diff options
Diffstat (limited to '36745-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 36745-8.txt | 5189 |
1 files changed, 5189 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/36745-8.txt b/36745-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..85a7400 --- /dev/null +++ b/36745-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5189 @@ +Project Gutenberg's McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, June 1893, by Various + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, June 1893 + +Author: Various + +Release Date: July 16, 2011 [EBook #36745] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE, JUNE 1893 *** + + + + +Produced by Katherine Ward, Juliet Sutherland, and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + +McCLURE'S MAGAZINE + +VOL. I JUNE, 1893 No. 1 + + S. S. McCLURE, Limited + NEW YORK AND LONDON + 1893 + + +Copyright, 1893, by S. S. McClure, Limited. All rights reserved. + + Press of J. J. Little & Co. + Astor Place, New York + + + + +Table of Contents + + PAGE + A Dialogue between William Dean Howells and Hjalmar Hjorth + Boyesen. Recorded By Mr. Boyesen. 3 + The Nymph of the Eddy. By Gilbert Parker. 12 + Human Documents. An Introduction by Sarah Orne Jewett. 16 + How They Are Captured, Transported, Trained, and Sold. By + Raymond Blathwayt. 26 + Under Sentence of the Law. By Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson. 34 + Unsolved Problems that Edison Is Studying. By E. J. Edwards. 37 + From "Locksley Hall". By Alfred, Lord Tennyson. 43 + A Day With Gladstone. By H. W. Massingham. 44 + Where Man Got His Ears. By Henry Drummond. 52 + James Parton's Rules of Biography. 59 + Europe at the Present Moment. By Mr. De Blowitz. 63 + The Comedy of War. By Joel Chandler Harris. 69 + The Rose Is Such a Lady. By Gertrude Hall. 82 + The Count de Lesseps of To-day. By R. H. Sherard. 83 + + + + +Illustrations + + Professor Boyesen in His Study. 4 + The Birthplace of W. D. Howells at Martins Ferry, Ohio. 5 + The Giustiniani Palace. 6 + W. D. Howells, After His Return From Venice. 7 + W. D. Howells, in Cambridge in 1868. 8 + W. D. Howells' Summer Home at Belmont in 1878. 9 + The Author of "Annie Kilburn." 10 + General Lew Wallace. 19 + William Dean Howells. 20 + Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen. 22 + Alphonse Daudet. 24 + Hawarden Castle. 46 + The Library. 47 + The Gladstone Family. 51 + "Balanoglossus", and Large Sea Lamprey. 53 + Embryos Showing Gill-slits. 53 + Adult Shark. 54 + Marble Head of Satyr. 55 + Head of Satyr in Group of Marsyas and Apollo. 55 + Faun. 55 + Form of the Ear in Baby Outang. 55 + Horned Sheep and Goat with Cervical Auricles. 55 + Ear of Barbary Ape, Chimpanzee, and Man. 57 + James Parton in 1852. 59 + James Parton in 1891. 62 + The Chateau de La Chesnaye. 84 + Count de Lesseps in 1869. 85 + Madame de Lesseps in 1880. 88 + Count de Lesseps in 1880. 89 + Count de Lesseps in 1892. 90 + + + + +REAL CONVERSATIONS.--I. + +A DIALOGUE BETWEEN WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS AND HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN. + +RECORDED BY MR. BOYESEN. + + +When I was requested to furnish a dramatic biography of Mr. Howells, I +was confronted with what seemed an insuperable difficulty. The more I +thought of William Dean Howells, the less dramatic did he seem to me. +The only way that occurred to me of introducing a dramatic element +into our proposed interview was for me to assault him with tongue or +pen, in the hope that he might take energetic measures to resent my +intrusion; but as, notwithstanding his unvarying kindness to me, and +many unforgotten benefits, I cherished only the friendliest feelings +for him, I could not persuade myself to procure dramatic interest at +such a price. + +My second objection, I am bound to confess, arose from my own sense of +dignity which rebelled against the _rôle_ of an interviewer, and it +was not until my conscience was made easy on this point that I agreed +to undertake the present article. I was reminded that it was an +ancient and highly dignified form of literature I was about to revive; +and that my precedent was to be sought not in the modern newspaper +interview, but in the Platonic dialogue. By the friction of two +kindred minds, sparks of thought may flash forth which owe their +origin solely to the friendly collision. We have a far more vivid +portrait of Socrates in the beautiful conversational turns of "The +Symposium" and the first book of "The Republic," than in the purely +objective account of Xenophon in his "Memorabilia." And Howells, +though he may not know it, has this trait in common with Socrates, +that he can portray himself, unconsciously, better than I or anybody +else could do it for him. + +If I needed any further encouragement, I found it in the assurance that +what I was expected to furnish was to be in the nature of "an exchange +of confidences between two friends with a view to publication." It +was understood, of course, that Mr. Howells was to be more confiding +than myself, and that his reminiscences were to predominate; for an +author, however unheroic he may appear to his own modesty, is bound +to be the hero of his biography. What made the subject so alluring to +me, apart from the personal charm which inheres in the man and all +that appertains to him, was the consciousness that our friendship was of +twenty-two years' standing, and that during all that time not a +single jarring note had been introduced to mar the harmony of our +relation. + +Equipped, accordingly, with a good conscience and a lead pencil +(which remained undisturbed in my breast-pocket), I set out to +"exchange confidences" with the author of "Silas Lapham" and "A Modern +Instance." I reached the enormous human hive on Fifty-ninth Street +where my subject, for the present, occupies a dozen most comfortable +and ornamental cells, and was promptly hoisted up to the fourth floor +and deposited in front of his door. It is a house full of electric +wires and tubes--literally honeycombed with modern conveniences. But +in spite of all these, I made my way triumphantly to Mr. Howells's +den, and after a proper prelude began the novel task assigned to me. + +[Illustration: PROFESSOR BOYESEN IN HIS STUDY AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE.] + +"I am afraid," I remarked quite _en passant_, "that I shall be +embarrassed not by my ignorance, but by my knowledge concerning your +life. For it is difficult to ask with good grace about what you +already know. I am aware, for instance, that you were born at Martin's +Ferry, Ohio, March 11, 1837; that you removed thence to Dayton, and a +few years later to Jefferson, Ashtabula County; that your father +edited, published, and printed a country newspaper of Republican +complexion, and that you spent a good part of your early years in the +printing office. Nevertheless, I have some difficulty in realizing the +environment of your boyhood." + +_Howells._ If you have read my "Boy's Town," which is in all +essentials autobiographical, you know as much as I could tell you. The +environment of my early life was exactly as there described. + +_Boyesen._ Your father, I should judge, then, was not a strict +disciplinarian? + +_Howells._ No. He was the gentlest of men--a friend and companion to +his sons. He guided us in an unobtrusive way without our suspecting +it. He was continually putting books into my hands, and they were +always good books; many of them became events in my life. I had no end +of such literary passions during my boyhood. Among the first was +Goldsmith, then came Cervantes and Irving. + +_Boyesen._ Then there was a good deal of literary atmosphere about +your childhood? + +_Howells._ Yes. I can scarcely remember the time when books did not +play a great part in my life. Father was by his culture and his +interests rather isolated from the community in which we lived, and +this made him and all of us rejoice the more in a new author, in whose +world we would live for weeks and months, and who colored our thoughts +and conversation. + +[Illustration: THE BIRTHPLACE OF W. D. HOWELLS AT MARTINS FERRY, OHIO.] + +_Boyesen._ It has always been a matter of wonder to me that, with so +little regular schooling, you stepped full-fledged into literature +with such an exquisite and wholly individual style. + +_Howells._ If you accuse me of that kind of thing, I must leave you to +account for it. I had always a passion for literature, and to a boy +with a mind and a desire to learn, a printing office is not a bad +school. + +_Boyesen._ How old were you when you left Jefferson, and went to +Columbus? + +_Howells._ I was nineteen years old when I went to the capital and +wrote legislative reports for Cincinnati and Cleveland papers; +afterwards I became one of the editors of the "Ohio State Journal." My +duties gradually took a wide range, and I edited the literary column +and wrote many of the leading articles. I was then in the midst of my +enthusiasm for Heine, and was so impregnated with his spirit, that a +poem which I sent to the "Atlantic Monthly" was mistaken by Mr. Lowell +for a translation from the German poet. When he had satisfied himself, +however, that it was not a translation, he accepted and printed it. + +_Boyesen._ Tell me how you happened to publish your first volume, +"Poems by Two Friends," in partnership with John J. Piatt. + +_Howells._ I had known Piatt as a young printer; afterwards when he +began to write poems, I read them and was delighted with them. When he +came to Columbus I made his acquaintance, and we became friends. By +this time we were both contributors to the "Atlantic Monthly." I may +as well tell you that his contributions to our joint volume were far +superior to mine. + +_Boyesen._ Did Lowell share that opinion? + +_Howells._ That I don't know. He wrote me a very charming letter, in +which he said many encouraging things, and he briefly reviewed the +book in the "Atlantic." + +_Boyesen._ What was the condition of society in Columbus during those +days? + +_Howells._ There were many delightful and cultivated people there, +and society was charming; the North and South were both represented, +and their characteristics united in a kind of informal Western +hospitality, warm and cordial in its tone, which gave of its very +best without stint. Salmon P. Chase, later Secretary of the Treasury, +and Chief Justice of the United States, was then Governor of Ohio. +He had a charming family, and made us young editors welcome at his +house. All winter long there was a round of parties at the different +houses; the houses were large and we always danced. These parties were +brilliant affairs, socially, but besides, we young people had many +informal gayeties. The old Starling Medical College, which was +defunct as an educational institution, except for some vivisection +and experiments on hapless cats and dogs that went on in some +out-of-the-way corners, was used as a boarding-house; and there was +a large circular room in which we often improvised dances. We young +fellows who lodged in the place were half a dozen journalists, +lawyers, and law-students; one was, like myself, a writer for the +"Atlantic," and we saw life with joyous eyes. We read the new +books, and talked them over with the young ladies whom we seem to +have been always calling upon. I remember those years in Columbus +as among the happiest years of my life. + +_Boyesen._ From Columbus you went as consul to Venice, did not you? + +[Illustration: THE GIUSTINIANI PALACE, HOWELLS' HOME IN VENICE.] + +_Howells._ Yes. You remember I had written a campaign "Life of +Lincoln." I was, like my father, an ardent Anti-slavery man. I went +myself to Washington soon after President Lincoln's inauguration. I +was first offered the consulate to Rome; but as it depended entirely +upon perquisites, which amounted only to three or four hundred dollars +a year, I declined it, and they gave me Venice. The salary was raised +to fifteen hundred dollars, which seemed to me quite beyond the dreams +of avarice. + +_Boyesen._ Do not you regard that Venetian experience as a very +valuable one? + +_Howells._ Oh, of course. In the first place, it gave me four years of +almost uninterrupted leisure for study and literary work. There was, +to be sure, occasionally an invoice to be verified, but that did not +take much time. Secondly, it gave me a wider outlook upon the world +than I had hitherto had. Without much study of a systematic kind, I +had acquired a notion of English, French, German, and Spanish +literature. I had been an eager and constant reader, always guided in +my choice of books by my own inclination. I had learned German. Now, +my first task was to learn Italian; and one of my early teachers was a +Venetian priest, whom I read Dante with. This priest in certain ways +suggested Don Ippolito in "A Foregone Conclusion." + +_Boyesen._ Then he took snuff, and had a supernumerary calico +handkerchief? + +_Howells._ Yes. But what interested me most about him was his +religious skepticism. He used to say, "The saints are the gods +baptized." Then he was a kind of baffled inventor; though whether his +inventions had the least merit I was unable to determine. + +_Boyesen._ But his love story? + +_Howells._ That was wholly fictitious. + +_Boyesen._ I remember you gave me, in 1874, a letter of introduction +to a Venetian friend of yours, named Brunetta, whom I failed to find. + +_Howells._ Yes, Brunetta was the first friend I had in Venice. He was +a distinctly Latin character--sober, well-regulated, and probity +itself. + +_Boyesen._ Do you call that the Latin character? + +_Howells._ It is not our conventional idea of it; but it is fully as +characteristic, if not more so, than the light, mercurial, +pleasure-loving type which somehow in literature has displaced the +other. Brunetta and I promptly made the discovery that we were +congenial. Then we became daily companions. I had a number of other +Italian friends too, full of beautiful _bonhomie_ and Southern +sweetness of temperament. + +[Illustration: W. D. HOWELLS, AFTER HIS RETURN FROM VENICE.] + +_Boyesen._ You must have acquired Italian in a very short time? + +_Howells._ Yes; being domesticated in that way in the very heart of +that Italy, which was then _Italia irridente_, I could not help +steeping myself in its atmosphere and breathing in the language, with +the rest of its very composite flavors. + +_Boyesen._ Yes; and whatever I know of Italian literature I owe +largely to the completeness of that soaking process of yours. Your +book on the Italian poets is one of the most charmingly sympathetic +and illuminative bits of criticism that I know. + +_Howells._ I am glad you think so; but the book was never a popular +success. Of all the Italian authors, the one I delighted in the most +was Goldoni. His exquisite realism fascinated me. It was the sort of +thing which I felt I ought not to like; but for all that I liked it +immensely. + +_Boyesen._ How do you mean that you ought not to like it? + +_Howells._ Why, I was an idealist in those days. I was only +twenty-four or twenty-five years old, and I knew the world chiefly +through literature. I was all the time trying to see things as others +had seen them, and I had a notion that, in literature, persons and +things should be nobler and better than they are in the sordid +reality; and this romantic glamour veiled the world to me, and kept me +from seeing things as they are. But in the lanes and alleys of Venice +I found Goldoni everywhere. Scenes from his plays were enacted before +my eyes, with all the charming Southern vividness of speech and +gesture, and I seemed at every turn to have stepped at unawares into +one of his comedies. I believe this was the beginning of my revolt. +But it was a good while yet before I found my own bearings. + +_Boyesen._ But permit me to say that it was an exquisitely delicate +set of fresh Western senses you brought with you to Venice. When I was +in Venice in 1878, I could not get away from you, however much I +tried. I saw your old Venetian senator, in his august rags, roasting +coffee; and I promenaded about for days in the chapters of your +"Venetian Life," like the Knight Huldbrand, in the Enchanted Forest in +"Undine," and I could not find my way out. Of course, I know that, +being what you were, you could not have helped writing that book, but +what was the immediate cause of your writing it? + +_Howells._ From the day I arrived in Venice I kept a journal in +which I noted down my impressions. I found a young pleasure in +registering my sensations at the sight of notable things, and +literary reminiscences usually shimmered through my observations. Then +I received an offer from the "Boston Daily Advertiser," to write +weekly or bi-weekly letters, for which they paid me five dollars, in +greenbacks, a column, nonpareil. By the time this sum reached Venice, +shaven and shorn by discounts for exchange in gold premium, it had +usually shrunk to half its size or less. Still I was glad enough to +get even that, and I kept on writing joyously. So the book grew in my +hands until, at the time I resigned in 1865, I was trying to have it +published. I offered it successively to a number of English +publishers; but they all declined it. At last Mr. Trübner agreed to +take it, if I could guarantee the sale of five hundred copies in +the United States, or induce an American publisher to buy that +number of copies in sheets. I happened to cross the ocean with Mr. +Hurd of the New York firm of Hurd & Houghton, and repeated Mr. +Trübner's proposition to him. He refused to commit himself; but some +weeks after my arrival in New York, he told me that the risk was +practically nothing at all, and that his firm would agree to take the +five hundred copies. The book was an instant success. I don't know +how many editions of it have been printed, but I should say that +its sale has been upward of forty thousand copies, and it still +continues. The English weeklies gave me long complimentary notices, +which I carried about for months in my pocket like love-letters, and +read surreptitiously at odd moments. I thought it was curious that +other people to whom I showed the reviews did not seem much +interested. + +[Illustration: W. D. HOWELLS. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN AT CAMBRIDGE IN +1868.] + +_Boyesen._ After returning to this country, did not you settle down in +New York? + +_Howells._ Yes; I was for a while a free lance in literature. I did +whatever came in my way, and sold my articles to the newspapers, +going about from office to office, but I was finally offered a place +in "The Nation," where I obtained a fixed position at a salary. I +had at times a sense that, by going abroad, I had fallen out of the +American procession of progress; and, though I was elbowing my way +energetically through the crowd, I seemed to have a tremendous +difficulty in recovering my lost place on my native soil, and +asserting my full right to it. So, when young men beg me to recommend +them for consulships, I always feel in duty bound to impress on them +this great danger of falling out of the procession, and asking them +whether they have confidence in their ability to reconquer the +place they have deserted, for while they are away it will be pretty +sure to be filled by somebody else. A man returning from a residence +of several years abroad has a sense of superfluity in his own +country--he has become a mere supernumerary whose presence or absence +makes no particular difference. + +_Boyesen._ What year did you leave "The Nation" and assume the +editorship of "The Atlantic"? + +_Howells._ I took the editorship in 1872, but went to live in +Cambridge six or seven years before. I was first assistant editor +under James T. Fields, who was uniformly kind and considerate, and +with whom I got along perfectly. It was a place that he could have +made odious to me, but he made it delightful. I have the tenderest +regard and the highest respect for his memory. + +_Boyesen._ I need scarcely ask you if your association with Lowell was +agreeable? + +_Howells._ It was in every way charming. He was twenty years my +senior, but he always treated me as an equal and a contemporary. And +you know the difference between thirty and fifty is far greater than +between forty and sixty, or fifty and seventy. I dined with him every +week, and he showed the friendliest appreciation of the work I was +trying to do. We took long walks together; and you know what a rare +talker he was. Somehow I got much nearer to him than to Longfellow. As +a man, Longfellow was flawless. He was full of noble friendliness and +encouragement to all literary workers in whom he believed. + +_Boyesen._ Do you remember you once said to me that he was a most +inveterate praiser? + +[Illustration: W. D. HOWELLS' SUMMER HOME AT BELMONT IN 1878.] + +_Howells._ I may have said that; for in the kindness of his heart, and +his constitutional reluctance to give pain, he did undoubtedly often +strain a point or two in speaking well of things. But that was part of +his beautiful kindliness of soul and admirable urbanity. Lowell, you +know, confessed to being "a tory in his nerves;" but Longfellow, with +all his stateliness of manner, was nobly and perfectly democratic. He +was ideally good; I think he was without a fault. + +_Boyesen._ I have never known a man who was more completely free from +snobbishness and pretence of all kinds. It delighted him to go out of +his way to do a man a favor. There was, however, a little touch of +Puritan pallor in his temperament, a slight lack of robustness; that +is, if his brother's biography can be trusted. What I mean to say is, +that he appears there a trifle too perfect; too bloodlessly, and +almost frostily, statuesque. I have always had a little diminutive +grudge against the Reverend Samuel Longfellow for not using a single +one of those beautiful anecdotes I sent him illustrative of the warmer +and more genial side of the poet's character. He evidently wanted to +portray a Plutarchian man of heroic size, and he therefore had to +exclude all that was subtly individualizing. + +_Howells._ Well, there is always room for another biography of +Longfellow. + +_Boyesen._ At the time when I made your acquaintance in 1871, you were +writing "Their Wedding Journey." Do you remember the glorious talks we +had together while the hours of the night slipped away unnoticed? We +have no more of those splendid conversational rages now-a-days. How +eloquent we were, to be sure; and with what delight you read those +chapters on "Niagara," "Quebec," and "The St. Lawrence;" and with what +rapture I listened! I can never read them without supplying the +cadence of your voice, and seeing you seated, twenty-two years younger +than now, in that cosey little library in Berkeley Street. + +_Howells._ Yes; and do you mind our sudden attacks of hunger, when we +would start on a foraging expedition into the cellar, in the middle of +the night, and return, you with a cheese and crackers, and I with a +watermelon and a bottle of champagne? What jolly meals we improvised! +Only it is a wonder to me that we survived them. + +_Boyesen._ You will never suspect what an influence you exerted upon my +fate by your friendliness and sympathy in those never-to-be-forgotten +days. You Americanized me. I had been an alien, and felt alien in +every fibre of my soul, until I met you. Then I became domesticated. +I found a kindred spirit who understood me, and whom I understood; and +that is the first and indispensable condition of happiness. It was at +your house, at a luncheon, I think, that I met Henry James. + +[Illustration: THE AUTHOR OF "ANNIE KILBURN."] + +_Howells._ Yes; James and I were constant companions. We took daily +walks together, and his father, the elder Henry James, was an +incomparably delightful and interesting man. + +_Boyesen._ Yes; I remember him well. I doubt if I ever heard a more +brilliant talker. + +_Howells._ No; he was one of the best talkers in America. And didn't +the immortal Ralph Keeler appear upon the scene during the summer of +'71 or '72? + +_Boyesen._ Yes; your small son "Bua" insisted upon calling him "Big +Man Keeler" in spite of his small size. + +_Howells._ Yes, Bua was the only one who ever saw Keeler life-size. + +_Boyesen._ I remember how he sat in your library and told stories of +his negro minstrel days and his wild adventures in many climes, and +did not care whether you laughed with him or at him, but would join +you from sheer sympathy, and how we all laughed in chorus until our +sides ached! + +_Howells._ Poor Keeler! He was a sort of migratory, nomadic survival; +but he had fine qualities, and was well equipped for a sort of +fiction. If he had lived he might have written the great American +novel. Who knows? + +_Boyesen._ Was not it at Cambridge that Björnstjerne Björnson visited +you? + +_Howells._ No; that was in 1881, at Belmont, where we went in order to +be in the country, and give the children the benefit of country air. +When I met Björnson before, we had always talked Italian; but the +first thing he said to me at Belmont, was: "Now we will speak +English." And when he had got into the house, he picked up a book and +said in his abrupt way: "We do not put enough in;" meaning thereby, +that we ignored too much of life in our fiction--excluded it out of +regard for propriety. But when I met him, some years later, in Paris, +he had changed his mind about that, for he detested the French +naturalism, and could find nothing to praise in Zola. + +_Boyesen._ I am going to ask you one of the interviewer's stock +questions, but you need not answer, you know: Which of your books do +you regard as the greatest? + +_Howells._ I have always taken the most satisfaction in "A Modern +Instance." I have there come closest to American life as I know it. + +_Boyesen._ But in "Silas Lapham" it seems to me that you have got a +still firmer grip on American reality. + +_Howells._ Perhaps. Still I prefer "A Modern Instance." "Silas Lapham" +is the most successful novel I have published, except "A Hazard of New +Fortunes," which has sold nearly twice as many copies as any of the +rest. + +_Boyesen._ What do you attribute that to? + +_Howells._ Possibly to the fact that the scene is laid in New York; +the public throughout the country is far more interested in New York +than in Boston. New York, as Lowell once said, is a huge pudding, and +every town and village has been helped to a slice, or wants to be. + +_Boyesen._ I rejoice that New York has found such a subtly appreciative +and faithful chronicler as you show yourself to be in "A Hazard of New +Fortunes." To the equipment of a great city--a world-city as the Germans +say--belongs a great novelist; that is to say, at least one. And even +though your modesty may rebel, I shall persist in regarding you +henceforth as _the_ novelist _par excellence_ of New York. + +_Howells._ Ah, you don't expect me to live up to _that_ bit of taffy! + + + + +PARABLES OF A PROVINCE.--I. + +THE NYMPH OF THE EDDY. + +BY GILBERT PARKER. + + +It lay in the sharp angle of a wooded shore near Pontiac. When the +river was high it had all the temper of a maelstrom, but in the hot +summer, when the logs had ceased to run, and the river wallowed idly +away to the rapids, it was like a molten mirror which, with the +regularity of a pulse, resolved itself into a funnel, as though +somewhere beneath there was a blowhole. It had a look of hunger. Even +the children noticed that, and they fed it with many things. What it +passed into its rumbling bowels you never saw again. You threw a stick +upon the shivering surface, and you saw it travel, first slowly, then +very swiftly, round and round the sides, till the throat of the eddy +seemed to open suddenly, and it ran straight down into darkness, and +presently the funnel filled up again. It was shadowed by a huge cedar +tree. If you came suddenly into the thicket above it, you were stilled +with wonder. The place was different from all others on the river. It +looked damp, it was so strangely green; the grass and trees showed so +juicy; you fancied you could slice the fallen logs through with a +penknife. Every sound there carried with a peculiar distinctness, yet +the air was almost painfully still. Through the stillness there ran +ever a sound, metallic, monotonous, pleasant--a clean cling-clung, +cling-clung. It never varied, was the river high or low. If you lay +down in the mossy grass you were lulled by that sing-song vibration, +behind which you heard the low sucking breath of the eddy. The two +sounds belonged to each other, and had a peculiar sympathy of tone. +The birds never sang in the place, not because it was gloomy, maybe, +but as though not to break in upon other rights. + +There was nothing mysterious about that unceasing cling-clung, it was +merely the ram of a force-pump. If you followed the pipe that led from +the ram up the hill, you came to a large white house. + +Many a summer day, and especially of a morning, a young girl came +dancing down to the eddy, to sit beside it. She and it were very good +friends; she used to tell it her secrets, and she made up a little +song about it--a simple, almost foolish little song such as a clever +young girl can write--Laure had been to the convent in Montreal, so +she was not a common village maid. + + "Green, so green, is the cedar tree, + And green is the moss that's under; + Can you hear the things that he says to me? + Do you like them? O Eddy, I wonder." + +It was very foolish. But she had such a soft, thrilling voice that you +would have thought it beautiful. She was young--about sixteen--and her +hair was so light that it fell about her like spray. But suddenly she +ceased to be quite happy. + +Armand, the avocat's clerk, was a Protestant, and she had been meeting +him at the eddy secretly. What did she care about the Catechism, or +the _curé_, or an unblessed marriage, if Armand blessed her? She was +afraid of nothing; she would dare anything while she was certain of +him. But the _curé_ discovered something--she ceased to go to +confession, and, though he was a kind man, he had his duty to do. + +There was trouble, and the ways of Laure's people were devious and +hard. It was said that she must go to the convent again, and they kept +her prisoner in the house. One day they brought her a letter which, +they said, was from Armand. It told her that he was going away, and +that he had given her up. She had never seen his writing--they had +trusted nothing to the village post-office--and she believed that the +letter was from him. She had wept so much that tears were all done; +her eyes only ached now. At first she thought that she would get away +and go to him, and beg him not to give her up--what does a child know +of pride all at once? But the pride came to her a little later, and +she tried to think what she must do. While her thoughts went waving +to and fro, and she could make nothing of them, she heard all the time +the long, sighing breath of the eddy and the cling-clung of the +force-pump. She never slept, and after a time it grew in her mind that +she never would sleep till she went down to the cedar tree and the +eddy; they seemed always calling her. She had said her Ave Marias over +and over again, but they seemed to do her no good. Nothing could quiet +her, not even the music of the twelfth mass, played on the little reed +organ by the organist of St. Savior's, when they took her to church +against her will--a passive rebel. The next day she was to go to the +convent again. + +That night she stole from the house into the light of the soft harvest +moon, and ran down through the garden, over the road, and into the +cedar thicket. She did not hear behind her the footsteps of a man who, +night after night, had watched the house, hoping that she would come +out. She hastened to the cedar tree, and looked down into the eddy. +From far up the river there came the plaintive cry of a loon; but she +heard no other sound in the night, save this and the cling-clung of +the ram muffled by fallen branches, and the loud-breathing eddy which +invited--until an arm ran round her waist and held her fast. + +A minute later he said: "You will come, then? And we shall be man and +wife very quick." + +"Wait a minute," she said, and she picked up handfuls of leaves and +dropped them softly into the funnel of water. + +"What's that for?" he asked. + +"I am a cock-robin," she said with her old gayety. "There's a girl +drowned there. Yes, but it's true. She was a good Catholic and +unhappy. I'm a heretic now, and happy." + +But she said her Ave Marias again just the same; being happy, they did +her more good. And she says that the eddy is spiteful to her now. It +had counted on a different end to her wooing. + + + + +HUMAN DOCUMENTS. + +AN INTRODUCTION BY SARAH ORNE JEWETT. + + +To give to the world a collection of the successive portraits of a man +is to tell his affairs openly, and so betray intimate personalities. +We are often found quarrelling with the tone of the public press, +because it yields to what is called the public demand to be told both +the private affairs of noteworthy persons and the trivial details and +circumstances of those who are insignificant. Some one has said that a +sincere man willingly answers any questions, however personal, that +are asked out of interest, but instantly resents those that have their +impulse in curiosity; and that one's instinct always detects the +difference. This I take to be a wise rule of conduct; but beyond lies +the wider subject of our right to possess ourselves of personal +information, although we have a vague remembrance, even in these days, +of the belief of old-fashioned and decorous people, that subjects, not +persons, are fitting material for conversation. + +But there is an honest interest, which is as noble a thing as +curiosity is contemptible; and it is in recognition of this, that +Lowell writes in the largest way in his "Essay on Rousseau and the +Sentimentalists." + +"Yet our love of minute biographical details," he says, "our desire to +make ourselves spies upon the men of the past, seems so much of an +instinct in us, that we must look for the spring of it in human +nature, and that somewhat deeper than mere curiosity or love of +gossip." And more emphatically in another paragraph: "The moment he +undertakes to establish ... a rule of conduct, we ask at once how far +are his own life and deed in accordance with what he preaches?" + +This I believe to be at the bottom of even our insatiate modern +eagerness to know the best and the worst of our contemporaries; it is +simply to find out how far their behavior squares with their words and +position. We seldom stop to get the best point of view, either in +friendly talk or in a sober effort, to notice the growth of character, +or, in the widest way, to comprehend the traits and influence of a man +whose life in any way affects our own. + + * * * * * + +Now and then, in an old picture gallery, one comes upon the grouped +portraits of a great soldier, or man of letters, or some fine lady +whose character still lifts itself into view above the dead level of +feminine conformity which prevailed in her time. The blurred pastel, +the cracked and dingy canvas, the delicate brightness of a miniature +which bears touching signs of wear--from these we piece together a +whole life's history. Here are the impersonal baby face; the +domineering glance of the school-boy, lord of his dog and gun; the +wan-visaged student who was just beginning to confront the serried +ranks of those successes which conspired to hinder him from his duty +and the fulfilment of his dreams; here is the mature man, with grave +reticence of look and a proud sense of achievement; and at last the +older and vaguer face, blurred and pitifully conscious of fast waning +powers. As they hang in a row they seem to bear mute witness to all +the successes and failures of a life. + +This very day, perhaps, you chanced to open a drawer and take in your +hand, for amusement's sake, some old family daguerreotypes. It is easy +enough to laugh at the stiff positions and droll costumes; but +suddenly you find an old likeness of yourself, and walk away with it, +self-consciously, to the window, with a pretence of seeking a better +light on the quick-reflecting, faintly impressed plate. Your earlier, +half-forgotten self confronts you seriously; the youth whose hopes +you have disappointed, or whose dreams you have turned into +realities. You search the young face; perhaps you even look deep into +the eyes of your own babyhood to discover your dawning consciousness; +to answer back to yourself, as it were, from the known and discovered +countries of that baby's future. There is a fascination in reading +character backwards. You may or may not be able easily to revive early +thoughts and impressions, but with an early portrait in your hand they +do revive again in spite of you; they seem to be living in the +pictured face to applaud or condemn you. In these old pictures exist +our former selves. They wear a mystical expression. They are still +ourselves, but with unfathomable eyes staring back to us out of the +strange remoteness of our outgrown youth. + + "Surely I have known before + Phantoms of the shapes ye be-- + Haunters of another shore + 'Leaguered by another sea." + +It is somehow far simpler and less startling to examine a series of +portraits of some other face and figure than one's own. Perhaps it is +most interesting to take those of some person whom the whole world +knows, and whose traits and experiences are somewhat comprehended. You +say to yourself, "This was Nelson before ever he fought one of his +great sea battles; this was Washington, with only the faintest trace +of his soldiering and the leisurely undemanding aspect of a country +gentleman!" _Human Documents_--the phrase is Daudet's, and tells its +own story, with no need of additional attempts of suggestiveness. + +It would seem to be such an inevitable subject for sermon writing, +that no one need be unfamiliar with warnings, lest our weakness and +wickedness leave traces upon the countenance--awful, ineffaceable +hieroglyphics, that belong to the one universal primitive language of +mankind. Who cannot read faces? The merest savage, who comprehends no +written language, glances at you to know if he may expect friendliness +or enmity, with a quicker intelligence than your own. + +The lines that are written slowly and certainly by the pen of +character, the deep mark that sorrow once left, or the light +sign-manual of an unfading joy, there they are and will remain; it is +at length the aspect of the spiritual body itself, and belongs to the +unfolding and existence of life. We have never formulated a science +like palmistry on the larger scale that this character-reading from +the face would need; but to say that we make our own faces, and, +having made them, have made pieces of immortality, is to say what +seems trite enough. A child turns with quick impatience and +incredulity from the dull admonitions of his teachers, about goodness +and good looks. To say, "Be good and you will be beautiful," is like +giving him a stone for a lantern. Beauty seems an accident rather than +an achievement, and a cause instead of an effect; but when childhood +has passed, one of the things we are sure to have learned, is to read +the sign-language of faces, and to take the messages they bring. +Recognition of these things is sure to come to us more and more by +living; there is no such thing as turning our faces into unbetraying +masks. A series of portraits is a veritable Human Document, and the +merest glance may discover the progress of the man, the dwindled or +developed personality, the history of a character. + +These sentences are written merely as suggestions, and from the point +of view of morals; there is also the point of view of heredity, and +the curious resemblance between those who belong to certain +professions. Just what it is that makes us almost certain to recognize +a doctor or a priest at first glance is too subtle a question for +discussion here. Some one has said that we usually arrive, in time, at +the opposite extreme to those preferences and opinions which we hold +in early life. The man who breaks away from conventionalities, ends by +returning to them, or out of narrow prejudices and restrictions grows +towards a late and serene liberty. These changes show themselves in +the face with amazing clearness, and it would seem also, that even +individuality sways us only for a time; that if we live far into the +autumnal period of life we lose much of our individuality of looks, +and become more emphatically members of the family from which we +spring. A man like Charles the First was already less himself than he +was a Stuart; we should not fail in instances of this sort, nor seek +far afield. The return to the type compels us steadily; at last it has +its way. Very old persons, and those who are dangerously ill, are +often noticed to be curiously like their nearest of kin, and to have +almost visibly ceased to be themselves. + +All time has been getting our lives ready to be lived, to be shaped +as far as may be by our own wills, and furthered by that conscious +freedom that gives us to be ourselves. You may read all these in any +Human Document--the look of race, the look of family, the look that +is set like a seal by a man's occupation, the look of the spirit's +free or hindered life, and success or failure in the pursuit of +goodness--they are all plain to see. If we could read one human face +aright, the history not only of the man, but of humanity itself, is +written there. + + +BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES TO ACCOMPANY THE "HUMAN DOCUMENTS" GIVEN IN THIS +NUMBER. + +GENERAL LEW WALLACE was born in Brookville, Indiana, in 1827. After +receiving a common school education, he studied law. He distinguished +himself in the Civil War, and was made a brigadier-general. After the +war he practised law in Crawfordsville, Indiana. A few years later he +was for a time Governor of New Mexico. From 1878-81 he was Governor of +Utah, and from 1881-85 Minister to Turkey. His first book, "A Fair +God," appeared in 1877. "Ben Hur," published in 1880, has reached a +sale of several hundred thousand copies. General Wallace's home is in +Crawfordsville, Indiana. + +WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS was born in Martin's Ferry, Ohio, March 11, 1837. +His father was the editor of a country newspaper, and young Howells +learned the printer's trade. He began to write at an early age. At +nineteen he was Columbus correspondent of the "Cincinnati Gazette," +and at twenty-two, news editor of the "Ohio State Journal." A campaign +"Life of Lincoln," gained him the consulship at Venice, where he +seriously devoted his leisure hours to literature. "Venetian Life" +gave him reputation. On his return to America in 1865, he wrote for +newspapers and magazines. In 1866 Mr. Howells joined the editorial +staff of "The Atlantic." In 1872 he became the editor. About this time +the success of "Their Wedding Journey" determined his career as a +novelist. + +HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN was born at Frederiksværn, Norway, September +23, 1848. When twenty-one years of age he came to the United States. +In 1874 he was appointed professor of German at Cornell University, +and is now professor of Germanic languages and literature at Columbia +College, New York. It was in the early seventies that Professor +Boyesen's name began to appear in the magazines. In 1873 he published +his first long romance, "Gunnar," and other novels followed, well +known to the reading world. + +ALPHONSE DAUDET was born at Nîmes, May 13, 1840. His early life was +full of hardship and deprivation. In 1857 he arrived in Paris, with +some manuscript poems and no money. He almost starved, but kept on +writing and hoping. His volume of verse, "Les Amoureuses" (1858), +attracted some attention. He persisted, took to writing novels, and +achieved greatness. The story of his life and struggles, as told by +himself, will be given in an early number of MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE. + + +GENERAL LEW WALLACE. + +_Born in Brookville, Indiana, April 10, 1827._ + +[Illustration: AGE 35. 1862. MAJOR-GENERAL OF VOLUNTEERS.] + +[Illustration: AGE 40. 1867. GOVERNOR OF NEW MEXICO.] + +[Illustration: AGE 50. 1877. GOVERNOR OF UTAH.] + +[Illustration: AGE 66. GENERAL WALLACE AT THE PRESENT DAY.] + + +WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS. + +[Illustration: AGE 18. 1855. RESIDENCE, JEFFERSON, OHIO.] + +[Illustration: AGE 23. 1860. NEWS EDITOR OF "OHIO STATE JOURNAL."] + +[Illustration: AGE 28. MAY, 1865. VENICE, "VENETIAN LIFE."] + +[Illustration: AGE 25. 1862. CONSUL AT VENICE.] + +[Illustration: AGE 32. 1869. CAMBRIDGE, MASS. "SUBURBAN SKETCHES."] + +[Illustration: AGE 41. 1878. BELMONT, MASS. "THE LADY OF THE AROOSTOOK."] + +[Illustration: AGE 47. 1884. BOSTON, MASS. "THE RISE OF SILAS LAPHAM."] + +[Illustration: AGE 50. 1887. BOSTON. "APRIL HOPES."] + +[Illustration: AGE 53. 1890. BOSTON. "THE SHADOW OF A DREAM."] + + +HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN. + +_Born September 23, 1847, Frederiksværn, Norway._ + +[Illustration: AGE 17. 1865. STUDENT, CHRISTIANIA, NORWAY.] + +[Illustration: AGE 19. 1867. STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF CHRISTIANIA.] + +[Illustration: AGE 22. 1869. CHICAGO. EDITOR OF "FREMAD."] + +[Illustration: AGE 28. 1875. PROFESSOR OF GERMAN AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY, +ITHACA, NEW YORK. "TALES OF TWO HEMISPHERES."] + +[Illustration: AGE 35. 1882. PROFESSOR OF MODERN LANGUAGES, COLUMBIA +COLLEGE, NEW YORK CITY. "DAUGHTER OF THE PHILISTINES."] + +[Illustration: 1893. THE AUTHOR OF "SOCIAL STRUGGLERS."] + + +ALPHONSE DAUDET. + +[Illustration: AGE 21, PARIS, 1861. "LETTERS FROM MY MILL."] + +[Illustration: AGE 30, PARIS, 1870.] + +[Illustration: AGE 35, PARIS, 1875. "FROMONT JEUNE ET RISLER AINÉ."] + +[Illustration: DAUDET AT THE PRESENT DAY.] + + + + +WILD ANIMALS.--I + +HOW THEY ARE CAPTURED, TRANSPORTED, TRAINED, AND SOLD. + +BY RAYMOND BLATHWAYT. + + +The greatest wild animal trader in the world is Karl Hagenbeck of +Hamburg. To hear, therefore, how he captures and transports the brutes +that compose his stock in trade, how he trains them, and some of the +peculiarly strange adventures which have befallen him in dealing with +them, cannot fail to be of interest. A few days ago I went to his +Hamburg menagerie, where, on opening a door, I found myself in a great +shed full of caged wild beasts. As visitors, except those on business, +are not allowed within those notable precincts, my unexpected +appearance excited the cages' occupants to set up a grand concerto of +roars and howls. Awestruck at the sight and sounds, I stood dazed +until suddenly recalled to myself by a Nubian lion, who laid hold of +my cloak-flaps with unsheathed claws. At once I leaped forward, while +the beast retired snarling to the farthest corner of its cage, where +in the dark shadows its eyes glared like two living coals. At this +moment Mr. Hagenbeck came forward and gave me a hearty welcome, +coupled with a word of warning against venturing too near the cages. +He is a tall man, singularly pleasant looking, with keen eyes and a +decisive manner. Later we sat in his office, and there I heard many +incidents of the interesting life which he has led for so many years. + +"My father," said he, "who started in life as a fish dealer in this +very town, never dreamed that he would one day be the founder of the +greatest menagerie in the world. But it chanced that, in the year +1848, some fishermen, who usually traded with him, brought him some +seals which they had caught in their sturgeon nets. They were fine +animals, and he could not help being delighted with them, and +straightway resolved to take them to Berlin. There he opened a small +exhibition in Kroll's Gardens, charging an admission fee. But there +came a revolution; business was at a standstill, and he was glad +enough to get rid of the seals for a small sum of money, and to return +to his fish-dealer's shop in Hamburg. But he was bitten with the +wild-beast fever; live animals had more attractions for him than dead +fish, and so he told the fishermen that he would always be ready to +buy any queer animals they might choose to bring him. A short time +after that a sailor from a whaling vessel brought him a polar bear; +this he exhibited here in Hamburg. It was a great novelty, and the +people flocked in crowds to see it. From that time forward, sailors +from all parts of the world would bring him animals for sale--monkeys, +parrots, deer, snakes, and so on; once a young lion. Gradually he got +together quite a small menagerie, but I am bound to say that at first +there was not much profit in the business. When I left school in 1859, +at the age of fifteen, father asked me which of his two callings I +would rather choose as mine. Of course, being a boy, I chose the wild +beasts. He gave me a hundred and fifty pounds to spend as best I could +in buying animals. Fortune favored me from the start. I made some +capital bargains, increased the business rapidly, and in 1866 father +handed the whole business over to me." + + +HAGENBECK AND BARNUM. + +At this moment my eye fell upon a large photograph of the celebrated +Mr. P. T. Barnum, which hung upon the wall. Mr. Hagenbeck, noting the +direction of my gaze, said: "I suppose you know who that is?" + +I replied, "Why, it's P. T. Barnum." + +"Exactly," said he. "I was walking about the menagerie one day in +1872, when Mr. Barnum was announced. He said: 'I've just come to have +a look round. I've got an hour or two to spare, and I thought I might +as well spend it here as anywhere else.' Well, sir," continued Mr. +Hagenbeck, smiling at the recollection of his first momentous +interview with the great showman, "he stayed fourteen days, and he +filled two big note-books before he left me. He was delighted with all +he saw, and still more so with all I told him. I spoke about ostrich +riding, suggested that it would be a splendid thing if he got up a +regular wild-beast hunt in his hippodrome. He was immensely taken with +the idea, and wanted me to join him as partner, but this I was not +able to do. For many years I supplied him with his animals." + +"Why," I said, "Mr. Hagenbeck, that opened up quite a new field." + +"Exactly," he replied. "The training of wild animals is now one of +the most important parts of my business. I also undertake the +establishment of menageries all over the world. I supply people with +their buildings, with their animals, with their keepers, with their +trainers. Take, for instance, the Zoölogical Gardens at Cincinnati. I +filled them from top to bottom. I recently made one in Rio Janeiro." + + +THE PRICES OF WILD ANIMALS. + +"And can you tell me anything about the prices of wild animals, Mr. +Hagenbeck?" said I. + +"Well," he replied, "prices differ from time to time, according to the +fashion; for I can assure you that there is as much fashion in wild +animals as there is in ladies' dresses. Prices are also rising and +falling, according as the market supply is high or low. I can remember +that once I sold in one day a cargo of African beasts for thirty +thousand dollars. A full grown hippopotamus is now worth £1,000. A +two-horned rhinoceros, which was worth £600 in 1883, cannot now be +obtained at any price. An Indian tapir costs £500, an American tapir +£150. Elephants vary according to size and training, from £250 to +£500. A good forest-bred lion, full grown, will fetch from £150 to +£200, according to species. Tigers run from £100 to £150, according to +their variety. Do you know," he continued, "that there are five +varieties of royal tigers? And, besides them, there are the tigers +which come from Java, Sumatra, Penang, and even from the wastes of +Siberia, Snakes are very much down in the market at present. Those +which formerly fetched £5 or £10, you can now get for £2. Very large +ones sometimes run up to £50. Leopards £30. Black panthers £40 to £60. +Striped and spotted panthers £25. Jaguars run from £30 to £100. A good +polar bear will fetch from £30 to £40. Brown bears from £6 to 10£. +Black American bears from £10 to £20. A sloth from Thibet £25 to £30. +Monkeys run from six shillings apiece. They are most expensive in the +spring, when they will sometimes fetch as much as £1 6_s_. Giraffes +are altogether out of the market," continued Mr. Hagenbeck with a +sigh, "for there are none now to be obtained. I have sold one as low +as £60, whilst the last one which I sold, four years ago, to the +Brazils, I was paid upwards of £1,100 for. + +"And now you might just have a look round at some of the animals. +Here," said he, as we stood before a cage of very charming monkeys, +"are some very clever little animals. They can ride horses in a +circus, they jump through hoops; in fact, they are trained exactly +like human beings, and can do almost everything but talk. I have +just sent people to Abyssinia to fetch me some big silver-gray +lion-monkeys, sometimes called hamadryads. I said just now," +continued Mr. Hagenbeck, with a laugh, "that monkeys can't talk; and +yet I must believe in Professor Garner, for you give me any monkey, +you like to name, and I'll guarantee I'll make it talk. But you can +only do it by imitating them closely. Take, for instance, that +chimpanzee over there," continued the clever trainer, pointing to a +little animal fast asleep on a crossbar. "Now listen," he went on, +making a peculiar noise with his lips. At once the animal woke up, +jabbered a reply in chimpanzee, flew to the bars of the cage, put his +tiny paw out ready for the nuts which he knew were forthcoming. +"There," said Mr. Hagenbeck, "don't tell me monkeys can't talk." + +A little farther on we came across a tiny baby elephant, two feet nine +inches in height. It was as black as coal, and had just arrived from +Singapore. It was very playful, but when I began pushing it about, as +one might roll a big beer barrel, it indulged in a fretful growling, +which much amused us. Seven beautiful elephants stood in one big +stable together, and as I admired their huge proportions and wondered +at their entire gentleness, I said to Mr. Hagenbeck, "Is it true, as +the great English circus proprietor George Sanger told me last summer, +that the Asiatic elephant is far more intelligent than its African +brother?" + +"Certainly not," replied Mr. Hagenbeck. "The African elephants are +just as clever, just as gentle, just as intelligent as the Asiatic +elephants. There's no difference between them; and I ought to know, +for I have had to do with them for thirty years, and in only one year +I have imported as many as seventy-six of them." + + +HOW WILD BEASTS ARE CAPTURED. + +Karl Hagenbeck and I stood in his beautiful gardens, beside the +enclosure in which the lions and tigers spend the long, hot summer +days so frequent in Hamburg. Most artistically this enclosure has been +made to resemble an African desert. In the foreground there are bushes +and a few small palm trees, whilst in the far-off distance there rise, +towering to a blue tropical sky, grim mountains and sun-stricken +rocks. There is thus conveyed to the mind an impression of the great +Nubian deserts--an impression whose force and reality is strengthened +by the appearance of the wild beasts themselves, basking in the heat +of the sun, or restlessly prowling about the enclosure. + +"I should very much like to hear, Mr. Hagenbeck," said I, "everything +you can tell me of the way in which your wild beasts are captured." + +"Well," he replied, "I will tell you as much as I can. Let us begin +with the animals from the deserts of Nubia, for I have hunting parties +all over the world. I send out a special messenger, who goes provided +with a lot of silver coin. Nubians know my courier, who goes on ahead +of this special messenger. When the courier reaches Suakim, it is +announced that my messenger is coming, and a great _fête_ is +proclaimed. Guns are fired off, tom-toms are beaten, and for at least +two days before he arrives there are the greatest rejoicings. Then the +people go out to meet him, and conduct him with great state to a place +on the borders of the desert where they have built a zereba. My +messenger then gives advance money to the hunters, who go into +Abyssinia to buy horses for the great hunt. As soon as the whole party +is collected, business begins. They are armed with assegais and long +hunting-swords like the old German swords. They are as broad as your +hand, sharp at both ends, and two handled. Men upon fast horses hunt +up the animals. Large animals, such as elephants and rhinoceroses, +with sucklings, are the best game. The hunters, forming a circle, +follow them. Having caught a rhinoceros with its young one, a man +jumps down from his horse and cuts the old beast in a vein, whilst +some of the other men chase another animal in front to distract +attention. Then the black fellow lets go the big rhinoceros, catches +the little one, ties its legs, and after it has calmed down brings it +to my collector, who is waiting for him in the zereba. The old one is +killed, skinned, and eaten. The natives make their best shields from +the hide. Elephants and giraffes are hunted in the same manner. I +have been describing to you chiefly the old method of hunting animals +in Nubia. Of late years they generally use guns. The young animals are +always brought up with goat's milk." + +At this moment we were passing a large cage full of the finest lions I +had ever seen. As soon as they caught sight of Mr. Hagenbeck, they +began to purr loudly, and when he spoke, came up to the bars of the +cage to be stroked and petted. + +"There," said my host, "these are some very beautiful lions from +Nubia. You can see that they are in perfect condition, and this is +chiefly owing to the fact that they are being trained for their +performances. There is nothing that keeps them in good health so much +as constant exercise; that, I think," added Mr. Hagenbeck, with a +laugh, "is a very good argument in favor of training wild beasts, and +goes a long way to prove that there really is very little cruelty in +it. Now, I'll tell you how lions are caught in the Nubian desert. The +Kauri negroes, when my messenger arrives, form parties to go in search +of young lions. When they discover the spoor of a lioness, they creep +about the bush until they find the animal's lair. It is usually one +man alone who does this, and he has only a bundle of assegais under +his left arm. Before the lioness can spring upon him, she has these +spears in her body. Look at this skin," continued Mr. Hagenbeck, +pointing to a magnificent tawny skin hanging up in the hall. "There," +said he, "that skin has no less than twenty-four holes in it. The poor +mother made a brave fight for her young ones. Well," continued Mr. +Hagenbeck, "when the old lioness is killed he takes the young ones to +the zereba. The little lions are suckled by goats three times a day, +and get quite fond of their foster-mothers. + +"Leopards and hyenas are caught in Nubia in traps which are made out +of wood or cut out of stone in the mountains. These traps are baited +with meat, and catch the big cats precisely as a mouse-trap catches a +mouse. Once trapped, the hunters can tie the creature's legs, and bear +it in triumph to the zereba." + +"And how are the Asiatic animals caught?" I asked Mr. Hagenbeck. + +"Well," he replied, "very much the same method is pursued there that +we adopt in Africa. For instance, in Borneo and Java, animals are +caught in trapfalls and pitfalls, and some in huge mouse-traps. In +these we often catch full-grown tigers, black panthers, and leopards. +In the pitfalls we find two horned rhinoceroses and saddlebacked +tapirs. The animals, running through the forest, run over these +pitfalls and drop in. The greater part of these unfortunately die +directly after they are caught; some kill themselves in their +excitement, others won't feed, and so pine away. A rhinoceros or a +tapir dies because it is often hurt internally, although we frequently +do not discover that they have been hurt until they have been with us +for one or two months. I can remember that I once imported seven big +rhinoceroses, and I sold only one of them, as the other six died. +Bengal tigers are caught young, brought up by the natives in much the +same way as the young lions in Africa, on milk and fowls. Most of +these come by way of Calcutta." + +Standing in front of a great glass cage full of snakes, I said to Mr. +Hagenbeck: "Now, how do you manage to get hold of these reptiles? They +must be very dangerous." + +"Ah!" he replied, with a thoughtful look, "I'll tell you later on one +or two stories of dreadful adventures that I myself have had with +snakes. In the meantime this is the way they are caught in India. In +the dry season the jungle is set on fire. As the snakes run out in all +directions, they are caught by the natives with long sticks having a +hoop at the end, to which is attached a big bag, a sort of exaggerated +butterfly net. After that the reptiles are packed in sacks made of +matting, which are fastened to long bamboos, and carried to Calcutta +on the shoulders of the natives. When Calcutta is reached, they are +packed in big boxes, from twelve to sixteen in a box, that is when +they are only eight or ten feet long; big snakes, from fourteen to +sixteen feet in length, are only packed from two to three in a box. +They are then sent direct to Europe without food or water on the +journey, for they require neither. The principal thing is to keep them +warm. Cold gives them mouth disease, which is certain death. I +remember once," continued Mr. Hagenbeck, "that I had one hundred and +sixty-two snakes reach London in perfect condition; a violent +snow-storm then came on, and when the boxes were opened in Hamburg +every snake was dead. + +"The majority of my Asiatic elephants come from Ceylon, although a few +of them are exported from Burma. I remember one year there was a great +demand in the American market for Asiatic elephants; Barnum and +Forepaugh each wanted twelve. I couldn't get enough from Burma, so +sent direct to Ceylon, and got no less than sixty-seven elephants, all +of which I disposed of in the next twelve months. Most of these were +caught by noosing. This is done by Afghans who take out a license from +the Ceylon Government. They go out with dogs, find a herd, follow it +up, and drive the elephants into different flights; they then give +their attention to the younger elephants. Each man has a long raw-hide +rope with a noose in the end of it. He chases an elephant, throws the +noose round its hind legs, and follows it until a tree is reached, +round which the line is fastened. When the elephant drops down in +despair, the rope is fastened round its other legs, and it is left for +several days until calmed down; it is then taken and easily tamed. I +can well remember," said Mr. Hagenbeck, "how interested Prince +Bismarck was when I told all about the capture of my elephants. + +"I was sitting in my room one day, when a servant came in and told me +that he believed that Prince Bismarck was in the menagerie. I went +out, and as soon as I saw his tall, erect figure and white moustache, +I knew it was the great man himself. I never came across so +intelligent a man, or one who asked so many questions. I should think +he must be something like your Gladstone." + +"And how did you first start buying animals on such a big scale, Mr. +Hagenbeck?" said I. + +"Well," he replied, "it was in this way. In 1863 the first big lot of +animals that ever appeared in Europe at one time were brought over by +an Italian named Casanova. He couldn't sell them, and we had not the +money to buy them, so they were sold to a menagerie at Kreutzburg, +then the biggest in Germany. Next year Casanova came over with a few +from Egypt, which I bought for the Dresden Zoo. This was the +beginning of the African business. I then gave Casanova a big order, +and arranged that he should bring over elephants, giraffes, and young +lions at a fixed price. It's always cheaper," added Mr. Hagenbeck, +with a laugh, "to get your dinner at the _table d'hôte_ than by the +card, and I thought it would be cheaper and better to get all these +animals in one lot. Well, in 1866 he returned with a large cargo, in +which there were seven African elephants. At that time an African +elephant was a great novelty, both in Europe and in America. I sold +these elephants to America, where they excited great interest, as they +were the first African elephants that had ever been seen in that +country." As we were going back to Mr. Hagenbeck's office he pointed +out to me some very beautiful zebu bulls which he was going to send +out to South America to be used for agricultural and breeding +purposes. "There," said he, "you can see those animals nowhere else in +Europe except in my place. I got them from Central India; I have been +after them for ten years, and succeeded in getting them only two years +ago." Just then we passed a slaughter-yard, where a couple of horses +were being cut up for the carnivorous animals. + +"It must be a very difficult matter," said I, "to know how to feed all +these animals properly." + +"I should think it was," he replied. "Animals are most dainty and +delicate as regards their food. Now, for instance, those lions and +tigers which were exhibiting at the Crystal Palace last year were fed +on such bad food that they were quite ill when they came back here. +Besides, a number of young animals were seized with what appeared to +be cholera. I lost three thousand pounds' worth of them in three +weeks. It is a very anxious business, indeed, I can tell you." + + + NOTE.--In the July number will be published an article on "The + Training of Wild Animals," which includes a description of a + special performance given by Mr. Hagenbeck, at which Mr. + Blathwayt, the writer of the articles, was the only spectator. + + + + +UNDER SENTENCE OF THE LAW. + +THE STORY OF A DOG. + +BY MRS. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON. + + +By mandate of law, Rick wore a muzzle, not often on his nose, but +generally hanging under his chin. It was not because his present +character was a vicious one that Rick was thus distinguished, but +owing to an awkward circumstance in early life. For Rick had been +tried in a court of law for the crime of murder, convicted, and +sentenced to death. I believe Canton Grison is the only province in +Switzerland where the law enforcing capital punishment has not been +repealed; and in Canton Grison it applies to beasts as well as men. + +Rick first appeared, a starveling puppy with a large frame and weak, +shambling legs, before the windows of a charitable Scotswoman, who was +a lover of dogs and a person of sensibility. Rick, whatever his +intellectual shortcomings, was a shrewd judge of human nature, and +knew where to find a sure welcome. Naturally he soon discovered the +hour for meals, and seldom failed to be on hand in good season. Once +he found the glass door shut through which he was accustomed to enter. +Spectators on the other side saw his discomfiture, but, before they +could reach the door, Master Rick had lifted the latch and was walking +triumphantly in. A later friend of his declared that, when he asked, +"What has become of that enormous dish of meat?" Rick tipped him an +arch wink and touched his corpulent stomach with a hind paw. Another +instance of his supposed intelligence was his habit of accompanying +intending customers to the confectioner's shop, where he gorged +himself at their expense. This indulgence in sweets, and his visits to +adjacent villages, where he dined at the hotels _à la carte_, his +bills to be sent to the Belvedere, induced early obesity, which was +particularly observable in his great tail. I always thought the +general belief in Rick's mental capacity rested on insufficient +grounds. I have lived too much with dogs not to know a dull fellow, +though kindly, when I see him; but, as an individual, I loved Rick, +and could not deny him a certain charm. The fact that one day Rick +(who at that time belonged to a butcher) did not put in an appearance +simultaneously with the ringing of the luncheon-bell caused the +charitable Scotswoman misgivings. She should have known him better. +Fortunately she happened to glance out of the window in the nick of +time, for there was poor Rick, flat on his side, his head turned +piteously towards the door of his friend, being dragged along the road +at the tail of a terrible cart--the cart of a man who bought dead and +living cats and dogs for the sake of their skins. A maid was hastily +despatched to the rescue, and Rick was bought for the price of his +hide. His trials were over (it was little he cared for the trial and +sentence), for he was now adopted by the Hotel Belvedere. + +Here he passed several uneventful, greedy years, until the day when +the Belvedere was startled by the appearance of the officers of the +law with an official document--a summons for Rick. How it was served I +cannot imagine, but Rick was cited to appear, on a given date, at the +Rathhaus, under the appellation of Tiger Hund. Tiger Hund was a fine, +dashing name, but hardly applicable to Rick, who had more of the +characteristics of the sheep than of the tiger. The two leading +hotels, the Belvedere and the Bual, were shaken to their base by the +threatened danger to Rick. Foreign counsel was appointed to plead his +cause; I cannot now remember whether the chosen advocate was Herr +Coester of the Belvedere, or Mr. J. Addington Symonds of the Bual. +One, I know, appeared for Rick at the trial; while the other, after +conviction, got up a petition for his pardon. + +The eventful day arrived; the learned gentleman, honest Rick at his +heels, took his way to the ancient Rathhaus, the gloomy aspect of +whose exterior, with its narrow, barred, windowy and high-pitched roof +under the eaves of which were many a row of wolves' heads now dried +into mummies, should have thrilled with apprehension the heart of the +least imaginative dog. But Rick, poor innocent, trotted through the +portals as he would have trotted into the confectioner's, and curled +himself up for a nap at the feet of his counsel. + +His affection for the accused, and the sympathy of the large audience +assembled to hear his pleading, inspired the learned gentleman with +unwonted eloquence. The only creature unconcerned was Rick, who, +having finished his nap, thought it a fitting occasion to make a +little excursion into the next canton. + +After a brilliant peroration in which he dilated on the fidelity of +the accused, who, he asserted, never left the Hotel Belvedere except +in company with some of the guests, Rick's advocate wound up with +these words: "Behold at my feet the Tiger Hund!" But, alas! Rick was +not at his feet, nor could he be found in any of his usual haunts, +though eager searchers beat the precincts for him. And so, through +Rick's own fault, his case was lost and his friends put to open shame. +Sentence of death was passed in the absence of the culprit, and things +for a time looked black for Rick. Strenuous efforts, however, were +made to secure a pardon; and finally, after the presentation of a +petition pleading for mercy, numerously signed by the foreign and +native residents, the magistrate was induced to commute the sentence +to muzzlement for life. I cannot myself believe that Rick had the +courage to attack a sheep, even in company. I know that his first +meeting with a donkey threw him into such fits of terror that his +reason was despaired of for days. + + + + +THE EDGE OF THE FUTURE. + +UNSOLVED PROBLEMS THAT EDISON IS STUDYING. + +BY E. J. EDWARDS. + + +I. + +Thomas A. Edison, when he was congratulated upon his forty-sixth +birthday, declared that he did not measure his life by years, but by +achievements or by campaigns; and he then confessed that he had +planned ahead many campaigns, and that he looks forward to no period +of rest, believing that for him, at least, the happiest life is a life +of work. In speaking of his campaigns Mr. Edison said: "I do not +regard myself as a pure scientist, as so many persons have insisted +that I am. I do not search for the laws of nature, and have made no +great discoveries of such laws. I do not study science as Newton and +Kepler and Faraday and Henry studied it, simply for the purpose of +learning truth. I am only a professional inventor. My studies and +experiments have been conducted entirely with the object of inventing +that which will have commercial utility. I suppose I might be called a +scientific inventor, as distinguished from a mechanical inventor, +although really there is no distinction." + +When Mr. Edison was asked about his campaigns and those achievements +by which he measured his life, he said that in the past there had been +first the stock-ticker and the telephone, upon the latter of which he +worked very hard. But he regarded the greatest of his achievements, in +the early part of his career, as the invention of the phonograph. +"That," said he, "was an invention pure and simple. No suggestion of +it, so far as I know, had ever been made; and it was a discovery made +by accident, while experimenting upon another invention, that led to +the development of the phonograph. + +"My second campaign was that which resulted in the invention of the +incandescent lamp. Of course, an incandescent lamp had been suggested +before. There had been abortive attempts to make them, even before I +knew anything about telegraphing. The work which I did was to make an +incandescent lamp which was commercially valuable, and the courts have +recently sustained my claim to priority of invention of this lamp. I +worked about three years upon that. Some of the experiments were very +delicate and very difficult; some of them needed help which was very +costly. That so far has been, I suppose, my chief achievement. It +certainly was the first one which made me independent, and left me +free to begin other campaigns without the necessity of calling for +outside capital, or of finding my invention subjected to the mysteries +of Wall Street manipulation." + +The hint contained in Mr. Edison's reference to Wall Street, and the +mysteries of financiering which prevail there, led naturally enough to +a question as to Mr. Edison's future purpose with regard to +capitalists, and he said: + +"In my future campaigns I expect myself to control absolutely such +inventions as I make. I am now fortunate enough to have capital of my +own, and that I shall use in these campaigns. The most important of +the campaigns I have in mind is one in which I have now been engaged +for several years. I have long been satisfied that it was possible to +invent an ore-concentrator which would vastly simplify the prevailing +methods of extracting iron from earth and rock, and which would do it +so much cheaper than those processes as to command the market. Of +course I refer to magnetic iron ore. Some of the New Jersey mountains +contain practically inexhaustible stores of this magnetic ore, but it +has been expensive to mine. I was able to secure mining options upon +nearly all these properties, and then I began the campaign of +developing an ore-concentrator which would make these deposits +profitably available. This iron is unlike any other iron ore. It takes +four tons of the ore to produce one ton of pure iron, and yet I saw, +some years ago, that if some method of extracting this ore could be +devised, and the mines controlled, an enormously profitable business +would be developed, and yet a cheaper iron ore--cheaper in its first +cost--would be put upon the market. I worked very hard upon this +problem, and in one sense successfully, for I have been able by my +methods to extract this magnetic ore at comparatively small cost, and +deliver from my mills pure iron bricklets. Yet I have not been +satisfied with the methods; and some months ago I decided to abandon +the old methods and to undertake to do this work by an entirely new +system. I had some ten important details to master before I could get +a perfect machine, and I have already mastered eight of them. Only two +remain to be solved; and when this work is complete, I shall have, I +think, a plant and mining privileges which will outrank the +incandescent lamp as a commercial venture, certainly so far as I am +myself concerned. Whatever the profits are, I shall myself control +them, as I have taken no capitalists in with me in this scheme." + +Mr. Edison was asked if he was willing to be more explicit respecting +this invention, but he declined to be, further than to say: "When the +machinery is done as I expect to develop it, it will be capable of +handling twenty thousand tons of ore a day with two shifts of men, +five in a shift. That is to say, ten workmen, working twenty hours a +day in the aggregate, will be able to take this ore, crush it, reduce +the iron to cement-like proportions, extract it from the rock and +earth, and make it into bricklets of pure iron, and do it so cheaply +that it will command the market for magnetic iron." + +Mr. Edison, in speaking of this campaign, referred to it as though it +was practically finished; and it was evident in the conversation that +already his mind turns to a new campaign, which he will take up as +soon as his iron-ore concentrator is complete and its work can be left +to competent subordinates. + +He was asked if he would be willing to say what he had in mind for the +next campaign, and he replied: "Well, I think as soon as the ore +concentrating business is developed and can take care of itself, I +shall turn my attention to one of the greatest problems that I have +ever thought of solving, and that is, the direct control of the energy +which is stored up in coal, so that it may be employed without waste +and at a very small margin of cost. Ninety per cent. of the energy +that exists in coal is now lost in converting it into power. It goes +off in heat through the chimneys of boiler-rooms. You perceive it when +you step into a room where there is a furnace and boiler; it is also +greatly wasted in the development of the latent heat which is created +by the change from water to steam. Now that is an awful waste, and +even a child can see that if this wastage can be saved, it will result +in vastly cheapening the cost of everything which is manufactured by +electric or steam power. In fact, it will vastly cheapen the cost of +all the necessaries and luxuries of life, and I suppose the results +would be of mightier influence upon civilization than the development +of the steam-engine and electricity have been. It will, in fact, do +away with steam-engines and boilers, and make the use of steam power +as much of a tradition as the stage-coach now is. + +"It would enable an ocean steamship of twenty thousand horse-power to +cross the ocean faster than any of the crack vessels now do, and +require the burning of only two hundred and fifty tons of coal instead +of three thousand, which are now required; so that, of course, the +charges for freight and passenger fares would be greatly reduced. It +would enormously lessen the cost of manufacturing and of traffic. It +would develop the electric current directly from coal, so that the +cost of steam-engines and boilers would be eliminated. I have thought +of this problem very much, and I have already my theory of the +experiments, or some of them, which may be necessary to develop this +direct use of all the power that is stored in coal. I can only say +now, that the coal would be put into a receptacle, the agencies then +applied which would develop its energy and save it all, and through +this energy electric power of any degree desired could be furnished. +Yes, it can be done; I am sure of that. Some of the details I have +already mastered, I think; at least, I am sure that I know the way to +go to work to master them. I believe that I shall make this my next +campaign. It may be years before it is finished, and it may not be a +very long time." + +Mr. Edison looks farther ahead than this campaign, for he said: "I +think it quite likely that I may try to develop a plan for marine +signalling. I have the idea already pretty well formulated in my mind. +I should use the well-known principle that water is a more perfect +medium for carrying vibrations than air, and should develop +instruments which may be carried upon sea-going vessels, by which they +can transmit or receive, through an international code of signals, +reports within a radius of say ten miles." + +Mr. Edison believes that Chicago is to become the London of America +early in the next century, while New York will be its Liverpool, and +he is of opinion that very likely a ship canal may connect Chicago +with tide water, so that it will itself become a great seaport. + +There is a common impression that Mr. Edison is an agnostic, but he +denies it; and he said, in closing the conversation, "I tell you that +no person can be brought into close contact with the mysteries of +nature, or make a study of chemistry, without being convinced that +behind it all there is supreme intelligence. I am convinced of that, +and I think that I could, perhaps I may some time, demonstrate the +existence of such intelligence through the operation of these +mysterious laws with the certainty of a demonstration in mathematics." + + + + +AN INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL. + +BY CLEVELAND MOFFETT. + + +II. + +Professor Graham Bell is not like some pedantic wise men who talk as +if they believed that the end of knowledge in their particular line +had been already reached. On the contrary, this distinguished inventor +is convinced that the discovery and inventions of the past will seem +but trivial things when compared with those which are to come. Nor +does he think that the day of man's greater knowledge is so very far +distant. + + +THE AIR-SHIP OF THE NEAR FUTURE. + +"I have not the shadow of a doubt"--these are his own words, spoken to +me quite recently at Washington--"that the problem of aerial +navigation will be solved within ten years. That means an entire +revolution in the world's methods of transportation and of making war. +I am able to speak with more authority on this subject from the fact +of being actively associated with Professor Langley of the Smithsonian +Institution in his researches and experiments. I am not at liberty to +speak in detail of these experiments, but will say that the +calculations of scientific men in regard to the amount of power +necessary to maintain an air-ship above the earth have been strangely +erroneous; I may say ridiculously so. According to these, Nature would +have given the birds and insects a muscular force vastly greater and +superior in its qualities to that bestowed upon man. That seems +unreasonable in the first place, when one reflects that man is at the +head of creation, and we have found practically that such is not the +case. The power required to lift and propel an air-ship is very much +less than has been supposed; indeed, Professor Langley concludes that +when the air-ship has once been lifted above the earth to the proper +height, it will be possible to maintain it there with proportionately +no greater effort than that expended by hawks and eagles in sailing +about with extended wings. The air strata will do the bulk of the +lifting, if a small propelling power is provided. Of course, a greater +power will be necessary to lift the air-ship originally, and it may be +some time before the art of managing an air-ship is discovered; but +the final result, I am convinced, will allow men to sail about in the +air as easily and as safely as the birds do. I predict that we will +see the beginning of this modern miracle by the end of the nineteenth +century. + +"Of course the air-ship of the future will be constructed without any +balloon attachment. The discovery of the balloon undoubtedly retarded +the solution of the flying problem for over a hundred years. Ever +since the Montgolfiers taught the world how to rise in the air by +means of inflated gas-bags, the inventors working at the problem of +aerial navigation have been thrown on the wrong track. Scientific men +have been wasting their time trying to steer balloons, a thing which +in the nature of the case is impossible to any great extent, inasmuch +as balloons, being lighter than the resisting air, can never make +headway against it. The fundamental principle of aerial navigation is +that the air-ship must be heavier than the air. It is only of recent +years that men capable of studying the problem seriously have accepted +this as an axiom. Electricity in one form or another will undoubtedly +be the motive power for air-ships, and every advance in electrical +knowledge brings us one step nearer to the day when we shall fly. It +would be perfectly possible, to-day, to direct a flying machine by +means of pendant electric wires which would transmit the necessary +current without increasing the load to be borne. Perhaps a feasible +means of propelling such an air-ship would be by a kind of trolley +system where the rod would hang down from the car to the stretched +wire, instead of extending upward. This is an idea which I would +recommend to inventors." + +It is most interesting to watch Professor Bell as he talks about the +great inventions which he sees with prophetic eye in store for the +world. He has the happy faculty of expressing great ideas in simple +words, and there is nothing ponderous in his speech. He is as +enthusiastic as a school-boy thinking of the kite he will make as big +as a barn-door. His black eyes flash, and they seem all the blacker +contrasted with his white hair; the words tumble out quickly, and +those who have the good fortune to listen are carried away by the +magnetism of this great inventor. + + +SEEING BY ELECTRICITY. + +The mention of electricity brought up new possibilities for future +discovery, some of them so amazing as to almost pass the bounds of +credibility. He said: + +"Morse taught the world years ago to write at a distance by +electricity; the telephone enables us to talk at a distance by +electricity; and now scientists are agreed that there is no +theoretical reason why the well-known principles of light should not +be applied in the same way that the principles of sound have been +applied in the telephone, and thus allow us to see at a distance by +electricity. It is some ten years since the scientific papers of the +world were greatly exercised over a report that I had filed at the +Smithsonian Institution a sealed packet supposed to contain a method +of doing this very thing; that is, transmit the vision of persons and +things from one point on the earth to another. As a matter of fact, +there was no truth in the report, but it resulted in stirring up a +dozen scientific men of eminence to come out with statements to the +effect that they too had discovered various methods of seeing by +electricity. That shows what I know to be the case, that men are +working at this great problem in many laboratories, and I firmly +believe it will be solved one day. + +"Of course, while the principle of seeing by electricity at a distance +is precisely that applied in the telephone, yet it will be very much +more difficult to construct such an apparatus, owing to the immensely +greater rapidity with which the vibrations of light take place when +compared with the vibrations of sound. It is merely a question, +however, of finding a diaphragm which will be sufficiently sensitive +to receive these vibrations and produce the corresponding electrical +variations." + + +THOUGHT TRANSFERENCE BY ELECTRICITY. + +After he had spoken of this idea for some time, Professor Bell stopped +suddenly, and, with an amused twinkle in his eyes, exclaimed: "But +while we are talking of all this, what is to prevent some one from +discovering a way of thinking at a distance by electricity?" + +Having said this, the genial professor threw himself back and laughed +heartily at the amazement his words awakened. Was he joking? +Apparently not, for he proceeded seriously to discuss one of the most +astounding conceptions that ever entered an inventor's mind. Thinking +by electricity! Imagine two persons, one thousand or ten thousand +miles apart, placed in communication electrically, in such a way that, +without any spoken word, without sounding-board, key, or any bodily +movement, the one receives instantly the thoughts of the other, and +instantly sends back his own thoughts. The wife in New York knows what +is passing in the brain of her husband in Paris. The husband has the +same knowledge. What boundless possibilities, to be sure, this +arrangement offers for business men, lovers, humorous writers, and the +police authorities! + +Preposterous as such an idea appears in its first conception, it +certainly assumes an increasing plausibility when one listens to +Professor Bell's reasoning. + +"After all," he says, "what would there be in such a system more +mysterious than in the processes of the mind reader? You substitute a +wire and batteries for a strange-eyed man in a dress suit, that is +all." + +The logical basis of Professor Bell's scheme is clear, and its details +quite beautiful in their simplicity, when you admit his major premise. +That premise is that the human brain is merely a kind of electrical +reservoir, and that thinking is nothing more than an electrical +disturbance, like the aurora borealis or the sparks from a Holtz +machine. The nerves are the wires leading from the central battery in +the head. The reasonableness of this assumption is increased when one +remembers that electricity may be made to act upon the nerves, even in +a lifeless body, so as to produce the same muscular contractions which +are produced by the brain force, whatever that may be. We talk of +animal magnetism. What if it were the same as any other kind of +magnetism? If these two forces are identical in one respect, why may +they not be so in all respects? So Professor Bell reasons, and +granting that the human brain is merely a store-house of electricity +for our bodily needs, of electricity not essentially different from +that which we know elsewhere, it must be possible to apply the same +electrical laws to the brain as to any other electric apparatus and to +get similar results. + +"Do you begin to see my idea?" said Professor Bell, growing more and +more enthusiastic as he proceeded. Then he gave a rapid outline of +what might be a system of thinking by electricity. + +Everyone knows, who knows anything about the subject, that an electric +current passing inside of a coil of wire induces an electric current +in that wire. Now, if the human brain be taken as a battery, then +currents are constantly passing from it to various parts of the body, +and the head may be considered in a state of constant electrical +excitement, the intensity varying with the character of the thought +processes. Now, suppose a coil of wire properly prepared in the shape +of a helmet, and fitted about the head of one person, with wires +attached and connected with a helmet similarly fitted upon the head of +another person at any convenient distance. Every electric current in +the one human battery must induce a current in the coil around the +head, which current must be transmitted to the other coil. This other +coil must then, by the reversed process, induce a current in the brain +within helmet No. 2, and that person must receive some cerebral +sensation. This cerebral sensation might be a thought, and probably +would be, if it turns out to be true that brain force is identical +with electricity. In that case, the thought of the one person would +have produced a thought in the other person, and there is, if we go as +far as this, every reason to believe that it would be the same +thought. Thus the problem of thinking at a distance by electricity +would be solved. + +So much for a curious theory of what might be, if so and so were true; +but Professor Bell has not stopped with theories, but has actually +begun to put them to the test. Not that he is over-sanguine as to the +result, but he believes the experiment worth the making, and that +seriously. He has actually had two helmets, such as those described, +constructed, and has begun a series of experiments in his laboratory. +Thus far, the results have been for the most part negative, but not so +much so as to prevent him hoping that more perfect appliances may lead +to something more conclusive. It is true that the thought in one brain +has produced a sensation in the other, through the two helmets, but +what the relation was between the thought and the sensation could not +be determined. + + +MAKING THE DEAF HEAR BY THE USE OF ELECTRICITY. + +By quick stages the conversation ran into another channel with new +wonders possible in the future. Professor Bell has conceived of a +method of making the deaf hear, which is certainly startling. He +proposes to do away with ears entirely, and produce the sensations of +hearing by direct communication with the brain, through the bones of +the head. As a matter of fact, the brains of deaf people are usually +in a perfectly healthy condition, and the only thing which prevents +them from hearing is some defect in communication with the vibrating +air. If their brains could be excited artificially in the same way +that the brains of ordinary persons are excited by vibrations +communicated through the various chambers and passages of the ear, +then the deaf would hear in the same way that other persons do. + +It is, of course, a fact, that hearing in every instance is merely an +illusion of the senses, a sort of tickling of the brain. This tickling +of the brain is ordinarily accomplished by the nerve force passing +from the third chamber of the ear to the brain itself. If this nerve +force is nothing more or less than ordinary electricity, and if +science can train electricity to tickle the brain artificially in the +same way and at the same points that the nerves from the ear usually +do, then the ordinary sensations of hearing must result, whether the +person has ears or not. The problem here is to discover the proper way +of tickling the brain. The gentlemen who seat themselves in +electrocution chairs have their brains tickled in a way which would +not be generally satisfactory. + + +THERE IS DANGER IN SUCH EXPERIMENTS. + +In his desire to bring relief to the deaf--and his whole life has been +devoted to that object--Professor Bell has begun a series of +remarkable experiments in this line. Some time ago, he determined to +study the effects produced upon the brain by turning an electric +current into it through the side of the head. With this end in view, +he arranged a dynamo machine with a feeble current, giving a varying +number of interruptions per second, and attached one of the poles to a +wet sponge which he placed in one of his ears. + +"I risked one of my ears," he said simply, "in making this experiment, +but I could not risk them both, so I held the second pole of the +machine in my hand and turned on the current." + +Fortunately no harm resulted, but immediately Professor Bell +experienced the sensation of a pleasant sound whose pitch he was able +to vary by increasing or diminishing the number of interruptions in +the dynamo machine. His assistant standing beside him could detect no +sound at all, so that what Professor Bell heard must have been the +effect of the electric current upon his brain. This effect he found +could be varied by varying the character of the current. Now he argues +that greater variations might be produced in the sounds heard by the +brain if the current turned into it were varied in the proper manner. +For instance, suppose the current from a long distance telephone to be +turned through the head of the deaf mute, a sponge connected with +either pole being placed in each ear. Then let some one talk into the +telephone in the ordinary way, the infinite variations in the current +produced by the voice vibrations being passed into the brain directly. +Is it not conceivable that such a variety of brain sensations or tones +might then be caused in the head of the deaf mute as to make it +possible to establish a system of sound signals, so to speak, which +would be the equivalent of ordinary language? Indeed, is it not +possible that the deaf mute might actually hear spoken words? + +Professor Bell's experiments upon himself have been so encouraging as +to make him disposed to try more complete experiments in the same line +upon persons who have lost all sense of hearing, and who would +doubtless be willing to take the inevitable risk for the sake of the +great blessing which a successful issue would bring to them. + +We talked a long time about these strange fancies, and finally I said +to Professor Bell: + +"But on this principle of brain tickling, what is to prevent a blind +man from seeing by electricity?" + +"I do not know that there is anything to prevent it." + + + + +FROM TENNYSON'S "LOCKSLEY HALL". + + + For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see, + Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; + + Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails, + Pilots of the purple twilight, dropping down with costly bales; + + Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew + From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue; + + Far along the world-wide whisper of the south-wind rushing warm, + With the standards of the peoples plunging thro' the thunder-storm; + + Till the war-drum throbb'd no longer, and the battle-flags were furl'd + In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world. + + There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe, + And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapt in universal law. + + So I triumph'd ere my passion sweeping thro' me left me dry, + Left me with the palsied heart, and left me with the jaundiced eye; + + Eye, to which all order festers, all things here are out of joint: + Science moves, but slowly slowly, creeping on from point to point: + + Slowly comes a hungry people, as a lion creeping nigher, + Glares at one that nods and winks behind a slowly-dying fire. + + Yet I doubt not thro' the ages one increasing purpose runs, + And the thoughts of men are widen'd with the process of the suns. + +By permission from "The Works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet +Laureate," Macmillan & Co., New York and London, 1893. + + + + +A DAY WITH GLADSTONE + +FROM THE MORNING AT HAWARDEN TO THE EVENING AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. + +BY H. W. MASSINGHAM OF THE "LONDON CHRONICLE." + + +I am often asked what is the secret of Mr. Gladstone's extraordinary +length of days and of the perfection of his unvarying health. It may +be partly attributed to the remarkable longevity of the Gladstone +family, a hardy Scottish stock with fewer weak shoots and branches +than perhaps any of the ruling families of England. But it has +depended mainly on Mr. Gladstone himself and on the undeviating +regularity of his habits. Most English statesmen have been either free +livers or with a touch of the _bon vivant_ in them. Pitt and Fox were +men of the first character; Melbourne, Palmerston, and Lord +Beaconsfield were of the last. But Mr. Gladstone is a man who has been +guilty of no excesses, save perhaps in work. He rises at the same hour +every day, uses the same fairly generous, but always carefully +regulated, diet, goes to bed about the same hour, pursues the same +round of work and intellectual and social pleasure. An extraordinarily +varied life is accompanied by a certain rigidity of personal habit I +have never seen surpassed. The only change old age has witnessed has +been that the House of Commons work has been curtailed, and that Mr. +Gladstone has not of late years been seen in the House after the +dinner hour, which lasts from eight till ten, except on nights when +crucial divisions are expected. With the approach of winter and its +accompanying chills, to which he is extremely susceptible, he seeks +the blue skies and dry air of the Mediterranean coasts and of his +beloved Italy. With this exception his life goes on in its pleasant +monotony. At Hawarden, of course, it is simpler and more private than +in London. In town to-day Mr. Gladstone avoids all large parties and +great crushes and gatherings where he may be expected to be either +mobbed or bored or detained beyond his usual bed-time. + + +HIS PERSONALITY. + +Personally Mr. Gladstone is an example of the most winning, the most +delicate, and the most minute courtesy. He is a gentleman of the elder +English school, and his manners are grand and urbane, always stately, +never condescending, and genuinely modest. He affects even the dress +of the old school, and I have seen him in the morning wearing an old +black evening coat, such as Professor Jowett still affects. The +humblest passer-by in Piccadilly, raising his hat to Mr. Gladstone, is +sure to get a sweeping salute in return. This courtliness is all the +more remarkable, because it accompanies and adorns a very strong +temper, a will of iron, and a habit of being regarded for the greater +part of his lifetime as a personal force of unequalled magnitude. Yet +the most foolish, and perhaps one may add the most impertinent, of Mr. +Gladstone's dinner-table questioners is sure of an elaborate reply, +delivered with the air of a student in deferential talk with his +master. To the cloth Mr. Gladstone shows a reverence that occasionally +woos the observer to a smile. The callowest curate is sure of a +respectful listener in the foremost Englishman of the day. On the +other hand, in private conversation the premier does not often brook +contradiction. His temper is high, and though, as George Russell has +said, it is under vigilant control, there are subjects on which it is +easy to arouse the old lion. Then the grand eyes flash, the torrent of +brilliant monologue flows with more rapid sweep, and the dinner table +is breathless at the spectacle of Mr. Gladstone angry. As to his +relations with his family, they are very charming. It is a pleasure to +hear Herbert Gladstone--his youngest, and possibly his favorite +son--speak of "my father." All of them, sons and daughters, are +absolutely devoted to his cause, wrapped up in his personality, and +enthusiastic as to every side of his character. Of children Mr. +Gladstone has always been fond, and he has more than one favorite +among his grandchildren. + + +MR. GLADSTONE'S MORNING. + +Mr. Gladstone's day begins about 7.30, after seven hours and a half of +sound, dreamless sleep, which no disturbing crisis in public affairs +was ever known to spoil. At Hawarden it usually opens with a morning +walk to church, with which no kind of weather--hail, rain, snow, or +frost--is ever allowed to interfere. In his rough slouch hat and gray +Inverness cape, the old man plods sturdily to his devotions. To the +rain, the danger of sitting in wet clothes, and small troubles of this +kind, he is absolutely impervious, and Mrs. Gladstone's solicitude has +never availed to change his lifelong custom in this respect. Breakfast +over, working time commences. I am often astonished at the manner in +which Mr. Gladstone manages to crowd his almost endlessly varied +occupations into the forenoon, for when he is in the country he has +practically no other continuous and regular work-time. Yet into this +space he has to condense his enormous correspondence--for which, when +no private secretary is available, he seeks the help of his sons and +daughters--his political work, and his varied literary pursuits. The +explanation of this extreme orderliness of mind is probably to be +found in his unequaled habit of concentration on the business before +him. As in matters of policy, so in all his private habits, Mr. +Gladstone thinks of one thing and of one thing only at a time. When +home rule was up, he had no eyes or ears for any political subject but +Ireland, of course excepting his favorite excursions into the twin +subjects of Homer and Christian theology. Enter the room when Mr. +Gladstone is reading a book; you may move noisily about the chamber, +ransack the books on the shelves, stir the furniture, but never for +one moment will the reader be conscious of your presence. At Downing +Street, during his earlier ministries, these hours of study were +often, I might say usually, preceded by the famous breakfast at which +the celebrated actor or actress, the rising poet, the well-known +artist, the diplomatist halting on his way from one station of the +kingdom to another, were welcome guests. Madame Bernhardt, Miss Ellen +Terry, Henry Irving, Madame Modjeska, have all assisted at these +pleasant feasts. + +[Illustration: HAWARDEN CASTLE.] + + +HIS AFTERNOON. + +Lunch with Mr. Gladstone is a very simple meal which neither at +Hawarden nor Downing Street admits of much form or publicity. The +afternoon which follows is a very much broken and less regular period. +At Hawarden a portion of it is usually spent out of doors. In the old +days it was devoted to the felling of some giant of the woods. Within +the last few years, however, Sir Andrew Clark, Mr. Gladstone's +favorite physician and intimate friend, has recommended that +tree-felling be given over; and now Mr. Gladstone's recreation, in +addition to long walks, in which he still delights, is that of lopping +branches off veterans whose trunks have fallen to younger arms. + + +AS A READER. + +Between the afternoon tea and dinner the statesman usually retires +again, and gets through some of the lighter and more agreeable of his +intellectual tasks. He reads rapidly, and I think I should say that, +especially of late years, he does a good deal of skipping. If a book +does not interest him, he does not trouble to read it through. He uses +a rough kind of _memoria technica_ to enable him to mark passages with +which he agrees, from which he dissents, which he desires to qualify, +or which he reserves for future reference. I should say the books he +reads most of are those dealing with theology, always the first and +favorite topic, and the history of Ireland before and after the Act of +Union. Indeed, everything dealing with that memorable period is +greatly treasured. I remember one hasty glance over Mr. Gladstone's +book table in his town house. In addition to the liberal weekly, "The +Speaker," and a few political pamphlets, there were, I should say, +fifteen or twenty works on theology, none of them, as far as I could +see, of first-rate importance. Of science Mr. Gladstone knows little, +and it cannot be said that his interest in it is keen. He belongs, in +a word, to the old-fashioned Oxford ecclesiastical school, using the +controversial weapons which are to be found in the works of Pusey and +of Hurrell Froude. In his reading, when a question of more minute and +out-of-the-way scholarship arises, he appeals to his constant friend +and assistant, Lord Acton, to whose profound learning he bows with a +deference which is very touching to note. + + +MR. GLADSTONE'S LIBRARY. + +[Illustration: THE LIBRARY.] + +Mr. Gladstone's library is not what can be called a select or really +first-rate collection. It comprises an undue proportion of theological +literature, of which he is a large and not over-discriminating buyer. +I doubt, indeed, whether there is any larger private bookbuyer in +England. All the book-sellers send him their catalogues, especially +those of rare and curious books. I have seen many of these lists, with +a brief order in Mr. Gladstone's own handwriting on the flyleaf, with +his tick against twenty or thirty volumes which he desires to buy. +These usually range round classical works, archæology, special periods +of English history, and, above all, works reconciling the Biblical +record with science. Of late, as is fairly well known, Mr. Gladstone +has built himself an octagonal iron house in Hawarden village, a mile +and a half from the castle, for the storage of his specially valuable +books and a collection of private papers which traverse a good many of +the state secrets of the greater part of the century. The importance +of these is great, and the chances are that before Mr. Gladstone dies +they will all be grouped and indexed in his upright, a little crabbed, +but perfectly plain, handwriting. By the way, a great many statements +have been made about Mr. Gladstone's library, and I may as well give +the facts which have never before been made public. His original +library consisted of about twenty-four thousand volumes. In the +seventies, however, he parted with his entire collection of political +works, amounting to some eight thousand volumes, to the late Lord +Wolverton. The remaining fifteen thousand or so are now distributed +between the little iron house to which I have referred, and the +Hawarden library. Curiously enough, Mr. Gladstone is not a worshiper +of books for the sake of their outward adornments. He loves them for +what is inside rather than outside. He even occasionally sells +extremely rare and costly editions for which he has no special use. In +all money matters, indeed, he is a thrifty, orderly Scotchman. He has +never been rich, though his affairs have greatly improved since the +time when in his first premiership he had to sell his valuable +collection of china. + + +AT THE DINNER TABLE. + +Dinner with Mr. Gladstone is the stately ceremonial meal which it has +become to the upper and upper-middle class Englishman. Mr. Gladstone +invariably dresses for it, wearing the high crest collar which Harry +Furniss has immortalized, and a cutaway coat which strikes one as of a +slightly old-fashioned pattern. His digestion never fails him, and he +eats and drinks with the healthy appetite of a man of thirty. A glass +of champagne is agreeable to him, and if he does not take his glass or +two of port at dinner, he makes it up by two or three glasses of +claret, which he considers an equivalent. Oysters he never could +endure, but, like Schopenhauer and Goethe and many another great man, +he is a consistently hearty and unfastidious eater. He talks much in +an animated monologue, though the common complaint that he monopolizes +the conversation is not a just one. You cannot easily turn Mr. +Gladstone into a train of ideas which does not interest him, but he is +a courteous and even eager listener; and if the subject is of general +interest, he does not bear in it any more than the commanding part +which the rest of the company invariably allows him. His speaking +voice is a little gruffer and less musical than his oratorical notes, +which, in spite of the invading hoarseness, still at times ring out +with their old clearness. As a rule he does not talk on politics. On +ecclesiastical matters he is a never wearied disputant. Poetry has +also a singular charm for him, and no modern topic has interested him +more keenly than the discussion as to Tennyson's successor to the +laureateship. I remember that at a small dinner at which I recently +met him, the conversation ran almost entirely on the two subjects of +old English hymns and young English poets. His favorite religious poet +is, I should say, Cardinal Newman, and his favorite hymn, Toplady's +"Rock of Ages," of which his Latin rendering is to my mind far +stronger and purer than the original English. When he is in town, he +dines out almost every day, though, as I have said, he eschews formal +and mixed gatherings, and affects the small and early dinner party at +which he can meet an old friend or two, and see a young face which he +may be interested in seeing. One habit of his is quite unvarying. He +likes to walk home, and to walk home alone. He declines escort, and +slips away for his quiet stroll under the stars, or even through the +fog and mist on a London winter's night. Midnight usually brings his +busy, happy day to a close. Sleeplessness never has and never does +trouble him, and at eighty-three his nights are as dreamless and +untroubled as those of a boy of ten. + + +IN THE HOUSE. + +His afternoons when in town and during the season are, of course, +given up pretty exclusively to public business and the House of +Commons, which he usually reaches about four o'clock. He goes by a +side door straight to his private room, where he receives his +colleagues, and hears of endless questions and motions, which fall +like leaves in Vallambrosa around the head of a prime minister. +Probably steps will be taken to remove much of this irksome and +somewhat petty burden from the shoulders of the aged minister. But +leader Mr. Gladstone must and will be at eighty-three, quite as fully +as he was at sixty. Indeed, the complaint of him always has been that +he does too much, both for his own health and the smooth manipulation +of the great machine which, as was once remarked, creaks and moves +rather lumberingly under his masterful but over-minute guidance. +During the last two or three years it has been customary for the Whigs +to so arrange that Mr. Gladstone speaks early in the evening. He is +not always able to do this while the Home Rule Bill is under +discussion, but I do not think he will ever again find it necessary to +follow the entire course of a Parliamentary debate. He never needed to +do as much listening from the Treasury Bench as he was wont to do in +his first and second ministries. I do not think that any prime +minister ever spent half as much time in the House of Commons as did +Mr. Gladstone; certainly no one ever made one-tenth part as many +speeches. Indeed, it requires all Mrs. Gladstone's vigilance to avert +the physical strain consequent upon overwork. With this purpose she +invariably watches him in the House of Commons, from a corner seat in +the right hand of the Ladies' Gallery which is always reserved for +her, and which I have never known her to miss occupying on any +occasion of the slightest importance. + + +SPEECH-MAKING. + +I have before me two or three examples of notes of Mr. Gladstone's +speeches; one of them refers to one of the most important of his +addresses on the customs question. It was a long speech, extending, +if I remember rightly, to considerably over an hour. Yet the memoranda +consist purely of four or five sentences of two or three words apiece, +written on a single sheet of note paper, and no hint of the course of +the oration is given. Occasionally, no doubt, especially in the case +of the speech on the introduction of the Home Rule Bill, which was to +my mind the finest Mr. Gladstone has ever delivered, the notes were +rather more extensive than this, but as a rule they are extremely +brief. When Mr. Gladstone addresses a great public meeting, the most +elaborate pains are taken to insure his comfort. He can now only read +the very largest print, and careful and delicate arrangements are made +to provide him with lamps throwing the light on the desk or table near +which he stands. Sir Andrew Clark observes the most jealous +watchfulness over his patient. A curious instance of this occurred at +Newcastle, when Mr. Gladstone was delivering his address to the great +liberal caucus which assembles as the annual meeting of the National +Liberal Federation. Sir Andrew had insisted that the orator should +confine himself to a speech lasting only an hour. Fearing that his +charge would forget all about his promise in the excitement of +speaking, the physician, slipped onto the platform and timed Mr. +Gladstone, watch in hand. The hour passed, but there was no pause in +the torrent of words. Sir Andrew was in despair. At last he pencilled +a note to Mr. Morley, beseeching him to insist upon the speech coming +to an end. But Mr. Morley would not undertake the responsibility of +cutting a great oration, and the result was that Mr. Gladstone stole +another half hour from time and his physician. The next day a friend +of mine went breathlessly up to Sir Andrew, and asked how the +statesman had borne the additional strain. "He did not turn a hair," +was the reply. Practically the only sign of physical failure which is +apparent in recent speeches has been that the voice tends to break and +die away after about an hour's exercise, and for a moment the sound of +the curiously veiled notes and a glance at the marble pallor of the +face gives one the impression that after all Mr. Gladstone is a very, +very old man. But there is never anything like a total breakdown. And +no one is aware of the enormous stores of physical energy on which the +prime minister can draw, who has not sat quite close to him, and +measured the wonderful breadth of his shoulders and heard his voice +coming straight from his chest in great _bouffées_ of sound. Then you +forget all about the heavy wrinkles in the white face, the scanty +silver hair, and the patriarchal look of the figure before you. + +[Illustration: THE GLADSTONE FAMILY.] + + + + +WHERE MAN GOT HIS EARS. + +BY HENRY DRUMMOND, LL.D., F.R.S.E., F.G.S. + +[Illustration: _Sincerely Yours Henry Drummond._] + + +One of the most humorous sights in nature, less common in America than +Europe, is a snail wandering about with a shell on its back. The +progenitors of snails once lived in the sea, and when they evolved +themselves ashore they carried this relic of the water with them,--an +anomaly which, seen to-day, seems as ridiculous as if one were to meet +an Indian in Paris with his canoe on his back. But there are more +animals besides snails that once lived in the water. If embryology is +any guide to the past, nothing is more certain than that the ancient +progenitors of Man once lived an aquatic life. As the traveller, +wandering in foreign lands, brings back all manner of curios to remind +him where he has been--clubs and spears, clothes and pottery, which +represent the ways of life of those whom he has met, so the body of +Man, returning from its long journey through the animal kingdom, +emerges laden with the spoils of its watery pilgrimage. These relics +are not mere curiosities; they are as real as the clubs and spears, +the clothes and pottery. Like them, they were once a part of life's +vicissitude; they represent organs which have been outgrown; old forms +of apparatus long since exchanged for better, yet somehow not yet +destroyed by the hand of time. The physical body of Man, so great is +the number of these relics, is an old curiosity-shop, a museum of +obsolete anatomies, discarded tools, outgrown and aborted organs. All +other animals also contain among their useful organs a proportion +which are long past their work; and so significant are these rudiments +of a former state of things, that anatomists have often expressed +their willingness to stake the theory of Evolution upon their presence +alone. + +Prominent among these vestigial structures, as they are called, are +those which smack of the sea. At one time there was nothing else in +the world but water-life; all the land animals are late inventions. +One reason why animals began in the water is that it is easier to live +in the water--anatomically and physiologically cheaper--than to live +on the land. The denser element supports the body better, demanding a +less supply of muscle and bone; and the perpetual motion of the sea +brings the food to the animal, making it unnecessary for the animal to +move to the food. This and other correlated circumstances call for far +less mechanism in the body, and, as a matter of fact, all the simplest +forms of life at the present day are inhabitants of the water. + +[Illustration: "BALANOGLOSSUS" (AFTER AGASSIZ), AND LARGE SEA LAMPREY +(AFTER CUVIER AND HAECKEL), SHOWING GILL-SLITS.--FROM "DARWIN AND AFTER +DARWIN" BY ROMANES.] + +A successful attempt at coming ashore may be seen in the common worm. +The worm is still so unacclimatized to land life that instead of +living on the earth like other creatures, it lives _in_ it, as if it +were a thicker water, and always where there is enough moisture to +keep up the traditions of its past. Probably it took to the shore +originally by exchanging, first the water for the ooze at the bottom, +then by wriggling among muddy flats when the tide was out, and +finally, as the struggle for life grew keen, it pushed further and +further inland, continuing its migration so long as dampness was to be +found. Its cousin the snail, again, goes even further, for it not only +carries its shell ashore but when it cannot get moisture, actually +manufactures it. + +[Illustration: EMBRYOS SHOWING GILL-SLITS.--FROM HAECKEL's "EVOLUTION OF +MAN." + +A. FISH. B. CHICK. C. CALF. D. MAN.] + +When Man left the water, however,--or what was to develop into Man--he +took very much more ashore with him than a shell. Instead of crawling +ashore at the worm stage, he remained in the water until he evolved +into something like a fish; so that when, after an amphibian +interlude, he finally left it, many "ancient and fish-like" +characters remained in his body to tell the tale. Now, it is among +these piscine characteristics that we find the clue to where Man got +his ears. The chief characteristic of a fish is its apparatus for +breathing the air dissolved in the water. This consists of gills +supported on strong arches, the branchial arches, which in the +Elasmobranch fishes are from five to seven in number and uncovered +with any operculum, or lid. Communicating with these arches, in order +to allow the water which has been taken in at the mouth to pass out at +the gills, an equal number of slits or openings are provided in the +neck. Without these holes in their neck all fishes would instantly +perish, and we may be sure Nature took exceptional care in perfecting +this particular piece of the mechanism. Now it is one of the most +extraordinary facts in natural history that these slits in the fish's +neck are still represented in the neck of Man. Almost the most +prominent feature, indeed, after the head, in every mammalian embryo, +are the four clefts or furrows of the old gill-slits.[1] They are +still known in embryology by no other name--gill-slits--and so +persistent are these characters that children have been known to be +born with them not only externally visible--which is a common +occurrence--but open, through and through, so that fluids taken in at +the mouth could pass through them and trickle out at the neck. This +fact was so astounding as to be for a long time denied. It was thought +that when this happened, the orifice must have been accidentally made +by the probe of the surgeon. But Dr. Sutton has recently met with +actual cases where this has occurred. "I have seen milk," he says, +"issue from such fistulæ in individuals who have never been submitted +to sounding."[2] + + [1] N. B.--They appear as "clefts," marking not the adult fish, but + the embryo at the corresponding stage. + + [2] "Evolution and Disease," p. 81. + +In the common case of children born with these vestiges, the old +gill-slits are represented by small openings in the skin on the sides +of the neck and capable of admitting a thin probe. Sometimes the place +where they have been in childhood is marked throughout life by small +round patches of white skin. These relics of the sea, these +apparitions of the Fish, these sudden resurrections, are betrayals of +man's pedigree. Men wonder at mummy-wheat germinating after a thousand +years of dormancy. But here are ancient features bursting into life +after unknown ages, and challenging modern science for a verdict on +their affinities. + +When the fish came ashore, its water-breathing apparatus was no longer +of any use to it. At first it had to keep it on, for it took a long +time to perfect the air-breathing apparatus which was to replace it. +But when this was ready the problem was, what to do with the earlier +organ? Nature is exceedingly economical, and could not throw all this +mechanism away. In fact Nature almost never parts with any structure +she has once made. What she does is to change it into something else. +Conversely, Nature seldom makes anything new; her method of creation +is to adapt something old. Now when Nature started out to manufacture +ears, she made them out of the old breathing apparatus. She saw that +if water could pass through a hole in the neck, sound could pass +likewise, and she set to work upon the highest up of the five +gill-slits and slowly elaborated it into a hearing organ. + +[Illustration: ADULT SHARK (AFTER CUVIER AND HAECKEL).--FROM "DARWIN AND +AFTER DARWIN."] + +There never had been an external ear in the world till this was done, +or any good ear at all. Creatures which live in water do not seem to +use hearing much, and the sound-waves in fishes are simply conveyed +through the walls of the head to the internal ear without any definite +mechanism. But as soon as land-life began, owing to the changed medium +through which sound-waves must now be propagated, a more delicate +instrument was required. And hence one of the first things attended to +was the construction and improvement of the ear. + +[Illustration: MARBLE HEAD OF SATYR, IN MUNICH, SHOWING CERVICAL +AURICLES.] + +It has long been a growing certainty to Comparative Anatomy that the +external and middle ear in Man are simply a development, an improved +edition, of the first gill-cleft and its surrounding parts. The +tympano-Eustachian passage is the homologue or counterpart of the +spiracle, associated in the shark with the first gill-opening. +Professor His of Leipsic has worked out the whole development in +minute detail, and conclusively demonstrated the mode of origin of the +external ear from the coalescence of six rounded tubercles surrounding +the first branchial cleft at an early period of embryonic life. +Haeckel's account of the process is as follows: "All the essential +parts of the middle ear--the tympanic membrane, tympanic cavity, and +Eustachian tube--develop from the first gill-opening with its +surrounding parts, which in the Primitive Fishes (_Selachii_) remains +throughout life as an open blowhole, situated between the first and +second gill-arches. In the embryos of higher Vertebrates it closes in +the centre, the point of concrescence forming the tympanic membrane. +The remaining outer part of the first gill-opening is the rudiment of +the outer ear-canal. From the inner part originates the tympanic +cavity, and further inward, the Eustachian tube. In connection with +these, the three bonelets of the ear develop from the first two +gill-arches; the hammer and anvil from the first, and the stirrup from +the upper end of the second gill-arch. Finally as regards the external +ear, the ear-shell (_concha auris_), and the outer ear-canal, leading +from the shell to the tympanic membrane--these parts develop in the +simplest way from the skin-covering which borders the outer orifice of +the first gill-opening. At this point the ear-shell rises in the form +of a circular fold of skin, in which cartilage and muscles afterwards +form."[3] + + [3] HAECKEL: "Evolution of Man," vol. ii, p. 269. + +[Illustration: HEAD OF SATYR IN GROUP OF MARSYAS AND APOLLO, NAPLES +MUSEUM, SHOWING CERVICAL AURICLES.] + +Now bearing in mind this account of the origin of ears, an +extraordinary circumstance confronts us. Ears are actually sometimes +found bursting out _in human beings_ half way down the neck, in the +exact position--namely along the line of the anterior border of the +sterno-mastoid muscle--which the gill-slits would occupy if they still +persisted. In some human families where the tendency to retain these +special structures is strong, one member sometimes illustrates the +abnormality by possessing the clefts alone, another has a cervical +ear, while a third has both a cleft and an ear,--all these of course +in addition to the ordinary ears. This cervical auricle has all the +characters of the ordinary ear, "it contains yellow elastic cartilage, +is skin-covered, and has muscle-fibre attached to it."[4] + + [4] SUTTON: "Evolution and Disease." + +[Illustration: FAUN FROM THE CAPITOLINE MUSEUM, SHOWING CERVICAL +AURICLES.] + +Dr. Sutton further calls attention to the fact that on ancient statues +of fauns and satyrs cervical auricles are sometimes found, and he +figures the head of a satyr from the British Museum, carved long +before the days of anatomy, where a sessile ear on the neck is most +distinct. A still better illustration may be seen in the Art Museum at +Boston on a full-sized cast of a faun belonging to the later Greek +period; and there are other examples in the same building. One +interest of these neck-ears in statues is that they are not as a rule +modelled after the human ear but taken from the cervical ear of the +goat, from which the general idea of the faun was derived. This shows +that neck-ears were common on the goats of that period--as they are on +goats to this day--but the sculptor would hardly have had the daring +to introduce this feature in the human subject unless he had been +aware that pathological facts encouraged him. The occurrence of these +ears in goats is no more than one would expect. Indeed one would look +for them not only in Man, but in all the Mammalia, for so far as their +bodies are concerned all the higher animals are near relations. +Observations on vestigial structures in animals are sadly wanting; but +they are certainly found in the horse, pig, sheep, and others. + +[Illustration: FORM OF THE EAR IN BABY OUTANG.--FROM "DARWIN AND AFTER +DARWIN"] + +That the human ear was not always the squat and degenerate instrument +it is at present may be seen by a critical glance at its structure. +Mr. Darwin records how a celebrated sculptor called his attention to a +little peculiarity in the external ear, which he had often noticed +both in men and women. "The peculiarity consists in a little blunt +point, projecting from the inwardly folded margin or helix. When +present, it is developed at birth, and according to Professor Ludwig +Meyer, more frequently in man than in woman. The helix obviously +consists of the extreme margin of the ear folded inwards; and the +folding appears to be in some manner connected with the whole external +ear being permanently pressed backwards. In many monkeys who do not +stand high in the order, as baboons and some species of macacus, the +upper portion of the ear is slightly pointed, and the margin is not at +all folded inwards; but if the margin were to be thus folded, a slight +point would necessarily project towards the centre."[5] + + [5] "Descent of Man," p. 15. + +Here then, in this discovery of the lost tip of the ancestral ear, is +further and visible advertisement of man's Descent, a surviving symbol +of the stirring times and dangerous days of his animal youth. It is +difficult to imagine any other theory than that of Descent which could +account for all these facts. That evolution should leave such clues +lying about is at least an instance of its candor. + +[Illustration: HORNED SHEEP AND GOAT WITH CERVICAL AURICLES.--FROM +"EVOLUTION AND DISEASE," J. BLAND-SUTTON.] + +But this does not exhaust the betrayals of this most confiding organ. +If we turn from the outward ear to the muscular apparatus for working +it, fresh traces of its animal career are brought to light. The +erection of the ear, in order to catch sound better, is a power +possessed by almost all mammals, and the attached muscles are large +and greatly developed in all but domesticated forms. This same +apparatus, though he makes no use of it whatever, is still attached to +the ears of Man. It is so long since he relied on the warnings of +hearing, that by a well-known law the muscles have fallen into disuse +and atrophied. In many cases, however, the power of twitching the ear +is not wholly lost, and every school-boy can point to some one in his +class who retains the capacity and is apt to revive it in irrelevant +circumstances. + +One might run over all the other organs of the human body and show +their affinities with animal structures and an animal past. The +twitching of the ear, for instance, suggests another obsolete or +obsolescent power--the power, or rather the set of powers, for +twitching the skin, especially the skin of the scalp and forehead +by which we raise the eyebrows. Sub-cutaneous muscles for shaking +off flies from the skin, or for erecting the hair of the scalp, +are common among quadrupeds, and these are represented in the human +subject by the still functioning muscles of the forehead, and +occasionally of the head itself. Everyone has met persons who possess +the power of moving the whole scalp to and fro, and the muscular +apparatus for effecting it is identical with what is normally +found in some of the Quadrumana. + +Another typical vestigial structure is the _plica semi-lunaris_, the +remnant of the nictitating membrane characteristic of nearly the whole +vertebrate sub-kingdom. This membrane is a semi-transparent curtain +which can be drawn rapidly across the external surface of the eye for +the purpose of sweeping it clean. In birds it is extremely common, but +it also exists in fish, mammals, and all the other vertebrates. Where +it is not found of any functional value it is almost always +represented by vestiges of some kind. In Man all that is left of it is +a little piece of the curtain draped at the side of the eye. + +When one passes from the head to the other extremity of the human +body one comes upon a somewhat unexpected but very pronounced +characteristic--the relic of the tail, and not only of the tail, but +of muscles for wagging it. Everyone who first sees a human skeleton +is amazed at this discovery. At the end of the vertebral column, +curling faintly outward in suggestive fashion, are three, four, and +occasionally five vertebræ forming the coccyx, a true rudimentary +tail. In the adult this is always concealed beneath the skin, but +in the embryo, both in man and ape, at an early stage it is much +longer than the limbs. What is decisive as to its true nature, +however, is that even in the embryo of man the muscles for wagging +it are still found. In the grown-up human being these muscles are +represented by bands of fibrous tissue, but cases are known where +the actual muscles persist through life. That a distinct external +tail should not be still found in Man may seem disappointing to the +evolutionist. But the want of a tail argues more for the theory of +Evolution than its presence would have done. It would have been +contrary to the Theory of Descent had he possessed a longer tail. For +all the anthropoids most allied to Man have long since also parted +with theirs. + +It was formerly held that the entire animal creation had contributed +something to the anatomy of Man, that as Serres expressed it "Human +Organogenesis is a condensed Comparative Anatomy." But though Man has +not such a monopoly of the past as is here inferred--other types +having here and there emerged and developed along lines of their +own--it is certain that the materials for his body have been brought +together from an unknown multitude of lowlier forms of life. + +[Illustration: EAR OF BARBARY APE, CHIMPANZEE, AND MAN, SHOWING VESTIGIAL +CHARACTERS OF THE HUMAN EAR.--FROM "DARWIN AND AFTER DARWIN."] + +Those who know the Cathedral of St. Mark's will remember how this +noblest of the Stones of Venice owes its greatness to the patient +hands of centuries and centuries of workers, how every quarter of the +globe has been spoiled of its treasures to dignify this single shrine. +But he who ponders over the more ancient temple of the human body will +find imagination fail him as he tries to think from what remote and +mingled sources, from what lands, seas, climates, atmospheres, its +various parts have been called together, and by what innumerable +contributory creatures, swimming, creeping, flying, climbing, each of +its several members was wrought and perfected. What ancient chisel +first sculptured the rounded columns of the limbs? What dead hands +built the cupola of the brain, and from what older ruins were the +scattered pieces of its mosaic-work brought? Who fixed the windows in +its upper walls? What forgotten looms wove its tapestries and +draperies? What winds and weathers wrought the strength into its +buttresses? What ocean-beds and forest glades worked up the colors? +What Love and Terror and Night called forth the Music? And what Life +and Death and Pain and Struggle put all together in the noiseless +workshop of the past and removed each worker silently when its task +was done? How these things came to be Biology is one long record. The +architects and builders of this mighty temple are not anonymous. Their +names, and the work they did, are graven forever on the walls and +arches of the Human Embryo. For this is a volume of that Book in which +Man's members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when +as yet there was none of them. + + + + +JAMES PARTON'S RULES OF BIOGRAPHY. + +PREFATORY NOTE. + + +The following letters were written in 1888 and 1889, by James Parton +to the Honorable Alfred R. Conkling of New York City. In December, +1888, Mr. Conkling wrote to Mr. Parton, making him a formal offer to +assist in the preparation of the "Life and Letters of Roscoe +Conkling." Mr. Parton generously declined to accept payment, but took +a great interest in the work, and during the following year +corresponded frequently with Mr. Conkling, advising upon specific +points and setting forth the general principles of the art of +biography. + +We are indebted to Mr. Conkling for permission to print these letters, +which are full of wise suggestion to the literary "recruit," and of +genuine human interest to all lovers of good reading. They give us +glimpses of Mr. Parton, not only as a conscientious writer of +biography who had acquired a rare mastery of his art, but also as a +man of aggressive interest in public affairs, of broad mind, and a +singularly wholesome nature. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _Dec. 8, 1888_. + +DEAR SIR: I am glad to learn from yours of yesterday that we are to +have a biography of so interesting and marked a character as the +lamented Roscoe Conkling, and I should esteem it a privilege to render +any assistance toward it in my power. + +[Illustration: JAMES PARTON IN 1852, AT THIRTY YEARS OF AGE.] + +The great charm of all biography is the truth, told simply, directly, +boldly, charitably. + +But this is also the great difficulty. A human life is long. A human +character is complicated. It is often inconsistent with itself, and it +requires nice judgment to proportion it in such a way as to make the +book really correspond with the man, and make the same impression upon +the reader that the man did upon those who knew him best. + +_Your_ difficulty will be to present fairly his less favorable side; +but upon this depends all the value, and much of the interest of the +work. + +My great rules are: + +1, To know the subject thoroughly myself; 2, to index fully all the +knowledge in existence relating to it; 3, to determine beforehand +where I will be brief, where expand, and how much space I can afford +to each part; 4, to work slowly and finish as I go; 5, to avoid eulogy +and apology and let the facts have their natural weight; 6, to hold +back nothing which the reader has a right to know. + +I have generally had the great advantage of loving my subjects warmly, +and I do not believe we can do justice to any human creature unless we +love him. A true love enlightens, but not blinds, as we often see in +the case of mothers who love their children better, and also know +them better, than anybody else ever does. + +With regard to New York, I am always going there, but never go; +still, I may have to go soon, and I will go anyway if I can do +anything important or valuable in the way you suggest--but not +"professionally," except as an old soldier helps a recruit. + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _Dec. 24, 1888_. + +DEAR SIR: I have examined with much interest and pleasure your work +upon Mexico, with a title so extravagantly modest as almost to efface +the author. Let us accept our fate. It is our destiny to live in an +age when all human distinctions are abolished, or about to be +abolished, except the advertiser and his victim. Your work appears to +me to be quite a model, and I wish I were going to be a tourist in +Mexico that I might have the advantage of using it. + +One word more with regard to your biography. In the case of a person +like Mr. Conkling, whose vocation it was to express himself in words, +and whose utterances were often most brilliant and powerful, I think +you should make great and free use of his letters and speeches. Is not +a volume of five hundred pages too small? Could you not make a work in +two volumes, and get Mark Twain to sell it by subscription? + +Another: I hope you feel the peculiar character and importance of that +part of New York of which Utica is the central point. It does not +figure much in books, but there are many strong and remarkable +families there. I should like to see it elucidated. The first +questions to be asked of a man are: Where, and of whom, was he born? + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + +P. S.--For example: If you know fully what a _Corsican_ is, you have +the key to the understanding of Bonaparte. He was a Corsican above all +things else, and not in the least a Frenchman. + +So of Andrew Jackson: He was a Scotch-Irishman. Alexander Hamilton: a +Scotch-Frenchman. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _March 26, 1889_. + +MY DEAR SIR: You can give a sufficiently "complete account" of an +event without giving a long one. Now, the duel between two such +persons as Burr and Hamilton _may_ be long, because it can also be +interesting. Readers are interested in the men, in the time, in the +scene, and the whole affair is surcharged with human interest. In that +Elmira trial, the chief interest will centre in your uncle's tact and +success. I should give enough of the trial to enable the reader to see +and appreciate his part in the affair. My impression is: Do not expend +many pages upon it, but pack the pages full of matter. You want all +your room for other scenes in which he displayed his great power in a +striking way. + +Many qualities are desirable in a book, only one is necessary--to be +interesting enough to be read. The art is, to be short where the +interest is small, and long where the interest is great. + +Your uncle's speeches do not need much "comment." Most speeches +contain one passage which includes the whole. + +I fear I shall not be able to visit New York this spring. + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _April 3, 1889_. + +MY DEAR SIR: As often as possible I would insert the bright things +where they belong, as they seem to enliven the narrative. If you have +an inconvenient surplus, or a number of things undated, you might make +a chapter of them, or reserve them for the final chapter. It is a good +_rule_, though only a _rule_, not to have breaks in the continuity, +like the "Bagman's Story" in "Pickwick." Readers are apt to skip them, +however good they may be in themselves. You have doubtless often done +so. A good thing is twice good when it comes in just where it ought. +The modern reader is very shy, and easily breaks away from you, if you +only give him a pretext. + +I merely send my impressions. You alone can really judge. + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _April 17, 1889_. + +MY DEAR SIR: The description of your uncle's oratory will be so sure +to interest the reader, that it may come in almost anywhere, but best, +perhaps, where you mention his first notable speech. Remember, too, +that the author has, in his last chapter, not only a chance to "sum +up," but also an opportunity to slip in anything he may have omitted. +An interesting thing it is always to know how a strong man grew old, +what changes occurred in his manner, methods and character. + +By all means, use the personal pronoun sparingly, and allude +unfrequently to your relationship. It is not necessary wholly to avoid +either. Deal with the reader honestly and openly. There may come +moments when calling him "my uncle" would be fair, and in the best +taste--but not often. + +The ladies have the privilege of skipping. Make your late chapter +about the law practice in New York very full and clear. It will very +greatly interest everybody who will be likely to read the book. It is +the intrinsic worth of a book that is to be considered before all +things else. + +I fear you are making the book too short. Mind: It _cannot_ be what is +called "popular." It _must_ appeal to the few. Ought it not to be two +volumes at five dollars? + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + + * * * * * + +Think of Blaine's book and its sale by subscription. + +The difference between one volume published in the ordinary way, and +two volumes by subscription, _may_ be the difference between a profit +of two thousand dollars and one of two hundred thousand dollars. + +Blaine's book, sold over the counter, might have gone to the length of +five thousand copies. Sold by subscription, it made him rich. + +On this point, however, Mr. Appleton's opinion is worth ten of mine. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _April 26, 1889_. + +MY DEAR SIR: The pamphlet has only just arrived. + +So far as the comments are necessary to elucidate the text, and +to explain why and how the text came to be uttered, they are +justified--no farther. Your uncle was such a master of expression +that almost anything placed in juxtaposition must suffer from the +contrast. + +Let _him_ have the whole floor, I say, and just give the indispensable +explanations. It would be impossible to enhance the effect of his +characteristic passages. They need, like diamonds, a quiet setting. + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _June 4, 1889_. + +MY DEAR SIR: I return your paper of questions. Give plenty of the +"light matter" to which you refer, and I hope you will extract many +passages that show your uncle's horror of corruption. The pamphlets +you were so good as to send me are valuable and interesting. I do not +wonder at his great success before a jury. He was an awful man to have +on the other side. Is there any one who could describe for you some of +the noted scenes in which your uncle figured, but which you did not +witness yourself? There may be available interviews in the newspapers. +I remember hearing Thomas Nast talk about him very enthusiastically +after returning from a visit to him in Washington. You could make a +nice chapter about the Senate--its ways and occupations, traditions +and tone--viewed merely as a club of gentlemen. + +I am glad that Mark Twain is going to publish the book. Give all the +pictures you dare. + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _Aug. 5, 1889_. + +DEAR SIR: Would not those "undated anecdotes" come in well to +illustrate and brighten your summing-up chapter? If not, then the plan +you suggest might answer very well. + +I am glad to hear that you are so near to the end of your labors, and +that the work is to be published by the ever victorious firm of Mark +Twain. If I have been able to render you the smallest service I am +glad, and you are heartily welcome. + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + + * * * * * + +NEWBURYPORT, MASS., _Dec. 28, 1889_. + +DEAR SIR: Your solid volume reached me several days ago, and some time +after, your letter of Dec. 20. I have now read the work pretty +carefully, and shall no doubt often return to it. Considering the +restraints you were under, as nephew and as Republican, you have +executed your task well and given to the world the most pathetic of +the tragedies resulting from the system of spoils. Never again, until +that blighting curse of free institutions is destroyed, will a man of +Roscoe Conkling's genius, pride and purity remain long in the public +service, if ever he enters it. He was the last of the Romans. My great +regret is that he did not consecrate his whole existence to the reform +of the civil service. I have such an acute sense of the shame, the +cruelty and the childish folly of the present system that I sometimes +feel as if we ought to stop all our other work and enter upon a +universal crusade against it. + +You must not expect the public to remain satisfied with the omissions +and suppressions of your book. Sooner or later, somebody will supply +them, and you might just as well have told the whole story. + +I am glad to hear of the success of the book with the public. + +Very truly yours, + +JAMES PARTON. + +[Illustration: JAMES PARTON IN 1891.] + + + + +EUROPE AT THE PRESENT MOMENT. + +BY MR. DE BLOWITZ, PARIS CORRESPONDENT OF THE "LONDON TIMES." + + +PARIS, _April 20, 1893_. + +Let me say, at the very start, that it is imperative not to forget +the date which heads this article. This date has a significance of +the highest importance, for it marks the opening of a new era. +The political situation of Europe is to-day widely different from +what it was only yesterday. Yesterday the entire world turned an +eye feverishly intent towards Belgium, upon the spectacle there of +the decisive struggle between an established government and an +unestablished proletariat. There was to be seen in Belgium the +constitutional authority of an entire realm, backed by the force of +arms, opposed by a militant labor democracy. On the one side, +law, authority, armed force; on the other, lack of authority, of +capital, and of arms; in a word, vague nothingness struggling +against omnipotence. Yet it is the former that has won the day. +Omnipotence has belied its name, and has been driven to the wall; +the defeat has been crushing. But more than this, it has been +significant. I repeat, it marks the opening of a new era. + +For the world-wide association of laborers now comprehends that it +holds the Old World in its hands. It has discovered the invincible +power of the strike, in obedience to the watchword emanating from its +irresponsible leaders. Here is a force which is negative, perhaps, but +one against which nothing henceforth can prevail. Lo, a silent word of +command, and the towers of Jericho fall! Before a general strike of +this sort the Old World is to-day powerless, like the child at the +breast to whom the mother refuses to give suck. + +This is a fact so big with suggestion, so sudden, so almost +terrifying, that it changes all our former points of view. I could +not have written yesterday what I can write to-day; for when I saw +unexpectedly breaking out "the troubles in Belgium," I could not but +postpone till all was over the writing of the article for which I had +been asked. No one has as yet fairly grappled with the meaning of the +new social pact prepared in mystery, a pact of which the dark +elaboration had been only suspected, but which has just become so +startlingly revealed. The idea of the strike as applied to political +problems upsets all preconceived notions. What has hitherto been +regarded as the only real force is now as if paralyzed; instead, +sheer, silent will-power remains the only sovereign. In such +circumstances who would venture to draw the horoscope of the Europe of +to-morrow? + +For consider the situation. Recognized constitutional government +has actually thought itself fortunate in treating with "strikers," +and in attempting to conceal the reality of its defeat behind the +vain show of an arrangement, the actual significance of which +deceives nobody. The face of Europe has changed in an instant. The Old +World is conquered. Socialism bestirs itself, and begins its +conquering march. The dangerous problems, hitherto so vague, become +instantly pressing. Yet no one is ready with a solution, and few care +even to discuss these problems. Even the leaders of the hostile +army, the strike generals, do not, can not, measure all the +consequences of their orders. Drunk with their new power they +forget for the moment its unseen bearings. When first, more used to +the sensation of omnipotence, they look about them to see what +their action may have precipitated, they will draw back in horror. + +The phrase, "the present situation of Europe," therefore, can have +reference now only to a very indefinite and a future thing. The +present is big with uncertainties for the morrow, and the prospect +would be really distressing, if the established wielders of power did +not realize--what now is inevitable--the imperative necessity of +coming to some understanding with this fresh force; the hopelessness, +henceforward, of playing with theories of repression, and the duty of +negotiating with this great amorphous army, which, once it is on the +march, may drink dry the cisterns at which human society is accustomed +to assuage its thirst. And it is in the light of these events in +Belgium, that I do not hesitate to say, that Europe for a long time +still will not be menaced by war. The social problem is now too +pressing. It requires the entire attention. Woe to the blind! The hour +of rest is past; a new world awakes. It knows its strength. It has +everything to gain, nothing to lose. Follow it with anxious eye, ye +who sleep now in possession, for if ye sleep too long, ye will awake +in chains! + +But apart from this event, which is the prelude of a social struggle +to be of long duration, yet absolutely inevitable, it is possible at +this moment, when the European world is preparing to turn westward +beyond the Atlantic, there to entrust to the proud loyalty of the +United States immense and untold treasures, to predict for this +continent a prolonged peace--a peace, however, which is as the +uncertain tranquillity of an old man heavily dozing on a bed where +there is no real rest. It is alone one of those incidents, impossible +to anticipate, which seize whole nations as with madness, driving them +to arms and carnage, and leaving them at the end of the disillusion of +the struggle stupefied with their victory, or terrified in their +defeat, that can break the uncertain spell of this restless sleep. But +incidents such as these, which bring to naught all human calculation, +can, indeed must, be left out of account, when considering the +character of a given moment, and the prospects of peace or war. + +Europe, just now, is divided up rather arbitrarily, but none the less +really. This is partly due to a premeditated combination, partly to +chance, partly also to the bungling or ignorance of rulers. The Triple +Alliance, due to the decisive action of Prince Bismarck, is the only +truly scientific conception of the sort, the only one possessing a +stable and seriously laid foundation. It includes Austria, which +relies on Germany to shield it from Russia, as its directly menacing +foe, or to bar against Russia the route to Constantinople whenever +Russia shall appear fatally dangerous to the existence of the combined +empire of Austria-Hungary. It includes Germany, which, as careful +organizer of the Alliance, is thus protected against any possible +simultaneous action of France and Russia. It includes Italy, which, +otherwise weak in the presence of the disdainful hostility of France, +is thus assured a certain security and repose. Aside from this great +Triple Alliance, the European states have no real collective +organization; there are only affinities badly defined, private +interests, or uncertain situations from which they do not venture to +think of extricating themselves. What is called the Franco-Russian +understanding is limited at the moment to an exchange of notes which +might serve as the basis of a military convention; to demonstrations +at once noisy and platonic, in which France is playing a sort of +Potiphar role; and to the chance eventuality of Russia's one day +finding herself engaged in some formidable struggle when she could +count on the irresistible and unthinking enthusiasm of France, who +would place blood and treasure at her disposal. + +When has human history ever afforded such a spectacle? + +No real alliance exists between Russia and France, but no French +government could resist popular pressure, were the question to come up +of helping Russia in the case of a war direct or indirect against +Germany. Yet at a single gesture of the autocratic czar, Russia would +shoulder arms and fight in whatever deadly combat France found itself +involved. The Emperor of Russia is to-day, perhaps, the most +formidable monarch who has ever existed. He has at his unchecked beck +and call the vastest empire in Europe, but an empire without gold, +sunlight, or liberty. Stop! It is a force, blind and brutal, and +capable of a frightful impact; a force which the finger of a single +man can set in motion, and which may be made to fall crushingly at the +exact point designated by the imperious and imperial gesture. To this +force which does not reason, the czar can, with a gleam of his sword, +rally the power of France. France, the country of sunlight and +liberty, where gold flows in rivulets, where every citizen thinks and +wills, and where every soldier would fight to the death, conscious +that it is only with Russia, in common struggle against common +enemies, that a great conflict may be undertaken. The spectacle of +such power, dormant in one human brain, is almost overwhelming; and +the psychologist who portends that every man disposing of autocratic +power, whether czar, sultan or pope, must inevitably go mad, utters a +thought perhaps not so paradoxical after all. + +However, this autocrat so formidably armed is well known to be +absolutely pacific. He turns a constantly listening ear to the +counsels of an experienced queen, herself full of the spirit of peace, +the Queen of Denmark. This queen loves Germany; she adores the young +emperor whom she calls "an angel." She has already smoothed down many +rough places. It was she who brought about the Kiel interview and the +visit of the czarevitch to Berlin. She has strengthened the idea of +peace in the brain of this emperor, whence, instead, war might spring +full-armed; war _fin de siècle_; the new, mysterious, unprecedented +form of it; the war of infinitely multiplied murder, covering the Old +World with corpses of the slain. The special factor of armed explosion +most to be dreaded in Europe is thus held in check by an all-powerful +hand gently directed. It is nothing less than the work of God that has +made him who holds the chief of the arsenals of power, pacific, and +thus reassuring to the world. + +Turn your vision from this tacit though vague understanding between +France and Russia, and look beyond the regularly organized Triple +Alliance; the eye falls on three great isolated powers, directed by +various motives, and the action of which, determined upon only at the +last moment, is constantly in the thought of the other ruling nations. +Of these three the first is England. No minister of foreign affairs in +any country would ever think of committing towards the English nation +the crime of supposing its policy subservient to that of any other +nation. The dream or the fear of a quadruple alliance has haunted only +the crudest brains. England remains free in its movements, and it will +preserve this liberty to the last. This is, moreover, for the +happiness of all; for, except in those accesses of madness, a sort of +factor of which, as I said, no account can be taken, no power will +think of taking up a struggle in which the intervention of England, on +one side or the other, can determine the issue. + +The second great power which remains free of all entanglement is that +which dominates the Bosphorus. A strange power, indeed! It has no +friends. There it remains alone on this European soil, of which it +occupies certain extreme points, like a bit of abandoned booty +tempting the cupidity of the Christian world. The whole of Europe +looks thither with dull hate, and each power would willingly bear away +a bit of the trappings and the hangings that render soft and +resplendent the gilded cage where lies the sick lion of Yildiz Kiosk. +If ever the war which appears to me so distant breaks out, Abdul +Hamid, or his successor, will have his hands free; and at the supreme +moment when the conqueror, whomsoever he may be, cannot reject them, +will impose his conditions. If the then sultan neglects to seize the +event, it is not at all sure that the crescent will cease to mark its +silhouette on the firmament of Europe; but at all events, until then +European peace is the surest safeguard of the Ottoman Empire, and this +Abdul Hamid well knows. + +The third of the great isolated powers of which I speak is personified +to-day by the grand old man whom an heroic pertinacity, henceforward +to be traditional, keeps a prisoner at the Vatican. No one can have +any idea of the life and movement which reigns in this voluntary +prison which lies over against the Quirinal. Thither flow innumerable +missives from every corner of the world, and could I only tell some of +them, it would be seen how long still is the arm extending from the +shadow of St. Peter's; how dreadful still are the lips that speak in +the shade of the Vatican. I should show the Holy Father and his +cardinals writing to the Emperor of Austria, directing him by counsel +and advice, and sometimes almost by their orders. I should show Prince +Bismarck continuing, since his fall, to hold before the eyes of the +pope, glimpses of the more or less partial restoration of the temporal +power. I should show Leo XIII. now trying to unite, now to alienate, +France and Russia, according as at the moment this or that policy +seems to him most propitious for his own cause or the cause of peace; +and I should show, at the same time, the Vatican divided within +itself, and Cardinal Vauncelli working, in secret letters addressed to +powerful sovereigns, against the policy of Cardinal Rampolla, and +acting on the mind of Leo XIII. to detach him from his secretary of +state, and wean him from the democratic policy on which he is now +launched. I should show, also, all the leading politicians of France, +whether in power or out, soliciting the support, the protection, the +favor of Leo XIII., and the latter working with astounding insight for +the fusion, more and more complete, of the liberal monarchical party +with the Republic. I should show again how, owing to mysterious +action, instability has become the normal state of France; and how the +action of Russia, driven by the double current from the north and the +south, not only has been not a source of strength for M. Ribot, but +even forced him to his fall. Not only did the czar refuse to send the +Russian fleet to France, and to let the czarevitch pass through Paris +under pretext of going from Berlin to London, but he has just of late +imposed on the French prime minister exigencies of such a nature that +the latter has preferred to lay down the power rather than to submit. +When M. Ribot, minister of foreign affairs, committed the political +stupidity of carrying to the tribune the name of Baron Mohrenheim in +connection with the Panama scandal, the Emperor of Russia showed that +he was much irritated and wounded. M. Develle, minister of foreign +affairs, hurried to the baron with excuses. But the czar declared +these excuses unsatisfactory. M. Ribot then went himself to see the +ambassador and give him certain explanations and excuses. Still the +czar was not satisfied. He demanded a letter written by the prime +minister and addressed to the Russian minister of foreign affairs, M. +de Giers, who was then stopping at the gates of France. M. Ribot could +not accept this demand. He had already endured the insult of M. +Stambouloff during the affair of the Chadourne expulsion. He did not +wish to leave behind him a letter of excuse addressed to M. de Giers. +He preferred to fall, and he fell. + +This is a fair instance of the hidden forces which sweep through the +side-scenes of international European politics. In the preceding rapid +summary of the present state of politics in the Old World, the +conclusion must come irrefutably, and that is the ground of these +remarks, that no war is in sight, nor will be for yet a long time. The +Triple Alliance wishes, and necessarily wishes, peace. The young +German emperor, from whom people have affected to anticipate some mad +and irresponsible conduct, has no doubt uttered some imprudent words, +but he has never committed any dangerous action. Really, his mouth +seems a sort of safety-valve for the boiling steam within. So far he +is satisfied with the conquests already secured. He is trying to bring +back to him the Emperor of Russia. The meeting which he is now having +with the pope is intended to bring about a formal _rapprochement_ +between the Quirinal and Vatican. Leo XIII., in turning his face +towards the democracy, disquiets all thrones; but he disquiets +especially the throne of Italy, since he is showing the Italians that +the Papacy is not only not an enemy of republics, but that it might be +the protector of future republics in Italy, if the Italian fatherland, +dreaming of the former brilliant prosperity, tried to found a +democratic federation, with the pope as the centre and beneficent +father. But at the same time Leo XIII. will whisper peace in the ear +of William II. The young emperor wishes for a long era of peace. The +new military law, with its far-reaching bearings, proves this. Even +to-day he would never think of undertaking a war which left Prince +Bismarck out of account, and he will never undertake a war which might +cause his return. + +So, too, the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary; he too is inclined +to peace. He cannot risk a war. The bonds which link the different +portions of the empire are too fragile to be exposed to the rude +strain of armed strife. Italy, perhaps, by a fortunate war might be a +gainer; but it is not strong enough to provoke one, or even to carry +one on. It would regard the Papacy at the Vatican as too great a +danger at its back; and, with little hope of conquering anything +without its borders, it might legitimately fear to find Rome no +longer intact on its return. + +As for the Emperor of Russia, he is moderate at once in his love for +France and his hatred of Germany. So far, a man of genius has been +wanting to cement the bonds of alliance between France and Germany. +There is already an understanding, vague, platonic, and with no morrow +assured to it. The French Republic will recoil before the thought of +war, so long as Russian action does not precipitate an explosion. The +Republic knows that war would be at its peril; that vanquished it is +submerged under floods of anarchy, that victorious it brings forth a +Cæsar, and it wishes peace. + +England, rich, industrial, devoted to its own internal problems, +preserves an attitude which is an earnest of peace. So that, when one +casts a steady glance over the Europe of the present hour, one is +minded to say to the world about to repair to the great centre of +industry, of letters, and of art, which Chicago is so soon to be: "Go +in peace. War is distant. Gather in peace the fruit of your peaceful +victories." + +BLOWITZ. + + + + +THE COMEDY OF WAR. + +by Joel Chandler Harris + +Author of "Uncle Remus," "Plantation Fables," etc. + + +I. ON THE UNION SIDE. + +Private O'Halloran, detailed for special duty in advance of the picket +line, sat reclining against a huge red oak. Within reach lay a rifle +of beautiful workmanship. In one hand he held a blackened brier-root +pipe, gazing on it with an air of mock regret. It had been his +companion on many a weary march and on many a lonely day, when, as +now, he was doing duty as a sharp-shooter. But it was not much of a +companion now. It held the flavor, but not the fragrance, of other +days. It was empty, and so was O'Halloran's tobacco-pouch. It was +nothing to grumble about, but the big, laughing Irishman liked his +pipe, especially when it was full of tobacco. The words of an old song +came to him, and he hummed them to himself: + + "There was an ould man, an' he had a wooden leg, + An' he had no terbacky, nor terbacky could he beg; + There was another ould man, as keen as a fox, + An' he always had terbacky in his ould terbacky box. + + "Sez one ould man, 'Will yez give me a chew?' + Sez the other ould man, 'I'll be dommed ef I do. + Kape away from them gin-mills, an' save up yure rocks, + An' ye'll always have terbacky in yer ould terbacky box.'" + +What with the singing and the far-away thoughts that accompanied the +song, Private O'Halloran failed to hear footsteps approaching until +they sounded quite near. + +"Halt!" he cried, seizing his rifle and springing to his feet. The +newcomer wore the insignia of a Federal captain, seeing which, +O'Halloran lowered his weapon and saluted. "Sure, sor, you're not to +mind me capers. I thought the inimy had me complately surrounded--I +did, upon me sowl." + +"And I," said the captain, laughing, "thought the Johnnies had +caught me. It is a pleasant surprise. You are O'Halloran of the +Sharp-shooters, I have heard of you--a gay singer and a great +fighter." + +"Sure it's not for me to say that same. I sings a little bechwane +times for to kape up me sperits, and takes me chances, right and lift. +You're takin' a good many yourself, sor, so far away from the picket +line. If I make no mistake, sor, it is Captain Somerville I'm talkin' +to." + +"That is my name," the captain said. + +"I was touchin' elbows wit' you at Gettysburg, sor." + +The captain looked at O'Halloran again. "Why, certainly!" he +exclaimed. "You are the big fellow that lifted one of the Johnnies +over the stone wall." + +"By the slack of the trousers. I am that same, sor. He was nothin' but +a bit of a lad, sor, but he fought right up to the end of me nose. The +men was jabbin' at 'im wit' their bay'nets, so I sez to him, says I, +'Come in out of the inclemency of the weather,' says I, and thin I +lifted him over. He made at me, sor, when I put 'im down, an' it took +two men for to lead 'im kindly to the rear. It was a warm hour, sor." + +As O'Halloran talked, he kept his eyes far afield. + +"Sure, sor," he went on, "you stand too much in the open. They had one +muddlehead on that post yesterday; they'll not put another there +to-day, sor." As he said this, the big Irishman seized the captain by +the arm and gave him a sudden jerk. It was an unceremonious +proceeding, but a very timely one, for the next moment the sapling +against which the captain had been lightly leaning was shattered by a +ball from the Confederate side. + +"Tis an old friend of mine, sor," said O'Halloran; "I know 'im by his +handwritin'. They had a muddlehead there yesterday, sor. I set in full +sight of 'im, an' he blazed at me twice; the last time I had me fist +above me head, an' he grazed me knuckles. 'Be-dad,' says I, 'you're no +good in your place;' an' when he showed his mug, I plugged 'im where +the nose says howdy to the eyebrows. 'Twas no hurt to 'im, sor; if he +seen the flash, 'twas as much." + +To the left, in a little clearing, was a comfortable farm-house. +Stacks of fodder and straw and pens of corn in the shuck were ranged +around. There was every appearance of prosperity, but no sign of life, +save two bluebirds, the pioneers of spring, that were fighting around +the martin gourds, preparing to take possession. + +"There's where I was born." The captain pointed to the farm-house. "It +is five years since I have seen the place." + +"You don't tell me, sor! I see in the Hur'ld that they call it the +Civil War, but it's nothin' but oncivil, sor, for to fight agin' your +ould home." + +"You are right," assented the captain. "There's nothing civil about +war. I suppose the old house has long been deserted." + +"Sure, look at the forage, thin. 'Tis piled up as nately as you +please. Wait till the b'ys git at it! Look at the smoke of the +chimbly. Barrin' the jay-birds, 'tis the peacefulest sight I've +seen." + +"My people are gone," said the captain. "My father was a Union man. I +wouldn't be surprised to hear of him somewhere at the North. The day +that I was eighteen he gave me a larrupping for disobedience, and I +ran away." + +"Don't spake of it, sor." O'Halloran held up his hands. "Many's the +time I've had me feelin's hurted wit' a bar'l stave." + +"That was in 1860," said the captain. "I was too proud to go back +home, but when the war began I remembered what a strong Union man my +father was, and I joined the Union army." + +"'Tis a great scheme for a play," said the big Irishman solemnly. + +"My mother was dead," the captain went on, "my oldest sister was +married, and my youngest sister was at school in Philadelphia, and my +brother, two years older than myself, made life miserable for me in +trying to boss me." + +"Oh!" exclaimed O'Halloran, "don't I know that same? 'Tis meself +that's been along there." + +Captain Somerville looked at the old place, carefully noting the +outward changes, which were comparatively few. He noted, too, with the +eye of a soldier, that when the impending conflict took place between +the forces then facing each other, there would be a sharp struggle for +the knoll on which the house stood; and he thought it was a curious +feat for his mind to perform, to regard the old home where he had been +both happy and miserable as a strategic point of battle. Private +O'Halloran had no such memories to please or to vex him. To the extent +of his opportunities he was a man of business. He took a piece of +white cloth from his pocket and hung it on the broken sapling. + +"I'll see, sor, if yon chap is in the grocery business." + +As he turned away, there was a puff of smoke on the farther hill, a +crackling report, and the hanging cloth jumped as though it were +alive. + +"Faith, it's him, sor!" exclaimed O'Halloran, "an' he's in a mighty +hurry." Whereupon the big Irishman brushed a pile of leaves from an +oil-cloth strapped together in the semblance of a knapsack. + +"What have you there?" asked Captain Somerville. + +"Sure, 'tis me grocery store, sor. Coffee, tay, an' sugar. Faith, I'll +make the devil's mouth water like a baby cuttin' his stomach tathe. +Would ye mind comin' along, sor, for to kape me from swindlin' the +Johnny out of all his belongin's?" + + +II. ON THE CONFEDERATE SIDE. + +Three men sat in a gully that had once been a hillside ditch. Their +uniforms were various, the result of accident and capture. One of them +wore a very fine blue overcoat which was in queer contrast to his +ragged pantaloons. This was Lieutenant Clopton, who had charge of the +picket line. Another had on the uniform of an artilleryman, and his +left arm was in a sling. He had come out of the hospital to do duty as +a guide. This was Private John Fambrough. The third had on no uniform +at all, but was dressed in plain citizen's clothes, much the worse for +wear. This was Jack Kilpatrick, scout and sharp-shooter. Happy Jack, +as he was called. + +How long since the gully had been a ditch it would be impossible to +say, but it must have been a good many years, for the pines had grown +into stout trees, and here and there a black-jack loomed up +vigorously. + +"Don't git too permiscus around here," said Happy Jack, as the others +were moving about. "This ain't no fancy spot." He eased himself upward +on his elbow, and made a swift but careful survey of the woodland +vista that led to the Federal lines. Then he shook down the breech of +his rifle, and slipped a long cartridge into its place. "You see that +big poplar over yonder? Well, under that tree there's a man, leastways +he ought to be there, because he's always hangin' around in front of +me." + +"Why don't you nail him?" asked Fambrough. + +"Bosh! Why don't he nail me? It's because he can't do it. Well, that's +the reason I don't nail him. You know what happened yesterday, don't +you? You saw that elegant lookin' chap that came out to take my place, +didn't you? Did you see him when he went back?" + +Lieutenant Clopton replied with a little grimace, but Fambrough said +never a word. He only looked at Kilpatrick with inquiring eyes. + +"Why, he was the nicest lookin' man in the army--hair combed, clothes +brushed, and rings on his fingers. He was all the way from New 'leans, +with a silver-mounted rifle and a globe sight." + +"A which?" asked Fambrough. + +"A globe sight. Set down on yourself a little further, sonny," said +Happy Jack; "your head's too high. I says to him, says I, 'Friend, you +are goin' where you'll have to strip that doll's step-ladder off'n +your gun, an' come down to business,' says I. I says, says I, 'You may +have to face a red-headed, flannel-mouthed Irishman, and you don't +want to look at him through all that machinery,' says I." + +"What did he say?" Fambrough asked. + +"He said, 'I'll git him.' Now, how did he git him? Why, he come down +here, lammed aloose a time or two, and then hung his head over the +edge of the gully there, with a ball right spang betwixt his eyes. I +went behind the picket line to get a wink of sleep, but I hadn't +more'n curled up in the broom-sage before I heard that chap a-bangin' +away. Then come the reply, like this--" Happy Jack snapped his +fingers; "and then I went to sleep waitin' for the rej'inder." + +Kilpatrick paused, and looked steadily in the direction of the +poplar. + +"Well, dog my cats! Yonder's a chap standin' right out in front of +me. It ain't the Mickey, neither. I'll see what he's up to." He +raised his rifle with a light swinging movement, chirruped to it as +though it were a horse or a little child, and in another moment the +deadly business of war would have been resumed, but Fambrough laid his +hand on the sharp-shooter's arm. + +"Wait," he said. "That may be my old man wandering around out there. +Don't be too quick on trigger. I ain't got but one old man." + +"Shucks!" exclaimed Kilpatrick, pettishly; "you reckon I don't know +your old man? He's big in the body, an' wobbly in his legs. You've +spiled a mighty purty shot. I believe in my soul that chap was a +colonel, an' he might 'a' been a general. Now that's funny." + +"What's funny?" asked Fambrough. + +"Why, that chap. He'll never know you saved him, an' if he know'd it +he wouldn't thank you. I'd 'a' put a hole right through his gizzard. +Now he's behind the poplar." + +"It's luck," Lieutenant Clopton suggested. + +"Maybe," said Kilpatrick. "Yonder he is ag'in. Luck won't save him +this time." He raised his rifle, glanced down the barrel, and pulled +the trigger. Simultaneously with the report an expression of disgust +passed over his face, and with an oath he struck the ground with his +fist. + +"Don't tell me you missed him," said Clopton. + +"Miss what?" exclaimed Kilpatrick scornfully. "If he ain't drunk, +somebody pulled him out of the way." + +"I told you it was luck," commented Clopton. + +"Shucks! don't tell me. Luck's like lightnin'. She never hits twice in +the same place." + +Kilpatrick sank back in the gully and gave himself up to ruminating. +He leaned on his elbows and pulled up little tufts of grass and weeds +growing here and there. Lieutenant Clopton, looking across towards the +poplar, suddenly reached for the sharp-shooter's rifle, but Kilpatrick +placed his hand on it jealously. + +"Give me the gun. Yonder's a Yank in full view." + +Kilpatrick, still holding his rifle, raised himself and looked. + +"Why, he's hanging out a flag of truce," said Clopton. "What does the +fellow mean?" + +"It's a message," said Kilpatrick, "an' here's the answer." With that +he raised his rifle, dropped it gently in the palm, of his left hand, +and fired. + +"You saw the hankcher jump, didn't you?" he exclaimed. "Well, that +lets us out. That's my Mickey. He wants tobacco, and I want coffee an' +tea. Come, watch me swap him out of his eye teeth." + +Then Kilpatrick went to a clump of broom sedge and drew forth a wallet +containing several pounds of prepared smoking tobacco and a bundle of +plug tobacco, and in a few moments the trio were picking their way +through the underwood towards the open. + + +III. ON NEUTRAL GROUND. + +Matters were getting critical for Squire Fambrough. He had vowed and +declared that he would never be a refugee, but he had a responsibility +on his hands that he had not counted on. That responsibility was his +daughter Julia, twenty-two years old, and as obstinate as her father. +The Squire had sent off his son's wife and her children, together with +as many negroes as had refused to go into the Union lines. He had +expected his daughter to go at the same time, but when the time +arrived, the fair Julia showed that she had a mind of her own. She +made no scene, she did not go into hysterics; but when everything was +ready, she asked her father if he was going. He said he would follow +along after a while. She called to a negro, and made him take her +trunks and band-boxes from the wagon and carry them into the house, +while Squire Fambrough stood scratching his head. + +"Why don't you make her come?" his daughter-in-law asked, somewhat +sharply. + +"Well, Susannah," the Squire remarked, "I ain't been a jestice of the +peace and a married man, off and on for forty year, without findin' +out when to fool with the wimen sek an' when not to fool wi' 'em." + +"I'd make her come," said the daughter-in-law. + +"I give you lief, Susannah, freely an' fully. Lay your baby some'rs +wher' it won't git run over, an' take off your surplus harness, an' go +an' fetch her out of the house an' put her in the buggy." + +But the daughter-in-law treated the courteous invitation with +proper scorn, and the small caravan moved off, leaving the fair Julia +and her father in possession of the premises. According to human +understanding, the refugees got off just in the nick of time. A day or +two afterwards, the Union army, figuratively speaking, marched up, +looked over Squire Fambrough's front palings, and then fell back to +reflect over the situation. Shortly afterwards the Confederate +army marched up, looked over the Squire's back palings, and also +fell back to reflect. Evidently the situation was one to justify +reflection, for presently both armies fell back still farther. +These movements were so courteous and discreet--were such a +colossal display of etiquette--that war seemed to be out of the +question. Of course there were the conservative pickets, the +thoughtful videttes, and the careful sharp-shooters, ready to +occasion a little bloodshed, accidentally or intentionally. But by +far the most boisterously ferocious appendages of the two armies +were the two brass bands. They were continually challenging each +other, beginning early in the morning and ending late in the +afternoon; one firing off "Dixie," and the other "Yankee Doodle." It +was "Yankee Doodle, howdy do?" and "Doodle-doodle, Dixie, too," like +two chanticleers challenging each other afar off. + +This was the situation as it appeared to Squire Fambrough and his +daughter. On this particular morning the sun was shining brightly, and +the birds were fluttering joyously in the budding trees. Miss Julia +had brought her book out into the grove of venerable oaks which was +the chief beauty of the place, and had seated herself on a rustic +bench that was built around one of the trees. Just as she had become +interested, she heard a rifle-shot. She moved uneasily, but fell to +reading again, and was apparently absorbed in the book, when she heard +another shot. Then she threw the book down and rose to her feet, +making a very pretty centerpiece in the woodland setting. + +"Oh! what is the matter with everything?" she exclaimed. "There's the +shooting again! How can I read books and sit quietly here while the +soldiers are preparing to fight? Oh, me! I don't know what to do! If +there should be a battle here, I don't know what would become of us." + +Julia, in her despair, was fair to look upon. Her gown of striped +homespun stuff, simply made, set off to admiration her strong but +supple figure. Excitement added a new lustre to her eye and gave a +heightened color to the rose that bloomed on her cheeks. She stood a +moment as if listening, and then a faint smile showed on her lips. She +heard her father calling: + +"Jule! Jule! O Jule!" + +"Here I am, father!" she cried. "What is it?" + +"Well, the Lord he'p my soul! I've been huntin' for you high an' low. +Did you hear that shootin'? I 'lowed may be you'd been took prisoner +an' carried bodaciously off. Didn't I hear you talkin' to somebody?" + +Squire Fambrough pulled off his hat and scratched his head. His face, +set in a fringe of gray beard, was kindly and full of humor, but it +contained not a few of the hard lines of experience. + +"No, father," said Julia, in reply to the Squire's question. "I was +only talking to myself." + +"Jest makin' a speech, eh? Well, I don't blame you, honey. I'm a great +mind to jump out here in the clearin' an' yell out my sentiments so +that both sides can hear 'em." + +"Why, what is the matter, father?" + +"I'm mad, honey! I'm jest nachally stirred up--dog my cats ef I ain't! +Along at fust I did hope there wouldn't be no fightin' in this +neighborhood, but now I jest want to see them two blamed armies light +into one another, tooth and toe-nail." + +"Why, father!" Julia made a pretty gesture of dismay. "How can you +talk so?" + +"Half of my niggers is gone," said Squire Fambrough; "one side has got +my hosses, and t'other side has stole my cattle. The Yankees has +grabbed my grist mill, an' the Confeds has laid holt of my corn crib. +One army is squattin' in my tater patch, and t'other one is roostin' +in my cow pastur'. Do you reckon I was born to set down here an' put +up wi' that kind of business?" + +"But, father, what can you do? How can you help yourself? For heaven's +sake, let's go away from here!" + +"Great Moses, Jule! Have you gone an' lost what little bit of common +sense you was born with? Do you reckon I'm a-goin' to be a-refugeein' +an' a-skee-daddlin' across the country like a skeer'd rabbit at my +time of life? I hain't afeared of nary two armies they can find room +for on these hills! Hain't I got one son on one side an' another son +on t'other side? Much good they are doin', too. If they'd a-felt like +me they'd a fit both sides. Do you reckon I'm a-gwine to be drove +off'n the place where I was born, an' where your granpappy was born, +an' where your mother lies buried? No, honey!" + +"But, father, you know we can't stay here. Suppose there should be a +battle?" + +"Come, honey! come!" There was a touch of petulance in the old man's +tone. "Don't get me flustrated. I told you to go when John's wife an' +the children went. By this time you'd 'a' been out of hearin' of the +war." + +"But, father, how could I go and leave you here all by yourself?" The +girl laid her hand on the Squire's shoulder caressingly. + +"No," exclaimed the Squire, angrily; "stay you would, stay you did, +an' here you are!" + +"Yes, and now I want to go away, and I want you to go with me. All the +horses are not taken, and the spring wagon and the barouche are +here." + +"Don't come a-pesterin' me, honey! I'm pestered enough as it is. Lord, +if I had the big men here what started the war, I'd take 'em an' butt +their cussed heads together tell you wouldn't know 'em from a lot of +spiled squashes." + +"Now, don't get angry and say bad words, father." + +"I can't help it, Jule; I jest can't help it. When the fuss was +a-brewin' I sot down an' wrote to Jeems Buchanan, and told him, jest +as plain as the words could be put on paper, that war was boun' to +come if he didn't look sharp; an' then when old Buck dropped out, I +sot down an' wrote to Abe Lincoln an' told him that coercion wouldn't +work worth a cent, but conciliation----" + +"Wait, father!" Julia held up her pretty hand. "I hear some one +calling. Listen!" + +Not far away they heard the voice of a negro. "Marse Dave Henry! O +Marse Dave Henry!" + +"Hello! Who the nation are you hollerin' at?" said Squire Fambrough as +a youngish looking negro man came in view. "An' where did you come +from, an' where are you goin'?" + +"Howdy, mistiss--howdy, marster!" The negro took off his hat as he +came up. + +"What's your name?" asked the Squire. + +"I'm name Tuck, suh. None er you all ain't seed nothin' er Marse----" + +"Who do you belong to?" + +"I b'longs ter de Cloptons down dar in Georgy, suh. None er you-all +ain't seed nothin'----" + +"What are you doin' here?" demanded Squire Fambrough, somewhat +angrily. "Don't you know you are liable to get killed any minute? +Ain't you makin' your way to the Yankee army?" + +"No, suh." The negro spoke with unction. "I'm des a-huntin' my young +marster, suh. He name Dave Henry Clopton. Dat what we call him--Marse +Henry. None er you-all ain't seed 'im, is you?" + +"Jule," said the Squire, rubbing his nose thoughtfully, "ain't that +the name of the chap that used to hang around here before the Yankees +got too close?" + +"Do you mean Lieutenant Clopton, father?" asked Julia, showing some +confusion. + +"Yessum." Tuck grinned and rubbed his hands together. "Marse Dave +Henry is sholy a lieutender in de company, an' mistiss she say he'd a +done been a giner'l ef dey wa'nt so much enviousness in de army." + +"I saw him this morning--I mean--" Julia blushed and hesitated. "I +mean, I heard him talking out here in the grove." + +"Who was he talking to, Jule?" The Squire put the question calmly and +deliberately. + +There was a little pause. Julia, still blushing, adjusted an imaginary +hair-pin. The negro looked sheepishly from one to the other. The +Squire repeated his question. + +"Who was he talking to, Jule?" + +"Nobody but me," said the young lady, growing redder. Her embarrassment +was not lessened by an involuntary "eh--eh," from the negro. Squire +Fambrough raised his eyes heavenwards and allowed both his heavy hands +to drop helplessly by his side. + +"What was he talkin' about?" The old man spoke with apparent +humility. + +"N-o-t-h-i-n-g," said Julia, demurely, looking at her pink finger-nails. +"He just asked me if I thought it would rain, and I told him I +didn't know; and then he said the spring was coming on very rapidly, +and I said, 'Yes, I thought it was.' And then he had found a bunch of +violets and asked me if I would accept them, and I said, 'Thank you.'" + +"Land of the livin' Moses!" exclaimed Squire Fambrough, lifting his +hands above his head and allowing them to fall heavily again. "And +they call this war!" + +"Yessum!" The negro's tone was triumphant. "Dat sholy wuz Marse Dave +Henry. War er no war, dat wuz him. Dat des de way he goes 'mongst de +ladies. He gi'um candy yit, let 'lone flowers. Shoo! You can't tell me +nothin' 'tall 'bout Marse Dave Henry." + +"What are you wanderin' 'round here in the woods for?" asked the +Squire. His tone was somewhat severe. "Did anybody tell you he was +here?" + +"No, suh!" replied Tuck. "Dey tol' me back dar at de camps dat I'd +fin' 'im out on de picket line, an' when I got dar dey tol' me he wuz +out dis a-way, whar dey wuz some sharp-shootin' gwine on, but I ain't +foun' 'im yit." + +"Ain't you been with him all the time?" The Squire was disposed to +treat the negro as a witness for the defence. + +"Lor, no, suh! I des now come right straight fum Georgy. Mistiss--she +Marse Dave Henry's ma--she hear talk dat de solyers ain't got no cloze +fer ter w'ar an' no vittles fer ter eat, skacely, an' she tuck'n made +me come an' fetch 'im a box full er duds an' er box full er vittles. +She put cake in dar, yit, 'kaze I smelt it whiles I wuz handlin' de +box. De boxes, dey er dar at de camp, an' here me, but wharbouts is +Marse Dave Henry? Not ter be a-hidin' fum somebody, he de hardest +white man ter fin' what I ever laid eyes on. I speck I better be +knockin' 'long. Good-by, marster; good-by, young mistiss. Ef I don' +fin' Marse Dave Henry no wheres, I'll know whar ter come an' watch fer +'im." + +The Squire watched the negro disappear in the woods, and then turned +to his daughter. To his surprise, her eyes were full of tears; but +before he could make any comment, or ask any question, he heard the +noise of tramping feet in the woods, and presently saw two Union +soldiers approaching. Almost immediately Julia called his attention to +three soldiers coming from the Confederate side. + +"I believe in my soul we're surrounded by both armies," remarked the +Squire dryly. "But don't git skeer'd, honey. I'm goin' to see what +they're trespassin' on my premises for." + + +IV. COMMERCE AND SENTIMENT. + +"Upon my sowl," said O'Halloran, as he and Captain Somerville went +forward, the big Irishman leading the way, "I'm afeard I'm tollin' you +into a trap." + +"How?" asked the captain. + +"Why, there's three of the Johnnies comin', sor, an' the ould man an' +the gurrul make five." + +"Halt!" said the captain, using the word by force of habit. The two +paused, and the captain took in the situation at a glance. Then he +turned to the big Irishman, with a queer look on his face. + +"What is it, sor?" + +"I'm in for it now. That is my father yonder, and the young lady is my +sister." + +"The Divvle an' Tom Walker!" exclaimed O'Halloran. "'Tis quite a +family rayanion, sor." + +"I don't know whether to make myself known or not. What could have +possessed them to stay here? I'll see whether they know me." As they +went forward, the captain plucked O'Halloran by the sleeve. "I'll be +shot if the Johnny with his arm in the sling isn't my brother." + +"I was expectin' it, sor," said the big Irishman, giving matters a +humorous turn. "Soon the cousins will be poppin' out from under the +bushes." + +By this time the two were near enough to the approaching Confederates +to carry on a conversation by lifting their voices a little. + +"Hello, Johnny," said O'Halloran. + +"Hello, Yank," replied Kilpatrick. + +"What's the countersign, Johnny?" + +"Tobacco. What is it on your side, Yank?" + +"Tay an' coffee, Johnny." + +"You are mighty right," Kilpatrick exclaimed. "Stack your arms agin a +tree." + +"The same to you," said O'Halloran. + +The Irishman, using his foot as a broom, cleared the dead leaves and +twigs from a little space of ground, where he deposited his bundle, +and Kilpatrick did the same. John Fambrough, the wounded Confederate, +went forward to greet his father and sister, and Lieutenant Clopton +went with him. The Squire was not in a good humor. + +"I tell you what, John," he said to his son, "I don't like to be +harborin' nary side. It's agin' my principles. I don't like this +colloguin' an' palaverin' betwixt folks that ought to be by good +rights a-knockin' one another on the head. If they want to collogue +an' palaver, why don't they go som'ers else?" + +The Squire's son tried to explain, but the old gentleman hooted at the +explanation. "Come on, Jule, let's go and see what they're up to." + +As they approached, the Irishman glanced at Captain Somerville, and +saw that he had turned away, cap in hand, to hide his emotion. + +"You're just in time," the Irishman said to Squire Fambrough in a +bantering tone, "to watch the continding armies. This mite of a Johnny +will swindle the Government, if I don't kape me eye on him." + +"Is this what you call war?" the Squire inquired sarcastically. "Who +axed you to come trespassin' on my land?" + +"Oh, we'll put the leaves back where we found them," said Kilpatrick, +"if we have to git a furlough." + +"Right you are!" said the Irishman. + +"It is just a little trading frolic among the boys!" Captain +Somerville turned to the old man with a courteous bow. "They will do +no harm. I'll answer for that." + +"Well, I'll tell you how I feel about it!" Squire Fambrough exclaimed +with some warmth. "I'm in here betwixt the hostiles. They ain't nobody +here but me an' my daughter. We don't pester nobody, an' we don't want +nobody to pester us. One of my sons is in the Union army, I hear tell, +an' the other is in the Confederate army when he ain't in the +hospital. These boys, you see, found their old daddy a-straddle of the +fence, an' one clomb down one leg on the Union side, an' t'other one +clomb down t'other leg on the Confederate side." + +"That is what I call an interesting situation," said the captain, +drawing a long breath. "Perhaps I have seen your Union son." + +"Maybe so, maybe so," assented the Squire. + +"Perhaps you have seen him yourself since the war began?" + +Before the Squire could make any reply, Julia rushed at the captain +and threw her arms around his neck, crying, "O brother George, I know +you!" + +The Squire seemed to be dazed by this discovery. He went towards the +captain slowly. The tears streamed down his face and the hand he held +out trembled. + +"George," he exclaimed, "God A'mighty knows I'm glad to see you!" + +O'Halloran and Kilpatrick had paused in the midst of their traffic to +watch this scene, but when they saw the gray-haired old man crying and +hugging his son, and the young girl clinging to the two, they were +confused. O'Halloran turned and kicked his bundles. + +"Take all the tay and coffee, you bloody booger! Just give me a +pipeful of the weed." + +Kilpatrick shook his fist at the big Irishman. + +"Take the darned tobacco, you red-mouthed Mickey! What do I want with +your tea and coffee?" Then both started to go a little way into the +woods. Lieutenant Clopton following. The captain would have called +them back, but they wouldn't accept the invitation. + +"We are just turnin' our backs, sor, while you hold a family orgie," +said O'Halloran. "Me an' this measly Johnny will just go on an' +complate the transaction of swappin'." + +At this moment Tuck reappeared on the scene. Seeing his young master, +he stopped still and looked at him, and then broke out into loud +complaints. + +"Marse Dave Henry, whar de namer goodness you been? You better come +read dish yer letter what yo' ma writes you. I'm gwine tell mistiss +she come mighty nigh losin' a likely nigger, an' she'll rake you over +de coals, mon." + +"Why, howdy, Tuck," exclaimed Lieutenant Clopton. "Ain't you glad to +see me?" + +"Yasser, I speck I is." The negro spoke in a querulous and somewhat +doubtful tone, as he produced a letter from the lining of his hat. +"But I'd 'a' been a heap gladder ef I hadn't mighty nigh trapsed all +de gladness out'n me." + +Young Clopton took the letter and read it with a smile on his lips and +a dimness in his eyes. The negro, left to himself, had his attention +attracted by the coffee and tobacco lying exposed on the ground. He +looked at the display, scratching his head. + +"Boss, is dat sho nuff coffee?" + +"It is that same," said O'Halloran. + +"De ginnywine ole-time coffee?" insisted the negro. + +"'Tis nothin' else, simlin-head." + +"Marse Dave Henry," the negro yelled, "run here an' look at dish yer +ginnywine coffee! Dey's nuff coffee dar fer ter make mistiss happy de +balance er her days. Some done spill out!" he exclaimed. "Boss, kin I +have dem what's on de groun'?" + +"Take 'em," said O'Halloran, "an' much good may they do you." + +"One, two, th'ee, fo', fi', sick, sev'n." The negro counted the grains +as he picked them up. "O Marse Dave Henry, run here an' look! I got +sev'n grains er ginnywine coffee. I'm gwine take um ter mistiss." + +The Irishman regarded the negro with curiosity. Then taking the dead +branch of a tree he drew a line several yards in length between +himself and Kilpatrick. + +"D'ye see that line there?" he said to the negro. + +"Dat ar mark? Oh, yasser, I sees de mark." + +"Very well. On that side of the line you are in slavery--on this side +the line you are free." + +"Who? Me?" + +"Who else but you?" + +"I been hear talk er freedom, but I ain't seed 'er yit, an' I dunner +how she feel." The negro scratched his head and grinned expectantly. + +"'Tis as I tell you," said the Irishman. + +"I b'lieve I'll step 'cross an' see how she feel." The negro stepped +over the line, and walked up and down as if to test the matter +physically. "'Tain't needer no hotter ner no colder on dis side dan +what 'tis on dat," he remarked. Then he cried out to his young master: +"Look at me, Marse Dave Henry; I'm free now." + +"All right." The young man waved his hand without taking his eyes from +the letter he was reading. + +"He take it mos' too easy fer ter suit me," said the negro. Then he +called out to his young master again: "O Marse Dave Henry! Don't you +tell mistiss dat I been free, kase she'll take a bresh-broom an' run +me off'n de place when I go back home." + + +V. THE CURTAIN FALLS. + +Squire Fambrough insisted that his son should go to the house and look +it over for the sake of old times, and young Clopton went along to +keep Miss Julia company. O'Halloran, Kilpatrick, and the negro stayed +where they were--the white men smoking their pipes, and the negro +chewing the first "mannyfac" tobacco he had seen in many a day. + +The others were not gone long. As they came back, a courier was seen +riding through the woods at break-neck speed, going from the Union +lines to those of the Confederates, and carrying a white flag. +Kilpatrick hailed him, and he drew rein long enough to cry out, as he +waved his flag: + +"Lee has surrendered!" + +"I was looking out for it," said Kilpatrick, "but dang me if I hadn't +ruther somebody had a-shot me right spang in the gizzard." + +Lieutenant Clopton took out his pocket-knife and began to whittle a +stick. John Fambrough turned away, and his sister leaned her hands on +his shoulder and began to weep. Squire Fambrough rubbed his chin +thoughtfully and sighed. + +"It had to be, father," the captain said. "It's a piece of news that +brings peace to the land." + +"Oh, yes, but it leaves us flat. No money, and nothing to make a crop +with." + +"I have Government bonds that will be worth a hundred thousand +dollars. The interest will keep us comfortably." + +"For my part," said Clopton, "I have nothing but this free nigger." + +"You b'lieve de half er dat," spoke up the free nigger. "Mistiss been +savin' her cotton craps, an' ef she got one bale she got two +hundred." + +The captain figured a moment. "They will bring more than a hundred +thousand dollars." + +"I have me two arrums," said O'Halloran. + +"I've got a mighty fine pack of fox-hounds," remarked Kilpatrick with +real pride. + +There was a pause in the conversation. In the distance could be heard +the shouting of the Union soldiers and the band with its "Yankee +Doodle, howd'y-do?" Suddenly Clopton turned to Captain Fambrough: + +"I want to ask you how many troops have you got over there--fighting +men?" + +The captain laughed. Then he put his hand to his mouth and said in a +stage whisper: + +"Five companies." + +"Well, dang my hide!" exclaimed Kilpatrick. + +"What is your fighting force?" Captain Fambrough asked. + +"Four companies," said Clopton. + +"Think o' that, sir!" cried the Irishman; "an' me out there defendin' +meself ag'in a whole army." + +"More than that," said Clopton, "our colonel is a Connecticut man." + +"Shake!" the captain exclaimed. "My colonel is a Virginian." + +"Lord 'a' mercy! Lord 'a' mercy!" It was Squire Fambrough who spoke. +"I'm a-goin' off some'rs an' ontangle the tangle we've got into." + +Soon the small company separated. The Squire went a short distance +towards the Union army with his new-found son, who was now willing to +call himself George Somerville Fambrough. Kilpatrick and the negro +went trudging back to the Confederate camp, while Clopton lingered +awhile, saying something of great importance to the fair Julia and +himself. + +His remarks and her replies were those which precede and follow both +comedy and tragedy. The thunders of war cannot drown them, nor can the +sunshine of peace render them commonplace. + + + + +THE ROSE IS SUCH A LADY. + +BY GERTRUDE HALL. + + + The rose is such a lady-- + So stately, fresh, and sweet; + It joys to hold her image + The rain pool at her feet. + + They look such common lasses, + Those red pinks in a line; + The rose is such a lady-- + So dignified and fine. + + The winds would wish to kiss her, + And yet they scarcely dare; + The rose is such a lady-- + So courteous, pure, and fair. + + Here's one come from a garden + To die within this book-- + See, in the faded features + The old lady-like look! + + + + +THE COUNT DE LESSEPS OF TO-DAY. + +BY R. H. SHERARD. + + +Seated in an arm-chair, now feebly turning over the leaves of his +"Souvenirs of Forty Years," now letting his dimmed eyes wander +listlessly over the broad expanse of fields and woodlands outside the +windows, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the great Frenchman, drags out the +agony of his old age. + +The visitor to him in his retreat arrives at La Chesnaye to some +extent attuned to melancholy, for the long diligence ride from the +nearest railway station, twenty-four kilometres away, is across a most +desolate country. This part of the ancient duchy of Berry is one of +the districts in France which has most suffered by the ruin of the +vine-culture; the lands seem deserted and abandoned; the roads are +neglected, and little life is seen anywhere till the sleepy burgh of +Vatan is reached. From Vatan, which is a market-town on the old and +now disused high-road from Paris to Toulouse, to the chateau of La +Chesnaye, there are four more kilometres of road across an equally +desolate country to be taken. The buildings of the home farm are the +first human habitations that one sees all the long way. An oppressive +sense of desolation imposes itself on even the casual wayfarer, and +prepares for the sorrowful sight that awaits him who goes to La +Chesnaye to salute the fallen greatness of the old man who but two +years ago was the greatest Frenchman in France. + +The chateau of La Chesnaye, a modest country-house of irregular shape +and flanked at the angles with towers, has been in the possession of +M. de Lesseps for fifty years. Except for a large modern wing, it +stands just as Agnes Sorel, its first occupant, left it. In her days +it had served as a hunting-box for her royal patron and the Berry +squires, and at present is still surrounded with fields scantily +timbered. There is no well-kept lawn, but the fields of grass are full +of violets, and there is a trim look about the stables. On a bright +day the white of the stone, contrasted with the green of the grass, +gives a cheerful look to the scene, but it is indescribably mournful +of aspect in the days of rain and snow and wind. + +About half a mile on the road before the chateau is in sight, an +avenue of trees is reached. "Those trees were planted by M. de Lesseps +himself, forty years ago, and every time that he passes this way he +relates the fact." + +So spoke to me the English governess of the De Lesseps children, whom +Madame de Lesseps had despatched to meet me with the pony-carriage at +Vatan. + +"The countess is terribly busy to-day with her papers, for she is +expecting a barrister from Paris, who is to receive some instructions +in view of the new trial; but she will manage to give you an hour, and +wants you to drive to church with her, so that you can talk on the +way." As we entered the courtyard the countess's carriage was in +waiting at the front entrance. It was the landau of the days of +triumphant drives in the Champs Élysées, and the horses were the same +pair which excited the admiration and envy of the connoisseurs of the +Avenue des Acacias, "Juliette" and "Panama," which latter is now never +called by that name. It is talked about as "the other," for the +ill-fated word, Panama, is never even whispered, lest any echo of it +should reach the ears of him to whom this word has meant ruin and +disgrace and a broken heart. I waited for the countess at the bottom +of the spiral stair-case, and presently saw a lady descending, who +greeted me in a familiar voice, but whom I failed to recognize. "But, +yes," she said, holding out her hand, "I am Madame de Lesseps. I have +changed, have I not?" + +[Illustration: THE CHATEAU DE LA CHESNAYE.] + +When I last met Madame de Lesseps in Paris, though at that time the +shadow of the present was already upon her, she was in the full of her +matronly beauty, large, ample, and flourishing. It was a wasted woman +who addressed me, pinched and thin. "If I were to remove my veil," she +added, "you would see an even greater change." + +"It is a sad moment that you have chosen to visit us, and you find us +in terrible circumstances," she said as we drove away. Then turning to +the lady who accompanied her, she remarked, "This is the first time I +have been out for three weeks, and I ought not to have gone out +to-day, except for the fact that I can't miss going to church again. +It is the only comfort I have left to me. All my days and most of my +nights, when not attending on my husband, are taken up answering +letters and telegrams which keep pouring in upon me from all parts of +the world. And then I am in constant correspondence with the lawyers +in Paris as to the prosecution of my son for corruption, and the +revision of the last judgment of the Court of Appeal." + +The church which is attended by the La Chesnaye party is situated in a +village about three miles off, which is called Guilly, "the mistletoe +hamlet," as all the trees around are covered with this parasite. We +were passing a fine old oak tree, the upper part of which was loaded +with mistletoe, when the lady who was with us laughed scornfully, and, +pointing, said: "One would say Herz, Arton, and the rest," referring +to the Panama parasites. "Would you believe me," said Madame de +Lesseps, "that until these recent revelations I had never even heard +the names of either Arton or Herz or the Baron de Reinach?" + +[Illustration: COUNT DE LESSEPS IN 1869.] + +Outside the church was standing a _char-à-banc_ drawn by two horses, +and it was in this that, after service, I returned to La Chesnaye with +the children and the governesses. It was interesting to see how +devoted the people of Guilly seem to be to the De Lesseps family, and +how the men and women bowed and courtesied as the countess came out +of church. Here, as at Vatan and in all the district, the love and +respect for "Monsieur le Comte" have been increased rather than +diminished by the persecutions to which he has been subjected. It was +on the great fair-day at Vatan that the news of his condemnation was +made public, and at once the villagers, in sign of mourning, +stopped the public ball which is a _fête_ to which the young +people of the district look forward for months beforehand. Sturdy +Berrichon lads have been seen to flourish their sticks and heard +to say that the Parisians had better keep their hands off "Monsieur le +Comte." Nor is it surprising that in his own country M. de Lesseps +should be loved and venerated. Always delighting in acts of +kindness, his generosity towards his poor neighbors throughout the +district has been constant and large-handed. Never a marriage +takes place in any of the surrounding villages but that a handsome +present from La Chesnaye is thrown into the bride's _corbeille_. +The children are dressed for confirmation at the expense of the +chateau; layettes are found for poor mothers, and no case of +distress is allowed to pass unrelieved. Since the heavy losses which +the Panama failure has entailed on the family, no change nor +diminution in these liberalities has been made. But perhaps what +the people in the district like the best in the La Chesnaye folk is +their extreme simplicity. Chateau folk are not generally very popular +in France, and certainly not in republican circumscriptions, +because republican electors of the peasant class have inherited +prejudices about them; and if the De Lesseps family is so very +popular, it is because of the extreme simplicity of their manners and +of the way in which they live the lives of the people around them. For +instance, not the children alone, but even the elegant Madame de +Lesseps herself, are dressed in clothes purchased and made in Vatan. +Nothing is got from Paris, and the Vatan people are highly pleased +with the unusual compliment thus paid to them. By the church at Guilly +is an orphanage, which was founded by the De Lesseps, and is +entirely kept up at their expense. It is a rule with Madame de +Lesseps to pay a visit to this orphanage each Sunday after mass, +and, accordingly, as she left church she asked me to return home +with the children. Of these there are now seven at home; Matthew, who +has just returned on sick leave from the Soudan, being in Paris near +his stepbrother Charles. Ismail is serving in the army as a +soldier in a regiment of _chasseurs_ at St. Germain; and the +eldest daughter, the Comtesse de Gontaut-Biron, is in Nice, +whither she has been sent by her doctors. Lolo, aged eighteen, is +the eldest girl at home; and Paul, a handsome lad of twelve, with +long ringlets down his back, is the eldest boy. The youngest children +are mere babies. There is Zi-Zi, a tiny little boy, with fair +curls and dark eyes; and Griselle, a charming little mite, who on +that Sunday was dressed in a Kate Greenaway bonnet and gown, and +looked sweetly pretty. The _char-à-banc_, spacious as it was, was +quite filled. Besides all the children from Lolo down to Zi-Zi, there +were the English and German governesses, Paul and Robert's tutor, +the niece of Madame de Lesseps who for many years past has lived +with the family, and an intimate friend, Mademoiselle Mimaut. + +It was a merry party, and yet whenever the name of the poor old father +at home was mentioned, silence came over the prattle of the children. +"They all feel it deeply," said Madame de Lesseps to me later on, +"though their youth often gets the better of their feelings. And what +grieves them all most is, to know that their brother Charles, whom +they all love and respect like a second father, is in prison, whilst +they can run about. Zi-Zi and Griselle write to him every day at Mazas +or the Conciergerie, and send him violets, and little stories which +they compose for his amusement, spending long hours inking their +fingers over their paper." + +About half-way home the carriage passed the rural postman trudging +along on his daily thirty-mile round. The children would have the +carriage stopped, and, though it was quite full, place was made for +him. Father Pierre seemed quite a favorite with the children, for is +it not he, as little Griselle said, who brings letters from brother +Charles? Charles, it seems, writes every day, and his letters, to +judge by what every member of the family told me, are admirable in +their manly unselfishness. There is never a word of complaint about +the wretchedness of his position; his only anxiety is about his +father, and he is ready to undergo everything so that the old man may +be spared a moment's pain. Ruined, disgraced, though not dishonored, +having to face a long period of imprisonment, which at his age and in +his physical condition may kill him, he affects in his letters the +greatest cheerfulness. Nor is his heroic unselfishness without its +reward. He is the idol of everybody at La Chesnaye and for miles +around. Only one complaint has escaped him since his confinement, and +that was when, during his hurried visit, under guard, to his father, +he went with the children for a favorite walk to a neighboring wood. +Here, as he was walking along the avenue which runs through some +magnificent timber, he looked around at the detectives behind him, and +said with a sigh: "And to-morrow I shall be again within four gray +walls." But immediately he added, that if he could only be allowed to +come and pass an afternoon in the wood with his brothers and sisters +every month, he would not mind his confinement in the least, and could +resign himself to the prospect of imprisonment for the rest of his +days. Yet he is past fifty-three, and his health has suffered terribly +from what he has undergone. + +The half hour before lunch was spent by the children in showing their +pets. A prime favorite with them just now is a little Newfoundland +puppy, which has quite dethroned in their affections an old shepherd +dog, who, as Zi-Zi relates, "came one day and liked us so much that +she has never left us." Another pet of whom a great deal is made is an +African monkey which Matthew brought home from the Soudan. It is +called Bou-Bou, and when it is scolded it hides its face in its hands. +It is quite tame, and runs about without a chain. + +Just before lunch the children set about picking violets, each a +bunch. This they do every day. One is for Charles at Mazas, another +for Madame de Lesseps, but the sweetest is for the old father to wear +in his buttonhole at lunch, which is the only meal he takes with the +family. The child whose bouquet is worn by the father is the proudest +child in Berry that day. + +I could not refrain from a movement of the most painful surprise +when, after a few moments spent in the drawing-room, I was invited by +Madame de Lesseps into the room where her husband sat. I have known M. +de Lesseps for many years, and though the last time that I saw him he +was already under the influence of the sorrow of defeat--it was +just after he had been called before a magistrate, for examination--my +recollection of him had always been as of a man full of the most +surprising vitality and high spirits, keen, bright, energetic, +defying the wear of time, a man of eternal youth in spite of his +white hairs. I remembered him last, erect, with clear voice and +flashing eyes, and now I saw him huddled together in a chair, a wrap +about his knees, nodding his head as under sleep, pale, inert, and +with all the life gone out of his eyes. Behind him stood a large +screen tapestried with red stuff, against which the waxen whiteness +of his face and hands stood out in strong relief. How old he +looked, whom age had seemed to spare so long! For the most part +the head drooped forward on his chest, but now and then he raised it +listlessly and let his eyes wander round the room, or across the +panes on to the fields beyond. There was rarely recognition in his +glance; mostly a look of unalterable sadness--of wonder, it may be, +at the terrible hazards of life. Yet, when now and then one of the +children, who were crowding about his chair, pressed his hand or +kissed his cheek or said some words of endearment to him, the smile +which was one of his characteristics came over his face, and for a +brief moment he seemed himself again. Himself again--that is to say, +in the goodness and great-heartedness which more than all he has ever +done for France merited for him the name of the great Frenchman. For +greatness of heart has always been the keynote of the character of +Ferdinand de Lesseps. It was the secret of the indescribable +seduction which he exercised over everyone who came near him, from +emperor to laborer. It was to this quality of his that M. Renan, +albeit a sceptic himself, rendered such signal homage in the speech +in which he welcomed M. de Lesseps to the French Academy on the day +of his admittance. + +"You were good to all who came," said M. Renan; "you made them feel +that their past would be effaced and that a new life lay before them. +In exchange you only asked them to share your enthusiasm in the work +which you had devoted to the interest of France. You held that most +people can amend if only one will forget their past. One day a whole +gang of convicts arrived at Panama and took work at the canal. The +Austrian consul demanded that they should be handed over to him; but +you delayed giving satisfaction to his request, and at the end of some +weeks the Austrian consulate was fully occupied in remitting home to +Austria, to their families, or, it may be, to their victims, the +moneys which these outcasts whom you had transformed into honest +workmen were earning with the work of their hands. You have declared +your faith in humanity. You have convinced yourself and tried to +convince others that men are loyal and good if only they have the +wherewithal to live. It is your opinion that it is only hunger that +makes men bad. 'Never,' said you in one of your lectures, 'have I had +cause for complaint against any of the workmen, although I have +employed outcasts, pariahs, and convicts. Work has redeemed even the +most dishonest. I have never been robbed, not even of a handkerchief. +It is a fact which I have proved, that men can be brought to do +anything by showing them kindness and by persuading them that they are +working in a cause of universal interest.' Thus you have made green +again what seemed withered for ever and aye. You have given, in a +century of unbelief, a startling proof of the efficacy of faith." + +[Illustration: MADAME DE LESSEPS IN 1880.] + +A thousand instances of this kindness of heart might be cited to show +that M. de Lesseps ever remained a chivalrous gentleman in the best +sense of the word. A trifling experience of my own may suffice. A few +days after my first visit to him, at the office of the Suez Canal, I +was dining at a house in the Cours-la-Reine. It was my first visit to +that house, a fact which somewhat contributed to my embarrassment in +what was one of my first experiences in Parisian society. Amongst the +guests was the editor of one of the principal French papers, and being +anxious to make his acquaintance, I asked our host to introduce me to +my _confrère_. The editor in question had no courtesies to waste upon +an insignificant foreigner, and acknowledged my bow with a reverence +of exaggerated profundity, bowing almost to the earth, and then +swinging round on his heel to continue a conversation with another +journalist, which had been interrupted by the introduction. I was left +standing in the middle of the room, with my eyes on the editor's back, +suffused with shame and mortification. M. de Lesseps saw the slight +thus inflicted on a young man, and from kindness of heart immediately +did what he could to efface it. From his place at the fire, where he +had been standing surrounded by the usual crowd of courtiers, he had +noticed the incident, and I saw him making his way across the +drawing-room towards me, exclaiming to those around him: "Oh, there is +a young man with whom I must have a few words!" He then took me by the +hand, drew me aside, and remained conversing with me until dinner was +announced. + +[Illustration: COUNT DE LESSEPS IN 1880.] + +In view of the awful change that, within so short a time, has been +made in this gentleman, I cannot but think that it must be attributed +to the shock produced in a very old man by an experience which +shows him that he has been mistaken all his life long. It is +terrible to wake up at eighty-five and find that things are not +what one has believed during his past life, and that the men whom +one has loved and respected are unworthy. I believe that what has +struck Ferdinand de Lesseps down in his chair, in full vitality, is +an immense disappointment, not at the failure of his hopes, for he +has always been indifferent to money, and has never had the wish to +leave his children large fortunes, but at the falseness of a creed +which was optimistic to the point of blindness. I believe that +Ferdinand de Lesseps is dying of a broken heart, broken by the immense +ingratitude of men. And if the loss of all the money that has been +sunk in the Panama mud and the pockets of the intrigants of the +Third Republic adds to his sorrow, it is certainly not for himself +nor his family, but for all those who are suffering because they +shared his belief in his star, and who blindly followed him to +ruin. He knew that they were of the humble, and often told me so. +"Panama will be carried out with the savings in woollen stockings of +the peasant and of the workman," he used to say. He has never been +self-seeking. He presented France with a concession, that of the Suez +Canal, estimated at one hundred millions of francs, and with +lands worth another thirty millions, and fought heroically for years +to render to his gift its greatest value. In the words of M. Renan, +the courage, the energy, the resources of all sorts expended by M. +de Lesseps in this struggle were nothing short of prodigious. In +exchange he took for himself enough to enable him to lead the life +of a gentleman and to do good around him. Each of his children he +endowed with not more than seventy thousand francs, the revenues +from which, together with his wife's private fortune, are now all +that remain to the family. I firmly believe that all his life he +acted only from feelings of philanthropy and from patriotism of the +most chivalrous type. He never had any desire to leave a large +fortune, and I can remember his saying to me, very emphatically, that +his children must do as he had done; and that they would do so if +they were worthy of his name; and that he never wished to leave them +large fortunes, but an honorable name, a love for their country equal +to his, and an example which he hoped they would follow. "Let them +work as I have done," said this most tender of fathers. + +It seems that not even this heritage of an honored name is, if the +persecutors of the old man can have their way, to be left to his +family. Since he has been down the number of his adversaries has of +course increased tenfold. Even those who owe him all--many officials +at the Suez Canal Company, for instance, who owe their positions and +fortunes to his genius--seem glad to revenge themselves for their +obligation. De Lesseps has done too much good to men not to be hated, +and it is to be regretted that poor De Maupassant cannot wield his pen +in analysis of the motives which are actuating his former dependents +in their endeavors to renounce all solidarity with the dying +octogenarian of La Chesnaye. I visited the offices of the Suez Canal +Company a few days ago, and, prepared as one is for human ingratitude, +it was distressing in the extreme to see how poor a thing to charm +with was the name at the sound of which, as I can well remember, all +the flunkeys of the place in livery or black frock coat doubled up in +the days that are past. The lion is down, and every ass of Paris has a +heel to kick him with. + +[Illustration: COUNT DE LESSEPS IN 1892.] + +On the other hand, the adversities of the De Lesseps family have +revealed to them the immense number of friends which they possess in +all parts of the world. Letters and telegrams keep pouring in from all +sides to La Chesnaye, and all the available pens are kept busy most of +the day and night in answering the kindest expressions of sympathy, +many from utter strangers. "This is the only thing that gives me +courage to bear it all," said Madame de Lesseps. Helene told me, with +some amusement, that a Spanish banker had the day before written to +Madame de Lesseps to offer her a present of a million, and that there +had been many similar offers of pecuniary assistance from people who +believed the family to be totally ruined. When Charles was down at La +Chesnaye, and was walking in the woods with his escort behind him, a +serious offer was made to him by friends who had gathered around him, +to effect his rescue if he would but give the word. As for tokens of +sympathy from all the country around, they are unending. The farmer at +the home-farm, which was built by M. de Lesseps, and which has been in +the occupation of the present tenants from the beginning, was at +dinner when the paper containing the news of Charles's conviction and +sentence reached him. "He turned quite white," said his wife to me, +"and rushed out of the house and went roaming about the woods like a +demented man until late at night. And I have cried every time I have +thought of M. Charles, whom I knew when he was a baby not higher than +my knee." But perhaps the most devoted friend that remains to the +family is M. de Lesseps's valet, who since his master's fall has never +left him for more than ten minutes together, sleeping on a mattress in +his bedroom, and waiting on him patiently all day and all night. +"Don't let anyone, I don't care who it may be," he says, clenching his +fist, "come near my master. I will be killed before any offence shall +be put upon him." And though one is rather sceptical as to such +professions, I fully believe that in this case they are sincere. It +was touching to note with what reverence, when lunch was served, this +valet approached his master, and, mindful of old formalities of +respect, bowed and said that Monsieur the Count was served; to note +with what womanly gentleness this strong man lifted his feeble master +up and guided his tottering steps into the adjoining dining-room. + +What a beautiful family it was, to be sure, that gathered round that +table! Paul with his girlish ringlets, Robert also in curls. Helene, +who sat next to her father, with her jet-black hair loose down her +back, and her bright eyes contrasting with the ivory pallor of her +face, worn out as the poor child is with care and sorrow and hard work +as her mother's penwoman. Then there was Lolo, a young lady of +eighteen, roughly dressed, but of great elegance, who looked even +sadder than the rest, but who tried to be bright and gay; and on the +other side of her, Solange, who though she is quite a woman in +appearance, hates to be considered so, and wants to be treated as a +child, and refuses to wear long dresses, and loves to climb trees in +the park and to give picnics to her little brothers and sisters in a +mud hovel which she has constructed in the garden. Then there is Zi-Zi +and Griselle--more than twenty in all around the long oval table. +Every now and then one of the children rises from its seat, and runs +up to the old father and kisses him on the cheek, or presses his hand; +and I think all envied Helene who sat next to him and could caress him +when she liked. I was seated just opposite the old man, and I am +afraid my presence disturbed him; for he seemed to listen to what I +said, and to wonder who I was, and what I might want. I shall never +forget the sight of him as he faced me, sunk down in his chair, with +one trembling hand holding his napkin to his breast, and feebly with +the other guiding the morsels to his mouth. He seemed to eat with some +appetite, though under persistent drowsiness, which was only shaken +off for a moment when his wife, who came in late, took her seat at the +table. Then his head was lifted, and a bright look came into his eyes, +as if of salute to the comrade of his life. Whatever Madame de Lesseps +may have suffered, I am sure that she feels herself repaid each time +that those eyes are so lifted to hers. The _dejeuner_ was a simple +though ample one, the _menu_ being in keeping with the manner of life +at Chesnaye, which is that of comfort without ostentation. The wine is +grown by Madame de Lesseps herself, on vineyards of her own planting, +and is that "gray wine" which is so much appreciated by connoisseurs. +It has a beautiful color in a cut-glass decanter. The conversation was +a halting one. Each tried to be gay, each tried to forget the deep +shadow that lay over that family gathering. When the old man's eyes +wandered around the table as if in quest of some one whom he desired +but who was not there, a silence imposed itself on all, for all knew +whom he was seeking, and where that dear one was. + +In his buttonhole was Helene's bouquet of violets, underneath which +peeped out the rosette of the grand officer of the Legion of Honor, +alas, in jeopardy! + +We took coffee in the drawing-room. It was served on a table which +stood underneath a fine portrait of Agnes Sorel, once the mistress of +the house. Facing us were two pictures of the inauguration of the Suez +Canal. The furniture was covered with tapestries mostly from the +needle of the countess. + +It was here that Madame de Lesseps told me of the old man's present +life. "He has the fixed idea that the Queen of England will come and +make all things right. He often rises in his chair and asks if Queen +Victoria has arrived, and when any visitor comes he thinks that it is +she at last." + +Then blanching the countess added, "You think, sir, do you not, that +he is in ignorance of what has happened? You do not think that he has +any suspicion? Sometimes the dreadful thought troubles me that he +knows all, and that, great-hearted gentleman that he is, he lends +himself to this most tragic comedy that we are playing. I sometimes +doubt. Would not that be terrible? And again there are times when I am +convinced that our efforts to hide all that is, are successful. We +give him last year's papers to read. I have had collections sent down. +Formerly we used to cut out or erase parts which we did not want him +to see, but he seemed to notice the alterations, and so we ordered +down papers of a year ago. And it is quite pathetic to hear the +remarks he occasionally makes. Thus a few days ago he called me to his +side in high glee, and said how happy he was to hear that his old +friend M. Ressman had been appointed Italian Ambassador to France, an +event of more than a year ago. There are times, too, when he gets very +impatient at being kept down here, and what he misses chiefly is the +French Academy. He is constantly telling me how anxious he is to +attend, and I have to invent the sorriest fables to explain to him +that the Academicians are not holding any meetings; as, for instance, +that they are all old men, and that they are taking a long holiday." + +The countess sighed and said: "I do what I can, but that terrible +doubt pursues me often. You see, he did know that the Panama affair +had resulted in ruin. It is since he was called before that examining +magistrate, M. Prinet, that he has been as you have seen him. He must +suspect something. How much, we shall never know." + +Then she added: "He is constantly asking after Charles. He knows that +he is in trouble, but we hope that he does not suspect what the +trouble is. Before he was taken as he is, Charles had, to his +knowledge, become involved in that Société des Comptes Courants +bankruptcy, which ruined him; and perhaps his father thinks that his +son's troubles are in connection with that affair." Then the +stepmother broke out into impassioned praise of the stepson: "The +noblest heart! He will suffer all, rather than let the slightest harm +come to his father. He is a hero, a gentleman, a hero, a hero! When he +was here he told us what he had undergone, and said that he was +willing to undergo ten times as much, so that his father be left +unmolested. + +"It is strangers who send us expressions of their sympathy. Those whom +De Lesseps has enriched have forgotten him. And yet I am unjust. I +have had letters from people who risked their positions, their daily +bread, in writing to me as they did. But not a single political man +has written a word to express condolence with the great patriot or +with his family. They dare not. None of my letters are safe. Many of +my friends have received my letters open. Many letters addressed to me +have gone astray. It is dangerous to-day to be the friend of the man +who gave a fortune to his country. + +"He sits there all day," she continued, "and reads his 'Souvenirs of +Forty Years,' the 'Souvenirs' which he has dedicated to his children. +And at times he is quite his old self again, but drowsiness is always +coming upon him. _Mon Dieu!_ that he may be spared to us a little +longer!" + +Helene just then passed through the room. "There is a paper in papa's +room," she whispered, "which I must take away. There is the word +Panama upon it." + +Our conversation was with bated breath, and the ill-fated word was +scouted like an unclean thing. + +And whilst we were talking, the sunny, curly-headed Paul ran into the +room and cried out: "Oh, do come and see papa! Bou-Bou has jumped onto +his shoulder and is picking his violets." + +We moved towards the door, and this was the last that I saw, or may +ever see, of Ferdinand de Lesseps. Against the red background of the +twofold screen he sat sunken, asleep, in his arm-chair, with the two +volumes that tell the story of his heroism in his lap, and on his +shoulders perched a grinning Barbary ape, pulling at and munching the +violets which Helene had picked for him, and which hid in his +buttonhole his jeopardized rosette of the Legion of Honor. Around him +stood his children, and it was sad to see, and sadder still to think, +that, his family excepted, what holds this great heart and splendid +gentleman in dearest affection is not the millionaire grown rich on +his achievements, but a witless, speechless thing, that perhaps has +feeling what a great and generous heart is here. + + + + +McCLURE'S MAGAZINE + +IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. + +TERMS, $1.50 A YEAR; 15 CENTS A COPY. + + +=SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTORS.= + +The most famous authors in America and England will contribute to +McCLURE'S MAGAZINE. A partial list of these authors is as follows: + + R. L. Stevenson, + Rudyard Kipling, + A. Conan Doyle, + Octave Thanet, + William Dean Howells, + Bret Harte, + Clark Russell, + Joel Chandler Harris, + Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson, + F. Marion Crawford, + Margaret Deland, + Herbert D. Ward, + Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, + Thomas Hardy, + J. T. Trowbridge, + Jerome K. Jerome, + Frances Hodgson Burnett, + Theodore Roosevelt, + Joaquin Miller, + Gilbert Parker, + John Burroughs, + Camille Flammarion, + Lillie Chace Wyman, + Sarah Orne Jewett, + Edward Everett Hale, + Louise Chandler Moulton, + Hamlin Garland, + Prof. E. S. Holden, + Prof. C. A. Young, + H. H. Boyesen, + Robert Barr, + Henry M. Stanley, + Archibald Forbes, + Andrew Lang, + Harriet Prescott Spofford, + Dr. J. S. Billings, + W. E. Henley, + Capt. Charles King. + +=PRICE, 15 CENTS A COPY. SUBSCRIPTION, $1.50 A YEAR.= + +The price of this magazine marks a radical departure in the history of +American magazines. This price is possible on account of the +connection of the magazine with the Newspaper Syndicate established by +S. S. McClure. + +Many stories by famous authors, and frequently special articles, will +be secured for the newspapers and afterwards be republished in the +magazine, with new and splendid illustrations. + +=INTERVIEWS WITH FAMOUS PEOPLE.= + +In addition to contributions by noted authors there will be in every +issue of the magazine interviews, prepared by well qualified writers, +with eminent men and women. In this way the story will be told of men +distinguished as =authors=, =artists=, =inventors=, =explorers=, +=scientists=, etc. These interviews will be fully illustrated, and +will have all the value of careful biographical studies set forth in +great part autobiographically. + + Jules Verne, + Frances Hodgson Burnett, + Tissandier, the famous French Balloonist, + Archdeacon Farrar, + Thomas A. Edison, + F. Hopkinson Smith, + H. H. Boyesen, + Alphonse Daudet, + Camille Flammarion, + Edward Everett Hale, + Prof. Graham Bell, + +and many others, have given material for especially prepared +interviews, which will appear fully illustrated in the magazine. + +=THE EDGE OF THE FUTURE= + +is the title of a series of interviews and articles furnished by +Scientists, Inventors, Notable Enterprisers, including men who have +built up great businesses, railroads, manufactories, etc., Statesmen, +Soldiers, Explorers, Surgeons and Investigators, and which will +indicate the lines of future progress. The interviews with Edison +(electricity), Pasteur (bacteriology), Tissandier (ballooning), +illustrate the character of this series. + +=AN ENTIRELY NEW FORM OF MAGAZINE LITERATURE ARE REAL CONVERSATIONS.= + +It is expected that each issue of the magazine will contain real +conversations between eminent personalities. The dialogue between +William Dean Howells and Professor H. H. Boyesen, which appears in +this number, indicates the general character of these contributions. + +=HUMAN DOCUMENTS= + +is the title to a department new in American magazine literature, and +will consist principally of portraits of distinguished men and women +at different periods of their lives, showing the gradual development +of character in distinguished Soldiers, Statesmen, Merchants, +Novelists, Actors, Inventors, etc. + +=FICTION BY FAMOUS AUTHORS.= + +=A Group of Notable Short Stories= has been secured by the editors of +MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE, and two or three will be published in each issue. +Stories may be expected in early numbers by + + Thomas Hardy, + Rudyard Kipling, + Joel Chandler Harris, + Conan Doyle, + William Dean Howells, + Bret Harte, + Harriet Prescott Spofford, + Frances Hodgson Burnett, + R. L. Stevenson, + Sarah Orne Jewett, + Octave Thanet, + Stanley J. Weyman. + +These stories will be fully illustrated. + +=HENRY M. STANLEY= + +will contribute, especially for younger readers, a story of =African +Adventure=. + +=NATURAL HISTORY AND ADVENTURE.= + +There will be several articles written by =Raymond Blathwayt=, who has +been called by Mr. W. T. Stead the best interviewer in England, from +material furnished him by =Karl Hagenbeck= of Hamburg, the great +animal importer and trainer. The articles will deal with + + The Capture of Wild Beasts. + The Transportation of Wild Beasts. + The Training of Wild Beasts. + The Adventures and Escapes of Karl Hagenbeck. + +These articles contain a wealth of material of the most interesting +description. The series will be illustrated by an English artist of +great skill in drawing animals. + +=John Burroughs, C. F. Holder, Dr. C. C. Abbott= and other writers +famous for their work in this field will contribute to the magazine. + +=Of Interest to both Young and Old will be PROF. R. L. GARNER'S +AFRICAN EXPEDITION TO THE GORILLAS.= + +Arrangements have been made, in connection with a leading English +review, to publish Professor Garner's letters descriptive of his +present expedition to Africa. Professor Garner is noted the world over +for the curious and interesting investigations he is making in the +speech of monkeys. He sailed for Africa last September for the purpose +of further pursuing his studies in the native haunts of the gorilla. +He is at present in the heart of the forest. It is expected that the +illustrations of these articles will be from photographs taken by +Professor Garner in Africa. + +=KNOWLEDGE OF IMMEDIATE VALUE= + +will afford the subjects of many articles and interviews that will +deal with problems and questions of universal interest. Among the +topics treated under this head will be "=How to Obtain a Healthy Old +Age=." + +=NEWEST KNOWLEDGE.= + +=Discoveries About to be Made=: A popular and comprehensive report +as gleaned in universities and elsewhere in all departments of +knowledge and investigation. Plans are maturing for an extensive +investigation, by able journalists, of the progress in various +departments of knowledge and science as found in the leading colleges +and universities, as well as manufacturing establishments, where +valuable and original investigations and experiments are undertaken +in various fields. + +The series will touch upon a variety of subjects. =Bacteriology and +What Is Being Done in Its Investigation= will be thoroughly explained +after visiting: the laboratories of eminent authorities such as =Prof. +Welch= of Johns Hopkins University. + +The work done in the most =Notable Physical Laboratories= will be +reported upon. In these laboratories the subjects connected with +electricity are studied and experiments are made that often have +far-reaching results. + +Another subject of great interest is the work of =Famous Astronomical +Observatories=, explaining "=How Discoveries are Made=," etc. + +The recently established =Psychological Laboratories=, where the +action of the mind is scientifically investigated, will furnish +material for a paper of novel interest. + +Special articles will be furnished on =The Physique of the American +Student=, describing gymnastics, outdoor sports, the effect of +training, etc. + +A tour of investigation of this kind cannot fail to bring to light a +great deal of material that cannot be anticipated. + +The articles secured in this way will supplement the material +announced in other parts of this prospectus. + +=TIMELINESS.= + +In the various fields which this magazine will cultivate, a constant +effort will be made to secure articles of timely interest. The newest +book, the latest important political event, the most recent discovery +or invention--in fact, what is newest and most important in every +department of human activity, will be set forth by specially +well-qualified writers, in the form of essays, biographical articles, +interviews or contributions by the men most closely identified with +the subjects in hand. + +=THE PRESENT HOUR= + +will be the subject of a series of articles, published month by month, +dealing with men and measures that are making current history. The +first one is by M. de Blowitz, and appears in this issue. + +=STRANGER THAN FICTION= + +is the title of a department which will contain a number of short +articles; true tales of adventure; striking bits of biography; +interesting and curious facts in science; stories of travelers and +explorers; picturesque short articles gathered from every field of +human activity and investigation. + +=IN GENERAL.= + +The magazine will not only furnish the best literature, but will make +a serious attempt to report the marvelous activities and developments +of modern civilization, and especially of the United States. + + =TERMS, $1.50 A YEAR; 15 CENTS A COPY.= + + =S. S. McCLURE, Limited, + 743 and 745 Broadway, New York City.= + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, +June 1893, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MCCLURE'S MAGAZINE, JUNE 1893 *** + +***** This file should be named 36745-8.txt or 36745-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/7/4/36745/ + +Produced by Katherine Ward, Juliet Sutherland, and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |