YALE ALUMNI
WHBK LY
7
THE BOOK SHELF.
A Book About Books.
In these busy days it is not only the
so-called “man of affairs’ who is so
often forced to call into his service the
“book about books,” if he is to keep
up with more than the daily news; it —
is just as true that the university stu-
dent must do so. This fact has been
finally established by the success of
such monumental works as Mr. Sted-
man’s “Library of American Literature,”
and Mr. Warner’s more recent “Library
of the World’s Best Literature,” and,
less markedly, by the continued favor
which has been extended to such out-
lines of literary history as Brooke’s
invaluable “Primer” and Donald G.
Mitchell’s “Lands and Letters.” It is
not that a reader prefers to accept the
opinions of another rather than to form .
his own; it is that not one reader in ten
thousand has the time to come fairly
to his own conclusions, even in such
very limited fields as he may be fitted
to travel through unguided. For this
reason we are glad to be told what we
want to know—told too in a pleasant
manner by some luckier man whose
time has allowed wide reading and
whose ability warrants his addressing
the reading public.
A truly valuable addition to such
books as these has recently appeared
in Professor Dowden’s
French Literature.” The title may
have a text-book ring to it that would
tend to prejudice those who never look
beyond the cover, but even the briefest
examination of the volume shows its
true worth. The author has’ done for
the literature of France what has never
been done for it before, and very much
the same sort of thing that Brooke has
done for the literature of England.
He has given a readable, graphic, com-
prehensive survey of his subject, the
brighter figures standing out in memor-
able distinctness, the less important
well fitted into the perspective—and
this in but little more than four hun-
dred clearly-printed pages. The treat-
ment is less vivacious than that which
we know in Taine, but it is far more
just; the style is less colloquial than
that which adds so especial a charm to
the pages of our own Donald G. Mitch-
ell, but it is more scholarly and ac-
curate. The beginnings of French
literature are ably summarized; the
national epics, the romances of love
and courtesy are fittingly dealt with,
the Renaissance, the Reformation,
Froissart, Rabelais, Montaigne, are
charmingly portrayed; Corneille, Ra-
cine, Molieré; Voltaire and Diderot;
Lamartine and Musset; Victor Hugo
best of all. Professor Dowden is not
a specialist, but is widely read, is of
sound taste, sane judgment, and he
wields a delightful pen. His work is
the work of an able, cultured gentle-
man, not microscopic or loaded with
detail. It is a book that all of us can
read with true pleasure, and most of
us with decided profit. (Appleton,
$1.50.)
A New Anthology.
To edita “Golden Treasury of Ameri-
can Songs and Lyrics,” following in
the line of the late Professor Palgrave’s
invaluable English treasury, was a
work both alluring and dangerous. In
that the field to be covered was not of
great dimensions it was the easier; to hit
the present public taste and at the same
time produce a collection that should
prove of permanent and real merit was
not easy. The treasury that 5.
Knowles has completed (L. C. Page,
$1.25), cannot be said to be perfect,
but it is so marked an improvement
over all the similar attempts that have
preceded it, that it deserves a generous
success. To begin with, the book is
beautifully printed on a linen paper
that is pleasing both to hand and eye.
This is an advance agent that can only
work for good. Then it is comprehen-
sive, including some sixty odd names
in its list, ranging from Bryant to
Lloyd Mifflin. The chronological ar-
rangement is simplest and so the best.
Finally, the poems chosen are, with
remarkably few exceptions, pieces of
such decided merit that no reasonable
question can be raised as to the place
here given them. The one fault that
might be found with the collection
ig that the editor's point of view has
been too obviously personal, that he
has ignored some songs and lyrics
which the most eminent of our critics
have united in praising, and in proof
it may be adduced that Whitman re-
“History of.
ceives the scantiest attention. But
judgment of any sort is so personal an
affair, after all, that it would be poor
taste to condemn for such faults of
omission a volume whose good points
are so marked as this. The bouquet
may seem too small, many a blossom
we have learned to love may have been
omitted, but it is a bouquet of real
flowers, of beauty and fragrance, and
so we should be but too glad to put it
upon our shelves—remembering that
bg are flowers which are imperish-
able.
German Humor in Translation.
The admirers of the German Flie-
gende Blaetier are many, but in their
number are some who never laugh at
its pictures without a real regret that
they cannot read the jokes. Perhaps it
was of these that the E. R. Herrick
Co. were thinking especially in issuing
the “Flying Leaves” which has come
in among the usual “picture books” of
the season. It is very certain that
such magazinites will be especially
pleased with these characteristic selec-
tions from a weekly that is often artistic
and usually intensely funny. The jokes
chosen for reproduction are all of them
illustrated, and many are in that form
of a series of pictures telling their own
story, in which the artists of Germany
would seem to have attained to a pecu-
liar degree of excellence. Those of us
who turn towards the humorous side of
things will find in this oblong quarto
a very acceptable companion.
WARWICK JAMES PRICE.
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Be Pe a3
With New York Alumni.
[Correspondence of YALE ALUMNI WEEKLY.]
New York, Feb. 9, 1898.—The demand
for. tickets for the New York Yale din-
ner is already sufficient to justify the
highest expectations. Nearly every
class graduated within the past forty
years will be represented, and there will
of course be members from many of the
older classes present. Several applica-
tions for class tables have already been
sent in, one of the first to be received
being that of the Class of Sixty. Lan-
der’s Orchestra has been engaged for
the evening, and, as in former years, a
separate table has been reserved for
former members of the Glee Club, who
“will lead the singing of the college
songs.
In the list of speakers so far an-
nounced, the name of President Dwight
is missed. He has signified his inabil-
ity to attend, which causes much regret.
The preliminary toast list as given out
by President Adee is as follows:
The University....Prof. A. T. Hadley.
Sister Universities.............———
‘Ehe’ Yale Spirit... =, H. C. Robinson.
Heroes of the Forum, |
Dr. E.. V. Raynolds.
Introducing the Debating Team.
Heroes of the Field,
Rev. J. H. Twichell.
Introducing the Football Team.
Valedictory....<... Col. N. G. Osborn.
CLUB LIBRARY AFFAIRS.
The report of Edwin D. Worcester,
Jr., Secretary of the Library Commit-
tee of the Yale Club, which is com-
plete to February Ist, shows money
contributions of nearly three hundred
ete.
dollars, as well as gifts of over one
hundred and fifty books, and memora-
bilia, magazines, etching, photographs,
The contributors have been:
Money—Brayton Ives, ’61; William
L. Learned, ’41; Payson Merrill, ’6s;
Julian A. Ripley, ’98; Thomas Thacher,
71; Robert W. de Forest, ’70; Richard
M. Hurd, ’88; Ashbel Green, Jr., ’or;
Philip) G. Bartlett, ’81; Charles H.
Sherrill, Jr., ’8o.
Books—Edmund C. Stedman, ’53;
Albert Matthews, ’42; Sherman Evarts,
81; Henry Holt, 62; Chauncey M.
Depew, ’56; Noah H. Swayne, 2d, ’93:
Edwin R. Lamson, ’92; Richard M.
Higed . 88;. Lewis S. Haslam. “oo:
George E. Coney, ’76; John S. Thacher,
"77; ‘Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor;
Lawrence Edward Brown, ’93; W. P.
Bacon, 58; Charles T. Catlin, ’56; Pay-
son Merrill, 65; Charles R. Smith, ’75;
A. P. Rogers, ‘94 S.; H. D. -Parmetee-
Edwin D. Worcester, Jr., 76; James F.
Colby, A.M., ’77.
Miscellaneous—Frederick M. Lloyd,
93, and Bertram K. Boltwood, ’93 S..,
memorabilia; Alfred B. Thacher, ’74,
and T. A. Vernon, 76 S., photographs;
Edwin D. Worcester, Jr., 76, and Ed-
ward H. Dodd, ’92, magazines; Chaun-
cey M. Depew, ’56, portraits; Emory
Hawes, ’96, elk’s head; Edwin D. Wor-
cester, Ir., “76, etching: John B. Unhle
"71, engraved portraits.
Mention of the splendid loan collec-
tions of originals from the publishing
houses of Scribner’s and Harper’s has
been made in previous issues of the
WEEKLY.
REUNION OF NINETY-SEVEN.
On Saturday, Feb. 19th, or Feb. 26th,
the Class of Ninety-Seven will hold its
second reunion. The date has not yet
been fixed on account of the difficulty
of making the necessary arrangements
until it is learned whether or not many
men will leave the city on the 19th, to
be gone over the 22d, Washington’s
Birthday.
The first Club book of the Yale Club
is now in the hands of printer.
A Strong Yale Organization.
The New England Society in the
City of Brooklyn is an organization
formed 18 years ago to commemorate
the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers; to
encourage the study of New England
history; to establish a library, and to
promote charity, good fellowship and
social intercourse among its members.”
t has a membership of over 300, a fund
accumulated for the purposes of the
Society exceeding $25,000 in amount,
and has been for years the strongest
and most prominent organization of its
_ kind in what was formerly the City of
Brooklyn. At the annual election for
officers on Jan. 17, the Yale influence
manifested itself as folllows:
President—William B. Davenport,
"67.
Ist Vice-President—Frederic Pe
Ward, ’62.
2d Vice-President—Jos. A. Burr, ’71.
Corresponding Secretary—Charles H.
Levermore, ’709.
The two remaining officers, the
Treasurer and Recording Secretary,
were filled by the election of a Dart-
mouth and Brown University man
respectively.
)DRESS rorone 2¢ STAMP
OLUM BI A DEALER.
o——
NEW YORK———-BUFFALO—_
A
ey
The Hartford Dinner,
The annual dinner of the Hartford
Yale Alumni Association will be held
in the Hotel Hartford, Feb. 18. Har-
rison B. Freeman, the President of the
Association, will act as toastmaster.
Among the speakers of the occasion
will be Joseph H. Twichell, Henry C.
Robinson, Charles Hopkins Clark, and
John H. Buck. It is hoped that Presi-
dent Dwight and Bishop Coadjutor
Chauncey Brewster will also be present
and favor with speeches, but definite
acceptances have not yet been received.
A double quartette of the Glee Club
will be present.
yi MARK
r LOCK FRONT.
HOLT -NY
J. EDWARD SOMERS,
IMPORTING TAILOR,
63 Center Street,
NEW HAVEN, - CONN.
F. R. BLISS & CO.,
ew TAILORS
CHURCH AND CHAPEL STREETS,
New Haven, Conn.
CHARLES T. PENNELL,
Successor to Wm. Franklin & Co.,
IMPORTING TAILOR,
40 Center St., New Haven, Conn.
PACH BROS.,
COLLEGE PHOTOGRAPHERS,
1024 Chapel St., New Haven.
Branch of No. 935 Broadway, - New York
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Delivered to
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Us Seftor
$9.50
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