New-York tribune., 1906-11-27
MISCELLANY.

Two books likely to be OF interest to students
! Of modern French literature presently to
appear in Paris. One will be La Vie ct Pd1uvre
/ de Guy de Maupassant" by Edouard MayniaI.
The other will be collection of Baudelaire's
letters, the series covering the period from 1S41
to 1866
/ Apparently there is to be no end to the books
on French court life. Mr.. G. z. Bradley has a
/ volume in press, entitled 1.-The Great Days Of
Versailles; Studies from Court Life in the Later
Years of Louis XIV" Mrs. Bearne is publish
ing a study Of 'Heroines OF French Society IN
the Court, the Revolution. the Empire and the
Restoration" her heroines being the Marquise
de Montague, Nine. Le Brun. Nine. Talnen end
/ the Comtesse de Genlis.
Collectors Of whistleriana should be sure to
pay attention to Mr.. Otto H. Bacher's with
! Whistler IN Venice" a contribution to the
| Christmas number of THE Century Magazine"
! Mr.. Bacher knew the great artist well, and he
! has drawn a vivid portrait Of him, telling a
number OF amusing anecdotes. Here is typical
! passage:
Whistler was a brilliant talker and a great de-
be6Td b sha sa 9eTef 3ey the @ & y when
not arguing with YOU am telling you" never
this effectively in Of his letters TO THE Lon
! don World, when he said: Seriously, then, my
!
! portance, upon its size. not arguing with you
@ am Iel!!Ag y3G, ne spoke FrehGn nueaI!y & GER
specially under excitement though occasionally
! picturesqueness. I recall that he considered Poe
/ our greatest poet His favorite themes were the
paint white building against white cloud. That
was es esough aI 70 II aKe any man great he thought
visiting the Scuola di San Rocco. where numerous
climbed up with great difficulty in order to get
close look at the technic Of that master, and was
I Ice Ea nc 0Cir1r ad
vel l., with his owl Paul Veronese and Titan were
we spoke Of the Barblzon school and particularly
OF Corot Many Of his works had seen IN France.
Of Certain tings Of Of GoTots Coz I1''6 he remaTked m
They've been done before"
! objected to that, saying, who did them2"
whistler" he observed
5 shs oeBt bt 59s S5Tgck ae e as piece Of
early work of Whisuer's in Glasgow I felt that
MchelangelQ he considered too much given to
figure Of ght III the Medic chapel Shtg9 he dstorted tf
llmself 70 illustrate his meaning. Among his say
You cannot paint the ss s'9 not canno Pn Be
he he WS0Ts m an you iPagine any one painting
Piled thick 1t should he IKE breath on the sur
work the Ponte del Pistor whistler Joined me
n my gondola- saying; This is a good subject.
but come and tell Whistler"
Small, Maynard & Co. Of Boston. publish a
novel called 1.-THE Secret Of the Moor Cottage
/
story" and It is written by sister OF Conan
Doyle's. These facts cannot but heghten the
readers interest The tale is curious in form
IN the earlier pages we are prepared for nys-
! terry, and when this is presently brought upon
the carpet ii is handled with considerable skill.
The author holds US. and we are willing to fol-
low her 10 the end But with a suddenness that
/ is startling she reaches her climax and when we
are hardly more than half through the book we
feel that the excitement is all over, though the
mystery is left hanging, as it We're in midair.
In long second part Mrs Cromarsh tIluminates
the dark places in the preceding portions Of her
narrative. The effect is amateurish A plot
with excellent possibilities is only crudely ex-
| plotted and an author who starts with abundant
cleverness ends by convincing US that she must
! do a great deal TO develop her craft before she
can hope TO win unqualified approval.
| We reprinted the other day Mr.. George Wynd-
| hams charming version Of Ronsards Mi
/ gnonne" II has moved one Of our readers. Miss
| 7 Allen. to send US this translation, made by
herself years ago:
Come Nignonne, see If the rose.
Which this morning did disclose
Her crimson robe 10 the sun,
Some folds Of her robe beside
The color, like your own
There Behold how very soon
! The ground is with petals streWn.
Her charms scattered far and wide
| o Nature, most cruel thou,
| Stree so fair a flower glow
But from morn til eventide
Therefore, believe me- A1gnonne,
In ali It's freshest green,
| Garner each hour. your youth
Ere old age shall wither, forsooth,
Your beauty OF form and mien.
Dr. Edward Everett Hale's account Of his