New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-14

mark mark Of genuine merit. In the recently pub
| lished Browning Love Letters the noot
Browning incidentally told the story that no
saw Thackeray. the novelist, and Widdic0mhs
| the clown at Asteys Circus pass down me
street together. and that a little crowd of by
ISLANDERS, which at once eXcitedIy recognized
and applauded the celebrity WiddicOmbe did
not know Thackeray by sight or name The
Wddcombcs of literature recognized and
admired by almost everybody whom they came
across in the crowd. The Thackerays would al
ways be recognized by the comparatively fev
If matters mended salvation would mainly
come from associations of men like the Biz
mlngham Literary Club. whose members made
1t their business to contrast severely and fairly
the literature OF the present with the great
literature of the past. 1t was by the main
tenance in such clubs Of the standard of crit
icism at a high level that men who could do
anything that was good in literature would be
encouraged always TO aim at doing their best
Under the title Of "Tristram Lacy or the In
dividualist" Mr.. w. H. MaIock's new novel
viii be published at once in this country and
England.
Two foreign artists have lately taken I'd au-
thorship. NJ. Vcrestchagin has just finished A
hook entitled Diary Notices" in which no nre-
sents various thoughts and aphorsms on the
question Of peace and disarmament. He does
not look forward to any great result from the
Peace Conference. I'm my opinion" he saws
the attempt must be abandoned to restrict in
any way the right of the individual Powers to
prepare for war in case they have a desire 80 do
80 and the money for it. 1t appears to me more
eXpedient to come TO an agreement that peace
shall not be allowed to be disturbed for two or
three or even only for one year and that in
case MISUNDERSTANDING and conflicts arise A
court OF arbitration shall be convened. one
cannot very well expect to get more from peD-
pie who were only yesterday ready to fly at one
another"
The other artist-author is Joseph Israels the
Dutchman. who has written and himself IL
Illustrated book Of travels in Spain.
Here is a description OF Timrod the South
Carolina poet. found in an address recently de-
liVered in Charleston by DR. Burns: IN
stature TimrOd was below the medium height
lie mad always eXcelled in boyish sports and
as he grew to manhood his great breadth Of
shoulder st seemed to indicate a physical
Vigor which the shallow chest the slender
waist. the thin. transparent hands and habitu-
ally lax attitude but too plainly contradcted.
His hair which very dark fell in loose
masses over low but broad forehead. The
square jaw was almost stern in its strongly
pronounced lines. the mouth large. the lips ex-
under heavy brows and full OF a melancholy
end pleading tenderness which attracted atten-
tlon to his face at once. as that of one who had
thought and suffered much.
His walk was quick and nervous with GER
tain energy to it that betokened a decision OF
character lily sustained by his stammering
speech. For in society he was the shyest and
most unimpressive OF men. His singular mod
esty and mistrust of the real worth OF his opin-
ions, even on subjects which he had studied
profoundly, were partly the OF this but
much or it was a. purely constitutional defect
To single friend whom he trusted and of whose
sympathy long accord had assured him. he
would pour out his innermost heart: but let two
or three be gathered tegether. above all intro
duce stranger. and instantly he drew into 2,
himself and became a quiet and unobtrlsive
listener But he was never moody or uncon-
genial"
The large sum Of S675 was paid for the copy
or Rudyard Kipling's "Schoolboy Lyrics" re-
Gently sold at auction in London. This book IA
we have said before printed when its au-
thor was only eighteen years old 1t is ex-
cessively rare-perhaps unique. Nearly a hun
dred dollars paid at the same sale for a
first edition Of Departmental Ditties"