New-York tribune., 1902-12-26

-C)verdue'-a grisly name-ano is largely de-
voted to diving and the diver.
Times change indeed The Editor of Notes
and Queries" referring to the early Edinburgh
Review days, when few men wrote for pay
except in the newspaper, and periodical litera-
ture had hardly become honorable vocation
recalls that he had himself known men, who
so late as the ffties, found themselves driven
to keen from their elders all knowledge of the
fact that they received money for their copy "
A debt Of gratitude. he adds. is owing to
Jefferv for having been one of the first who did
something to remove the coy feeling with
which men regarded any direct pecuniary rela-
tions with the press
NJ Masterlinck has made two new plays
worse lucki One of them is modern and phil
osophical and is called Pity; the other Is
fairy thing attempting ito contrast the con-
scious manifestat ations and the unconsciousness
Of the human soul" Both TO affct the
Parisians next year.
BENJAMIN Franklin's autobiography is TO fill
one of the volumes of fine new series, TO be
called The Temple Autobiographies." This Sc
ries will be made up of the autobiographic cias-
sizes. each one edited with great care and each
provided with Introductory essays and several
illustrations. OF course. Cellini's autobiography
VIII be one of the opening volumes and this
will be followed by the Franklin and by Hans
Andersen's STORY of My Life" The series Of
fers an infinitely attractive prospect, and 1t is
odd that the thing has not been done before.
Mr Dent is, of course the protector.
copy Of the Jesuit Relations and Allied
Documents" edited by Mr.. Reuben G. Thwaites,
of wisconsin brought S125 the other day at
London sale At the same sale DR.. Johnsons
CODY of Piiny with three of his autograph sig
natures brought $40. A letter written by Wash
tngton to W-s.sser in 1775 was sold for S35.
The American who would see anything at all
Of the rural England of the eighteenth and nine
teenth centuries must hasten his journey to the
land of his ancestors. For the old manners and
customs are rapidly departing under the pres
sure. it is said, OF cheap trips TO London ana
town ideals The poets find no rosy dairy
maids 10 inspire their songs; Corydon and Chloe
are no longer picturesque or anything but COM
monplace Mr. Hardy has been lamenting the
disappearance of all that quaint life and char
acter described in Far from the Maddlng
Crowd The game" he says, of prisoners
base. which not so long ago seemed to enjoy
q perennial vitality in front OF the worn out
stocks, may, far 1 say, be entirely
unknown to the rising generation of schoolboys
there. The practice Of divination by Bible and
rious import the steaming supper, the long
srnockfrocks. and the harvest home. have. too.
nearly disappeared in the wake of the old
houses; and with them has gone it is said, much
of that love of pudding to which the village at
one time was notoriously prone
General James F Rusling's European Days
and Ways" CEaton & Mains. New-York) con-
tans the impressions of traveller fitted by ex-
perience, intelligence and observation and
charm Of style 70 produce interesting book.
It is filed, indeed with precisely the sort Of
narrative, description and comment that most
appeals to the average intelligent traveller for
comparison with his own experiences. and that
best satisfies the desires of him who has not
travelled The professional traveller and writer
who makes a journey for the sake Of writing
book upon it too often fills a pretentious vol
with matters Of little interest to the reader.
But he who. like General Rushing makes the
tour for its own sake and then tells a plain tale
of the things he saw. is pretty sure to evoke
from the reader the pleased comment, We'll.
that is just what I should like to have seen"
That is the comment that viii be widely made
on General Ruslings book and we are not sure
that there could be any more truly compliment
tary 70 the author. Those who have. by the
way. found confusion worse confounded in end
less encyclopedia disquisitions on the battle Of
Waterloo will DO well TO turn to the chapter
which he devotes to that topic and get from
him a notably lucid analysis Of the circum-
stances and manner in which that worlds
earthquake" was accomplished.
Charles Triper Child's How and Why Of
Electricity is admirably adapted n instruct
the non-technical reader who is interested in
that subject. Previous his recent death. the
author was a valuable member of the editorial
staff of The New York Electrical Review" un-
der whose auspices this excellent book is pub
hshed. Mr. Child enjoyed a high reputation
for the clearness and intelligibity of his writ
ing. and the volume in question exhibits these
qualities. No attempt is made TO tell what cleo
tricity is The wisest men confess their igno-
rance that point. But an insight is afforded
into the construction and operation of such
common devices as the telegraph and telephone,
the motor and dynamo. the magnet and Undue
ton coil. and incandescent lights. Hertz
waves. Y rays and the trolley.
The A B c of Photo -Micrography," by ". H.
Walmsley. is truly practical guide for begin
ners in a fascinating field for photographers.
1t tells OF all the known methods Of combining
the microscope and the camera, and yet is writ
ten simply that any amateur photographer
understand the manipulations described.
The publishers, Tenant & Ward have a repu-
tation for printing standard works on photos-
raphy, and this little book is a worthy addition
to their collection. II is well illustrated with
half tone engravings of photos o-micrographs by
the author.
THE STORYTELLING OF THE EARTH
How Time and Space Have Been Annihilated
L. lT-