New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-10
MANY "REMINISCENCES.


SIXTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS
MORE PASSAGES BY THE VA by
Sir Henry Lucy. With fronuspleoe'
Syo. DID. x. 39S. E. p. Dutton & co.
sixty Years in the Wilderness IS
Sir Henry Lucy's epigrammatc char
acterization of what in brief preface
he describes as "a long period of inu-
mate intercourse with public afIars
and public men," The title is not I'M
fitting II we bear in mind the prophesy
that the wilderness shall blossom as
the rose. For certainly, Toby NJ. +.
makes his wilderness much like par
adise. with entertaining "reminiscences
picturesque anecdotes OF affairs ana
deft portraiture of a bewildering num-
Der and variety Of interesting people
Kings, queens and emperors. soldiers
and sailors. statesmen, scholars ana
sages and men and women of the
world all appear in his vivacious re-
cital in lifelike guise. They are not
mere portraits and scenes, but moving
pictures projected from the hneto-
scope film of the veteran journalist
memory.
At the beginning the author, speak
ing of his early experiences. pays rib-
ute TO one of his great preceptors IN
the journalistic trade. FREDERICK
Greenwood" he says, was the ablest
Journalist of his day. in editorial gifts
second only TO. if not fully compeer
with. Delane. Personally and profess
sionally his career passed along the
highest levels of honor and capacity.
Rising by sheer ability from the lowest
ranks-like Benjamin Franklin. he be-
gan as a practical printer-he ap-
preached the headship of journalism
and became the trusted companion and
counsellor of statesmen. No change o1
fortune altered his personal manner
or bearing. He remained TO the last
the simple-mannered. unaffected. kind
lv-bearted gentleman" This homage
10 a great journalist who has never
received due appreciation from the
world at large is the more welcome
because of the authority with when
il is invested by its authorship
one Of Sir Henry's memories of John
Bright is of unique interest II has
long been well known that Bright,
with his fine literary taste and mar
vellous command of the English
tongue. never could school himself to
care for the works of Shakespeare.
There may be some subtle link of cause
and effect between that fact and he
other, which Sir Henry Lucy relates
that "just before his last illness Bright
bent his clear mind and supreme ca
pacity to almost exclusive study of the
nonsense one Donnelly put forth on
the subject Of the authorship Of Shake
speare's plays. During his last appear
ance at the Reform CLUB he talked
hardly anything but cryptogram, and
was Just as scornfully angry with de-
luded people who believe that Shake
speare wrote 'OthellO' as twenty years
earlier he had been with those who,
i'm respect of Irish affairs, decred The
doctrine that Force is no remedy.
Much space is naturally given to the
various Home Rule campaigns, and
especially to Henry Labouchere's part
in them. the editor of Truth and
Toby. NJ. ." having been close
friends for many years. There is
characteristic touch of 'Labby's' Gym
icism in one of his letters to Lucy N
which he says:
The Radical army is perfectly sound
and they have entirely rebelled against a
few leaders in each loGalty VINO Wat,
cd to shllly-shslly. Allegiance to the
where As for Home Rule. they do not
love the Irish. but when they find that no
Home Rule means Tories in force ano
Wings supporting them. they accept IT, .
far as | can make out the army Is quit
i'm favor of the plan of campalgn-lesal
or Illegal Charles Russell suggested 70
me to transfer the issue 20 the forum OF
conscience. which is an excellent ulouha
when ones law Is shady
This is a capital preparation for the
subsequent epigram of Mr.. Lowther
My. Parnell says he doesn't believe
MIR Gladstone. Mr.. Gladstone says he
doesn't believe Mr.. ParneI. believe
them both" To this we may add a fine
etching of Parne.i: lie was curious
mixture Of icy sel1-confdence and I'M
controllabie rage. Those "ho knew
him since his first appearance in the
House OF Commons recognize in the
paroxysm o. passion that broke forth
i'm Committee Room No 10 revival of
earlier habit His old associates knew
all along that the restrained, imper-
turbable manner assumed by him after
he was confirmed in the leadership o;
the party was merely mask. The
Parnen heard raving through ireland
after the Thames had fed from his side
was the true man, the one VINO useu