Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-10

mo O!Qen ume pre1aceu tnhlr DUOkS.
case in point is the old Persian
Shaikh adds preface to his Gull
stan, or Garden OF Roses" which has
boon translated from the Persian by
Sir Edwin Arnold, and is now pub
lished by Harper & Brothers in Amer
lea for the first time. 1t was written
considered the greatest OF the Persian
classics. The preface is GEM lit.
erature, and is not marred by the false
modesty which characteri2es the ma
jority of latter day prefaces. 1t is as
follows: by Allah's help now is con-
cluded this my book, entitled 1.-The
Garden of Roses" From beginning to
end have Stunned that evil habit of
authors who collect from by-gone
scriptures the things they write:
Better wear rags that are entirely thine
Than basely in borrowed garb to shine.
''These words of Sa'di shall be
found, in the larger part, mirthful and
mixed with pleasantly, for which reason
certain of the more purblind folk shoot
out u tongue of reproach, saying that
to tickle the marrow of the brain fool
ishly, and TO swallow smoke of the lamp
unprotitably, is not the part of the
wise. Yet will men of light and learn
ing, from whom the true countenance
of discourse is not concealed, be we'll
aware that herein the pearls of good
counsel which heal are threaded on
strings of right sense; that the bitter
physic of admonitiun is constantly
mingled with the honey of good humor,
so that the spirits OF listeners grow not
sad, and that they remain not exempt
from blessings of acceptance.
"Oh thou that readest this book, i'm
plore for its author the mercy of God,
and pardon for him that did transcribe
it. 1t is finished through the might and
succor of that King of all Kings who
alone bestoweth what is good. I"
Among the readers of the illustrated
| magazines and periodicals there are
perhaps few who realize how important
and also lucrative q profession is that
| of the illustrator. In the makeup of q
| first class illustrator SO many qualities
are requisite that few men arrive at
that distinction. He must have
novelty, originality, and, when he shall
| have begun the illustration of story,
he must stick to his types and fulfil
as best he may the public's ideals Of
| the character. If he has a novel of
sentiment to illustrate, he must meet
the ideals of his feminine readers; if
there is great exposition, he must
| portray architecture, machinery, great
crowds, all sorts of aspects. Ii it is u
question of war, the illustrator must
place himself in sympathy with the
clash of arms, the confusion of camps,
and the combats of angried and fren
zied men. There is no phase of human
emotions or happenings that he is not
called upon, and almost at moments
notice. to depict. And for all this he
has the briefest possible time for pre-
paration and little opportunity to famil-
iarize himselfGwith hisssubject. There
are few men who have come out of this
ordeal so satisfactorily as W. 7. Smed-
ley, collection of whose drawings is
about to be published by Harper 81
Brothers under the title Life and
Character. - Mr.. .Smedley has been
working for score of years, and his
work is as fresh and genuine as ever.
With equal facility he delineates Will
liam Blacks Scotch high and country,
Thomas Nelson Pages Southern girls,
or Mary E. Wilkins New England
studies. For II years, in fact, Mr..
prominentA merican illustrators. Ameri-
| Sbu hEuHibCo ~ EpboiRh Nio bhO az
miraton OF Europe. and their standard,
especially in the matter of illustration,
has been raised to a very high degree.
1t is to the magazine artist that much
of this success is due, and fair share
of this success must be attributed to
Mr.. Smedley. He has been extremely
prolific; he has illustrated books and
magazine articles without number. He
owes his success to the fact that he
brings to each new thing careful pre-
paration, thought and study.
The plot of 1.-THE Sixth Sense
Harper & Brothers, the story which
gives the title to Margaret Sutton
Briscoe's recent volume of short stories,
is strange in more than one respect.
1t has been said by some one that to
be married was to be at once as it were
initiated into secret society which is
composed only Of married folks, mer
and women. The question which
naturally arises after reading Miss
Briscoe's story is, can any one by
fraudulent means become member Of
this society, sharing its privileges Of
developing sympathy and familiar inter
course without being marriedY Annita
Andrews fraudulent entrance into this
fraternity and her successful enjoyment
of the sympathy of a married world Of
men and women was certainly al
unique subject for a story, and Miss
Briscoe has developed it with great
artistic power,so that one is quite com
PEELED to believe that girl could pre-
tend that she had been engaged to q
man who was, as she thought, killed
at Gettysburg, and therefore enjoy the
| nopHIo,oa ard upf,,f5a ~ ~ h is mot M
and sister,. 1t is when he returns un
expectedly and finds that he is sup
posed to be engaged to the girl thai
Miss Briscoe shows her best art. The
scene between the two when she con.
fesses what she has done is hardly tc
be equally in any recent American
short story.
Josiah Flynt, the young American
who has made special study of thu
tramp question, has gathered together
his numerous contributions to the
magazines and made a book of them
"Tramping with Tramps," as he calls
the volume, will appear in the fall
over the imprint of The Century Co.
with an Introductory note by Dr.
Andrew ID. White, Ambassador to Ger
many, who speaks of the work as one
of great Importance and fascinating
interest. Mr.. Flynt has lived for many
months among the tramrs at home anc
abroad, and knows them more init
mately, perhaps, than any other living
man. His work will be illustrated,
"Where Angels Fear to Tread" il
the title of the leading story in tn,
volume Of nautical tales which Morgan
Robertson will issue in October thorugt