New-York tribune., 1900-01-03
manner, In astronomy and rnineralogy. Of which
sciences understood nothing"

An article in the German "Gegenwart" treats
OF an almost forgotten book OF verses partly the
work of the great German historian of Rome,
Theodor Mommsen dating from what the latter
jokingly calls his prehistoric period. 1t was
written by him with his brother Tycho and
Theodor Storm and appeared in 1S43 under the
title, Song Book by Three Friends, Theodor
Mommsen Theodor Storm, Tycho Mommsen."
The three were students together at Kie and
long kept up their literary intimacy.
If we may believe one of the audience at the
Navy League meeting at Nottingham whereat
Mr. Kipling made a speech that author is not
built for an orator. When writes his hearer.
he showed face in the schoolroom-it was
crowded-his rockingham neighbors cheered him
nightly and he blushed like a great kid. When
he got up on the platform to speak he was as
white as ghost. He had evidently learned his
little speech off by heart, and spun 1t out at
terrific rate OF course that was nervousness.
1t struck me that he felt If he were to hesi-
tate he would be lost The Big Englanders will
never get Kipling pla tform spouter He'd
collapse at the end of his third meeting After
he had done speaking he jumped off the plat
FORM and for five minutes or so sat hdgetlng IN
a chair: then suddenly he picked up MS over
coat slung il on his arm, and bolted from the
schoolroom as If somebody had yelled The
roofs giving wayr So he never heard the pro-
fessional Navy League lecturer-and he didn't
miss much. 1 should mention that, while max
ing his speech Kipling gazed fxedly over the
heads of the audience at lantern stuck on the
wall and never moved either his head or hands.
He spent the afternoon decorating the school
room with flags, bunting, etc, but l can't say
much for his decorative taste; the stun was
strung across and across in the crudest way
The rockingham folk seem to be very fond of
him."
The late Grant Aliens book The European
Tour"-published almost the last day Of its
authors life-asserts the necessity, from the
point of view of education, of years travel in
Europe. The author contends that there is moth
ing to equal it, and he pleads with the parents
of the New World TO send their sons to pick up
practical knowledge of men and cities by Wis
itng the great art centres of Europe. He be-
lieves that the best learning we ever get in this
world is that which we acquire without knowing
It. and declares that 'ff 1t is good for young
Canadian or young Australian to read Shake
speare and Dante, Virgil and Sophocles, it Is
better for him to have lived in the actual world
from which Shakespeare and Dante, Virgil and
Sophocles, drew all their inspiration"
Great mystery has been made to surround the
appearance of Ibsens latest drama. which was
to be published simultaneously in Norwegian,
German, English FrenLl and Russian Accord
ing to one report, the title was to be When the
Dead Awake" Another is to the effect that
while this would be appropriate title, IT had
not been definitely chosen. In fact. while the
work was already printed, the title was withheld
from the publisher till the last moment. Accord
ing to Ibsens words this play is the last ne
intends to write.
Though an English publication and giving
most attention to British and colonial institu-
tions Burdetts Hospitals and Charities: The
Year Book of Philanthropy and the Hospital
Annual 0ondon: The Scientific Press; New
York: Scribner's). has proved increasingly use
full to American users. With 9o1 pages, this. the
tenth issue, is trife smaller than that Of 1893,
which recorded the Jubilee gifts to charities.
While the statistics of foreign charities, with Sir
Henry Burdett's Illuminating editorial
ments thereon, valuable to charity workers
in this country. yet the most practically service
able features of the directory to Americans are
the lists with governing boards, staffs and sta
tistics) of American general hospitals, arranged
by cities Of insane hospitals, arranged by States
and cities under the States. and of American
nurse training schools, arranged by cities.