The record-union., 1899-07-23

wealth Of beauty and humanity there
is in this work, and several new edi-
tions have been brought out to meet
the demand. 1t should be read, how
ever, for it's poetry rather than for its
story, and cannot fail to appeal to
every one of poetic instinct.
Mark Twain's lawyers have, bought
for their client the old frame house
in which he was born at Florida, Mo.
1t is said that the new owner will rem
ovate the place and restore it to the
condition it was in during his boy
hood.
Walter Savage Landor, the son and
heir of the author of Imaginary Con-
versations," died not long ago at Gen.
eva, in Switzerland. He was born in
1922. The family. estates fall to an
other son, Charles Landor, who lives
at Florence, and is the father of the
well-known traveller, A. H. Savage
Landor.
Among the several brothers men,
toned by Mrs. Browning in her letters
1T is pleasant to learn that neither the
George" nor the Alfred is identical
With G. j. MOulton Barrett, whose GU
rios letter in attempted defense of his
father was republished in the Lit
erary Digest" of May Goth. Mr.. Bar
rett is the Stormie of the letters. and
on not a few occasions was he an ele-
M n iSt1 ho NO
the quiet atmosphere of Mrs. Brown
ing's maiden life, as witness the fol-
lowing extract from one of her letters:
Think of my not hearing a word
about the article in the Examiner
and nobody to tell me. l was
in high veXation, reproaching them all,
all day, still Stormie had the impertl-
nence to turn round and tell me that
only papa had read the paper and that
he had of course put it away to keep
me from the improperly of thinking
too much about * about
Yes, really Stormie WAS so imperti-
nent.''
The results of recent archaeological re-
searches in Rome indicate that most
important additions will soon be made
to our knowledge of the ancient city.
Professor Lanciani in a lecture on the
Forum" recently delivered in Rome,
tells us that new era has begun dur
ing the past few weeks, and that he
does not hesitate to say that it will
prove to be the golden age of discov-
cry. The recovery of all the fragments
of the great marble map of Rome
do hxrA 1f
is the chief work which is hoped will
shortly be accomplished. These frag
ments will later be put together and
the map restored to it's original condi-
ton. One of the most interesting of
recent discoveries is reported by the
Roman correspondent of the Literary
World" 1t is the recovery of the col
umn which was raised on the spot
where julius Caesars body was buried
1t has just been raised and placed in
the position in which it first stood.
=
Notes and Queries: The art of cut
ting a quill by adept quill drivers"
was dying when I began schooling.
Steel pens had been known for some
time, but were not in general use. The
goose-quill pen died a hard death as
commonly used writing tool. My
first schoolmaster was first-rate hand
at cutting a quill, and he could use
it with wonderful effect in fiourishes.
1t was his boast that he could fill the
first page of a lads schoolbook with
name, age, date and flourishes in
which We're depicted wonderful swans
and other birds-in such a fashion that
none but experts like himself could tell
the paper for a fresh dip. My last mas
ter could neither cut a quill nor use
one with advantage. Quills as pens
remained in use in some houses as
the only writing tool up to a dozen to
twenty years ago. Those who can cut
a decent writing quill are now few
People used to ask for quill pen."
Among the new publications arranged
for by the Appleton firm are an illus
trated history of New York from the
earliest times, a series of translations
from the great French romancists of
the nineteenth century, and a volume
relating to the coming Paris Exhibi-
ton and reviewing the worlds progress
in art and science during the last hun
dred years. This last-named work..
which will appear in parts, will be il
lustrated from pictures which are to
be in the exhibition. Edmund Gosse is
to be the general editor of the French
novel series.