New-York tribune., 1905-12-02
Literary .Nes0s and Criticism.
Illustrated Gift Books for the HoI-
daus and after.

ts .s the Christmas holidays approach. we
n0sHs r. the publishers have left any OF the
ToHee. To,.oas Of literature to be reprinted in at
HA H..--. form. with illustrations, and annually
.,e+ our fears as TO the exhaustion Of the
We - teer. .,1rlfounded. In the stream of
pe ,ovv constantly pouring across our table
,ossic is as conspicuous as any other gift
Nv, and we rejoice TO see with what good
boon q IS printed. 1t is a gift book but
- tbe old sense. which meant gaudy and
hV hVors1 bit Of manufacture. On the contrary.
eph--oa,ce5 to be read and preserved The first
,o - volumes which we take UP to-day Of
v -erfect illustration Of the new way Of re-
'0 -, old hooks It is 1.-THE Pilgrims Prog
fcharles Scribner's Sons). with nlustra-
-, bv Mt Byam Shaw. To begin with the
- rad cover is handsomely but not obtru-
W.. Secorsted In gold. The end papers that
.o+ the eve are good taste itself, and
- n our great satisfaction, we find that the
- is splendidly printed in clear, open type;
= toct as a book for use this reprint would be
"a - heat. Mr Shaws illustrations show
-..-,d;ty of invention. they are well drawn. and
- have been beautifully reproduced in colors.
ns.,ss5lv this is the kind of gift book that is
- ,rbile. More richly covered, but similar
a. n quality Of paper and in press work is
ew edition of the Lambs Tales from
-S.,.sn4area (Charles Scribner's Sons). with IL
,..trations likewise in color. by Mr.. Norman NJ
n-ca This, too, is not only artistcally made,
-. 6urable Mr.. Price is an accomplished IL
,,.rstor and in addition to his many spirited
assigns he has supplied good portraits of Charles
end Mary Lamb for the fronuspiece, skltuIly
Sraving them from the paintings in the Ma
tional Portrait Gallery.
From Bunyan and Shakespeare we pass to
r-,sckeray and Dickens. "The History Of Henry
Eemond" CThe Macmillan Company has been
,ssad 10 that exquisite Crawford Series, IN
vb1ch books Ike Mrs Gaskell's little master
,s,s ike Fanny Burney's "Eyelina, or like
the vicar Of Wakefield" have been enriched
nv flustrations from the charming pen Of MI
Esgb Thomson He is charming on this occa-
s,on through his gentle spirit and his polished
.r,cb though he has scarcely entered as COM
,lsteIv into the spirit of Thackeray as he has
entered in the past into that of Goldsmith CT
that of Mrs GaskelI. Something Of the rich, ro-
r,sntie texture Of ''Esmond" seems to have es-
cspsd him. Yet there is a delicacy about MI
Thomson's draughtsmanship which pleases even
when his Interpretation of his author halts.
There is al introduction by Mr.. Austin Dobson,
IN which that ingenious writer manages to write
With some freshness on a subject that has al
most been written to death. Speaking Of Thacke-
-ayrs mode Of composition and his habit OF
arranging in his mind just what he meant to
say before he put pen to paper, he repeats an
enscdote told to him by the late Frederick
Locker-Lanpson, who once met the novelist in
the Green Park. 'Thackeray gently begged to
BE- allowed to walk alone as he had some verses
IN his head which he was finishing. They were
those which afterward appeared in The Corn-
hiP for January. 1867, under the title of Mrs
Ksthsrine's Lantern" Mr.. Dobson shows with
what superb ease "Esmond" written
- ,t,.-,,-, ~ Trinity Coll |
isEs not far from those which inclose the manu-, anu
scripts Of Tennyson and Milton Is the 9Tlginat aha ana
Se5ticaI "coI5x which was dispatched to the press
Of Nessrs Bradbury and Evars at WhitefHars II /
makes two large quarto volumes, and was pre- /
sented 10 the College (EsTnod SoLege! m IoSI Iy
the authors sonin-law. the late Sir Leslie stspne
It still bears in pencil the names OF the diIeIeEt
Thackerays own small sllghtIy s$llSeo Du "a le
urpght hand, and many pages have hardIy any any
sheets of rather large notepaper, and some idea
may be gathered OF the neat minute ana Tesu5Tt @
fre5pentIy as MANY as thirty-three of these lines |
to tRe page some Of the rest Of the copy is in
the handwriting Of the authors daughter, now Mrs
penned by Mr.. Eyre Grove. The oft-quoted pas
sage in Beck IL chapter VI sbPgt 6,, nrPgg gGnr gf
self almost as it stands; so was the sham Specta-
headed general Webb Wins the Battle Of Mynen--
daeL" But the splendid closing scene .AugISt 3[
al his level should have been thus irnprovsed and
have been before committed TO paper.
Referring to Thackeray's dictation Mr. Grove
told member of the Atheneum that the SEN
tences came out glibly as he paced the room. !"
Not the least entertaining part o9 Mr.. Dobson's
introduction, BY the way. is that in which he
speaks Of the strange reception which 'Esmond"
met al the hands Of some Of the English critics
when it first appeared.
One Of the reprints Of Dickens which we have
received takes the shape Of a set of three dainty
volumes, issued Il box. by the buttons. This
contains "A Christmas Carol ''The Cricket on
The Hearth" and THE Chimes all three being
Illustrated in colors and in black and white by
Mr.. c. z. Brock, whose designs have just the
right hunor and sentiment besides being in
Just the right vivacious style. These volumes
are prettily printed thick paper and
most quantity bound. In similar pleasing form,
We may note in passing. the same publishers re-
Print "silas Mariner" Mr.. Brock supplying this
edition also with acceptable colored iIustra-
tons Dickens's Christmas CAROL and his
Ticket on the Hearth have likewise been
brought out by the Baker & Taylor Company,
n single volume Of generous dimensions, with
notable decorated cover. In this cover three
little panels in color are introduced with capi-
0l effect Inside. the typography leaves
favorable impression, being very clear, with
Fed rules enclosing it. The realistically con-
eeiFed Illustrations by Mr.. George Alfred Will
RFns are drawn with the pen, ell save the two
Hontispieces, which are well painted in colors.
FINALLY. The Chimes has been added by the
century Company to its delicately fashioned
1humbnan Series This is peculiarly welcome
Pocket volume
The holiday editions Of American authors are
led Of by a sumptuous reprint Of rip Van
"lnkle' Doubleday, Page & Coz. in which text