The New York Herald Newspaper, November 9, 1874, Page 4

THE RUSSIAN ARMY An Immense Power for War, but in a Poor Condi- tion for Action, Three Great Difficulties—Poverty, Ignorance and Inefficieney. QUEER SCENES IN BARRACKS QUARTERS The Csar’s Belations te Germany and Asia— Can the Muscovite Go To India? Lonpon, Oct, 18, 1874. Some years ago, woen I was living in Russia in an official capacity, my house was in the neighbor- hood of the infantry barracks in one of the largest ities of the south. vuring the flerce heats of summer in the south of Russia there went Up & Stench from those barracks which was absolutely pestilential. Ii the wind set in the direction of my house the windows had to be closed and the rooms fumigated. When | passed the barracks on horse- back, a3 I rode daily to my oMce in the city, I went by at a hand gallop, with my landkerchief tomy nose. I have never seen 80 flithy a place. Outside, indeed, the barracks were whitewashed, and the long range Of bulidings which contained them looked clean and even stately, but within were ali the plagues of Egypt. The oliactory nerves could distinguish no dilerence between a soldier and a polecat. Being deterruned to visit the barracks, however, in detail, 1 went one day witn the captain on duty, who was waking his founds while the soldiers were at mess; and I think that their food stunk worse thau them- selves, Though we were in a corn country, where wheat was plentiful and cheap—so cheap some- times that it was not worth shipping, and was leit torot in heaps when there had been a good barvest in Europe—the bread of these soldiers Was blace and mouldy. Their meat was putrid, and was the offal and reiuse of the market, jough the province also exported much cattle, wad meat might have been bought wholesale jor about four cents a pound. Lhe inevitable resuit of this diet was much fever aud dysentery. The soldiers died like files in autumn, and those who hved were sickly and out of condition. Ispoke to Field Marshal Luders on the suoject. He was avery brave and kind-hearted man, who was, moieover, the moet popular general in the Russian Army, and I enjoyed the honor of bis friendsbip; but he only shrugged his shoulders, and did nov seem to think that anything could be done or neeied to be dome about these barracks and the most miserable herd of human beings which they contained, who were deprived ofall the necessaries and decencies ot life. MORALE IN BARRACKS. The moral character of the poor feliows was sucn 4s might have been expected irom their condition, They were common thieves, It was dangerous to meet thew in the dark, jor they often committed robberies on the highway, and sometimes mur- ders. They were, however, rather pilierers than bighwaymeo or assassins, and they prowied about the neighborhood like iamishea wolves. If a chai was left out in my garden at night, or if any object Worth a cent could be seen at @ bal- copy or threngh an open window im an empty room, it disappeared. There was no reason 10 ask what had become of it; every one Knew it had been stoien by the soldiers, to be used ior firewood or to be turned into alittie money, Ifa cloak ora cushion was leit ior aiew minutes on the seat of @carriage, or 1i the carriage lamps were loose, | ‘tucy were stolen by the soldiers. THE COMMAND. ‘The officers, in their way, were as bad as the men; dirty tellows in uniform were forever calung npn me to borrow u rouole, or, in other words, to beg tor alms, Their pay was pitifully small, and no man under the rank of a colonel, unless some youngster of good famuly in light cavairy regiments, was recognized as a member of good society. Most of the subaltern officers wore neither shirts mor stockings. They bad their uniforms and a miiitary great-coat, and tiey lived in those clothes, never undressing or going to bed, or having any beds to goto. The common name for @ Womao of the town wasa ‘‘captala’s daugnter,” ora “captain’s wife.” Well-to-do tradesmen bad ga great a horror of these subalterns as of the Worst sort of rogues, for if they succeeded tngetting into debt they could not be compelled to pay. Several of the Weaithier merchants, bowever, nad halt a score of them banging about their ware- houses, aud used them to run on errands for their Wives and children. They would do anything, poor creatures, ior a few cents,and their only Pleasure in this world was to get drunk whenever whey had un opportunity ofsodoing. They were eustomed to ferocious treatment from their supe- flora, and I remember that on one occasion, when Thad given a lieutenant something to do, and ex- pressed displeasure at his having taken money tor 3 service which he had not performed, tne de- graded gentieman iell suddenly upon hia knees and put tie palms o/ bis nands together in anatti- tude of supplication, as one to whom the posture baa become familiar by long use. A PAUPERIZED AIDE IN GREAT TROUBLE. Even the Governor Generai’s aides-de-camp were sometimes queer customers, and preyed upon tradesmen as hawks swoop down on sparrows, One of them, who was a°colonel, had contrived to get in debt so deeply with an mukeeper, at whose expense he had lived tor a long time, that the inn- Keeper repeatedly threatened to complain to the Governors General. The Colonel implored Dim not to 40 so, for the Governor Generai was a stern, high-hearted, honorable ola soldier, and would certainly take unpleasant action toward a swin- Gling aide-de-camp. But at last the inpkeeper’s patience was worn out. He had suffered himself to be put off from urging his cluims by so many false pretences that finally he couid not and would not believe a word that the Colonel said to him, fo he dressea himself im his best clotnes and presented himself at the Governor Gen- erai’s house a: the time which His Exceliency Bet apart jor receiving petitions. Of course the first person be met in the Governor General’s anteroom was his deptor, the aide-de-camp, and there the old scene of supplication and entreaty began again. The Colonel said he would serve tue innkeeper likea dog for the rest of his life if he would only withhold bis complaint; that he wonid pay every rombie he owed the next day or that flay, or in ten minutes; he said every<hing and did everything which apparent despair couid suggest to induce the innkeeper to go away. But the Wan was dogged and angry, and ae held resolutely to his purpose. ‘Weill,’ conciuded the Colonel de- Jectediy, “1: you are determined to rain me J must introduce you to the presence of His Exceliency, and heaven teip us both.” He then took the tnn- Keeper respectiully by the sleeve and led him into the inner chamber wuere the great man sat, It was just alter the commencement oi the present reign, When the military despotism which had welghed #o heavily upon Russian thoughe during the rule Of the Emperor Nicholas nad somewhat relaxed, and 1! the Governor General haa a weakness it was ® certain new born desire ior popuiarity. The Colonel, bis aide-de-camp, knew of this bent in his Chiefs mind, or at least suspected it, and, there- fore, having saluted the Governor General witn More than the usual stiffness and ceremony, he pointed to the innkeeper anu said, “May it please Your Excesjency, this poor wan, who has recently | set up @ house of entertainment. has prepared a eS public breakiast, in the hope that you will eign to be present at it and that he may open nis tublishment under jour august auspices. hie is Reserving Jedow; but have told him that his ex; e Retna bbs ra ead Yo Be “ cel capact cop “4 08 ofering Hevertneless, be nas anes General, Who Was a Very tall maa, Jor bum. bis humble ae on this occasi The Goverae: NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1874.-TRIPLE SHEET. | rose to his fall ht, made a sta’ + of the to roclane, per, an maid oriefy, “1 Will go to the entertainment.” aide-de-camp then hustled the man out of the room, boasting in his ear thut he had done mim a signal benefit; and the Mnkeeper went away ruminating over reflec- tons which were too big for words. The story | came out aiterwards, and everybedy luughed ati. | No one could see anv impropriety tu tae Colonel having Ireed himseli trom a dimcaity when put to his trumps oy piaying a vig sue. THE GENGRKALS. | ‘To go still higher, and examine into the benavior of Russian gencrals woula vc, peruaps, a thank~ lees tasd. But itis certain that wheuever tnere 18 a War they become miraculously rich. The mau- mer in whica army contracts are disposed of and managed is periectiy ustounding. When the al- | Med armies were in the Crimea one general pur- chased several herd of imaginary oxen for the use of his troops, He then reported that some of these fi ry oxen had died and that as their carcasses might utrefy with evil results, he had caused them to e buried at some expense, Which he duly charged im mis accounts, Then he reported that a murram hed spread among the rest, till all these herds of imaginary oXen had disappeared to the last beast, causing More and more expense to the State as they died. The General had, be observed, caused some of them to be killed when the rest died So Jast, and ve had employed 4 provision mer- chant to salt and pot their desh, but it bad un- happuy proved unit for use, and there were the receipts of the provision meicuant for the pots and salt wuich tuey had consumed; even the pots bac to be thrown away aud destroyed, So that the herds Of oxen, alter baving gone through all these viciasitudes, had leit not a vestage behind, and he had been vecessaruy cowpelied to buy other herds of oxen, which were perhaps more or leas imaginary also. THES STRENGTH OF THE ENGINE FOR WAR, Now, although these and many stranger things may be told avont the Russian army, foreign statesmen who should underestimate its sirepgtn as an engine of war would come to extremely un- sound conclusions. Ii. 13 Lil-paid, ili-fed, it tanger, but it 18 composed Of an innumerable host, Which obeys & single will and whica is simply invincibie. 1 purpose now to treat of tne graver side o1 Lbs sudject, and { have collected trom trustworthy sources such imformation upon It as 1s, or should be, 01 singular mterest at least 10 the European Powers, and especially to Englaud at the present ume, In the first place, there is the all important question 01 expenditure, Which there are several Ways Of judging, the casiest but least correct being the one generally adopted. This method consists im simply comparing the tatal of the mii!- | most imperative in modern wariare, of keeping | ‘ary budget oj one country with that of pace wiibevents. J% was to the Heglect of this | Mother, just out of the reach of London beeps Pel jor _aaemnle uw ane oomantae are Bracers PY a one tapes of ne ney aie | smoke, at Lime House. Sebastian Viner, laken 0! ‘rance, crmany and Austria, a com- sustaine in CO! ct with ie better - parigon biguly uniaverabie imay ve ‘drewa, show- equipped forces Of kngland and France. | the hero, 18 young artist, a straightforward, hon lug that tue percentage of military expenditure on expenditure of gli kinds is much greater in Russia than in auy 01 the above Mentioned States. Moreover, financial critics who mamtain that the war budget could advantageously be reduced, do Not sau LO pulnt out that many of its items, such as clothing, horses, Jorage aud so forth, are cheaper mm Russia than eisewnere; algo that the pay of Russian officers 28 well as of soldiers 18 less than tne pay in other armies, COMPARED WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, Such comparison:, however, have no analogy with the regi state o1 thingy, inasmuch ag the it~ uations of the countries compared are uot identi- cul. Gerwany apa France aye conditions more Javorable Jor the purposes of military organiza- tiou; their armies can be kept within a limited spdce; and thew peace estabiisiments demand — only 2 small number o! troops, chiefly a3 cadres lor tue full force to be Prought out in ume Ol 'var. In both countries Munition of war and comumissariat stores are easily supplied by native industry and resources, while Geriaany bas Unis surther advan- | tage, that, owing to the superior education ol her lower. classes, she bas all tae elements at hand to base the military hierarchy on @ solid soundation neral education and moraiity. | FINANCE AND AGRICULTURE AS BASES OF POWER. | Russia, Ou the other band, 13s poor. Her popuia- tion, so Jar 1rom being educated, is bardiy emery- | ing irom barbarism, and with such insudicient | maverials ahe must cover with ber troops au ex- | tent of ground more than ten times the superficial area of Austria, France and Germany put to- etaer. Tie development 0! her weaith, except in the matter of Kussian agricultural produce, bas haraly commenced, the ebergy displayed during modelled at a cousiderabhe cast, and would, it 1s | terly unsuited toeach other; but it was a cruel tae last Jew years notwithatauding. Mauy o! the necessaries of ordiuary Lic have to be lwported | rou abroad a: @ proportionate cost, wile there are otuer expenses Which are pecuilar to the mili- tary ouaget of Kusaia, owiug to her climate and | geographical situation. Fuel is a necessity to te Muscovite souier ip seasons Of tue year When 1t | would oujy ve a luxury to Frenchmen or Germans. Again, 12 the northern parts of the Empire w nier 13 almost one long Arctic night, and light io such regions 1s 2 heavy liem of ex- pense. Those critics who grumbe most at tue cost of the army are, nevertueless, the first 10 complam Of its msufiicient power of development: wnd, indeed, It is Clear that Russia cannot bring into the fleid un army equal in numoer bo that oF GERMANY AND AUSTRIA COMBINED. Those two countries can muster 2,000,000 of men | on a War looting, while JRuasia, even under the new organization, could “not pring more than 1,600,000 intv tne Held. A farther increase, réther than a reduction im the budget, would ve neces. | wary vo remedy this inferiority, aud in order to bave 2,000,000 of orgauized troops and DO militia there would have io be created cadres proportioned w thuse ot Germany. The effective | wtrensin of the atiny in ume.of peace does not exceed 400,000 men, ie With & Maximum of 1,520,000 im time of war. To obtain a numerical SiTeLgtD 0: 2,040,000 It would be necessary 10. ain- tain an effective strength in tupe Of peace of 602,001, ald this constitutes exactly we dificulty ol the new Graeniaetion. ‘Lo bring about a greater developwent in tine ai war and to keep the peace establishment within the Darrowest poasivie limits au Jocal troops now constituting tne militia of , reserve Wouid have to be draited unto the cadres, At is obvious, therefore, that a greater develop- | Meu: is Mupossible without & relative increase of | tue peace estabiusbment. | Tue effective sirength of the Russian Empire, | Whica has been reduced during tue jast ten years | to the lowest looting, ts not more taan equal to that of avy army in Deighboring countries. The ; Russian ary is a political and tecbnical instru. ment, requirng improvement as much as any other institution; and | IF BUSSIA REALLY WANTS & MILITARY FORCE atall it cannot be less than that of other coun- tries, aud should always be ready at a moment's Dotice to enter into conuict with them, while the slightest leet may be Jollowed by Jatal couse. juencer. ‘Ih: vioiation of those principies lost , Buniggritz to Austria; and sedan to France. s¢ Prussia came out of wars victoriously it wwe because the government looked at th! army, not as a burden weigh. ing upon the economical interests of tne country, but as @ force which guaranteed to tue Euipire its very existence. Should, however, Bussia lusist upon the Decessity of having an army equal to the combinea forces of Germany and Austria, the theory involved ju this proposition is @ curious one, and i! as agencral principle ot de- Jence it Were followed by vther Dauoms it might lead to extiaordimary results. For tnstune, if Germany considered it advisable to have an army equal to those of Austria and Russia combined, or if Austria snouid fiad it mecesgary to egual the united iorces of Russia and Germany, Lurope Would soon find itsel 10 noe: viable position. ‘nere | isa ieeimg that, sooner or later, a clash of inter. | este in tie Baltic take ce, ‘Phe bavitual hatred efertained by the Muscovite toward everythiuy that is German conduces very much to bring about resuita which seem likely enough to produce this danger, even supposing that it does hot exist already, and the commercial interests of | the world should prepare for coutingencies, j EDUCATION IN THE ARMY. Reference has been made to tbe advantages which the superior education of ber peasantry ha: comei:red on Germany; m respect of muitary or- ganzation, Her non-commissioned officers are provaoly better informed than the subvalterms of the #rench army, or, indeed, of the under the old system. As jor Russia, she cannot com- pare with her powertul neignvor im regard to the intellectual and morai quailfications of omeers or men. The svandard of education among officers of inferior grade is lamentably deficient. Uiten they camno: write their own language, und, up to the rank of cojonel, a great portion of miltary men lack a knowledge ol the ordinary rudiments Of military duties. It is contemplated to estabjisn @ rule vhat al! candidates or frst commissions in eo army shoud be subjected teexamination. If this Would be cashiered. COMMERCE AND ITS RESULTS. Ihave alluded to tne tardy development of the national resources, The country is indeed in the tuiaucy of its commerciai pro-perity. It has no aruicial roads communicating with the ‘trans- Volga provinces, the White Sea, the Caucasus or ‘Terkestan. With a population of 82,000,000 of intavitants Russia ig tu iew places thickly set- Ued. fhe average population of tho Ozar's do- minions in Europe, imctuding finland and Poland, is only 760; of the Caucasus, 560; of Turkestan, 70, and of Siberia, 17, to the geographical square Mile. Inthe uninhabited portions out a small amount O/ capital 18 distributed among the in- habitants, Few of the Russian octties can com- pare wich foreign ones; jor the main part they are simply large Villages, some of Which their in- habitants see periodically destroyed by fires. ‘he imdustry of ® country 1s always on a level | With its wants and witn ite degree of civilization. ‘The wants of the Russian people must be measured ' by the fact that up to February, 1361, large num- bers were stillin ate of slavery; thereiore it is onty within the ticteen years that the wants began to merease. Thanks tothe efforts of the governmens, various brauches of trade are now vegioning to proser; and @ decisive influence has been broagnt to bear on the progress of mod- ern society im the Nortn. At the same time the jJow standard of edncation which ‘etracts 80 greatly irom thé efficiency of the army makes its Daneful influence felt in civil ile; it 1s even iM. | cult to ipd agents for government purposes, which are o:ten those of peace and trad | changes science has effecte: reguiation were to be enforced against oMcers m actual service, every second iieutenant | | Of civilization among the lurtar tribes and the | armies, dtsa ributed throughout Russia, trom St. Petersburg (co Teiis and rom Warsaw to Tashkao, the War Deq artment as to rely tor the reciutt- ment of the forces on raw or hail- weight mate rial, While the demands for technical knowledge ¢ an only be met by tramiug men for the manulac ture of the needful objects, and then trapsporun’, them thousands of miles to the vari- ous depots, ‘Ine department maintains a thor- ougi syste? 01 educationa; establishments—-cien- tiac, genera. and special, ihe pupiis gradu rg duclimation | and with th e direction not of one, but of several | RECENT NOVELS 8 | A Story of English Life---An Idol | | | Turned to Clay. there.rom in wany eases leave lve service in Cou. | sequence Of 1RGucements Offered to young men of education by the better paid employments of civ lve. THY are Hot, as in Germaby, eucour- aged Lo rema.at ju tae army by the hope ol promo- tion irom the 7 anks, or even the assured prospect Qi the cvmiorta:bie Pay and respectabie position of a Prosaian por te-cpie (a rank betw sioned and D@u-comuussioned officer), t any ciever anct well condacted soldier in the Em- peror William’) army may uapire, SURVEYING, This is anot ber serious item of expenditure, owlug to tie € KOrmMous area of the Kussian terr: iory, yet (he co et ol the Ordmance Department 13 Jess than in Gei many, though, considering the im- mense distal twice a8 heavy & elsewhere, Indeed, enough has bardly been act Beved in t direction, the me- ridian of some ey in the Euxine pot having been yet ascertatued. Agaiu, the increase of the Yearly contingeiat of recruits, the shortening of the term of serv b:e, Nave Decessitated a large 1n- crease in the Waieiport services. The more com- plication there 18 lu the arrangement and disiri- bution of the ai gay the greater the number both oO! conscripts Wiw have to be despatched to their depots and of meit who, after their term of service is expired, Inust be sent back to their respective homes, situated, perhaps, at a distauce of thou- sSunds of miles, at the puvile cost, the more need there Ys for the War Department to provide against Unlorescen and eXtraordiuary expeuses, Yet nO Gwitlistanding the extreme ine- | quility O1 the sit\tution in regard to the cost of this oranch of the wdministration Russia does 206 spend more taan he coe on the transport service, Still she bh As, xince 1866, set to work With | some vigor in tii# Qirection, and government | has lately sanctio.ted an ontiay of $3,000,000, | Yhere is DOW a good stock of Tegimentai wagous constructed after 1he newest patterns, besides a suticient number af carts for temporary ambu- dances. | MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY, | In fact, tue evertts of 1970-71 have at length awakened tue Min.gters of tae Czar to the need, Yet, curing the first. few years that followed the | Crumean war, military entries occupied but the | second place in the tmdget. Russia was compelled | to economize. She Bad expended her reserve of Inilitary stores, and.¥ad to postpone the most im- portunt requirement’ of the army. While Russia remained quiet Kuiope had completely trans- forimed its armaments. Latierly Russia has en- Geavored to nake up for lost time. Much has been done; yet, in the opspion of competent oiticers, Muci remains to be done. in 2867 the reserves of | clothing, equipmentt, &¢, were estimated at | $3,000,000; but the stcek On hand was either bad | quaiity or of obsolete patterns, and the Commissa- riat had considerable aificaity in supplying the then Current requirer@ents oi the army. Never- theless, the present psrinanent aud extraordinary reserves Of the impertal acmy comprise clothing und equipments lor a@pwurd of (00,000 men, the stock being valued at igo bess than $13,500,000. All articles of ciothing and equipment required lor immediate mobilizntion of the army are now im the very ‘places where the troops are quartered, or im neighboring locali- | ties. ‘he rapidity with whica clothing can | be produced is jurthe® assisted by tue estab- | lsbment of large Work sfiops. Since 1861 or 1862 tt | has been the practice ot fne Russian Commissariat | to draw upon the permatient reserves lor the sup- ply of ordinary requiremeats, but this has proved | ‘4 DOULTFUY. ECONOMY, and is being abandon At present the War | Department can fall bak, in emergencies, on & { reserve of provisions, aWavunting to more than | 1,000,000 bushels of four, Valued at $2,250,000. | hospital and surgical serv§ces Bave aiso been re- | thought, be abie to bear tthe atrain of a campaign. Turning to the service, Which every successiul War raises to greater impod'tance, we thas the | reserve of i | ARTILIGRY has cost not more than $2,250,000 in’six years. Tnis sum does not include the active Mianufaciure of cannon. ‘the reserve oj lead, watoh was tormerly estimated at less than 600.000 pounds weigit, has been raised jately to nuarly 0,000,000 pounds | weight, ‘The expenditure on jortresses na: amounted vo no! Jess than $4. 00/),000 of late years lor each succesding bndst Russia, lke Ger- Many, 18 reconstructing herY first class fortresses. At (le same time 1-nas been iound necessary to renew all the enginecring mw terial, to build new pontoons and thoroughly ta reorganize the tele- graphic services. ORDNANCE DEP/AIRTMENT. O1 course the most serious tems In the military accounts of Russia, as of ali other nations at the | present time, are occasion Ht by tne wonderfui in all kinds of arma- ments. The Czars troops suffered as severcly from the Minie rifles ofthe Kaglish and Frenca | 1n 1854 ag the Austrian solai pra rea from the | enects of the needle gun in W365. this respect the War Department of St. Petersburg has re- cently made enormous stric¢s. There are now stored io the arsenais more this. 1 1,060,000 of quick fring rifles aud 1,500 breech-)o; dmg cannon with iron gun carriages for field servic, and 400 Mitrailieuses. Tne armaments: of the fortresses, whien in 1860 counted avout 9.000 serviceabie smooth-vore guns, have pven ‘au;menied vy up- wards oh 8,600 casper, of neveer Datterng, The sums thus expen may ber ¢ckoned by tens of miluions of dollars. if i r WHAT THE ARMY 148 TO Do, The services required of the iRussian army are much more severe than those 1M foreign armies, Soldiers have to periorm the duties of escorts over immene distunces, to keep order in remote | provinces and guard distantly sd usted factories. They wave also 10 work at the manufacture of | their clothing and equipments, o> sides doing in- ferjor service in military worksh¢ ps, Such a task ig this eXtra service vn the tume @: the men that | olten, out of a company of venty men, not more than thirty will be avaiable ior the muster on parade. ; ‘fhe Russian army is thus a va industrial hosr, formidavie m War and yet not ‘useless in peace. | Perhaps it would be fairer to say toat it 1s adually formidable in peace and in wait, for the solaiery gie generally quartered op the ind abitants. T are, as | have snown, tilevish to @ a » and at the present tune the discipline ‘tained 1s , extremely lax. Old officers de@\are that since the knout was abolished (there is serious argument ieft with whic’a ‘to appeal to the conscience Of @ Russian private. An elaborate system 0! military law has supersecied the justice which iormerly overtook: an 0} Crimes have not decreased uncaor ti we meant reforms, but the new tribunals have created @ good many offices of: emolument and added to the patronage of the \ kintster of War. Hence they are not to be lightly cr wicised. | TUE TRUE DEFENCR OF Rit 's1a. | it bas been alleged that Russia “needs no bule | warks,”’ uo fortresses along the lire of her fron- | her; that the enormous extent of hur territory 18 tts best defence. Certainly Ruysia cannot ve overrun in & campaign, but incavalable misery and disgrace might be inflicted ¢m her by an armed occupation o! the western pr wvinces of the Empire, which, ti left unguarded, wo aid fail a prey | to the winner of the first battle in 1 Wat direction, | and the western provinces are th.’ wealthiest. Moreover, itshould not be forgotten that the vast | read and smoke. It seemed manly in her girltsh | Martin's isiand, the propert; development of Russian ratlways di tring the last jew years has made every part of the Ozar’s Euro- peu dominions easier oj access. ‘The ‘ablest strat- egists agree that Napoleon would ha ve remained master of the country in 1812 nad a ratiway sys tem been then imexistence. As thei mtroduction of steam into navigation has deprived ENGLAND of much of the security she formeriy fe #t in her in- sular position, and has made her deve te within a lew years $45,000,000 to fortityiog hei? coasts, 80 the steam engine tas @onitilated th st distance from his neighbors which was the old #, the Muscovite, ON THE SIDF OF ASIA. There is of course no Jeur of invastors, 1nd only @ lew small forts are necessary, rather 14s ‘vutposts than ior any purposes of deience. Russian officets know periectiy weil that i there ever should b @ war In those regions England will not be the ag gsressor. Nor will Rassia, if she be wise, Long i sefore @ guard of Russian army could ever arrive within wight of | Peshawar the government o/ india wou bd have Ulle to concentrate a force on the fronti er quite suMcient to repel the forces which the Em geror’s generals could lead across the deserts, In M. DE LESSEPS’ OPINION, India ja impregnabie. To attack her fr an side of Europe steep mountains and tre # Wiids have to be traversed. (he dificulties 1 tl commissariat department Would be to an save ing army imsuperavie, While the army of @ efence Would be kept constautly supplied from the, prama- Ties of the Most jertile country inthe world, Which 18, Moreover, being rapidly covered py a ne. work Ol railways, under the direction of the indiat | War Oflice, Moreover, the Suez Canal would e habie knyland to despatch retutorcements from 1 ‘orts- mouth te Bombay in less than a monto’s me. in filty years’ time the situation may | be considerably aitered. by that date t here will be not one, but several lines of Fail- way irom the borders of the frontier of India, Persia, Afghanistan sod Cabool will have started into a new hie under “the | Induence of European capital and Kuropean .en- gineers, he march irom Khiva to Peshawar: Way | clothes and gave her plenty of gay ribvons to rig | himsell down upon t then he a8 easy a8 tue march from Weisenbur § to Paris, But during the intervening period h aia Will also have nage gigantic strides in wealth, . (nD Population and in tie arts of civilizatior st Ul, ® im the Empire, i, ught weil be | | chapter; but in that case their lives would proba- | | sister. ‘The passion of which he was capable lay | | dormant until Etta Langel, the daughter of a rich | | well. | nothing more. | rence does not marry Rose. | | ; 4 Woman’s Soul for a Sack i of Gold. Not the Expected American Novel. Plot, Counter-Plot, Love and Misery. “UNDER THR LIMES.” “Under the Limes,’ the latest addition to Mac- | mitlan’s popular novels, is a story that {tdoes one | good to read in these days of unhealthy romance. The book is buta simple tale of everyday life in | England, No baljs dnd horse races are chronicled; | croquet playing and tea drinkings are the extent of the dissipation af tue people whose quiet life is here recorded. The characters are so natural that they might belong to any time or country. A | rather sad story this, take it all inall. The round people without trying fall naturally into the square holes and the square people into the round holes, If they had only known what was before them how easily every thing might have been made right. Rose Anstie, the heroine, 19 a loy- able English girl, living with her aunt and grand- erable fellow, with just enough of the Bobemian in him to make him attractive. Rose and Sebas- | tian should have loved and married in the frat | bly not have been worth recording. Rose did love | Sebastian, but the young artist only loved her asa banker, appeared upon the scene. Her beautiful | face attracted the artist’s eye; he feli desperately | in love, and suddenly proposed marriage to the girl. Etta was not without a sort of affection for Sebastian, but her nature was not ove to feel deeply. Sue imagined she loved, but atill had her | misgivings. In the wealth of his own passton Se- | bastian so overlooked her shortcomings that he never suspected for a moment that ali was not It did go hard with him when Etta begged nim to give up his painting and | go to banking, so that they might live better after they were married. But he laid down the brush | and took up the pen without a murmur. A young | nobleman, Sir Laurence Carey, an irresolate, win- ning sort of a tellow, was more to Etta’s mind; she had decided misgivings as to her future hap- piness with Sebastian, and-finally cast him off. It is just as wel! that she did, for they were ut- | | Linley, who by this time had gotten over her | | Could it be le, Roche Valentine! Little did | Louis Rochford Know whet his old friend was doing for his sake. | she knew nothing of her antecedents. Rochiord | aud Cynthia used to ride agreat deal in the Row | together; but, taen, Linley was never On a horse in her life, and could not have joined them haa she cared to, One day, during one of these rides, Cynthia was thrown from her horse and badiy hort. Linley came down stairs ‘rom her own room | Just in time to see Rochiord lay the injured girl on | a sofa in the drawing room, kneel by her side and kiss her over and over again. Of course Linicy was socked, and her husband couid not fall to see in patching up a sort of peace with his wile, but the knife bad entered her heart. A woman wio feit an unconquerable jealousy toward a man whom she looked upon as a rival, could scarcely see her husband kissing the face and hands of @ beautiful woman without feeling slightly dis- Ye | band and wife began to tremble. ‘8 rolled ward woman. To be sure she lacked much intel- lgeuce, but that did not prevent her being very attractive to the men. Kochford she particularly admired, and was as lavish of her caresses on him in public as ip private. her husband, but he poon-poohed her off, Sinda was nothing but a child, and he would Iike to lead weak men astray. She pretended great de- votion to Linley, and worked largely upon Roch- jJord’s vanity. From bad, tilings grew to worse. Rochford privately told Sinda that when Linley died she should be the reigning queen of bis heart and home. People did mot pretend to restrain their tongues, aud gossip grew apace, One bright morning Linley came down to breakiast—they are back at Dripdeanham mow—and learned that | Sinda had fied, whither noone knew. Valentine also disappeared at the same time, and idie tongues put two and two together, Even Roch- ford shook @ doubting head and smiled an in- alnuating smile when the sabject was broached. jealousy of Valentine and learned to admire bis true manliness of ebapacter, tried to disbelieve tne story; but had she not her husband’s word for its truth? Suddenly Linley was called to Bonn by the death of one of her old aunts. Her husband accompanied her to the depot, she excused bim from taking her to Dover, and as he pressed her hand in farewell he begged her not to return with. | out lettmg him know a day or two beforehand. | While at Bonn Linley met Valentine in the street, | and she, aiter some beating about the bush, asked him if he was “the cause of Sinda Marzell leaving He replied that he was the cause. their house.” Linley returned to London. She was met by her husband, who appeared very kind, but a liutie strange. One udhappy morning Mrs. Courcelies called upon the Rochioras, Now she had a chance | to crush Linley, whom she hated, and she did so | effectually. Bit by bit she told Linley tbe story of her husband’s perfidy. The wile heard 1t all—ner husband’s guilt, Sinda’s shame. She did not faint nor scream—there was no scene. She only sat in her chair, with her young. sorrowful eyes fixed upon the author of all her miscry, Mrs. Courcelles was gone, and Rochford went up to bis wife and touched her on the shoulder. ‘Come, Linley,” he said soothingly, ‘let us be friends | once more. I have done wrong; J have treated | you badly—though not so badly as you think—but you stall never have cause to complain agatn.” His wife looked peautiful to him at that mo- blow to her lover. Mrs. Langel, the mother, with | an eye to the peerage, makes overtures to Sir Laurence on her daughter's account. The young , | nobleman, utterly surprised, and not unjustly, ; writes a3 much to the plotting mother. He marry | once, Etta when he has been ig love with Rose for years? but his passion 1s unrequitted. Rose feels toward Laurence as Viner towara her, friendship, and | Time passes slowly along. outside world looks carelessly on, pities Viner for his lost love—whom, however, he ceased to cate for when he tound her | without @ heart—and wonders why Lau- Alas, poor Laurie! his gentle, aimless life soon comes to a sad clase. ‘The first time that he makes an effort to do some- thing in the worla he 1s taken down with a fever and dies quietly at the home of his ancestors. In the sequel Etta marries a rich merchant, who could not tell an oll painting from a sampler, and Sebastian, after spending a couple of years under the sunny skies of Italy, returns to England and marries Rose. The book ts flied with pretty descriptions of outdoor .life. One can fairly see the little garden | at Lime House, and smell the delicate odor of the lime trees scattered about the lawn. Without being at all startling, the story is really entertain- ing, and one feels that he parts with old friends when ne closes the covers on the last page of “Under the Limes.” LINLRY ROCHFORD. Louts Rochford married his wife at Bonn. She ‘was teaching school with two old maiden aunts in thatquaint German city when Rochford happened there on his travels, saw her, loved her, or thought he did, and married her. After maging a tour on the Continent the happy couple settled down at the old famtly place in Dripdeanham, not far from London. Rochford was thirty-nine at the tume of his marriage and Linley, his wife, was Bineteen. She had never known’ but this one map, aud all the wealth of the love in her hereto- fore unscathed heart was lavished upon her hus- band. Perhaps she loved too well—more like an idolater than a lover. This intense sort of love | pleased Rochford fora time. He liked to be ad- pomp. mired for his handsome face and manly form | rather than his good heart or manly qualities. At uy rate married li‘e was a novelty and he hada new plaything. Linley must sing to nim, read to him, sit with him and amuse him. But adnley must go to bed early like a good little , | girl while her tord and master sat up half the | t night with his cigar anda volume of agreeable reading. Sometimes she would steal down from her bedroom and stand at the foot of the stairs looking at her husband as he sat reading in his library, utterly unconscious of her presence. | her heart she rather hiked his staying behind to | eyes. If he bad seen her standing there it would have pleased his vanity rather than touchea any of the finer chords of his “manly” nature. The | beautiful picture she made in her nightdress, with her fair hair curling down over her shoul- | ders, would never have suggested iteelf to his | mind, Linley*s love was blind and did not see any | of the shortcomings of her husband. They had a | happy, quiet time ar Dripdeanham. The neigh- | bors were few but friendly. There was old Tux- | ham, an eccentric Vachelor, who had a rather dis- | agreeable Way of telling unpicasant truths; the Platts, rich, uneducated, simple hearted folks, and Mrs. Courcelles and her beautiful daughter | Cynthia. Rochiord had one intimate, Roche Valentine, without whom life woud have been a } | | plainly, But, then, what more was she than a | eluid? Time often hung heavy on the young wile’s | bored by her constant companionship. One day she met @ ragged, barefooted girl of fifteen who | had been deserted by her father and whose | motner was dead. The girl was a handsome, wild sort of a thing with fierce black eyes and brown | skin. Linley took compassion on the girl and brought | her home wit her. She dressed her in good | hersett in, The girl, whose name was Sinda | Marzell, occupied a strange poeition in the | house—too high fora servaut and too jew for an rt mi . | Sime probably fights ior Kussia, who tates: e D y 4 Tass o, the, people srl im, e Jemen able OF: | have not Jev ven up ambition as ewermous ia. ¢%, | Cw0e Hall, Linley and her husband went aown hundred know how to r or write. aad are as unscrupulous as were ever {te , to their town house in London, and left the girl | Ic tg obvious that tm & country only in | hoe ‘tne dom thions ome aoe Stee i | Sinda at the head of their country house. Every- e . 1s THE INCIPIRNT STAGE Pccutaues pile | the aasurances of M. de Lesee, teat henna os: ‘3, thing passed off pleasantly in London the proviem of cated and difiicuic of the State more tham oue end has to view, the Russian army being @ for the defence ‘of tne Empire, but to be of service 1 its inter: miniwtration. The border proy- iuces and ae ‘of the central districts are gov- etre mariitar, Seprioe, bat som In the military organization kept in | not omy | Tit Ro barm aud would not taxe India if it lay with reach of her grasp one may set tne repeat ‘aroings of M. Vamoéry una inatsputable wt it ever since the conclusion of peace with Ev ¢¢-" and been steadily pursuing @ policy of Annexauon io Asia, It will require more than! & eM dei Seno aaa oa Rtas ss ee only Linley began to feel that sue was not as much to her husband ne would like tobe. The Cour- celles, Mother and daugnter, were invited to pay the Rochford’s a visit. Mrs, Courcelles was the near relation of a bishop, and carried herself with becoming digaity. Sue bad no liking for Linley in the Srst plate because abe had always intended The | In bands as her husband now and then seemed a trifle | She called hersel! a princess, and said inat | | her father was a prince, and that we would come | the Caspian: to | back toher some time when he got his rights. | ment, and the very thougnt of the girl | Sinda was hateful to lm. Linley looked up and said, slow! and decided.y:—“I am going away this very day. «I am going back to Germany. I wiil teach, I know some people at Bonn, who will be kind to me for the sake of my aunts and old times, and | will teach there ain—languages and music. 1 was happy there You will not prevent me, Louis? Oh, no, you cannot be so bad as that. 1 don’t know what | power the law gives you over me, but I know you Will not use it, You will let me go’ Rochford roaned aloud, A miserable man, indeed. Per- ps not Wholly bad, but weak and vain; selfsi, | bué not intentionally cruel. Linley listened to bis | pleading that they shogid live together for a few | days longer, so that he might lave time to ar- range his affairs and leave London at the same time to save scandal, There was a dinner party at the Rochfords’ the very (lay that this exposure was made. The hus- bana and wile bore their part in it novly, neither showed si of the storm within, and the evening passed off pleasantly. * * Just before Linley Tetired to her veil that night she heard a strange noise down stairs. What could it be? {tly she crept down to the library door and | looked in. There stood her husband’s chair. Tae lamp burned, brightly on the table, and near it | Stood the books and epee he had been reading. But where was her husband? Quietly she stepped into the room. The silence wus oppressive; the lace looked ghostly in the flickering lignt. Lin- | ley, drawn by an irresistiple impulse, hurried | | around by the empty chair. Then she flung he r- selfon her kees on the soft carpet; breathless, wild, she strove to raise array The dead body of her husband was too heavy for her slight strength. Apople. had at last clutched Louis Rochiord, and he had fallen trom his chair and dieu quietly on his owa hearthstone, | ‘The biow was stunning, but Linley Rochford had | long since ceased to love her husband with the passionate idolatry of their early marvied life. » %* * Tt is nearly two years since Louis Roci- ford died, and now his widow 1s the happy wile af Roache Valentine. Mr. McCarthy draws a good moral from his novel, which it would be well ior both men aad women to consider. Husbands, your wives are not to be treated like dolis—the playthings of an hour. | Wives, your husbands are net made for vou to fall |; down and worship—jour idols are but clay. A SACK OF GOK Twenty-five years ago Letitia Wald tived with her widowed mother in the ‘family homestead among the New England hills. Mrs. Hopeful Wald | was a cold hearted but just woman, who took | better care of her house than of her daughter's ; happiness. Letitia hated household duties and the tle im the quiet country village. She snubbed the young Jarmer lads who worshipped her hand- | some face. She despised their coarse bands and rough clothes and longed for a world that was not | confined by @ range of hills, ‘The nearest up- proach to the sort of @ cavalier after whom her heart yearned wis Charles Vyner, the ratuer | good looking and rather weak minded clerk of awyer Perkins. Young Vyner was midly in love | with Letitia, but the conrse of true love, ta this ay well as other instances, did not run smoothiy. Mrs. Wald did not like Vyner; she said he was a Jool who would never earn his own bread and but- er, and she forbade lim the house. But love j laughs at locksmiths and at opposing mothers, | Letitia inherited hor mother’s strength of will and was not to be mastered. Many were the trysts held in shady woods or moonilt aroors. Finally Letitia and Charles eloped, and Gieenville | enjoyed a nine days’ wonder. Mrs. Wald said nothing, only she looked a little whiter and a little sterner than Was usual, even withhber. Thenewiy | married couple took reiuge in an old house on st. | of the husband. Letitia’s wild = spirit congenial ety m the roariug sea and eruel rocks that bounded its shore, Life the old house with only her husband soon bored her. Let the waves beat their hardest and the winds shriek their loudest, they were music to | the young Wife's ears. One day the waves beat harder and the winus whistled louder than usual. Letitia was walking aimlessly along the shore, Suddenly sve heard the deep booming of a gun at sea. Ina moment she was at her husband's side, “Tneard ® gun over the water; what does it | mean?” she cried vreathiessly. “I am sure I do not know,” (Mietiy repited Charles, who was busy | cooking some trout jor supper, The excited woman shamed her husband into removing lis | apron and accompanying her to the slore, A wide white wall of log rose sheer and impeneira- bie trom the beach. ‘something moves ae said the wile, and she threw vack her cloak aud knelt on the sand. A wave broke at her waist and | \ \ ! toun | ; | lett something in her grasp—a drowning man | burden, Valentine took care of all his | cunging to a bit of ‘out. Recovering. trot iis | friend's business affairs, wrote his, letters | arathy, wens ice cae lenepelyo a in ny arms and carrie Oo tie house, Then he ran end egal Hella Rae tea he a aah to the deach, leaving his wile to When Linley found out how necessarv Valentine | jeeq the man with brandy. Soon the stran- was to her husband’s happiness she became | ger opened his eves. ‘Letitia Waid!” Jealous of him and showed her feelings too , the yolce wasfalntand weak. ‘Thomas Thoraley, | can it be you’ Indeed, tt was none other. ‘This | Thornley was well known in Greeuville as an ad- | venturous, roving fellow, good jor nothing in par- | ticular. In truth, be was a genins, but entuusiastic and visionary, He bad been absent trom home for | a long time, and every one but his wife thought ill | ot him, The dying man thaaked God to fina nim- self among friends aud vonfded Ms secret to | Letitia, With his last breath he told tis olt | mend that he was hurrying home to lay a fortuue at his wife’s leet. it was all in hard gold aud on board the sinking Vessel, ‘In my berth, beneath the mattress, jor my soul, ve done my best.’ Alas! Letitia, Torn vy @ thousand con- ficting emotions, she remained silens upoa the subject of the dyiny man's last words. In the | gray of the evening she insisted upon visiting the wreck, ‘The husband refused to go, and threw tue bed aad slept alter his toil, Leutia hated cowardice, She despised ieeble in- on at the moment when bravely was necdeu. Without a word of warning she lelt the house, | crept down to the shore, jumped abourd the boat | and soon pulled out to the wreck. Fastening a | lile-preserver aoout her body and taking a lantern | in her hand, she began the work of descent. But the lantern fell from her hand and was broken to | a thousand tragments. Very soon the edge of | dawn jit the eastern horizon. The woman, guided | | by tue pale light, climbed aboard the wreck, She | peered into ths cabin, nestrated, set her lips iriwly and ran down the companlonway. splasn, aped Lio Fae Water up to her Knees, Where water Was (ieepest something was lying, with | one rigid arm heid upright by the Angers grasp- — jog an fre} ae ite he sias ines ig. low re Orns |is fates gusiecd lis secret atver wilt Levitia’s | Be know who brought her there in the first place? | Sinda was young in years, but old in the arts that | that such was the case. He sugceeded, however, | turbed. The ground that lay between this hus- | | around and Sinda developed into a beautilul way- | | gentiem: | Rochford for her Cynthia, and in the second place | eyes dilated she climbed upon the tal over and caretuliy drew the object to touching the thieving dead hand. In the white arms of this oeautifal, wicked woman Were plunged up to their eivows in yellow gold and her ernei eves were dazzled by the flisi of gems, When Charles Vyner awoke his young WLe@ Stood by his bed with sliver tureads 10 her wind: biown hair. Stern, just Mrs. Wald went down to St, Mar. tin’s Island tosee her wayward daughter, gut toe bird and ber mate had flown, gud she re turned home alone. This rizid Puritan has one iriend in Greenville, Mra, Thomas Tvornley. Waen she came back from Si. Marti’s Isiand this mend Was dying, kilied by the news of her husband's Geath. Her one cmid, ner poy Thomas, sue gave into the care of Mrs, Wald, in the meuntime the son of Mrs. Wald, a miastonary tn Alrica, dies, jeaving hs orphaned daughter to bis mother's pro- tection. The little boy and the little girl yet along famously together. ‘The years roil around and fi ‘Thomas almost a man and the uttle Kate just b ding into her teens. Young ‘Tom thi ks that bis grandmother, a8 he calis Mrs, Waid, has doue enough for him, §0 ne asks and finaliy obtains her consent t» go to New York and seek’ his jortune. He sets out for the great metropolis and by good juck finds nis way into the Banking honse of Waiteiaw, Randolph & Co. One of the partners, attracted by the boy’s honest face, takes him into his emp‘oy aud into his affections as well. This kind who to be no one less than | Charles Vyner, lives in elegant style up town. His Linley remonstrated with | | him. family is away. They have been spend! France, aud he takes the boy nome. aaa ie One day Tom comes unexvectedly into the | house of his friend, and is surprised to see @ } turn to the old house at Greenville, and Tom’ | vie grace of Gautier. nele | Braddock,” t | Stockton’s sketches of the negro coaracter are tl beaulitul young girl Btanding in the conservato! Before he has time to make aby apology the aire mother enters the room and demands his name, “Lam Thomas Thorntey,” the boy promptly ree plies. He had hardiy pronounced the last word | When a strange pallor overspread the lady's face, = ee bot piers to the floor. hen Mr. Vyner cawe home irom the wiie told him that Thorpley must be AA gedit immediately. As usual, the husband obeys, nod the boy 18 sent West with @ railroad contractor, In the course of ix years he returns to Green. ville, a bronzed and bearded map. Of course the little Kate has grown invo womanhcod, and the most natural thing in the world is ior young Tom to fall im love with ner, and this he does, 3 paw sion is reciprocated, aud the two become engaged, ‘Then Tom stops in New York on bis return to the West and meets Rose Vyner, aud they become the best of triends, By astrange coincidence Mrs. Wald discovers that Thoroley’s jather made a million dollars 1a Russia, waich he was bringing home to his wile at the time he was wrecked, She makes up her mind to teli young Vom this bit of news herself, s0 she and Kate pack their bags and come down to the city. ‘They learn that Tom is ut a ball on the nignt of their arrival and that this ball is given at the residence oi Mr. Charles Vyner. ‘‘My daughter's husband,” exclaims the unhappy motuer, and orders tue coachman to drive to tne house. Mother and daughter meet after the many years that Lave parece and a partial reconciliation is effected. ‘om learns that he is heir to a somewhat mythical estate, but his head is not turned by the news und ne leaves New York for the West. Rose Vyner 18 engaged to be married to Archibald Yarington, an old millonnaire, who loads her with the costlleat resents, Her parents smile upon the matcn, bus ose is not altogether happy. The day be- fore the one appointed for the wedding she gathers together her little pile of bank notes and disappears. Con{usion reigns in the palatial home of Charles Vyner. In the anguish of her heart Letitia confesses everything to her mother. Mra, Wald lieard the tale unpityingly. ‘ide the sin for your pride’s sake,’ said ahé, “and save your race from scorn. How are you better than @ com- mon felon,’” ‘Yom Thorniey was standing idly in the railway station of the httle Western town that bore nis name, awaiting the arrival of the first train at the place. The locomotive came shrieking along, the train stopped, and out of one of the cars stepped Rose Vyner, who fell fainting into bis arms. Aiter ‘Tom had carried his burden to the nearest hotel he exclaimed, “Tell me first, what brings you here?” ‘Because yon are the only iriend I nave,’? was the reply, and Rose told him her piti- ful story. ‘The gossips of the little town were not slow in making scaudal of Rose’s advent, and the friends of Tom toox 1 for granted that he was goiog to marry the girl ove, in the mean- Whue, was perfectly nappy, for she felt that she had found a protector, and she bad no idea that Tom was engaged to‘be married to Kai One cold winter eveniug, while the suow ay, ? up against the windows and the winds how! lereely through the leafless trees, Rose Vynéer and ‘Thomas Thornley were married in the cheerlesa arior of the Western hotel. Poor Tom! poor Rowe! poor Kate! Mrs. Wald is sterner than ever, and Kate is almost broken-hearted. ‘he two name is never mentioned. When Rose aud her husband retura to the Vyner mansion the Con« science-stiicken Letitia makes her confession. Tom does not pretend to forgive ner, but offers her the house to live in 48 usual, but the offer is declined. Both she und her ousband return to the mother at Greenvitie to end their days, Cnarl never having understood the extent of-his wile’s crime. Rose is but a delicate flower at best, and it 18 not long before she dies, Of course Tom laments her death, but his heart has always been: wedded to Kate. A reconciliation is brougot about without great difficulty, and the two are, united at last, And thus enus a tale of ill-gotten gain, pride and overreaching ambition, as told irginia W. Jobnson and published by Harper Brothers, A WINTER IN RUSSIA, Tnéophile Gautier, whose “Winter in Russiat has just leit the press of Henry Holt & Co., be« longed to the school of Protestants in literature of which Viccor Hugo was a chie/; his opinions on matters of poetry were radical in the extrem such 10 fact as to cause the hair of the old penoot Utt‘rateurs to stand on end. Toere was once no name too hard for Gautier and his tribe; charia. tan Was one of the epithets applied by the sti adherepts of Moliére and the other superanuated classics of la delle France. But Hugo and Gautier Won their way. It 18 a proof that there is the rignt stuff im the man when one finds him writing these Russian essays without dragging in his hoobies, without too violently showing that, being a Frenchman, he therefore has @ right to be ignorant of other countries. Now and toen he smacks of the Parisian, as when he says of the swiltness of tne railway train:—“This sur prises no one but myself in our marvellous nine- teenth century.’ Now and then be telis us com- Plaisautly what we ail know very well. But Gautier 1s plainly a reader of English and Germans he alludes well to the poems of his sriend Hel he has an apt quotation, which 18 not exactly bald quotation, ior this thiug and that rawa from the Spanish, Italian or English. So, too, his national pride shuws out in the pardonavle Legh § with which he observes that the language cooks ol France are to be met with iu every land pretending to civilization. To the squeamish dig- nity of Americans nis light description o1 the man- ner in which he attended @ court ball at St. Peters- burg wilt sound odd. Au American might be found to humble himself go far as to enter by Dack- staits and ascend to the cornice of the ballroom jor the sake of seeing the glittering mag- nifcence of a ball at the richest, most ex- pensive court of all Europe, but it ts doubtial Whether that American would put himself in print even if he were master of the airy, unsere Yet, to any Huropean, save @ Frenchman, iu act of such a kind can cause no lowering in his own esteem, being the consistent Fesult 1 @ division of ranks. It 18 @ little sure prising, however, that a brilliant writer of demo- cratic France—of levelling, impudent, Comma. nistic France, the admirers of rank will say—it is Surprising that he should not have felt an impair. ment of dignity. But when this is said, all is said. The descripe tions, Which have all the artless effect of rs Neral travellers, gradually cut themselv inte your memory, and, behold, you have been Treading an artist! An artist - Théopnile Gautier 1s in every sense, from that of the man who knows how to nature with bras and pencil ag ‘to compare his work with all the schools of painting, old and modern, to the metaphorical artist Who works in words and ts compelled to sitt bis sentences patiently over the pa hold his reader’s attention, and at the end lea’ land. scape perfect in his reader’s mind. With whee careful skill, with what apparent laziness of work the themes are treated it is not Necessary to say. Being an arpist poet it is hardly right to expect deep thougits, poitical or social. Gautier has hie hands full with other themes; there are plenty of writers of the sombre sctioul. He takes you by the hand througi stiff Beriin, through Hamourg, the Pap etous and overted, as well as throug! Hamburg, the ancient and picturesque. Lu beck, paradise for painters, and the Baltic, bring you to Cronstadt and St. Petersburg. You drive in the whirling “drojkies,”? you whirr along in the light sleighs, you watch ‘the horse races on the irozen Neva and the while @ll about you the Weaith-sprung bulidings, the gorgeous Greek churcnes, the golden domes ana towers of the city where sg Many nations own an Emperor. A review occurs, We see tue strange squadreas of knights aad C! cassians, the sokd columns of patient foot, the brilant, gitttering uniforms of the officers, But we are also given to understand the setting of each picture, the color of the atmosphere, the reflections of the snow Or Water, and, best of a the faces and dress of the inhabitants of the Rt capiial, All this 18 given with light-learted brille jancy, a8 Mf the author never bad dache, never saw the sud side of life, “WHAT MIGHT HAVE SHEN EXPECTED,” “What Might Have Been Expected” is the tatuer ieeble title of a book tor children, by Frank R. Stockton, Whicu has just appeared trom the press of Doad & Mead, Tn spite of the feepleness ot the ttle, however, the book is one of the strong. est of 1t8 kind which has yet been written 1D this country, and it contains two ugiqne characters, which will give it an excoptional lace in onr Iiterature, ‘The: e “Anu Mauida’ Ui you see y ant vo very old Virginia darki only portrattares of the nee of old Virgini which may be cailed successiul, Mra Stowe’é negroes Were all mere puppets set up {oe 8 Bap pose. Tit are fatthiul pictures—enildlike, ut trie, it was Mr Stockton’s mie fortune that his Virginia “aunt? and inele” had fo be seo with tne surroundings which pertain to chitdten's books, not so wach to make Wem harmonize with tie story us to imake the story harmonize with them, but it is the migiorsune of every writer who would describe the simple qualides of the aged negro, This macn, hi y can be said for the “Children’s Book.” part of little Work, that it is an amu: vehicle toa pre- senting the public With two really greas @ YI negro cuuracier,