painter."—Dora Amsden, "Impressions of Ukiyo-ye."
(1057)
FAME, ILLUSIVE
A rather amusing illustration of the slender foundation on which literary fame rests is found in the following:
"Literary fame is not always highly regarded
by the people," says William Dean
Howells. "I remember when I was in San
Remo, some years ago, seeing in a French
newspaper this notice by a rat-trap maker
of Lyons:
"'To whom it may concern: M. Pierre Loti, of Lyons, inventor of the automatic rat-trap, begs to state that he is not the same person and that he has nothing in common with one Pierre Loti, a writer.'"
(1058)
FAME, QUALIFYING FOR
Benjamin West's picture of the death of
Nelson is closely connected with an anecdote
of the great sailor. Just before he went to
sea for the last time, he was present at a
dinner, during which he sat between the
artist and Sir William Hamilton.
Nelson was expressing to Hamilton his regret that he had not, in his youth, acquired some taste for art and some discrimination in judging it.
"But," said he, turning to West, "there is one picture whose power I do feel. I never pass a shop where your 'Death of Wolfe' is in the window without being stopt by it."
West made some gracious answer to the compliment, and Nelson went on. "Why have you painted no more like it?"
"Because, my lord," West replied, "there are no more subjects."
"Ah!" said the sailor, "I didn't think of that."
"But, my lord," continued West, "I am afraid your intrepidity will yet furnish me with another such scene; and if it should, I shall certainly avail myself of it."
"Will you?" said Nelson. "Will you, Mr. West? Then I hope I shall die in the next battle!"
A few days later he sailed, his strangely exprest aspiration was realized, and the scene lives upon canvas.
(1059)
FAME, SUDDEN
The name of "U. S. Grant, Nashville," on
the Lindell Hotel (St. Louis) register was
sufficient to spread the news of his presence
with almost the rapidity of wildfire throughout
the city. The Lindell lobby was soon
thronged with people eager to catch a glimpse
of the little man who had won the battle of
Chattanooga. The streets which he paced in
vain, time and again, only five years before
in search of employment, now resounded
with cheers in his honor.—Nicholas Smith,
"Grant, the Man of Mystery."
(1060)
Fame Unsatisfying—See Unhappiness of the Great.
FAMILIARITY
Acuteness of the perceptive faculties characterized
the celebrated Maine steamship
captain who, for more than twenty years, is
said to have regularly navigated his vessel
in the thickest fogs and darkest nights
through the tortuous reaches, thoroughfares,
and channels of the "inside passage" along
the coast of Maine, without accident. When
asked for an explanation of his remarkable
record, he replied, "I knew the bark of every
dog and the crow of every rooster on the
line, and often steered by them."—Sumner
I. Kimball, "Joshua James."
(1061)
FAMILY CIRCLE
In Korea the family exists, but not the
circle. There is no table around which they
gather for meals, no reading nor music, no
evening parties which draw them together,
no "At Homes," no family pew in which to
sit on Sunday, no picnic excursions in which
all members join. The master eats by himself,
the wife by herself, the sons and daughters
each separately and alone. Because of
this, our custom of conversing at table, and
allowing the talk and attention to wander all
over the universe, while semiconsciously engaged
in the serious act of "eating rice,"
seems very absurd. "When you eat, eat, and
when you talk, talk, but why try both at one
and the same time?"—James S. Gale, "Korea
in Transition."
(1062)
FAMILY OFFENSE IN STORKS
The following stories concerning storks
seem to indicate that they have views concerning
the purity of their race and act upon
them: Bishop Stanley relates that a French
surgeon at Smyrna, being unable to procure
a stork, on account of the great veneration
entertained for them by the Turks, purloined
all the eggs from a stork's nest and
replaced them with hen's eggs. Ultimately,
chickens were hatched, greatly to the surprize
of the storks. The male stork speedily
disappeared and was not seen for two or
three days, when he returned with a large
