New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-02
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Current Talk of Things Present
and to Come.

Delphine Couturier, who became
Madame Delamaye In real life, AMI
Madame Bovary in Flaubert's novel OF
that name, had maid out Of the book
as well as in lit. This parsonage, Au-
justine Menage, has just died In her
old village. at the age Of ninety. she
IL was who told Madame Leblanc-Mae-
terlinck, the wife of the dramatist'
when she made a pilgrimage to the
country of Madame Bovary. that that
unhappy lady was so beautiful, good,
kind, so delicate, so we'll bred"
Persian journalism.
In an address delivered before the
Persian Society in London not long
ago, Professor E. G. Browne gave some
interesting facts relating TO Persian
Journalism. He credited the country
with about $50 newspapers. The first
OF these appeared in 1851, weekly
journal of Occasional Happenings
II seems to have been kind OF gov
eminent publication, the circulation Oh
which was obtained by sending 1t To
officials from whose salaries the sub
scription was deducted. The grant OF
the Constitution in 1906 promoted on
outburst Of journalistic activity or
high order but this has subsidized ana
Professor Browne saw little chance for
revival under the Russian influences
that have come to count for so much IN
Persia.
Tho Little lawny lslet.
Among the Browning relics recently
sold there was a singular DIT Oh
doggerel by Ruskin. who declared upon
occasion that he did not care a fg
for poetry. Browning's idol was Smell
ley. and Ruskin liked to tease his
friend by mirthfully abusing that Idol.
He asserted that he could himself
write Shelley by Shrewsbury clock,
and thus attempted to prove his point:
1t was little lawny islet
BY anemone and Vilet
Like mosaic-payen.
There sat a gentleman-hushed and shy
And a girl with corkscrew curl IN her
eye. " -,
on the grass. between-was a large eel
And ham bone-cleanly shaven.
And the gentleman asked-in accents
Was it gui.s.. enough soaked before 1T
And the lady replied-as she pulled
yilet
on the little lawny islet
Didn't / tell you-Jane would spne H.
Thunder in the Air.
The confusion Of tongues at the So
cial gatherings Of the members Of the
great Historical Congress lately held in
London was such, 1t is said, as has not
been heard since the time Of the Pen
tateuch. Sometimes" says The Man
chester Guardian" there was a little
thunder in the air"
Witness the experience Of an English
delegate who found himself seated at one
Of the dinner tables with hair dozen
Germans and a solitary Russian. who re-
garded the animated group OF Teutons
with increasing dsapproval, and event
ually found relief in turning TO his Eng
lish nelghbor with the inupassioned en-
treaty, "ParleZ-vous francais, monsieur
The Engishman replied in the affirma-
tive, whereupon the Russian said: Par
ez francais. parlez francais," and pro.
ceeded. much 10 the embarrassment or
the Englishman. 10 denounce In fluent
French the "imbecility' OF the Teuton.
The Old Painter.
An anecdote which Charles Francis
Adams told years ago 10 the young
Henry Cabot Lodge, the Senator retells
in the current "Scribner." 1t was one
Of Gilbert Stuart and Of Mr.. Adams's
grandfather:
Stuart painted a portrait OF John
Adams In extreme old age. when he was
nearing his ninetieth year. IL Is very
fine portrait Of the old man leaning on his
cane. Charles Francis Adams. a boy
Of eighteen. used to keep his grandfather
company during the sittngs and watch
the painter at work. He said that Stuart.
who was old. too, and near the end of his
career, was physically feeble. Both his
hands shook violently. From a quivering
palette he would take his color. and with
his brush shaking and trembling he would
touch the picture Mr.. Adams said Il
looked as II he might dash the paint on
anywhere. but the brush always touched
the portrait. extraordinary as IL seemed.
I'm exactly the right spot and in the right
way. Despite his shaking hands and
trembling fingers. the old artist never
made a mistake.
The Great Galleries.
The firm Of L. c. Page & Co., Of Bns-
ton. has been rendering an admirable
service to students of art in the pub
lication Of series of handy. illustrat-
ed volumes on the galleries or Europe.
Recent additions 10 the list include
The Art Of the Uffizi Palace and tho
Florence Academy" by Charles c.
Heyl; The Art Of the Berlin CAL
leries," by David C. Preyer. and The
Art Of the Wallace Collection" by
Henry C. Shelley. Mr.. Preyer's volume
Is especially welcome, for the Berlin
galleries. while, of course, very well
known TO criticism. have not been rep
resented as frequently as some others
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.