The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-05-21

present or for ourselves. but for the
future and for postority: it IS said-and
81 is much 70 say-that the Princess de3
Ursins "has laid the foundation Of all
modern reforms I'm Spain. and that the
history OF her life is the first page Of the
history Of Spain in the eighteenth cen
tury."
The book which contains it al is very
readable. very pleasant TO handle. with
| good paper. admirable type and a strong
historical background.
LETTERS or CYRANO DE BERGE-
RAG. Published in London in 1870. Re
Prospective Review. Vol T..
We know Cyrano as the hero Of Ros-
lands great play. little later on we rec
oenizc him AS "a successful writer ~ book.
now his ~many-s;ded and Kaleidoscope
role reveals him 90 as i'm the graceful
guise OF a lettcr-writer where he 'chaecs
a metaphor with an the zeal Of "a pur-
suit after a faint-hcarted ducllist. and
when by dint of driving f. rclcntlessly
through every agony Of cart ana uorco'
he at last makes his triumphant touche
and leaves the poor pcrspiring thing at
rest. tho page is CORY with the printers
ink Of his victim
Hls enthusiastic imagination and quaint
NffH~fnANsN may WN Nn"NI|' '|| N
following extract taken from his dcscflp-
Winter is a six-months' death fallen
! uDon one whole side of the globe, which
| VIC cannot escape. Ills a short oId-aee ot
j things animated: It's a being that halh
J no action. which never comes near us
| be We never so stout-but he makes us
quake D. o. q myself. that used 20 iu-
| terprct an things for tho best. and ttat
boz another season should have persuaded
| myself that tho snow was the NcgctatiNo
| milk. that the planets sucked the plants
vithal. or the crumbs that after grace
fan from God Almighty's table. am now
carried away with the torrent of eX-
amplcs."
Then. when spring 10 again:
Il think natures az "a wedding. We 500
nothing but dances. feasts, and balls,
| and he that should seek a quarrel could
| not find one unless those that arise among
| the flowers c%ontonding Tor beauty. where
: tits possible you may see "a blondy pink
| newly come from combat fan with weari-
ness: there a rose bud. sWellcd by the III
success OF his antagonist, blows for Joyi
| there the lily. that colosse among flowers.
that curdod giant. raises himself above
his fellows and makes the violet pros
trate herself at his fcot.'
All authenticated women find I'm him
| an ardent admirer, vindicator, and cham
! pion. lie says.
"a brave head covered with red hair.
! IS nothing else but the sun in the midst
OF his rays. % Had il not been for
I the desire men had 10 possess the fleece
! of a red sheep, the glory of thirty deny
gods would be in the cradle Of those
| things that never were born. We
must an become slaves 10 beauty and
is fl not far better 10 be deprived of our
| freedom by golden chains, than by
| hempen chords or iron fctters:'
His description of the beauties OF a
| country house is worthy of Ruskiu:
"There. on every side. the flowers,
having had no other gardener but nature.
! vent "a sharp breath that Quickens and
! satisfies the smell. The sweet innocence
! of a rose on the e|eiantine. and the gIori-
Gus azure of a violet under the sweet
briars. leaving us not The liberty of choice,
make MS judge that they are both one
fairer than the other
MY LADYS SLIPPER. BY Dora siger-
son. Dodd. Mead * CO., New York.
! Mrs. Clement Is. Shorter is stll Dora
Sigerson TO her readers. and her latest
volume of verse still bears the impress OF
her maiden name. as a pleasant intima-
NiNl 90 MIiuA NA' may 'HENEN W. " N
in its leaves.
.Aiy Lady's slipper" takes us into an
enchanted wonderland and mis- us with
"the sense of having been i'm the valley
of vision listening 10 the varying bur-
den thereof " Like Joan of old. we hear
voices and the song of an ~enchantress
who tells rs:
Il have been TO Hy-Brasail.
And the Land OF Youth have seem
Much laughter nave ] heard there,
And birds amongst the green.
II matters not that We presently find
out what Hy-Brasail is In reality. an en-
chanted isle occasionally seen from the
coast Of ireland. Tor the Emerald Queen.
herself, by the poets genius becomes the
home OF e%nchantmcnt; her C.ades still
hold The impress of the fairies ring. her
| moon stIl looks down upon their nightly
cambois. The banshoe's wall still breaks
upon the quiet of the brooding night in
fatcful warming TO the earns that would
faln shut out It's cry.
Tie ballad of the white witch" is "a
biz of Legendary lore from lone-past cen-
turtles" and Is so entirely removed from
the spirit of The present. that We might
well imagine it to be q fragment of
Druidical tradition. taught by some hoary
headed priest to the devotee who knelt
i'm listening reverence at his feet
The poctess attunes her Tyre Co lottier
strains i'm "Thc Fate of the Three Sons OF
Nisnoach and Deirdre.' where she rec
Findles the epic fire of ancient ireland
and makes one feel the full force of her
Celtic fcrvor ana passionate imagination.
Tho Browning influence is felt through
out Miss Sieerson's book especially ln the
poems Last Eve" "A Cry I'm the World,
and A Souls Night where tho loved
and lost come back once more 70 their
cheerful homes and nresides and 20 their
own. But their own. alas. receives them
not. for the veil Of flesh intervenes and
the cry OF the maiden
IL called his name and the pale Ghost
came. but was afraid TO meet my dear
n an intensely sad one. is, also, very
truo and very human.
MY Lady's Slipper names the col
lccti0u-"hcrc italian romance. as IL were,
is transplantcd TO Mrcsian soil. and the
story. though a sufficiently dramatic one
S. not. on first reading. quite clearly de-
veloned." one of the sweetest OF tho
miuor poems is entitled Little WhIte
Rose.
Little white rose that ! loved, 7 loved,
Roisin ham. Roisln ban.
Fair my bud as the mornings dawn,
kissed my beautiful flower 10 bloom
Ny heart grew glad for ius rich perfume.
Little white rose that I loved
"iittle white rose that loved grew red,
Roisin ruad. Roisin ruad
Passionate tears ] wcpt Tor YOU;
Love IS mere sweet than the worlds fame,
] dream YOU back in my heart the same