New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-20

Undismayed by the cool reception accorded to
HIS poetical experiments Mr.. Thomas Hardy
continues TO WOO the Muse Here. from the
pages OF THE London Saturday Review" is his
latest little essay In rhyme:
A CHURCH ROMANCE
cIRcA 1885
In the high pew she turned until her sight
TeP5 5s wes r gsses S ana sa ng Its row
Against the sinking sad tower-window light
She turned again; and IN her pride's despite
ne ss9s9g Tn TGs ns2res seemed S s to throw
witch said Il Clam thee q. ,' own forthr1ght
Thus their hearts bond began. IN due time signed
And long wears thence. when Age had scared
At some cid attitude of his or glance
That gSllery-scene would break upon her mind.
Th him e sas trim
Under the title OF little Memo IN Slumber-
land" Dufleld & Co. have published. IN thin.
oblong Quarto. number OF those designs In
colors which Mr.. winsor McCay has been con-
tributing 10 the Sunday pages OF THE Herald"
We are glad 20 see these clever inventions thus
put into more or less permanent form Mr.. Nc
Cay has a charming fancy, he is an effective
craftsman. he shows good taste in his color.
and there is a refined. engaging quality In his
humor. which is, perhaps. his chief merit He
has brought a note OF his own into comic jour
nalism. and we shall be much surprised If this
does not take rank as one OF the most popular
childrens books OF the season
Three new Baedekers have reached US from
Charles Scribner's Sons devoted respectively 70
the Rhine. Great Britain and Palestine and
Syria. There is nothing new 20 be said about
the merits OF this series. We can only repeat
what have been saying for years. that
Baedeker Is. IN its way. equal IN importance 10
the travellers letter Of credit. Most European
journeys unthinkable without these guide
books. There are travellers we know. who have
the strange fancy that 20 be seen in public with
a copy Of Baedeker is 10 confess themselves
ignorant provincials They put their copies into
brown paper covers and otherwise try 10 pre-
tend that they are independent OF all human aid
in solving problems of topography Of train SER
vice. hotel accommodations and the like. in
places they are visiting for the first time Ra-
tional people go using Baedeker when they
need him. and rare is the traveller who never
needs him. We notice. by the way. an innova-
ton in some Of the recent editions Of these
precious little volumes Little by little the pub
Usher is abandoning his ancient tradition Of i'm
personality. The edition of the 'Great Brit
AIM" for example. which lies before US. the
sixth. contains in the preface the information
j.
The authorship Of the Palestine and Syria" is
also gone into. the shares OF the various hands
engaged since the handbook first appeared IN
1875 being briefly indicated. Inserted IN this
volume is the following suggestive note:
The excessive zeal Of the Turkish censorship
gaS S vome IN he eoc S ros ss
Turkish frontier or entering Turkish port
Baedeker is one OF the few things in this world
with which one practically never has occasion
10 and fault, but observe one regrettable
omission. where information about time tables
. concerned, in The Rhine" Mention is made
only Of the publications issued at marks. but
the little 30 pfennig compendiums available at
the stations in Germany are not by any means
10 be despised.
Water color has for generations been pecui-
fairly popular medium in England Men like Tur-
and Girtin gave IL a standing IL has never
lost, despite the fact that hundreds OF their
countrymen have used it in the feeblest possible
fashion. Some one in England is always writ
ing book on the subject. The latest addition
20 its extensive literature is a special number
OF The Studio" issued in this country by the
John Lane Company. under the title OF THE
Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours"
This society has a long history. dating. IN fact.
from 1881. and from the list OF members pre-
fixed 10 the present volume II Is plain tnat SOfns
OF the cleverest figures IN English art have con-
tr4buted TO it's exhibitions. A full account OF
their official life is set forth by Mr.. Charles
Holme. and then follow some forty plates in
colors. A few OF these, notably those after Sir
John Tenniel, J. Aumonier, the late Randolph
CaldecOtt. the late Kate Greenaway and Mr.
Dudley Hardy, are distinctly interesting. but
TOO much OF the material shown is merely COM
monplace. That has always been the troubls
with the bulk OF English painting in water
color II is sincere and IL is truthful. but it
seldom rises above a humdrum level This book
has a certain historical value but II does not
give a connoisseur any great pleasure.
Half century ago the Lippincotts. Of Phila-
delphia. first published their "Pronouncing
Gazetteer" It has ever since held an honorable
place among works OF reference the new edi-
tons called for from time to time being put into
shape with exemplary care. In it's latest form It
is practically new book "Lppincotts New
Gazetteer" It is called. "A Complete Pro-
nouncing Gazetteer or Geographical Dictionary
OF the World" well printed volume of more
than two thousand pages. which We have tested
without finding Il once at fault Nothing Is
neglected. You may learn here. If the delightful
name. encountered IN some chance allusion. has
excited your curiosity, the facts about Beans
Corners. q village OF 125 souls in the state cf
Naine Historic cities and utterly obscure little
towns are looked after with the same solicituds
for the reader with a thirst for information. Mr.
Angelo Heilprin and Mr.. Louis Heilprin are the
editors of this exhaustive encyclopedia, and
they cannot be too warmly praised for the thor
oughness OF their work They know. too. what
20 leave out Their articles on places requiring