New-York tribune., 1902-02-01
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
CURRENT TALK OF THINGS PRESENT
AND TO COME.

Lieutenant General Sir Harry Smith was one
of the most engaging of British soldiers-"fort-
unes favorite, with the faculty of enjoyment
to a rarer degree than most; and no doubt
Americans read his autobiography which
Z. 2. Dutton & Co. are about to bring out, with
equanimity even though he took part in the
capture of Washington and the battle Of New
Orleans. He describes his adventures in many
parts of the world. He was in Spain with Wei
lington, in the Battle of Waterloo in South
America with the British forces. and was one
of the founders Of the British power in South
Africa-the towns of Ladysmith and Harrismith
are memorials Of his stay there.
Though Russian literature has come to be one
of permanent interest to the English speaking
world there is no comprehensive history Of that
literature that pays equal attention to the
periods from the ninth century to the present
time. Leo Wiener, professor of Slavic Ian
guages al Harvard Unversity-the occupant of
the only chair of that sort in America-has pre-
pared the basis for such history, which has
not existed before. in his Anthology of Russian
Literature" to be published by the Putnams.
It will give extracts from all the important Rus
sian writer's from the earliest time to the pres
ent accompanied by biographical and critical
and textual notes. The Introduction will be
summary of the whole history of Russian lit
erature. Professor Wiener is an authority on
many of the other Slavic tongues besides Rus
sian-Boheman, Slovenian. slovak and Little
Russian-and has published some interesting
studies of the dialect known in New-York as
Yiddish-a History of Yiddish Literature and
Songs from the Ghetto"
reconstruction Of the society of HomeTS
day and country has been made from the
Homeric epics by Albert Galloway Keller in
structor in social science in Yale University.
He calls his book, which Longmans. Green Il
Co have nearly ready. "Homeric Society:
Sociological Study of the Iliad and Odyssey.
He starts out with the hypothesis that the evil
dence of Homer concerning the Homeric age
IS clear and accurate; and, second, that 1t has
to do with a single culture epoch and in the
main a single people. The discussion includes
the ethnic environments: the industrial organ
ization; religious ideas; property, marriage and
the family and government, classes and justice.
In the Dalziel Brothers book of "reminiscences,
referred to here the other day, those prominent
wood engravers of a past generation tell a
story that is reminiscent of Constable and the
celebrated brown tree of the academic land
scape painter. The Art Union OF London. get
ting out number OF prints intrusted one sub
ject to the artist Hook. When he called upon
the committee to consult about the drawing he
submitted. he there something wrong:
The gentlemen sat looking at each other At
last one mustered courage to speak saying:
I'VE like your drawing very much. Mr. Hook,
but-er-doesn't it want coOr?-er-where-er-
where is your bit of black?'
II don't want bit of black" said Hook
"Oh, must have a bit OF black There's
Mr.. B., now, he always gives bit of black
Hook, feeling fearfully annoyed. took up the
drawing, and dipping his finger in glass of
water. smeared IT over. saying:
There, gentlemen. is your bit Of black," and
throwing down his drawing, left the room.