The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-25
BY HECTOR FULLER.

up. but 1t was impossible to let it go.
There was no escape from the letter.
writer who, 100 or I95 years ago,
captured a coveted correspondent. II
would have been as easy TO shake of
an octopus or a boa constructor. The most
appalling thing about the letters Of this
period was, of course, their eloQuence.
Miss Anna Seward, the Swan Of Lich-
field" writing to Mrs. Knowles IN
17S9. upon the dawning of the French
Revolution. 'of which she understood no
more than a canary" piped the following
ecstatic thrill:
So France has dipped her lilies IN the living
stream Of American freedom. and bids her sons be
slaves longer, IN such contest the vital sluices
must be wastefully opened but few English hearts
hope there are that do not wish victory may sit
upon the swords that freedom has unsheathed.
Miss Repplier adds that the publica-
ton of COwper's letters in 1903 and 1904
struck a chill into the hearts Of the &C
complished and erudite correspondents.
The swan of Lichfleld" never rallied
from the shock of such commences" as
letter like the following OF Cowper's
revealed:
4 neighbor Of mine in Silver End keeps ass;
the ass lives the other side q the garden wall,
and / writing IN the greenhouse II happens
that he is this morning most muscally disposed,
either cheered by the fine weather. or by some new
tune which he has Just acquired or by finding his
voice more harmonious than usual. II would De
cruel 90 mcrtfy fine singer, flerefore DO not
tell him that be interrupts and hinders ne; tut
venture 10 tell sou 50, and 70 plead his perform
anco IN excuse Of my abrupt conclusion
L. c. Page & Co. announce that the
contest for the choice Of a title for the
new Little Colonel book closed on the
first of this month. Thousands Of letters
were received from children all over the
United States. resulting in many clever
and suitable titles. The one finally Sc
Iected is THE Little Coloners knight
| Comes Riding"
Among recent gifts TO the Keats-Shel-
ley Memorial Corporation. which has pur-
chased and Is furnishing the house in the
Piazza di Spagna where Keats died. is a
notable one from Mr.. Harry Buxton
Forman. Mt Forman presents the cor
poration the greater part Of his library
relating to the two poets. He retains his
editions principles and manuscripts Of
Shelley and Keats. and other material es-
sential as tools in carrying on his la
bors connected with the works Of the two
poets. but the mass OF the illustrative
matter-vlz., books containing essays on
or illusions 10 Shelley and Keats. mis-
ceIlaneoUs collected editions and selec-
tons anthologies. magazines, ANNALS.
newspaper cuttings, and many other
items which need not be specified-will go
to Rome. and form the nucleus Of a COM
pleJe illustrative collection on the plan
which Mr. Buxton Forman has been car
rying out for nearly forty years.
Charles Scribners Sons are issuing a
fourth edition of ''Fraulein Schmidt and
Mr.. Anstruther," by the author Of "Eliz-
abeth and Her German Garden" and q
third edition Of THE Scarlet Car" by
Richard Harding Davis. Memoirs of the
Comtesse de Boigne' has gone through
six editions in France and is in its second
edition IN this country.
The Making Of Successful Husband"
by Caspar S Yost. is made up of a Sc
ries of letters from father TO his son.
dealing with the various practical ques-
tons which are said TO perplex the young
man who is newly married. The book
viii be published this month by the G.
". Dillingham; Company.
Norway and It's Fiords." a profusely
illustrated volume, by NJ. 4. Wylie, IN
which the reader is taken on a cruise
from Chrisuania 10 the North Cape and
Scotland of to-day" by T. F. Hender-
son and F. Watt, dealing with the Scot
land of modern times in its relation to the
past, are among the publications promised
for September Is by James Pott & Co.
Lord Amherst of Hackney has sought
in vain for a private buyer for his famous
collection Of books, and accordingly the
/ library viii be dispersed at auction in
London. the first part being sold in De-
cember and the second early in the spring
This viii bring into the market some
extraordinary treasures, including rare
manuscripts OF Italian Flemish, French,
and English origin and numbers of very
valuable early printed books. There are
seventeen Caxtons in the collection, eleven
OF which have been described as per
feet We do not doubt that many OF
Lord Amherst's best things viii be pur-
chased by American collectors.
Gen. Linevitch, who took command of
the Russian armies when Kuropatkin re-
signed, is soon to publish his memoirs.
In view of the light which they are likely
10 throw on the war with Japan, It is
probable that the two volumes Will be
translated into English.
A library recently sold in London re-
calls an interesting episode in SCOTS ca
reer. The collection belonged 10 the late
Alexander Gibson Hunter-so the cata-
logue somewhat oddly described him, for
he died in 1Sl2-who as partner in Con-
stables famous publishing house was the
cause Of the temporary alienation Of Scott
from that firm. thus indirectly leading to
his unfortunate business association with
the Ballantynes. Mr.. Hunter, afterward
Laird of BIackness. seems to have entire
" misunderstood SCOTS character. and
attempted to treat him as a mere literary
hack Constable" wrote Scott to a friend
Of his in 1909, Tile many other folks who
learn 20 undeTvalue the means by which
they have risen, has behaved, or rather
suffered his partner TO behave, very un-
Civilly toward me. But they both 1--we to
know that they should not have kicked
down the ladder till they were sure
OF their footing" Constable, however,
looked upon the matter from another
point of view. "Ay." he would say, stamp
ing on the ground-"ay, there is such a
thing as rearing the oak until il can sup