New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-15
LITERARY NOTES.

A book George Borrow is to appear
early this year. II is by Mr. Theodore Watts
Dunton. and viii be made up OF the two obit-
uary notices or Borrow which he wrote Yer
THE Athensun'' and the introductions which
he supplied TO editions of ''L1svsasro" and
THE RoEsany Rye"
Mr. H c. Gutteridge has written a volume on
Nelson and the Neapolitan Jacobins," in which
he deals with the charges Of treachery ana
cruelty toward the Republicans at Naples IN
1899 which have been drawn against the BRUSH
Ecms-sl The book is contain forty new ie'-
tiers from Nelson TO Sir john Acton and the hihs
OF Napls& discovered in the Neapoltan arohlVes'
The Iaureate's poe,n for the New Year. print
eo the other day In The London Times. SHOWS
that ne is still the same Mr.. Alfred Austin. Win
q wonderful capacity for writing uninspneu
verse Here is a fragment Of the precious pro-
drctioR:
Years moving onward, onward-Whsncs. and
Age after age in the self-same world with the
The seif-same eory Of light in Heaven and light
that is still on the way. A.. 80 ,roon or
ouo ssclesi5 ss saT Tr The 0Aihsei oa"N
All things always the same. unchanged. unchange-
Who com. IKE clouds. like clouds disappear. form
Message and meeting OF friends. Yuie carol
And eternity moving on and on. on the passionless
wheels of time. , =.
Peace but hungry duel for life Gardening to
And Muscovite Iegions tramping on. doing the will
OF the Gear.
Undoubtedly Mr. Austin is al his best when ne
is writing plain prose. He has just contributed
some pages TO 1.-The National Review" entitled
The Poets Diary in which he gives US some
Roman impressions. and they are far more read
able than is his New Year poem.
The memoirs of Anna Maria Wilhelrnina Pick
ering which have just been put in print. contain
some piquant gossip Of the Victorian One
OF the stories told relates to Lord Melbourne
One night early IN the Queens reign, he was
crossing the courtyard at Buckingham Palace
after dinner. and saw woman going out OF the
gate. The tale continues az follows:
Something too, struck him familiar about
her; he followed her, and found that his sur
misses were correct-it was one OF the queen
attendants. either a lady-in- waiting or a maid
of-honor. I forget which. He asked her what
she was doing. Il am leaving the palace, was
the answer. land / shall never enter the gates
again" What do you mean?" asked LORD Mel
bourne 81 mean that am not going 10 stay
anywhere to be insulted by any one" VINO
has insulted your? The Queen she is In
passion: she has insulted me. and l am not go
ing to stay. ] going TO leave the palace this
very evening. and shall never return You are
going 10 do such thing said Lord Mel
bourne; there is not going to be revolution
in the country for you. You must tell me ex-
acty and truthfully what has happened" She
did He listened attentively, and then said;
go back to your room. take off your bonnet,
do not say a word to anybody, and wait till
come" She did he desired her. Lord Mel
bourne then went to the Queens room, and told
her what had passed. and what had been said
10 him, concluding. Now, ma am. there is only
one thing TO be done; you must apologize. II
you viii consent to DO this l VIII prlng her
here, and the whole thing will he put right IN
a few minutes The Queen, who never OPP
posed the mentor of her youth. consented. Lord
Melbourne. took the attendant TO the queen
room. the Queen apologized and the whole thing
was soon put straight.
Mr. D. G. Hogarth. whose book. called "A
Wandering Scholar in the Levant,'' is pleasantly
remembered. has written new book embodying
interesting chapter in the history of explora-
ton This work. THE Penetration of Arabia,
extensively describes the gradual letting in OF
light on one of the least familiar regions of the
globe Portraits of all the principal explorers
are given among the illustrations.
Mr. Joseph Laing Waugh has just published
at Dumfries a volume OF miscellaneous notes.
''Thornhin and Its Worthless" 1t seems that
Burns sometimes appeared in Thornhill. and Mr..
Waugh has there gathered these incidents illus
trating the poets career:
The late Professor Gillespie. of ST. Andrews.
when boy of twelve, the poet Thorn
hill fair in August 1890 In Old-st lived a
poor woman, Kate Watson, who. these gala
DAYS kept a shebeen. Il the poet" the pro-
fessor says ENTER her door. and anticipated
nothing short of immediate seizure of a GER
tain graybeard and barrel which to my certain
knowledge contained the contraband commodl-
ties bard was in search Of nod. accom-
panied by a significant movement Of the fore
finger brought Kate to the doorway, and was
near enough TO hear the following words dis
timely uttered: Kate, ye mad? Dnna you
know the supervisor and will be In upon you
IN the of forty minutes. Goodby tye at
present / had access to know that the friend
1y hint not neglected II saved a poor
widow from fine OF several pounds for com
uniting a quarterly offence by which the
enue probably subject to annual loss OF
five shillings." The house in which Kate lived
in Old-st. the one lately rebuilt by John
Black
Another story exists connecting Burns in his
capacity exciseman with the village, but
VIII not vouch for its authenticity. woman
named Jean Davidson, who kept small public
house suspected Of putting more aqua pura
in the whskey than necessary lawful
Burns accordingly called one day Unexpectedly,
and Of course. detected the irregularity at once.
''Now, Jean, my woman" he said. putting his
night as IL is late to go TO Dumfries. but
I'll seal il WI the kings seal and lift 1T the
mornin'." After he had gone TO his lodging for
the night Jean sent for a local cooper. Acting
or her instructions he removed three hoops from
the barrel. and underneath the third bored a
hole. Jean through this hole drew off about
half OF the diluted contents. and poured into
II equal quantity OF well set up" whiskey.
The hole plugged the hoops were replaced,
and the condemned Whiskey made into legal
consistency without the kings seal being in any
lift the keg. zone meentt, Mr. Burns" says Jean,
eve micht fist test that whskey TO convince me.
for ] Gamma see hoo I've made sic Rlistak."
Certainly, JEAN" says poor, unsuspecting
Burns 1T means breakin' the kings seal. but I
can sist max an,ther" The seal was broker. the
sample drawn. tested. snd 10. 81 WAS all right.
Burns could not account for IT, "'was there ocht
wrang WI me last NIGHT. did We notice. Jean?''