New-York tribune., 1906-07-21
MISCELLANY.


-. - ,v Henry Frowde who are but half re-
- br the initials II. w. F. ana F. G. T.,
VS. -,i,ten and compiled for writers practi-
- .,,n,e on grammar and composition. The
g ,.,s adopted has been Ito pass by all rules:
-sosever absolute Importance. that are
nv observation 20 be seldom or never
-. and 10 illustrate by living examples.
=. name Of a reputable authority attached
N - all blunders that observation shows TO
Z men" The first impression that one re-
y -. srom looking through the book is OF the
r,np amount OF careless and slovenly Eng
- ~ ..os is written every day, not only in the
l,.rsrs. but in the graver and less frequent
b-s,.sIs as well as in the books written By
.a.st authors" The next impression Is OF
.,,mber OF errors into which the reader
,vas that he himself is apt to fall. Prob
n reader will be found who will entirely
- -i,h the authors in al their criticisms
- reader who is a writer is bound TO have
:. -, words phrases or usages which he is
- % defend against all corners. Besides. it
IS impossible in setting out upon such a
- as that undertaken by the authors OF THE
- English not 10 become hypercritical, and
-..fsr the narrow 10 the broader view.
- example, Americans. at least, will hardly
,-ifh the authors that British writers
"a avoid AInericanisms as they would words
-, IRON, French. German and other foreign
.--,sros. even when. as in the word "fall' for
-.,r,n i" we have the more admirable noun.
~" they say, lis better on the merits than
r,n IN every way: it is short, Saxon Oike
=, other three season names), picturesque; it
-..ls IFS derivation TO every one who uses it.
:. - the scholar only Ike autumn, and we
.-,a had rs good right to it as the Ameri-
- but we have chosen to let the right lapse.
- n use the word now is no better than lar
- In such a criticism as the foregoing the
.r+bors seem to overlook the fact that the
rng,ish language is a common possession OF
- America and England-of Australia and
,-sv Zealand tco for that matter-and that
,rsrv writer Of English should feel at liberty
N strengthen his work with whatever is good
!, the language. from whatever source it may
- inst as he should avoid whatever is weak.
s.nev or had. whether il be originally an
.r,e-icanisnl an Australasianism or a criticism.
r., however much the reader may find himself
c,itiesing :he critics he will be likely to agree
with them en- most points and to get many
useful hints for the Improvement OF his style.
Although the form of the book is apparently
chat of destructive criticism, it is, in effect,
really constructive. the authors in all cases sug-
resting improvements and paraphrases Of the
constructions 20 which they make objection. A
hook that will be found as entertaining as it is
helpful
Among The many books of the season devoted
70 ~ereen things growing" and to the ways Of
little creatures in feathers. fur or armor, that
entitled Notes from Natures Garden" NOng-
uans, Green & Coz takes a high place. Its
author Frances 4. Bardswell, writes gracefully
and unafectedIy of the things which she has
f11v
al manner Of quaint and ho5nely lore of field and
wood and garden, ana drops into poetry" now
and then in the pleasantest fashion. She sets
down small oddities in the way OF facts, tells
quaint stories OF her pets, ans quotes the country
people When they have something pertinent to
say Here, for example, is a communication
the subject Of snails. from snail merchant
who had gained a great respect, she tells US,
for the creatures in whom he traf1cked: He
DO know his own MIND, you see. and that better
than most men and all women-eh? He do
know what he 90 like, and where he's safe from
ihe thrBshes. he do like maple and sycamore,
and nut ana ash bat elder he can't abear. and
50 he won't go there-think O. that! And they'll
crawl through a crack in old stone wall. one
70 a time. and then pack inside. a hundred O.
en-, Wlere can't hook EN- out and a snail
he do know limestone from other stone too. He's
It is worth noting that this merchants best
customers are glass blowers, who hnd snails
soothing 10 The chest.
a chapter on the red vaIerian-frOm the root
c. which was made The splkenard. the very
Precious" ointment Of Scrlpture-is full OF open
siT fragrance and color. This plant, for which
he Orientals pay 4 me price is collected for
market by the peasants among the mountains
q Syria ana Carinthia. II is collected with
difficulty. TOO, Tor the roots have way Of bur-
rowing IL unseen stony depths. In England
ihe heb often gIoWs on ancient Norman ruins.
Is beautiful flowers blooming in a crimson
GoTn rcUrd the gray ramparts while its roots
tsla5-s down is.tO secret regions OF masonry
FAsEce they refuse TO lie taken. In this lore of
VIZ neWe-s the volume IS rich;--and apropos OF
us subject lie author tells q story about a
Way rustic dame This parsonage lives in a little
toIIase built 5@aido lane and turns many an
honesi penny by selling cups Of tea to tired
aac thirsty pedestrians and cyclists who pass
Aef door. the lane is one Of remarkable beauty,
as grassy sides being starred all summer with
eAgulsile bloom. There never was such lane
AOf WIG Eoge:s.' exc.aiIn the passers-by, and
meg come again ana again, generally dropping
Alo the pretty cottage Of course. for cup or
ia i was discovered not long ago that this
ga "Machiavelh IN petticOats," realizing the
S@Faaing love Of wild flowers, has regularly
eo"ed the hedgerows with hardy flower seeds.
The authors pleasure in the observation OF
animal and bird life finds expression in many
entertaining pages. Noting the difficulty Of
-sep1ng tropical birds alive through an Englinh
winter she tells us that it is not the cold that
AIS Them. but the darkness.
siras have the sensible habit of going TO sleep
sifG s GoIles, where Tie hours Of the day and night
S.sr OK little. al the bIrGs wake up at dawn and
o. o. az oace 10 seek Their food. When brought
e. = I've y: our sub-arctic climate they cannon
te me fifteen hours CT darkness and starvation
- ...g ll.ce-aer ni.llr Darkaess SETS ia gbolL