New-York tribune., 1905-11-28
Literary .Neavs and Criticism.
"a brilliant Wona11 of Letters OF
the Victorian Era.


sr,ong women. in a gracious seriousness
s,.s rlc. r1rancis. Strong, descended from well
EiA.--- s.r,il,- Of Loyalists in Georgia. born
no ertistic gift and lively mental powers.
wa .rf15 she came in contact with the Pre-
At.al.+a brotherhood and fell much under
=. ,rarence Of Ruskin. who, in fact thence
I9 .er,aiaed her friend. Years after, when
eh.s been twice married. first TO Mark Patti
s then to Sir Charles ". Dixie. the IA
So. critic wrote TO her saying: I thought
.,zavs one Of my terriblest. unconquer-
-. and antagonisticest powers
-, vou sat studying Renaissance with me IN
a.. Rodleiau, ! supposed YOU 10 lnIen0 CON
.-s.,,,ine everything had ever said about art
i.,.,-v or social science. Ny dear chlIa'
'., have YOU ever done IN my way. or as /
s..,s R,,. Ruskin signed himself Really very
s4ActIonatelv and respectfully hers, and
,.isode is eloquent Of the well poised char
- ~ this brilliant woman Of letters. She
s.s.as bv her old friends teaching, but when
:. ssla 10 her, for example, that Ito obey me Is
I've Turner and hate Raphael. TO love Goethe
- hate Renaissance she knew enough TO
- II the questions involved for herself TO
,hs+ he was wrong, and to act accordingly
cts thought that she wss rendering suIlcleHt
,,o- 70 Ruskin and to his instruction when she
o,+ 20 live as simply as possible for truth
.eTlfh
= Iove and justice" and the story Of her busy
r.s- IS one Of useful tasks executed IN the
right spirit
ma is what makes this little volume inter
..+,ng beyond the mere measure of actual
.,h,s7,er,ert il records, though that is generous
.,orrb L was Lady Dilke's distinction to do
nth a kind Of spiritual ardor everything that
fate asked her TO do. whether it was to share IN
her 4rst husbands work at oxford, to labor in
fbs interests Of women, or 10 write monu-
mental work like her survey Of the art Of the
siphteenth century IN France. At the same time
ma ~ her intirnates could speak Of her capac-
rv for absolute abandonment TO pure animal
snirits and childish gayety.' She loved chill
dren and they loved her. for she knew how to
make them happy. She could write letters on
srsve topics in German to Hermann Grimm; in
Italian to Bertolotti. the state Archfvist at
Rome; in French 10 2 score Of eminent men in
Paris and all over the Continent; but she could
also be an entirely artless and delightful friend,
forgetful Of al her learning. In fact, she had
French facility and grace, which only lent an
added charm 10 nature as deep as it was SEN
sitiye OF her contributions to the history Of
srt We have spoken so often that it is unneces-
sary to say more, here than that her knowledge
and her judgment made her an authority Of the
first rank, Sir Charles Dixie has put together
capital souvenir Of her intellectual powers and
her personal charm, introducing into his memoir
scraps Of correspondence which show what
vivacious part she bore in the life of her time.
she had rounded nature; it was not only well
developed in all that is meant by cultivation. by
reading travel and intercourse with gifted men
and women. but was Llumined by imagination.
group OF contemplative more or less romantic
and religious pieces. filing the second half Of
Three portraits and facsimiles of few Of her
drawings complete this brief but adequate me-
mortal.
Frederic Trevor Hill, the New-York lawyer
and author, who Is best known as q writer Of
fiction on subjects related 10 his profession be-
gins in the December number OF The Century
Magazine study OF Lincoln, the Lawyer.
for which he has been engaged in gathering
the material for many. years.
Colonel Asa Bird Gardiner, president Of the
Rhode Island State Society Of the Cincinnati and
secretary-general of the order, is the author Of
q handsome volume descriptive Of the or
sanization and history Of the Society Of the
Cincinnati in France. containing the mil
itary and naval records Of the French members
who became such by reason of qualifying ser
vice in the army or navy OF France or OF the
United States N the Revolutionary War. The
book is abundantlv illustrated with artotype por-
traits taken from the Gallery of the Marshals OF
France at Versailles and from other authentic
portraits. number Of which belong to the ad-
mi-able collection Of Henry Russell browne. a
hereditary member OF the order in Rhode Isl
and The volume is issued in q limited edition
Of $50 signed and numbered copies.
The new Life OF Omar Khayyan,' just pub
ished by A. c. McClurg & Co, is said 10 be the
work Of Persian scholar who has had access
TO certain rare manuscripts preserved in the
libraries Of private collectors In Persia, and
practically Inaccessible to Europeans From
these he has gathered many new and nlumi-
native facts, and in his book he presents the
poet-sstrononer to his readers from the stand
point Of an appreciative fellow countryman.
There are also chapters On Omar's philosophy,
MS science and his surroundings.
The American Unitarian Association has con-
'nued its series Of True American Types" be-
gun by President Eliot Of Harvard University
With the life Of John Gilley. Maine farmer and
Akheruan, with second little book by the Rev
fobert Collyer The subject Of this biography
u al inconspicuoas but thoroughly typical and
heFoic American, is Augustus Conant, young
"eR-Eaglander who went to the West in the
early days TO become an Illinois pioneer. later
enleflag the ministry and finally the Union
army where he met death in the Civil War. It
= me story Of q sterling character, struggling
o'oRg unenbittered amid discouraging environ
.leAis The series viii be continued from time
- uae by other volumes containing similar
mort biographical sketches Of the true Amer
scsn manhood which travels along the byways
:" hfe rather than in the highways Of fame"
Mrs. Craigfe John Oliver Hobbes) made a
suggestion in g recent lecture given by her be-
lofe The Dante Society. in London, on the sub