New-York tribune., 1906-07-14
MISCELLANY.

One Of the most artistically effective of the
current color books is "Greece Painted by John
FulIeylove and Described by the Rev. j. A. Nc
Clyrnont" (AIacmillan) The artist has portrayed
with as much feeling as skill the majesty of
ruined temple and shattered monument. the
beauty OF mountain and plain suffused by the
glorious Greek sunshine and by the poetic
glamour Of the antique world OF special love-
Illness are his drawings OF the Parthenon. The
text is that Of scholar who. though he has
lately visited Greece. has not condescended TO
describe any OF the ordinary incidents Of travel.
The history, the literature and the architecture
of ancient Greece absorb him, and he writes Of
them with fulness which gives much value TO
the book for one who seeks the traces of for.
rner civilization in the Greece of to-day. Vari-
Gus questions of modern Greek life are touched
upon, however, in the last chapter, much space
being given, for example. TO the strenuous ef-
forts Of the educated classes to mould the writ
ten language according TO classical forms. The
author is heartily in favor, as are many other
scholars, Of the use as literary medium OF the
vernacular Greek spoken more or less by all
classes when they are not ceremony; and he
notes that there is an increasing party In Greece
who hold that ''the intellectual and moral life
OF the nation will never get fair play and have
full scope for its energies until the Atttcising
pedantry which has long been the fashion both
In Athens and Constantinople shall be given up
and the popular speech be recognized as a suita-
BILE instrument for literary purposes as well as
for the intercourse Of common life"
A dispatch from South Dakota printed in
Thursdays Tribune describes an episode Of the
woods of a highly thrilling sort. A woman, capt
ured and pinned 20 the earth by mountain lion'
is represented as singing to the animal at night
in order to keep him interested. She was not
released, It is added. until daybreak, when her
husband found her and shot her captor This
is diverting narrative. but 1t has. alas a sus-
picious lack OF detail Let us hope that It will
recall 10 many readers a certain powerful story
Of pioneer days, written years ago by Harriet
Prescott Spofford, and called Circumstances"
The heroine thereof. the way home through
the forest from the house OF a sick neighbor. is
seized by wild beast Of the Dakota kind, borne
aloft and held on the broad floor Of 4 swinging
nr bough The echo of her scream seems to
please the beast and give him pause, so in her
terror she begins TO sing. and as the hours
pass sings on and on cradle songs sea songs
dance tunes. mournful ballads. psalms and
hymns, and still the creature. with Ats hot breath
flooding her face and it's claws fretting her gar
ments. listens and forbears TO rend. Near dawn
she hears step in the snow and sees below In
the moonlight her husband. bearing on one
arm their sleeping child and in the other hand
CARRYING his rife He dare not fire lest the bull
let reach her first. Suddenly the wife. over
powered by despair. loses her voice. the beast
springs up-and at the rife crack falls 70 the
ground dead, with his prey unhurt-
The weird story is told with solemn intensity
that stirs the pulse Thus far. II will be seen, 1t
rms ON all fours with the Dakota tale. which
might have been suggested. indeed by Mrs
snorord's work of imagination. But "Circum-
stance" has a stranger ending
THE father carries the child. hushed again into
o,.,rober the mother follows with no such feepie
t os might be anticipated. IL is not time for
.eeocefo, -tne tension not yet relaxed tne nerves
ssIS ,sIi1rant she 10 herself IKE some one
1De[vlv made; the night was dream the pEeseht
s.tar,yne1 lIDon her in deep satisfaction, neltheE
5.1aeJ nor compared with the past; IL she has
eesa-eg,,I tricks OF former habit it Is as an eu-
~ clear gray vault and the paling morning sla: @
ia &c ehe efons to gather spray OF the fsu-Ivse
baS-ee or feathery tuft OF dead grasses 5Si lsS S
ttvSnev-niece OF the los house or hendlul -. %
i,ou-n cones for the chids pay-of those HIS, HulSIS
SaDD1r folk You could scarcely dream nov tate-s ~
5.[ nod stolen from under the banner allu ~
aavSSnToent of the great King DEATH Inc
-vo.eede step or two IN adVancei the @!Ls
e.,eT : singular footprint 50 the snow sto9ps S ~
Examines II. then looks up with hntFlsa mors ree
49, h,,sand stands alone the hils DIS a1ln ~
Gre6 ae silhouette against the paiiin sh9,, ,,
a. Tfere ln their home, lying beloW ana &
81 t,e !,.Lt. 70 az him with suc1 ssaiet o'4'