TWO HUMOROUS ILLUSTRATORS R. C. J. TAYLOR, one of whose drawings is reproduced on the front MR. cover, has furnished many humorous pictures for "Life," "Puck," "Judge," and "Punch." Although the picture given here is from a newspaper cartoon, it is Mr. Taylor's work as a book-illustrator which we hope you will look up and enjoy again. His association with Mr. H. C. Bunner was a fortunate partnership of artist and author, similar to those mentioned in the "Branch Library News" for September. Mr. Taylor's pictures for "Short Sixes," "More 1 By courtesy of the "New York Herald." The workmen are supposed to have grown old during the building of the Library! Short Sixes," and "The Suburban Sage," are genuine book-illustrations, not pictures drawn primarily to look "pretty," and with only a secondary reference to the story. No one could have been a more sympathetic illustrator for "Uncle Remus." than Mr. A. B. Frost. Look at his picture of Brer Rabbit and his children on page 162.1 The road, the "jug er 'lasses," and Brer Rabbit's costume are perfectly in keeping with the scene of the story. Both author and artist knew the spirit of country places in America. "De little Rabs run to'rds 'im en holler, 'What you got, daddy? What you got, daddy?' "Brer Rabbit say, 'Nothin' but er jug er 'lasses.' "De little Rabs holler, Lemme tas'e, daddy! Lemme tas'e, daddy!' "Den ole Brer Rabbit sot de jug down in de road en let um lick de stopper a time er two...' From "Uncle Remus and his Friends," by Joel Chandler Harris. By courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Co. Then they reveal to their father the atrocious plot of Brer Fox and Brer Wolf, and the Wily One begins to plan a method to circumvent it, and to score one more triumph in his lifelong contest with those two enemies. Mr. Frost never surpassed, perhaps no American artist ever surpassed in its own field the first picture in the series called "The Fatal Mistake." It is reproduced on page 163.1 The usual comic artist in a newspaper beats his slapstick in vain-deafens us with the sound of its blows - without achieving anything one-half so funny. Observe the quiet room, the fireplace, the severe ornaments on the mantel-shelf. Observe the perfectly contented lady, her hassock, her shawl, her cap and her knitting needles. Observe also the leading character - the centre of this tragedy - the six bristling whiskers. the hand placed in the region of the disturbance, the facial expression to indiIcate that all is not well within. "What could I have eaten?" Then on this page, see the sudden explosion. 1 From "Stuff and Nonsense," by A. B. Frost. By courtesy of Charles Scribner's Sons. The picture of Brer Rabbit is from "Told by Uncle Remus," by Joel Chandler Harris. Reproduced by courtesy of Doubleday, Page & Co. That of the White Rabbit, from Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" is by kind permission of The Macmillan Co. HEROINES R. GEORGE SAINTSBURY is said to have remarked that there were MR. five heroines in English fiction which he, or any man, might have been glad to marry. He chooses them mostly from the older novels. They are: Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice Diana Vernon of Rob Roy Beatrix of Henry Esmond Argemone Lavington of Yeast Barbara Grant of David Balfour Could an equally attractive quintet be found in novels published nearer our own day? Here are five which might be even more fascinating to the man of the year 1916: Eustacia Vye of The Return of the Native Priscilla Lentaigne of Priscilla's Spies Mimsey Seraskier of Peter Ibbetson Travis Bessemer of Blir W THE TEN MOST POPULAR POEMS HICH would you name as the ten best short poems in English? Two persons could not be found who would agree, the word "best" involves a question of personal preference. It simply means: which ones do you like best? But which are the ten most popular? Something nearer a decision might be reached on that question. "Life" held a vote on the subject a number of years ago. Over six hundred answers came in. These poems received the greatest number of votes: Elegy in a Country Churchyard Psalm of Life The Raven Charge of the Light Brigade To a Skylark The Chambered Nautilus Maud Muller The Bridge of Sighs The Burial of Sir John Moore Merely as an expression of personal preference, the Editor of the "Branch Library News," would be inclined to vote for: Tennyson's Ulysses Keats's Ode to a Nightingale Shakespeare's Sonnet XXIX Swinburne's Forsaken Garden A Lyke-Wake Dirge Rime of the Ancient Mariner My Lost Youth Whitman's Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking Moody's Gloucester Moors The Walrus and the Carpenter But it is not meant to deny that some of the poems in "Life's" list are as fine as some of these. Has any reader of the News any other suggestions? It might be interesting to continue this discussion. |