New-York tribune., 1902-07-09


and rhyme somewhat, careless how or what, and
stopped when ne came to the end of the paper"
How many poets without Channings true in
spiration follow this same will o. the wisp!
"Ellery makes a haZy, indefinite expression, as
Of miscellaneous music without any theme or
tune" his friend complains. It is acute and
just criticism, but it ought to be added that one
two of these vague, wandering strains-a
delicate. heart piercing song heard by snatches
in a misty wood of spring-we could i'll spare
from the small body of American verse which is
really worth while"
Again and again Emerson is disturbed by
Channing's friends uncertain muse. "A man
of genius" he says with evident vexation, lis
privileged only as far as he is a genius"
His duIness is as insuDpcrtable as any other
dulness. Only success will Justify departure
and a license But Ellery has freaks which
are entitled to no more charity than the dulness
or madness of others, which he despises He
uses a license continually which would be just
in oral improvisation, but is not pardonable in
written verses. He fantasies on his piano
Mr.. William ]. Long, whose nature books do
in truth deserve to become classics, has a quaint
"Barnyard Lesson" in the current Outing.
The basis of the sketch is the youthful conceit
of Spotty, the yearling. his tiny new horns.
These signs of approaching maturity are to him
the wonder of the world. and the cause of much
Showing off" in the way Of bumptious outings
of peaceable animal folk. The lesson" which
reduces him to a meeker and wiser calf is ad-
ministered by the. venerable ram Of the farm.
and the method of the same is described with
delightful humor.
The lovers of the wild life Of the woods may
or may not agree with the conviction Of Messrs
Burgess and Sawyer. who tell us in Outing"
that the days when hunting is forbidden may
be made exciting those when it is in or
der. The camera is the weapon instead OF the
gun. Try" they say, ito steal up within pict-
ure taking distance Of a moose or a deer, and
you will find 1t quite as difficult and exciting as
getting a shot"
Every condition must be nearly perfect to OBJ
tain even fair result; the wind must be blow
ing toward you, the light must be good, the sun
your back. and. last Of all. it is necessary to
animal have than the merest speck
show on the film. From the moment the animal
notices your presence every precaution must be
taken, for at the least hint of danger he is off
like shot. In stealing up on him lies the skill
and excitement
Where on this earth is there the most COM
plete democracy in the daily walk Of civilized
man? Most people would probably answer In
the United States"-but Mr.. B. H. Ridgely
suEes US in the pages of Harper that it is
in Spain, in Andalusia. There the people do lit
orally as they please-'poverty in the foulest
rags sleeps on the very QOOTSlepS pI CIuSuc'
and as Cresus comes out of his palace in his
fine raiment he gravey begs the beggar re-
posing at his threshold to give him. the master.
room that he may pass" It is not in the blood
of the Andalusian to be servile. He doesn't
care for rank or title: money doesn't impress
him; he bows and scrapes to none" But
friendly and kind he is, and has no thought Of
intrusion or lack of respect. And as for the
smoothness of life in his province 1t is the soft
word and the gay one" that secures II. Mr.
Ridgely's paper is a charming one; but we
wish he had omitted his Spanish words and
phrases. They are not an agreeable peppering.
And talking of words, let US recommend to
the reader the paper in which Professor Kit
tredge of Harvard, offers to the reader of
Harper some practical observations on our
English speech. He has no use for either the
purist or the vicious innovator, and reminds us
that the man of sense and taste will Irvine
betwixt and steer the golden mean"
He need not worry because his neighbor. also
a man OF sense and taste writes homeopathy
without an G, for he can comfort himself by
remembering that economy is no longer spelled
economy, and that premium has given way 10
premium. He will trust to the honor of his as
sociates as readily as to their honor, for he
will not forget that the simpler spelling was
good enough for the gentle Shakespeare and the
learned Seden. Nor will he, on the other hand,
go a-gadding after every fad and whmsey he
sees or welcome every slipshod construction
that comes his way. A little purism is better
than a great deal Of neologism, though one must
admit that the ignorant purist-and most pur-
lists are deeply ignorant of the natural laws or
language in general we'll as Of the history OF
their mother tongue-is a raspng person TO
deal with
The most original piece OF fiction in the maga-
zine-a true character study-is Miss Alice
Browns clever Hermit in Arcadia"
What Is the great essential characteristic of
the competent commander? It is II we may be-
lieve Captain Mahan, the power of taking re-
sponsibility easily. Not he says in Nc
Cures" that many men who here fail are not
brave enough physically; but that, for those
who emerge unbroken from this trial, there re-
mains none severer. 1t is the extreme proof Of
endurance. active and passive. A frequent and
familiar indication of succumbing under it Is
the inability to sleep, which has been the prel-
ude Of many failures" Admiral Sampson had
this characteristic. Mahan notes He knew how
to restrain anxiety and to take necessary risk
for adequate ends" and he did not borrow
trouble.
Mrs. shauklns Ambitions is the title of a
lively study Of an American household. It's
theme is a typical one-the efforts OF the
ceIlent wife and mother TO push higher and
higher the child who asks only to tread 1.-The
common round" The story, which is told with
uncommon spirit, is by r. E. Young.
"The last poem" Of Bret Harte, "The Sword
OF Don Jose" accompanies a portrait Of the
author in Frank Leslies Popular Monthly"
1t is a poor and unpoetic piece Of verse and
may promptly be dismissed into oblivion.