The New York Herald Newspaper, December 26, 1875, Page 3

* MARIE TAGLIONI. Unexpected Apparition of an Ancient Celeb- rity—The Great Italian Dancer on a Shopping Expedition. Her Time Spent Between Milan and Como. HER LUXURIOUS VILLA ON THE LAKE, History of the Ballet-—She the First Grand Figure of the Modern Ballet. —_-—— SPLENDID TRIUMPHS IN PAIS. Her Repeated Vow to Celibacy Mysteriously Broken. GREAT CHOREGRAPHIO BVENT OF THE CENTURY, Taglioni, Cerito, Grisi and Elssler in a Grand Pas de Quatre. MiLan, Haly, Noy. 15, ka Yesterday morning, a8 1 was standing in a sBp in the Galleria di Vittorio Emanuele, an Italian journalist, who was with me, called my attention wa lady buying some gloves at the counter. He said, in an undertone, “Take a good look at her, She isagreat celebrity. I doubt if you have ever seen her before. She is one of our lions, or, rather, honesses.”? A MILANESE LIONESS, ‘As it is my vocation to know celebrities, or, rather, of them, I gazed at her for some time (I was in a posi- tion where I could observe without being observed), wondering who the Milanese lion could be that I had never beheld, Her face being partly concealed by a Diack lace veil, I could not see it to advantage. It ap- peared, however, to belong to a woman of perhaps fifty, The teatures were smail, but tolerably regular; the expression pleasant, the smile sweet, though some- what faded. There was, on close observation, a certain made-up look, as if her hair were dyed, wrinkles oncealed by cosmetics and the trace of years carefully concealed by art Still it was very well done, and I question if I bad thought of artificiality had I not inferred from ar manner that she was, or had been, an actress. She was plainly but clegantly dressed in a heavy Diack silk, with a bit of lace at her throat, her nands daintily gloved, and every inch of her toilet fitting her © perfection, As she passed out and entered her car- riage she lifted her skirts, and I perceived that her feet, though quite well shaped, were large, which was ‘more than counterbalanced by a graceful, RHYTHMIC MOVEMENT OF HER LEGS, as if they had been trained to poses and to prettiness. An actress, I reflected; and then that gliding, undula- tory motion of the limbs, She must be a dancer. Sol turned tomy companion and told him my surmis:s. “You're rignt,” he replied; ‘‘but CAN YOU GUESS WHO SHE 18? Do you take her to be the premitre of La Scala or for the last novelty of Paris?” “‘] take her for nothing buta dancer. I have not the remotest notion whether she be from Paris or Ispabap, but | fee) confident she has been on the stage some- where, and for years, too. Am I right?” “You are. That woman is Marie Taglioni.”” “Ig it possible! Is it the renowned, the grand Marie, who bewitched Paris more than forty years ago, and whose fame spread over both hemispheres ?’” THE GREAT DANCER, “The very same, She resides here half the year and the other half in ber villa on the Lake of Como, where sho entertains her friends in luxurious style. She is remarkably well preserved. You would not suspect her to be beyond seventy, But she ts, having been born i the spring of 1804, in Stockholm. There is nothing of the Scandinavian in her appearance. She is such only by the accident of birth, As her name denotes, sbe is of Italian extraction. Her satber, Philip Taglioni, was a Milanese, having been born here in 1777, He went to the capital of Sweden when a young man, and was first dancer and balletmaster at the princi- pal theatre of the city at the time bis wife presented him with a daughter. You see 1 am familiar with ber career, The reason is that I once wrote a biographical sketch of her, und the leading facts remain in my memory.” “Was it for your people?” 1 inquired, “Ob, no. It was for a publisher in Pari, who was getting out o volume of notable people. We never print any such things in our papers. ‘The French and American journals monopolize that kind of literature.” “Why don’t you print an account of Taglioni now— alight, gosstping account? it would be very readable, for everybody has heard of her and enjoys personality, particularly of the famous.’” “] suppose it would be; but we don’t do it, because we nover have done {t. That’s the only reasonI can think of; the only one, indeed, that there is It is in your line, for you are an American, Ill give you all the information you want when we get back to the hotel.” Before we returned we fell to talking ot ‘THR BALLET, of which Taglioni had been the queen. Its history !s curious, Comparatively modern in one sense, it is in anotber very ancient, having been used in old religious ceremonies. The sacred mysteries of Paganism were assisted by it, ae is recorded by the Greck authors, Aristotle speaks of dancers in his day who, by move- ment and gesture, express passions and actions. Athenwus says that some of them brought their dances to such perfection that the greatest sculptors studied their attitudes in order to reproduce them in bronze and marble, The Romans copied the Greeks in this as in every- thing else, Tbe ballet, in Augustus’ time, attained marked excellence, Bathyllus, Hyllas and Pylades won extended fame by their pautomimic and choregraphic skill. Each bad his school, and the eager rivalry of pupils and partisans led to serious disturb- ances in the city, Unvil the fail of the Empire sach dancing continued, bat only among men. When the Western capital was at Byzantiam women began to. take part, Theodora (the wife of Justinan afterward), who, according to all chroniclers, was one of the lewedst and cruelest of minxes, performed on the stage with great success, and is thought to have danced herself into ‘he affections of the Emperor, There seems have been no ballet in the Middle Ages, but at the close of the fifteenth century, when Galgas Viscgnt! magried Isqbella of Aragon a spectacle of the kind met vitl sock favor Uyat it was introduced into several other countries besides this, France was very fond of the entertainment. Catha- rine de Medici bad a grand ballet presented at an ex- pense of 5,(00,000 livres. Henry IV. enjoyed tho dance; so did Louis XIV. before he became a vealot. But the ballet was not firmly established until the beginning of last century, Noverre, o{the Paris Academy of Music, having largely con- tributed to thatend. He saysin his “Letters on tho imitative Arts” that a perfect ballet ts a living picture of the manners, dresses, ceremonies, customs of all aations It should be a complete pantomime, speaking ‘throngh the eyes and the very soul of the spectators, If it does not without other aid clearly demonstrate the incidents and passions it aims to describe, it is a mere divertisement, nota ballet, It is only within halfa century that women have monopolized the ballet, in which belore men chiefly shono—like Baldasare Vestris, eal: god of dancing, who was so sublimely con- ceited ‘vat he was wont to say that his age had, pro- duced but three great men, Frederic I., Voltaire and himself, QUEEN OF THE MODRRN BALLET. Tagtion| may be counted the first grand figare in the ‘modern ballet; for she was born before Fannie Elssler, Carlotta Grisi or Fannie Cerito, the quartet of great contemporaneovs dancers, and won many of ber laurels ere a eingle sprig had beem miaced om any of phair. NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, DEUEMBER 26, 1875—TRIPLE SHNET. ‘Vrown, She reeelvea instruction and danced in divers capitals of the Continent from her fourteenth to her seventeenth year, and made ber formal débat in Vienna when she was eighteen. No woman of her time bad shown such agility and grace, and she at once rose to After dancing in Germany and Italy for four or five years with uniform prosperity she decided to goto Paris, knowing that she must be crowned there before shg could rank ag a great artist. ‘rRIvMPH IN PARIS, In the winter of 1826-7 she appeared on the stage of the Grand Opera and was most enthusiastically re- ceived. ‘The capital of civilization was convulsed over hi She .was called glorious, sublime, magnificent, ravishing, Wonderful, divine. She was then in the blossom of her womanhood. She was twenty-six. She was not beautiful, but ber eyes were fine, being dark, changeable, Justrous; and her countenance was strik- ingly auimated. Her figure was superb—round, but lithe; voluptuous, but delicate; and her manner o¢ costuming yielded ample opportunity to display it to the most liberal extent. She was stormed with flowers, verses, letters, presents, proposals. Paris had seen nothing like her, and it offered perpetual incense to its new Ttalfam goddess Managers everywhere clamored for her, Lutetia would not let her go, She was the fresh, toy that delighted it, and she must be kept, Her salary was advanced again and again. Her eegtatic praises, sounded on the Seine, were echoed in every corner of Europe. She stayed in the city for five years, having received in that time on an average one hundred love letters a week, and a num- ber of offers of marriage. She had resolved never to accept a busband, declaring that a woman devoted to art should have no matrimonial distractions. MARRIED AGAINST HER WORD, She announced her decision many times, and had persuaded herself of her sincerity, when Count Gilbert de Voisins carried her off connubially. How, or wherefore, no-one could conjecture. His was far less desirable than many offers she had had. He had nothing in particular to recommend him, unless it |. were a title, andtitles had accompanied previous pro- posals that had been rejected. Perhaps she loved him. There have been, such instances even in the lives of ballet dancers, At any rate she was his wife, and will- ingly. What matters the wherefore? She appears to have been very prudent for a Latin actives, BHR NEVER COMPROMISED HERSELY, Sho never placed herself in a position to be misunder- stood, She made many friends, though she never tried to transport them into the region where ferocious passion domands all, and will take nothing less, Her discretion added to her fascination, She became an anomaly, a mystery. Paris could not comprehend a young dancer who steadily refused to have lovers, and what it comprehends not it wildly worships. From that time she was regarded as ‘THE FIRST DANCER IN RUROPE by her thousands of adwirers, though many of Fannie Elssler’s devotees claimed that honor for her. She electrified audiences here, in Naples, Rome, Dresden, Berlin, St, Petersburg, Brussels, London. In the last capital she appeared on the stage in con- junction with Fannie Cerito, Carlotta Grisi and Fannie Elssler, which was a great choregraphic event; the greatest, in truth, of the century. I have met persons who assisted on the memorable occasion (it was, I think, in 1840), and they still speak of it with deep enthusiasm. The theatre was packed with the most distin. guished people im London, Each of the artists had her partisans, each was in her prime, The house, the stage, the ballet was resplendent, Intense excitement prevailed. The dancers did their utmost to excel. They eclipsed themselves, for they were in- spired with a generous rivalry; their hearts were in their mouths; their souls were in their legs. Never before, in/all probability, had they danced so exquisitely, The audience awarded the palm according to its prepossession, Some yielded it to Cerito, some to Grisi, Dut the great mass were divided between Elssler and Taglionj, the majority inclining to the old- est of the four in point of execution and rapidity of movement, Taghoni made mearly as much reputation In ‘La Bayadére” in Germany as she made in London and Paris in “La Syiphide” and “La Fille du Danube.” Some of the other ballets in which she was illustrious were “Cendrilion,” Nathalio,” ‘Flore et Zephire,” “Guillaume Tell’ and ‘‘La Révolte au Sérail.’” SHE RETIRED FROM THE sTaGE after reaching her forty-third year (1847) and has never since returned to it, even for asingle night She says ber temptation to go back to her profession has often been very strong—so strong at times as to be scarcely resistible. But a little reflection has restored her to her sensible self. She stayed on the stage just as long he could without peril to the high reputation she had gained. A woman after forty, she declares, has no business to remain any length of time in the theatre, After that period she walks amid quicksands. They are treacherous; they may look smooth and secure, but she knows not what moment sho may be swallowed up. “I did not retire,” she adds, ‘“ because I was weary of my calling. A woman never tires of the flash of the footlights, of the applause, of the enchanting atmosphere of a crowded and appreciative audience, But, one night, after the performance, asI was step- ping into my carriage, I happened to overhear from one of my friends (be had no idea that 1 was within ear- shot), this emphatic remark:—‘Taglioni is not quite what sne was, Her admirers do not observe the least change; but I do, for { am her friend, She is losing her elasticity. She cannot accomplish a tour de force ag she could three years ago, She should retire, I should like to tell her so, but it would break her heart, No woman will ever believe sho is losing any of her charms, whatever her age.’ “That determined mo. In less than six months I had bidden farewell to the theatre, and I have taken no second farewell. I have thanked my friend twenty times since. But for my overhearing him I might have lingered until my audi- ences had informed me of my unseemly delay. That would have been dreadful. It would have, been likea cup of poison from the hands of Love,’’ TAGLION] WAS NOT HAPPY, I understood, in her matrimonial venture. Few actresses are, especially when they marry titles, As has been intimated, she was very fond of the Count de Voisins, whose affection for her seems to have been semi-scortatory and semi-merconary. He ought to have been contented. She did not starve him either by withholding her person or her purse. Was he con- tented? Who knowS? He did not abuse her save by neglect. She supplied him with money liberally, and he spent it even more liberally. When she was here, he wasin Paris, When she was inher villa in Como, he was in Geneva or Inns- pruch, Ho died a good while ago, and sho bas placed over his grave a costly monument commem- orating all the yirtues she knew he had not, They had no chiliren, and this has been to her the source of pro- found regret. While she was on tho stage she chose not to haveany. After her retirement nature denied her, So fate orders. What we may have, we want not; what we cannot have, wg want; and sometimes it is, a in this case, thé saine thing, a THR EMINENT DANCER 18 VERY RICH. ~ When she retired, well nigh thirty years since, she was worth 3,000,000 lire ($600,000), and she has in- creased her fortune since, tt is said, five-fold. She has spent a good deal in building, laying out grounds, pur- | chasing marbles, pictures, bronzes and other works of art, Her residence here is a palace, expensively and elegantly furmished,and her Como villa is represented as an architectural gem, {ts interior wholly excelling the exterior, She has a passion for cameos, mosaics, roqoco, bric-A-brac and precious stones, Her collec- tion of rabies, emeraida, pearls and diamonds, none of which she.wears, is said to be very fine and worth not less than 1,200,000 lire ($240,000). GRNBROUS BENKVOLENCE, She has given away hundreds of thousands of lire to benevolent and charitable purposes, She once at- tempted to relieve the poor of Milan by bestowing money, but after a few weeks she was obliged to aban- don her good intent. Her house was overrun with beggars who came from all Lombardy, She thinks if she had continued her plan she would have beon im- poverished in six months, so rapidly did the demands upon her pursé increase, To the Roman Church she has given freely, but the moro the Church ets the more it wants, It is the insatiable financial leech of all time, the inappeasable beggar of civilization, the gigantic robber of the poor in the garb of ecclesiasticiem. As has no children and as most of her near relatives (she contributed handsomely to their support while they wero alive) have bean deag for years tho Church has fixed ite greedy eyes upon her immense wealth, hoping to ab- sorb the greater part, She is very pious, so far as the observation of theologic duties is concerned, and is profoundly revered by the priests, who are doubtless They flatter her without stint, pronounce her a saint, predict that she will bo canonized, But she has to pay roundly for instructed how to act toward her, their fine speeches. cent Duomo, and it is possible she may, though as yet she has made no such provision in her will, HER WILL INCOMPLETE. That important document is asserted to be incom- ite final form, and upward haa no time to waste, the grave. The prie: of death; that the angels are waiting for her. they have abundance of Jeisure, I want tostay in it just as long as I can.” ADMIRABLY PRESTRVED. ninetieth year. power was fortunate for the Church, GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING. The Greco-Roman wrestling match which took limived number of spectators. match was for $1,000. Miller, before the first bout, was the favorite in the pools, THE RIVALS. lighter man than Miller, rather slender of limb, but, altogether, a handsomely developed and, withal, an ex- Frenchman to his back, after an easy bout, every one saw that he was the “superior man, match for him. In the second bout, however, the Frenchman planted Miller’s two shoulders down upon the boards, but after so peculiar a fashion that the audience began to suspect that the match had been prearranged, and hence a great many left the rink in disgust, Miller won the third bout and the Frenchman the fourth, and hence both had two bouts apiece, The Frenchman came up to the mark in the final bout looking very much discouraged. Miller could bave laid him out in a moment, had he so desired, but he sparred with him for fifteen minutes or so, in which ho managed to develop wrestling to which he is devoted, when finally he fairly threw his adversary. The referee, Mr. Clark, said he did not see the Frenchman fall and hence could render no decision, Miller caught the Frenchman again in his arms and threw hith a second timo. Once more the fall was decided not to be a fair one, At last Miller hurled hie rival, upon the carpet, mounted him, and while the Frenchman lay prone fy oP bis back demanded the decision of the judges, Messis. McClellan and Professor De Turk. The match was awarded him. A MURDERER'S CONSCIENCE, HE CONFESSES A TERRIBLE DEED OF ARSON, BY WHICH A BROTHER SUICIDE. [From the Chicago Post and Mail, Dec. 23.) ment, It involves the commission of the crime of ar- in the matter aro related as follows:— trouble were plainly to be seen, stood before him. The manner. keeper, who was so struck with its horrible details that Sergeant Briscve. A messenger was despatched for him, and when he arrived he and the new comer en- gaged in a téte-a-¢éte, in which the following REMARKABLE CONFESSION, which the sergeant caused to be reduced to writing and forwarded to the Superintendent of Police, played a prominent part. His name is Thomas Carroll, and for two years he has been troubled with an aching of con- science rarely equalled, In the early part of 1874 he resided in Dunkirk, N. Y:, where his parents at one time lived, and worked for along time in Vanderwort’s planing mill, which was one of the largest institutions of the kind in the State of New York. Carroll stated that he found bis relations in the mill very pleasant until a certain man came there to work as foreman, who, on acquaintance, proved to be Carroll's bitterest enemy, The man referred to had charge of the gang in which Carroll worked, and the hard feelings which existed between them often resulted in quarrels, ‘The foreman, whose name Carroll never disclosed, threatened to bave him (Carroll) discharged, and then the idea entered his mind that if the mills were burned his enemy would be thrown out of employment. Acting upon tho vicious thought, he entered the basement on the night of the 18th of June, 1874, where a lot of shay- igs wore stored, and, setting fire to them in four dif- ferent places, fled. The fire gained headway rapidly, and in a very short space of time the entire building was A MASS OF FLAMES. ‘The entire village turned out to save the buildings, Dut to no effect, and the following morning disclosed to the saddened gaze of the many men thrown out of em- ploymont the blackened ruins of the mills, A man named McCarthy, employed as a night watchman, was terribly burned, and in two weeks died from the eifects of the wounds which he received. In the meantime suspicion was directed toward Carroll, and taking the first train, he made good his escape But although out of the way of the law the events of that night weighed heavy upon his soul, and his conscience smote him when he thought of the sad fate of McCarthy, the watchman, and of the condition of the men whom his villany had vise out of employment, The mills were Owned by Thomas Vanderwort, and he offered a large reward for the capture of the incendiary. The above recital is Lege Hater the Fieg ot toe a Carroll, now on file in the archives of the epartment at Headquarters. Sergeant Briscée al vray doubted fhe man’s statement, and sent for the County Physician in order that his sanity might be pronounce! upon. That official arrived aud pronounced the man perlectly save. SEEKING ATONEMENT. In the meantime Carroll’s trouble seemed to weigh upon him deeply. On the 15th inst, he was found hanging to the top of his cell by a rope, and was cut down by Station Keeper Shuman, He stated as a rea- son for his rash attempt that he wished to atone for the crime he had copmitted. Wishing to ascertain the facts in the matter, and return the man to justice if the story which he told was true, the Superintendent of Police sent the following despatch to Dunkirk :— AGO, Dee. 20, 1875. ©) Sneniry on Constante, Dunkirk, N. Y, Was a planing mill destroyed by fire in Dunkirk in 1874? Po you want Thomas Carroll t -- U. HICKKY, Geporal Superintendent Police, To whicn the following answer was received:— uNKIRK, Doo. 20, 1875, | 9:6) hoki, Aapetlawendeu Poteet ‘Vanderwort’s planing mill was burned on the 18th of June, 1874, We want Carroll. SHERIFF, On the 2ist the Chief of Police telegraphed to Dun arrived here this morning, took a trip to West Chicago | avenue, and fully identified tho prisoner. morning Carroll in attempted suicide, this time with a case knife. He tnilicted a gash on his throat, but was prevented from ending his existence by the cook. The Sheriff will leave with his prisoner at four o'clock this afternoon, + A DANGEROUS CHARACTER, Yesterday afternoon William Wagnor, residing at No. 199 Bowery, while roaming around Williamsburg, entered the residence of George W. Smith, No. 219 Maujer street, and insulted the ladies. On the ap- pearance of Mr. Smith he altered his tone and threat- ened to shoot unless he was paid to go out. A police- man was called and Wagner taken to the station houso of the Sixth precinct, anda dirk knife being found on him in addition to a loaded revolver, he was locked up on @ charge of carrying concealed weapons, ANXIOUS TO HANG FOR A GARLAND, Robert Garland and William Thompson, fight at the corner of Twent, the progress of the ‘discussion’? Thompson shot Gar- land in the left side, inflicting @ painiul bat not dan- gorous wound, ia ’ plete, It has been written and rewritten so often and so many codicils added that new drafts have been required, The Church awaits with feverish anxiety for It knows that a woman of seventy-four T learn that Taglioni proposes to bequeath a handsome sum to the Conserv- atoire of this city, the largest amount to the department of choregraphic art, One of her objections to completing her willis the old superstition that she shali die im- mediately after doing so, and she has no inclination to tell her she need have no fear She laughs and says, “Let them wait; as they are eternal 1 have no dread of death, but I like life. The worid 1s very beautiful, and Tagtiont is Her health is very good, and she bids fair to turn her Her mind is not at all impaired. She hears perfectly well, and she never uses glasses except at night. She owes her vigor to the excellent care she has taken of herself, She never indulged in any of the disstpations of an actress, and in her old age she bas her reward. She feels much interest in the progress of events, particularly in the development of Italy, and, strange to say, believes the Pope’s loss of temporal place last evening at the Brooklyn Rink drew only a The two contestants were Professor W. Miller and Louis Carteron, The former is wel! known; the latter arrived from France only a fortnight ago, and appeared last night before an American audience for the first time in his life. The Carteron appeared first upon the stage. He isa ceedingly supple athlete, Miller nad the favor of the audience from the start; and when he brought the and that the Frenchman was by no means a the graces of the school of MAN WAS BURNED TO DEATH—DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO COMMIT The strangest sensation ever brought to a climax in this city has just been worked up by the Police Depart- son and murder, and covers two whole years in the his- tory of anow blackened. criminal, from the incipient stages of his crime to his attempt at suicide in his cell at the West Chicago avenue station. The strange tacts On the evening of the 13th of the present month a timid knock on the front door awakened the station keeper at the West Chicago avenue police station from his slumbers, and a few minutes afterward the form of @ young map, on whose visage the traces of deep young man was apparently about twenty-six years of age and well built, and spoke in a rational and quiet He told a very strange story to the station he asked the man to be seated until the arrival of kirk that he had Carroll in his custody, and the Sheriff | Yesterday | the former of No. 460 West Sixteenth street, indulged ina ixth street and Seventh avenue about daybreak yesterday morning. During | pader, LITERATURE. Popularity of Talboys’ West India Pickles. They are extremely desirous she should leave the bulk of her property for the completion of the magnifi- SONGS OF THREE CENTURIES. Roderick Hudson—Rose and Rooftree—The Shepherd Lady—Stories for the Young. WEST INDIA PICKLES. Diary ov 4 Cruise Taroven tax West Ixpiks IN THE Yacur Joserune. Rew York Yacht Club.) By W. P. Talboys. G. W. Carleton & Co., Publishers, We avail ourselves of the appearance of the above work in its second edition, not only to congratulate the author upon this substantial evidence of success, but to Bay a word or two about the book :teelf. Imprimis, we inquisitively ask, “Why pickles?” Why not rather “West India Marmalade” or ‘Jam ?”” ‘There is a suggestion of acidity in the title which is not borne ont by the facts, and we are led to expect ver- Juice when we only find sweets, There is certainly not vinegar enough in the whole book to set up the mildest | spinster in business, and the only “sour” our author appears to have met with ig asa fitting appendage to ‘“rum.’’ Even the natives he encounters ashore are ‘‘full of the milk of human kindness’’—milk sweet and fresh, the very sugar of milk. It isonly in dealing with the sons of Ham that he shows acerbity, possibly because they are not ‘‘sugar cured,” as Cincinnati ones are. Indeed, the flavor of the negro is rather acrid than acid, but “West India Pickles,” though a little “hot 1» | the mouth,” is quite free from bitterness of any de- scription, Leaving New York on November 7, 1874, the | good yacht Josephine sped on her way southward un- | der a mixed experience of sunshine and storm. Arriv- ing at Aquadilla, in the Island of Porto Rico, our voy- agers quickly discovered that the officials were far from being ‘on hospitable thoughts intent,” but were rather inclined to cut up rough and make themeelves generally unpleasant at the advent of a craft that, being neither government vessel nor trader, was set down ag a dangerous nondescript that required looking after, A few hours smoothed things, however, and the rest of the trip appears to have been bata record of halcyon days. From Porto Rico our yachtsmen bent their way to the Windward Islands and the Spanish Main, visiting the chief ports and the back- lying country and getting a pleasant, insight into the social life ofeach. Ofcourse Mr. Talboys does not wear barnacles for nothing and he improves each occasion by telling us ina humorous, chatty way what he saw, what he did and‘what he left undone, Leaving the Main bebind them our voyagers spread canyas for St. Domingo and Cuba, where we are treated to more glimpses of scenery and society in the same delicate vein of humor and appreciation which marks the whole book, Steering for home the yacht encounters a gale of wind—a real Simon Pure this time—a gale of wind which mixes sea, sky and ship like the ingredients of a Roggian salad. Weathering this, and somewhat timor- ous of the wintry North after so many weeks’ cruis- ing in summer seas, our yacht cast anchor finally at Beaufort, N. C., and the voyage was over. “West India Pickles,” misnomer though it be, is a valuable addition to the scanty number of works that have been published on yacht cruising in foreign climes, and fairly deserves to be placed alongside the works of Lord Dufferin and the Earl and the Doctor, Written in an easy and epigrammatic style, but with fa slight touch of pedantry (the suspicion of garlic, which gives zest to the salad), and with a keen appre- Ciation of the beauties of nature and a capability to note the marked characteristics of places and people, Mr. Talboys has given us not only a valuable but an eminently readable book. We congratulate him on the success of his venture, and, resolving ourselves into a committee of the whole, like Oliver Twist con- sciontiously ask him for ‘‘more.”” KODERICK HUDSON. Roperiex Hopson. By Henry James, Jr. Boston: ; amor R, Osgood & Co, If we could go into a gallery of statuary and breathe life into the marble figures posing gracefully around us we would experience the same strange sensations we have after reading one of Henry James, Jr.’s, romances, None of his characters are real men and women, Tney have too much dignity to be called puppets and too much warmth to be called statues, Yet they are more \ike marble figures than real flesh and blood. We have no human sympathy with his heroes and heroines, still we are drawn to them by an irresistible fascina- tion. Mrs, Hudson isthe only real person in this last book of Mr, James’, ana consequently she is the least interesting. Roderick is a type of genius exaggerated, let us hope, but not impossible in a milder form, It is not so much for the story that Mr. James’ books are charming as for their beautiful language and wonderful descriptive powers, Mr. James ig not a story teller any more than Hawthorne was a story teller. He is a romancist, and one of the Dest living. He is cosmopolitan in literature as well as in hfe, and his models are the best of foreign mas- ters, Nono of his books end in aconventional way, probably because he isnot a conventional writer, and those who look for “and they lived together happily ever atter’? at the end of the last chapter of any of his novelettes wilt be disappointed. In Roderick Hudson we find a young man of genius who was growing up untaught and unappreciated ina retired New England village. A fairy godmother turns up in the person of Rowland Mallet, a rich young fel- Jow, with a@ taste for the fine arts. Rowland has just arrived at the village to say goodby to his cousin Cecelia before he sails for Europe. There he mects Roderick and is shown a bronze Qgure of his designing, which strikes the connoisseur as being of great promise. He immediately proposes taking Roderick along with him to Europe, and the proposition js accepted. Before the two young men set sail Row- land meets acousin of Roderick’s, Mary Garland, in whom he becomes very much interested, but tries to forget when he finds that she 1s engaged to Roderick, The reader cannot sympathize with this singular fancy on the part of aman of the world like Rowland. She was plain in face, dress and manner. The expressions of her face ‘followed each other slowly, distinctly gravely, sincerely, and you might almost have fancied ae they came and went that they gave hera sort of pain.” There was no reason in the world that Roderick should haye loved her either, and we don’t believe that he ever did, at any rate not very deeply. When the two arrive in Rome they meet Christina Light, the beautiful daughter of a semi-adventuress, and Roderick becomes enamored and evidently forgets aly about Mary, Christina had a pair of extraordinary dark | blue eyes, a mass of dusky hair over a low forehead, a blooming oyal face of perfect purity, a flexible lip, just touched with disdain, and thé step and carriagé of a | princess—just such a vision as would turn any young man’s head, particularly an artist's, Roderick worked | weil when he first came to Rome, and quite distin- | guished himself, and his statues were bought by Row- | land. Butafter be became in love with Christina he | behaved like a lunatic, In fact, he was little better than insane at the best of times, Christina only liked him as a plaything; he was too weak a character for | her, She was so uncertain of herself that she could | not have loved a8 a husband a man of inferior will, Rowland was the unwilling confidant of both partios, for be did not at all approve of Roderick’s conduct, | Roderick is the most exasperating character; ho has all the eccentricities of genius, He would not work unless he felta certain inspiration, A Michael Angelo could not have been more whimsical, He hung around Christina everywhere she went, and really thought that she loved him. But what woman could love such a weakling? He was handsome and talented, but he was conceited and bad tempered also, When Christina really dropped him and married another man he acted in the most outrageous manner, He simply gave him- self up to despair. He refused to turn his hand to any- thing, and ho said that his brain was dead, He begged Roderick to shoot him and put him out of his misery, Altogether his conduct was unmanly and unbearable. He did not pretend to love Christina after her marriago, but abused her right and left, ‘‘She’s as cold and falso and heartless as she’s peautiful,”’ he said in his rage, ‘and sho has sold her heartless beauty to the highest Thope he knows what he gets!’ She would have done worse had she married Roderick, for his Aeartlegsness would have ahownstaall afler Lue honey- moon. He was not meant fora Gnished man. Only & butterfly existence could suit such a character. With the proper ingredients in his make-up he would have been a great man; as it was, he was a great failure, ROSE AND ROOPTREE. Bose xp Roovreer. Poems by George Parsons Lathrop, Boston: James R. Osgood & Co, The first question that a critic has to ask concerning ‘4 volume of verse by a new author is, Has it any poetry ip it? In regard to the little volume just put forth by Mr. Lathrop the answer to this question must be strongly in the affirmative. We find poetry here of a rare, subtie and very beautiful kind, We do not think that all the poems are equally poetic—too large a pro- portion of them seem to be, like the early poems of many of the poets who have made a mark, valuable mainly for their suggestiveness and their promise; but the book contains, on the other hand, some pieces at- tractive both for the thought and the expression. Hero ig an example of the poet's lignter and more fanciful touch :— The sunshine of thine eyes (Ob still, celestial beaty !) Whatever it touches it fills With the life of its lambent gleam. The sunsnine of thine eyes, Ob let it fall on me! Though I but be a move of the air 1 could turn to gold for thee! ‘That ie only a conceit, to be sure, but a happy one, and expressed musically and with genuine feeling. It is not so wide and deep a conceit as Bourdillon’s “Light,” and, therefore, is not likely to travel so far around the world, but it has a good deal of the same felicitous quality, and we should not be surprised to see it take | sts place in the collections, If Mr. Lathrop can be gracoful and fanciful, he shows also occasionally genuine imaginative power as in the sonnet “O Wholesome Death!’ The sonnets given under the title of “Moods of Love’ impress us by their insight, their purity and elevated sentiment and their music, We think they are not all equally spontaneous and sustamed, but we find ourselves constantly return- ing to them as together forming one of the most valuable, and certainly one of the most characteristic poems of the book. This is one of them:— With my beloved I lingered late one night At last the hour when I must leave her came; But as [ turned, a tear I could not name Possessed me that the long sweet evening might Prelude some sudden storm whereby delight bey: perish, What if Death, ere dawn, should claim One of us? What though living, not the same, Each should appear to each in morning light? Changed did I find her, truly, the next day; Ne’er could see her as of old again. That strange mood seemed to draw a cloud away, And let her beauty pour through every vein Sunlight and life, part of me. Thus the lover With each new morn a new world may discover. In some of Mr. Lathrop’s poems there is achain of mingled joy and pathos that has a great charm, As examples we might mention “The Song Sparrow,” one ofthe most perfect pieces in the collection, and ‘The Singing Wire,” from which we quote the following stanzas :— " I listened to the branchless pole ‘That held aloft the singing wire; J heard its muffled music roll And stirrea with sweet desire. “O wire, more soft than seasoned Iuto, Hast thou no sunlit word for me? Though long to me so coyly mute, Sure she may speak through thee |’? 1 listened, but it was in vain. At first the wind’s old, wayward will Drew forth tho tearless, sad refrain; ‘That ceased, and all was still. But suddenly some kindling shock Struck, flashing through the wire; a bird Poised on it, screamed and flew; the flock Rose with him, wheeled and whirred. Then to my soui there came this sense— “Her heart has answered unto thine; . She comes to-night, go hie thee hence! Moet her; no more r e?? A marked characteristic of this author ts his feeling for nature. In the ballad of ‘‘Jessamine’’ he has been vold enough to make use of the refrain, and, we are in- clined to think, with marked success. But for turther examples we must refer our readers directly to Mr. Lathrop’s little volume. The work is made addition- ally attractive by Mr. La Farge’s design illustrating “Jessamine,” which serves as a frontispiece. THE SHEPHERD LADY. Toe Smepuerp Lavy axp Orser Porms. By Jean Ingelow, author of ‘Songs of Seven,”? Boston: Rob- erts Brothers. in this last volume of poems by Miss Ingelow we find that lady in her most tuneiul mood, There is a flow in the rhythm of the shorter songs that carries the reader along on a wave of melody. Her greatest onen)* covid not accuse her of obscurity after reading thts volume, ‘The story of the “Shepherd Lady’? is told almost as well by Mr. Arthur Hughes’ designs as by Miss Inge- low’s verse. It is very dainty and very charming. “At One Again” is quite along poem. It appeared first in Harper's Monthly, and is a farm ballad, fresh with the odor of uew-mown hay, red with ripe strawberries and glowing in bright sunshine. The short poems that are filled in between the “Shepherd Lady” and “At One Again” sound as though they had been written each atasitting, and without any effort forrhyma They swing along and sing along like birds ia the spring. ‘This is a fair specimen of the grace and beauty of all:— It’s we two, it’s we two, it’s we two for aye, All the world and we two, and Heaven be our stay; Like a laverock in the lift, sing, 0 bonny bride ‘All the world was Adam ouce, with Eve by his side. What's the world, my lass, my love! what can it do? 1am thine and thou art mine; life is sweet and new. If the world has missed the mark let it stand by, For we two have gotten leave, and once more will try. Like a laverock in the lift sing, O bonny bride! It’s we two, it’s we two, happy side by side. Take a kiss from mo, thy man; now the song begins— “All is made afrosh for us, apd the brave heart wins.” When the darker days come and no sun will shine, Thou shalt dry my tears, lass, and I’ll dry thine. It’s we two, it’s wo two, while the world’s away, Sitting by the golden sheaves on our wedding day. The poem ‘Feathers and Moss” {is exceodingly | pretty, but, with its refrain, “Feathers and moss and a wisp of hay,” reminds us so strongly of Calverley’s burlesque, “Butter and eggs and a pound of cheese,” that it ig hard to read it seriously. There are two beautiful illustrations by Miss Hallock in this volume. The vignette, representing Orpheus, to illustrate the verse entitled “Failure,” is one of the strongest and best things we have seen from Miss Hal- jock’s pencil, which is paying ita very high compli- ment, SONGS OF THREE CENTURIES. Sonos or Tange Canturms, Edited by John Green- Jeaf Whittier, Boston; James R. Osgood & Co, The “Songs of Three Centuries’’ is interesting, as much for the reason that it is an index to the mind of its poet editor as for the intrinsic value of its contents. ‘As a poot remarked the other day, “Mr. Whittier might haye written all the poems in the book, they are so decidedly after his own thought and feeling.” The de- sign of the editor has been to gather up in a compara- tively small volume, easily accessible to all classes of readers, the wisest thoughts, rarest fancies and devout- est hymns of the metrical authors of the last three centuries, He says:—‘‘The selections I haye made indi- cate in a general way my preferences, but I have not felt at liberty to oppose my own judgment or Prejudice to the best critical authorities, or to attempt a reversal of the verdict of time, * * * While by ho means holding myself to a strict responsibility as regards the sentiment and language of the poems which make up this volume, and while I mast confess to a large tolerance of per- sonal individuality mavifesting itself in widely varying forms of expression, I have still somewhat scrupu- lously endeavored to avoid in my selections everything which seemed liable to the charge of irreverence or questionable morality.” A book bearing Mr. Whit- tier's name as author or editor {s Just as sure to be high in tone ag to be carefully and conscientiously pre- pared, We think that tho latter day American poets aro quoted rather promiscuously; but in a country where over five hundred living persons claim to be in- spired by tho divine muse it ig little hard to steer clear of the shoals of mediocre verse, In quoting from Bret Harte and Charles Godfrey Leland he in neither case gives any of the dialect poetry by which these writers aro best known. From Bret Harte he quotes “Woncha” and ‘Dickens in Camp,” and from Mr. Le- innd “The Music Lesson of Confucius’? and ‘Mine Own.” It was a happy thought of Mr, Osgood’s to have such a volume prepared by Mr. Whittier—happy in both a literary and business point of view, THE “LITTLE CLASSICS.” HAWTHORNE. James R, Osgood & Co, have supplied a long felt want with their “Little Classics,” edition of Hawthorne, This edition has already reached its seventh volume and has met with the most anbounded favor, Itis compact, neat and tasteful, By placing Hawthorne's writings within the reach of all and im gach an attrac. tive form this firm is doing a missionary work. Haw- thorne o¢cupies a piace In American nierature that o one ¢an hope to fill again, He is the prince of ré mancists. One never tires of his beautiful descnption or delicate character drawing. We were particu! struck with this latter faculty in re-reading “The Hous of the Seven Gables.” Could anything be finer thi the portrait of poor Miss Pyncheon in her little shop’ Though he lays on the brush with the tenderest anf most considerate touches he cannot conceal the humos ousness of the grotesque old figure. We hear the rustl of the stately silk, the relic of bygone splendor, as Mist Hepzibah gets down upon her kn: to search for thi marbles which, devil directed, have rolled into thi dark and unapproachable corners, Woe see the frow{ that spreads over her poor old wrinkled brot as the shrill shop bell warns her of the art rival of an unwelcome customer, ‘There is no aathot of modern times who can influence us like Hawthorne We believe every word he writes. His wildest romanoe{ are realities to us We thoronghly believe in Donatello with his pointed ears, and expect to meet him yet wam dering about the streets of Rome, CHILDREN’S BOOKS. Looking back to the days when a well thumbed cop: of “Robinson Crusoe,” a “Swiss Family Robison’ and a “Pilgrim’s Progress’ formed the extent of out library, we cannot but envy the children of to-day, th gratification of whose literary taste seems to be of much concern to the publishers as that of their eldera{ Dozens of houses publish juvenile literature, which iq made as attractivo as authors, artists and binders know how to make it, Some of the best known writers of thd day consider it no condescension to write for th children, Thefe 1s no excuse for reading the bl curdling adventures of “Two Headed Mike, the Prairid Scout,” or any stories of a like nature when P. G. Hamd merton, Tom Hughes, George MacDonald, Miss Mulocky Miss Rosetti, Jean Ingelow, Mary Mapes-Dodge, Bayard Taylor, J. T. Trowbridge, Frank R. Stockton, 8 Coolidge and a host of other writers put forth bright healthiul books. The present season is rich in literaturd for the young tolks, and many a stocking on Christ/ mas morning was festooned with attractive book: Roberts Bros. are famous for their children’s works, and their recent issues will add to their reputations Among them we find “Mice at Play;” when the cat’d away the mice will play, you know, and Neil Forest tells about their capers. These mice were four littia children, whose mother was away from home and they had @ grand time together. “Nino Little Goslings” if one of Susan Coolidge’s delightful stories. A glance af the cover is enough to make all the little ones wild td read what is inside. ‘Jolly Good Times’ is the at« tractive title of a story of child life on a farm, by P. Thorne, illustrated by Miss Addie Ledyard. It tells of the sap house, the freshet, making hay, strawberrying, husking, and lots of things that savor of country life, ‘80 dear to every boy and girl. “From Six to Sixteen” iq astory for girls, by Juliana Horatia Ewing. The girls are bound to like it, and the boys too, for that matter. G. P, Putnam’s Sons have Just published two aeeettve juveniles, “Roddy’s Reality,” by the author of “Rod4 dy’s Romance,” in which Roddy writes a story and reads it to the edification of his audience. ‘History off My Friends” is a translation from the French, made b; one of the Misses Putnam. The frien whose history are so prettily told are a lo of intelligent animals, just such as all bo: and girls love to pet, Miss Nannette Emerson publish a lot of “Little Folks? Letters,” through G. W. Carled ton & Co.; Dodd & Mead issue the “Life of Chris topher Columbus’’ in their American Pioneer an Patriot series, and ‘The Bertram Family,” by M Charles, author of “The Schomberg Cotta Family.” Mrs, Charles is always a pleasing writer and a safe on ‘This book is in her most characteristic, therefore most popular style. Scribner, Armstrong & Co. have pu lished Jules Verne’s ‘‘ Mysterious Island,” In two gor- geous volumes, in which form it appears much moi attractive than asa serial. Last, but by no mean: least, we come to Mr. Frank R. Stockton’s ‘Tales Ou of School,” which Scribner, Armstrong & Co. hav. issued aniform with ‘‘Round About Rambles,” an gotten up in holiday style, If all tales out of school were of the nature of Mr. Stockton’s the more tha merrier, but we fear that he has the monopoly of thi Gelightful sort, Mr, Stockton is one of the most popur lar writers for children. Ho instructs them witnouf seeming toand is always ready with a iaugh. Thif volume is properly illustrated, and the best Inck w¢ can wish for it is a popularity equal to its deservinga AN ATTEMPTED RESCUE. About nine o'clock last evening Captain Kaiagr, a the Sixth precinct police, Williamsburg, sent Offcert Campbell, Fickett, Kitzer and Gord to disperse a dix orderly crowd at the corner of Humboldt and Fros{ streets. The officers found the men drunk, an therefore arrested three who in their presen bad insulted a passing lady; the remainder the crowd sneaked away. The men, Jame McQuigley, Daniel Fitzgerald and James McDonal were then marched toward the station house, thet friends rallying along the way until the officers reached the corner of Bushwick avenue and Ten Eyck a when their friends attempted a rescue, attacking th policemen with stones, the prisoners making a simul taneous attempt to getaway. The fight was of shor duration, the mob being dispe by the offceray one of whom, Officer George ear severely in« jured, being struck on the back of the head with q ‘Stone, recoiving an ugly scalp wound He and thd three prisoners were taken to the station house, wher¢ Police Surgeon Murphy dressed the wound, A TRAVELLING PHILADELPHIAN, A pleasant looking youth, who wore a necktie that would give him away anywhere, was arrested in Newark, N. J., yesterday, for complicity in stealing a watch and chain from the pocket of Leopold Wersey who was walking quietly up Market street. He gava his name as Henry Martin, a resident of Philadelphia, and said he came to town yesterday morning to look for work, On searching hima black bag was found in his pocket, such as is used for the double purpose of a mask and to carry away plunder if successful in a bur glary, His two companions escaped with the watch | and Martin was held to await further developments, DESPERATE AFFRAY. Two well known rofians, named Whalen and Finne- gan, engaged in a fight yesterday in Market street, Newark, N. J., and took advantage of the occasion to indulge in a free lunch upon each other's flesh, While Whalen was chewing his antagonist’s nose the latter bit Whalen’s finger, nearly severing it from his hand, but upon the arrival of the police they made their escape. STABBING IN A SALOON, Peter Roatchez, of No. 253 First street, Williams- burg, while with a few friends in the lager beer saloon of Joseph Walbirth, No. 262 First street, became involved in a quarrel with Frank Mermat in reference to Alsace and Lorraine. After the exchange of some very bitter language Mermat cut Roatchoz on the wrist, inflicting a severe and dangerous wound. Mermat was arrested and Roatchez was taken to the Eastern District Hospital. ONE CHILD STABS ANOTHER. In Williamsburg yesterday, Charles Klein, aged ten years, and William Friese, eleven years, both residing on Union avenue, having quarrelied as to who was the beau of a little miss residing in the neighbor- hood, proposed to settle the matter by fighting for her with bowie knives, but as the latter articles could not be obtained they used penknives, Klein cutting Friese in the left side. RECORD OF CRIME. Jobn Clark, John McCabe and some other men became engaged in an angry dispute while drinking together in Faulkner's liquor saloon, corner of Flushing and Clas« son avenues, Brooklyn, at an early hour yesterday morning, when the proprietor put them out’ Wher on the street Clark drew a revolver and fired at McCabe in self-defence, The shot proved harmless. Both mes were locked up to answer. x Officer Riely yesterday arrested William Marshall, of No. 59 Fourth place, Brooklyn, on a charge of bur glariously entering the residence of Howard Bailey, No 67 same street. The prisoner effected an by rying open the iron grating of the cellar, made at ‘way to the parlor, where the officer, who had beet watching his movements, caught him, George Barrett, of No. 74 tutler street, SS ried yesterday that his apartments had bec robbed of $30 in money by some unknown rogue during his temporary absence, Peter Cullen, of No. 1 Walworth street, Brook}; ‘was assaulted and sev injured about the head b; Jobn Jackson yesterday, assailant is still at lar Mr. John Schroeder, of South Bighth and Filth streets, Brookiyn, B. D., recently lost a horse and wagon, which was stolen from his stable, He yesters bar’ caused the arrest of John Nelson for the larceny. usan Suydam and Ellen Cummins, two stylish look. ing females, were taken into custody on Christmas Eve on a charge of shoplifting at Losier’s store, Fultoo street, Brooklyn. Andrew Cassidy was arrested by Officer Powers on a charge of being concerned in the rob of the stora of 8. Hofbeimer, Court street, He ts held to answer. The apartments of Henry Sporleder, No, 300 Van Brant strect, Brooklyn, was rol of @ quantity of silverware aud money yesterday,