The record-union., 1899-12-24

'ACRAMENIOs 81 MA
moral claim to the Dement'S Of his
grandfather's success"
It is now over thirty years since n. r.
Willis, recognizing the fresh. dainty
and fanciful talent of her poems IN
troduced to the readers OF the Home
Journal Jeanne Gould. EARLY In the
seventies, these fugitive poems were
collected in volume styled IA Chap
let of Leaves, by jeanne g." this sig
nature having been chosen by Mr..
Willis. Two years later the young lady
gave "Marjorie's Quest" to the world,
and for the first time her own name APP
peared In print, Jeanne T. Gould. The
book gained the speedy and wide popu-
larity which it deserved and it has con-
tinued to hold its own to the present
time. Miss Gould then became IA
vorite contributor to various of the
leading magazines and newspapers un-
der the name of Daisy Ventnor," her
short stories soon became we'll known.
their grace and brilliancy causing them
to be extensively copied and warmly
praised. In 1877 Miss Gould married
DR.. N. S. Lincoln of Washington, a
man who had for years stood at the
head of his profession, and whose repu-
tation continued to grow until his death
| in October, $685. Her husbands posi-
ton, and her own tact, grace and clev-
ernesS soon made Mrs. Lincoln a social
power in our fascinating capital Mrs.
Lincoln still contributed to magazines
and newspapers but her next book did
not appear until 1854. This was Her
Washington Season" In 1896 she pub
lished through Messrs. Houghton, Milf
fin & Co. a book which might almost
be called a sequel to "Marjorie's Quest
entitled "A Genuine Girl A few
months later the same firm published
for her AN Unwilling Maid and re-
Gently has appeared "A Pretty Tory"
These last books have but added to her
reputation as writer. Her extreme
naturalness, pathos and humor make
her a favorite with all who read her
| books.
Mrs. Helen Bigelow Merriman was
born in Boston, and is the daughter of
the late E. B. Bigelow, the distin-
| guished inventor of the carpet loom,
| and a writer on the tariff and other
| questions of political economy. Her
| mother was the daughter of Colonel
David McGregor Means of New Hamp-
| shire. She is the wife of Rev. Daniel
| Merriman, D. D., well-known min
| lister in Worcester, where she has resid-
| ed for the last twenty years, though
| the family spends the summers in the
| White Mountains on an estate pur-
chased many years ago by Mrs. Merri-
mans father.
| Mrs. Merriman has enjoyed wide OPP
| portunities- of reading and travel. but
her special training has been chiefly
| that of an artist. - :
| She has, however, given considerable
attention to problems of philosophy, es-
| pectally as they are illustrated in the
sphere of art; and she has occasionally
written and spoken on the principles
involved in their practical application
to life and faith. Her little book,
What Shall Make Us Whole?" has
been favorabiy and widely read, and
she has just followed that, with a
volume called ~Religio Pictoris," writ
ten from the standpoint of an artist
and emphasizing the unity between
things material and spiritual.
| Poet Laureate Alfred Austin Is of the
| opinion that women should pay partlc-
ular attention to the writings of Dante.
For thisireasShs Women, as a rule, are
not taught the dead languages, study
of whose literary masterpieces compels
the reader to observe how profound are
| the reflections.sS how felicitous the
| phrases and how enchanting the ca
dences in which these abound, and,
having thus acquired the habitiof close
attention and iHeving expectancy, the
student henceforth applies it to the
| greater works written in his own
tongue. For the denial tos-women of
this invaluable, educational training,
Dante and the Divine Comedy afford,
I think, the best and no inadequate,
substitute. For Dante will not suffer
hasty, superficial perusal OF his
Pierian spring you must drink deeply
or you do not drink at all"
A word of practical wisdom set forth
by the London Academy may be COM
mended to discourage readers. ITO ut
! ter" it says, "a jeremiad upon the de-
cadence of taste, to declare that lit
erature is going to the dogs because a
| fourth rate novel has been called a
masterpiece and has made some ones
fortune, would be absurd. We have a
strong faith that taste is as good as
ever 1t was, and that literature will
continue on its way undisturbed.' The
"Academy's" comment is wise, as we
have said, yet one must keep some
sympathy for the true lovers of lit
erature, who see the old masterpieces
| neglected, and the often vulgar trifies
of the hour proclaimed as great" be-
cause many thousand copies have been
sold There is no test of anything noble
and lasting in that sale.
The just published "reminiscences OF
the late Mrs. Lynn Linton comprise
the chapters on Thackeray, Dickens
and other authors which have already
| seen the light In the pages of an Eng
! lish periodical The Tribune made
quotations from their more interesting
| passages when they first appeared. II
will be rendered that her sketch of
George Henry Lewes was remarkable
for it's frankness. She quoted from
Lewes among other things this dis
scriptfon of the different manners in
which Dickens and Thackeray would
serve friend: Dickens would not
give you a farthing Of money, but he
would take no end of trouble for you
and would spare himself Meth
err time nor fatigue. Thackeray would