contains great many anec-
dotes and a detailed account Of the first meet
ing between the Emperor and Empress. The
rlan as every one knows. was that he was TO
marry her elder sister. but the girsh Princess
Elizabeth enchanted him. He was waiting IN a
room when in rushed the young lady,. 1resh as
. rose God greet thee oousinr' she exclaimed.
identifying the visitor from his portrait. That
evening he slipped a diamond bracelet from MS
mothers arm, saying This we shall lay unoer
Elzabeths serviette at tea" Next morning
The Emperor said TO the priest at mass. Father,
please bless US; this is my intended BRIDE
What has long been Familiarity known as LII
lie Dorrits House" has just been offered at
auc,ion in London. It's legal designation is
.the freehold premises. No. Go. Borough High
street"
Mr. Clark Russell says that the real hero OF
his new book THE Romance Of Mdshipman'
was Frank Dickens one Of the three sons Oh
the novelist Young Clark Russell was at school
with the three boys
In the recent sale OF the William Morris libra
w the magnificent illuminated "Josephus,"
formerly In the Hamilton collection, brought a
high price 1t was executed in the first half OF
the thirteenth century by French scribe In
Gothic characters. 1t brought $1,525.
The British Museum has lately issued at
low price a set Of fac-simles or valuable auto
graph manuscripts preserved in its cases. Ihese
include the epilogue TO Tennysons ldyis OF the
King George Eliot's dedication TO q. II. Lewes
of 1.-THE manuscript of a work cAdam Bede)'
which would never have been written but LOT
the happiness which his love has conferred on
nv life: that page Of Sternes sentimental
Journey" in which occurs the picture or Ehza'
and the letter of Chat.erton containing the
reference to his "damn'd native. uncomfortable
pride"
The first instalment Of Governor-elect Roose-
yelt's papers on The Rough Riders as print
ed in "scrbner" is uncommoniy entertaining
He sketches with graphic force the human ma
terial he had to deal with-"sodlers ready
made" he SAYS las far as concerned their ca
pacity as Individual fighters. What was neces-
sary was 20 teach them to act together and to
obey orders
/ had been quite prepared for trouble when
il came to enforcing discipline, but ] was agree
ably disappointed There were plenty of hard
q characters who might by themselves have given
trouble and with one or two of whom we did
have TO take rough measures but the bulk or
the men thoroughly understood that without
discipline they would be merely valueless
mob, and they set themselves hard at work to
learn the new duties. OF course. such a regi-
ment. in spite of, or indeed l might almost say
because Of. the characteristics which made the
individual men exceptionally formidable as
soldiers could very readily have been spoiled
Any weakness In the commander would have
ruined IT, On the other hand, to treat 1t from
nf bn nd mil
pedant would have been almost equally fatal.
From the beginning started out to secure
the essentials of discipline while laying just as
little stress as possible on the non essentials.
The men were snSularly quick TO respond TO
any appeal TO their intelligence and patriotism.
The faults they committed were those of isno-
rance merely. When HOdeIman. in announcing
dinner to the colonel and the three majors.
genially remarked. IF you fellers don't come
soon, everythingll get cold,' he had no thought
OF other than kindly and respectful regard
FOR their welfare. and was glad to modify his
form OF address on being told that 1t was not
what could be described as conventionaly mill
tary. When one Of our sentinels. who had with
much labor learned the manual of arms, sauted
with great pride as l passed. and added with
friendly nod. Good evening. Colonel. this
variation in the accepted formula on such occa-
sions was meant. and accepted. as mere friend
ly interest. In both cases the needed instruc-
ton was given and received in the same kindly
spirit.
One OF the new Indian Territory recruits, after
twenty four hours stay In camp, during which
he had held himself distinctly aloof from the
general interests, called the Colonel in his
tent and remarked: We'll, Colonel l want
TO shake hands and say we're with you. We
didn't know how would like you fellers at
hrst but you're all right. and you know your
business. and you mean business, and you can
count on us every timer
1t was astonishing Colonel Roosevelt tells
us. how soon the men got these little
peculiarties. They soon understood that GER
tain forms and proper discipline stood in close
relation.
They became scrupulously careful in touch
ing their hats. and always came to attention
when spoken to. They saw that we did not
insist upon the observance of these forms to
humiliate them; that we anxious to
learn our own duties as we were TO have them