New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-17

~ these the Laureate has not a trace. In the
ocean Of nane public uttcrances his dreadfu
ballad Of Jamesons Ride stands up rem
eriC'c Of taotcssneSs, the worst literary Dlunucr
Of the age This week, when all the world Is
SO touchy Mr.. Austin circulates to the morn
ing papers on al ode called "A Voice from the
West in which he treats America WIN the sor.
of unconscious patronage by which he drove
Mr. William Watson wild in graciou5y peck
oning him up the slopes of Parnassus
"The misfortune is that Mr.. Alfred Austin mas
never become known in America, and since MS
appointment his name has been greeted with
great deal Of rather illbrcd chan IN New YORK
and Boston. The Americans are not aware OF
those genuine qualities OF head and heart wllich
he possesses They will not appreciate being
told that they are lords OF strong young land
and we are lords OF the main me haplt OF
employing richly flgurative speech Is o,len
abused in the United States; we feel meian-
choly certainty that 1t was abused when "A
Voice from the West (Which Is surely a geo
graphical bunder as Mr.. Austin Is not sing
Ing from Japan was reprinted. Nor can rnS
lsh ears have done less than redden ard tngle
at this foolish. second hand bunkum about
sons Of the self-same race. and blood or the
sef-sa clan about Loyalty loving ana trust
Ing each other about the tale OF an ancient
wrong" and all the rest of the rhetoric ms
stuff tame. so trite. so false. so tunciess as
verse so parochial in manner. Is likely to do no
more than remind us. with sigh or regret
how digniGed and weighty were the rare utter
ances on such occasions made by the great AL
fred who reigned last in the laurel
In his new Illustrated periodical. Fair Game
Mr.. Harry Furniss proposes to utilize the IDEAS
developed during his recent tour round the
world.
In a recently published volume OF miscel-
Iancous sketches by the late Lady Camilla
Gurdon there Is an anecdote about Thackcray
which the author says was told 10 her by MT.
Lowell:
"He told me that Thackeray had asked him
"a B.
Esmond.' begging him To point out any mistake
he might detect in the English Of the reign of
Queen Anne MIR. Lowell answered that there
was one thing he thought wrong; did anybody
then ever the phrase. different to- such
thing? Hang it an cried Thackeray. No. OF
course they didn't"
The American edition Of Alphonse DauIets
last story lie Soutien dc Famle." which is
soon to be published by The Putnams. will have
a biographical and critical Introduction 10y Pro-
fessor Adolphe Cohn. The Partisan artist
Marchctti has made a number Of Illustrations
for the book-which is to bear in this country
the title Of The Head Of the Family" This. II
we do not mistake. is also the title Of one OF the
late Dinah Maria Mulock's novels.
In a little volume OF '1dylls Of Spain" just
published In London. the author speaks OF meet
ing in the course of his travels old gypsy
woman who actually asks about "Lavengro'
Borrow.
him? Have you news ~ him? Everybody
knew him in these paris that Is to say.
all my people knew him; for he loved
them. and worshpped him. though h.
said that h. had not the blood Of Egypt But
there. there. you but a babe You cannot
have known him. What do say? lie VIII now
be dead. or very old-vcry. very old like me-
bill which Robert Burns once paid for some
boots and shoes has been saved from oblivion
and the precious relic has been Sent ia Soth,lvs
to he sold 10 the highest bidder one bard who's.
feelings have been stirred by the announcement
Of this event sends to "Litera,urc' the following
ballad.
or BrHNs's BOOTS AND SHOES
All, once they ploddcd at the plough
Across the grass and through the Oozc,
To feed 4 horse or milk a cow
Burnss shoes Burnss shoes.
He took them of and had his snonzc
Then out again among the roots
He wandered in the pair he'd choose
Burnss boots. o Burns's boots.
Old Time. jealous wight art thou.
Thy malice swift oblivion brcws:
The world has quite forgot them now.
Burnss shoes BurLss shoes,
Where are they? Fame reply cschcws
And even Scotsmen "hae their doots.'
Only the bill their tale renewg-
Burns's boots. Burnss boots,
Collectors vainly knit the brow
The catalogue too late pcruse.
only in bills remain, | trOw,
Burns's shoes Burns's shes,
In vain we hunt elusive clues:
Not all the wealth OF Child or Coutts
Could rescue. from the void that woos
Burns's boots. Burns's boots.
ENVOY.
And It's . for the soles and the heels We lose
Burns's shoes, Burns's shoes,
Scattered To batten the fowls and the brutes-