New-York tribune., 1903-01-08

Interesting -4rticles IN the Current
Numbers.

DR. Thomas Holley Chivers amiahle
person with a certain gassy capacity for pro-
ducing ponpous rhyme and praiseworthy ad-
mira ton for real talents. His grsndiloquent
ahsurdities gave clear idea of Poe's looks
and ways and he apparently an accurate
reporter OF Poe's more or less hasty speech
Professor woodberry treats the Georgia doctor
ia The Century rather more solernnly than he
deserves but his quotations from Chivers are
wen chosen Many Of them are unntentionsiiy
ludicrous some of them are affecting in their
revelation Of Poe's sufferings. straits. and fol-
iiee Here is Chivers's recollection of his
-s ends method Of recitation:
is voice was soft mellow. melodious and
81. her more flexible than powerful 1t was as
-usicsl as Apollo's lutte. and as plaintive in It's
ffferances Of his Memnonian Mysteries as one
su is-ny Tipped Shell when murmurlns OF lts
ever tirng "reminiscences of the ever sounoins
sea When he read Poetry his voice rolled
the rhythm Of the verses like silver notes
t1ar golden sands-rather monotonously ana
FJfelike-so that II may be said here. that he
rather cantilated than read He made use OF
btst very little Art in his auons-neNer ut-
tering any decamatory tones. or using the low
est Theatrical emphasis. hut the most modest.
chaste and delicate delivery From this it must
he evident 10 every one that his Readings were
not very effective: and such is the very fact his
reading of Lyrical Poetry was certalnlE NeIS
rlelodious and beautiful, but he lacked that Wen
attuned power of modulation in accent en-
rhaeis and cadence necessary 10 make eitner
an Epic or ORA ma TIC writing effective
That IS vivid little sketch of the American
desert printed in The Atlantic" above the name
Of Mary Austin. The beauty and the terror OF
that strange country are set forth with the skill
of one who loves it-for that IT is fascinating
the author attests Men who live there leave it,
curse II and 90 back to it TIE very birds cling
10 IT. through grievous suffering. for often the
r,esrly eggs in the nest have to be kept COOL not
warm:
One hot sitting spring in the Little Antelope
! had occasion 10 pass and repass frequently
ryr1F7s roriy in the shelter Of very slender weed
i never caught them setting except near nighl,
but at midday they stood. or drooped, above IT,
half faintine with pitifuy parted bills. between
Of them together. with wings spread and half
lifted continued a spot of shade in a tenn
r,erature that constrained me at last in a felloW
feeling to spare them a bit of canvas for per-
rnanent shelter.
There was fence in that country shutting
in q cattle range. and along its fifteen miles OF
posts one could be sure Of finding a bird or two
in every strip of shadow: sometimes the spar
row and the hawk, with wings trailed ana
beaks parted. dropping in the white truce of
noon
Drinkeble water lies near the surface in parts
Of the desert, but men die on the very spot,
ignorant that rescue is there. 1T is related that
the final breakdown of that hapless party that
gave Death Valley its forbiddng name occurred
in 2 locality where shallow wells would have
saved them. But how they TO know that?'
Mrs. Austin's paper is an excellent pendant TO
that striking description of desert experience by
Professor McGhee which appeared in THE At
1antic' some years ago.