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cies。 Mark Twain's humor is not to be classed with the fragile plants； it has a serious root striking deep down into rich earth； and I think it will go on flowering indefinitely。
I HAVE been imagining an ideal critical journal； whose plan should involve the discharge of the chief literary critic and the installment of a fresh censor on the completion of each issue。 To place a man in permanent absolute control of a certain number of pages； in which to express his opinions； is to place him in a position of great personal danger； It is almost inevitable that he should come to overrate the importance of those opinions； to take himself with far too much seriousness； and in the end adopt the dogma of his own infallibility。 The liberty to summon this or that man…of…letters to a supposititious bar of justice is apt to beget in the self…ap… pointed judge an exaggerated sense of superi… ority。 He becomes impatient of any rulings not his； and says in effect； if not in so many words： 〃 I am Sir Oracle； and when I ope my lips let no dog bark。〃 When the critic reaches this exalted frame of mind his slight usefulness is gone。
AFTER a debauch of thunder…shower； the weather takes the pledge and signs it with a rainbow。
I LIKE to have a thing suggested rather than told in full。 When every detail is given； the mind rests satisfied； and the imagination loses the desire to use its own wings。 The partly draped statue has a charm which the nude lacks。 Who would have those marble folds slip from the raised knee of the Venus of Melos？ Hawthorne knew how to make his lovely thought lovelier by sometimes half veiling it。
I HAVE just tested the nib of a new pen on a slight fancy which Herrick has handled twice in the 〃Hesperides。〃 The fancy； however； is not Herrick's； it is as old as poetry and the ex… aggeration of lovers； and I have the same privi… lege as another to try my fortune with it：
UP ROOS THE SONNE； AND UP ROOS EMELYE CHAUCER
When some hand has partly drawn The cloudy curtains of her bed； And my lady's golden head Glimmers in the dusk like dawn； Then methinks is day begun。 Later； when her dream has ceased And she softly stirs and wakes； Then it is as when the East A sudden rosy magic takes From the cloud…enfolded sun； And full day breaks！
Shakespeare； who has done so much to discour… age literature by anticipating everybody； puts the whole matter into a nutshell：
But soft！ what light through yonder window breaks？ It is the east； and Juliet is the sun。
THERE is a phrase spoken by Hamlet which I have seen quoted innumerable times； and never once correctly。 Hamlet； addressing Horatio； says：
Give me that man That is not passion's slave； and I will wear him In my heart's core； ay； in my heart of heart。
The words italicized are invariably written 〃heart of hearts〃as if a person possessed that organ in duplicate。 Perhaps no one living； with the exception of Sir Henry Irving； is more familiar with the play of Hamlet than my good friend Mr。 Bram Stoker； who makes his heart plural on two occasions in his recent novel； 〃The Mystery of the Sea。〃 Mrs。 Humphry Ward also twice misquotes the passage in 〃Lady Rose's Daughter。〃
BOOKS that have become classicsbooks that ave had their day and now get more praise than perusalalways remind me of venerable colonels and majors and captains who； having reached the age limit； find themselves retired upon half pay。
WHETHER or not the fretful porcupine rolls itself into a ball is a subject over which my friend John Burroughs and several brother naturalists have lately become as heated as if the question involved points of theology。 Up among the Adirondacks； and in the very heart of the re… gion of porcupines； I happen to have a modest cottage。 This retreat is called The Porcupine； and I ought by good rights to know something about the habits of the small animal from which it derives its name。 Last winter my dog Buster used to return home on an average of three times a month from an excursion up Mt。 Pisgah with his nose stuck full of quills； and he ought to have some concrete ideas on the subject。 We two； then； are prepared to testify that the por… cupine in its moments of relaxation occasion… ally contracts itself into what might be taken for a ball by persons not too difficult to please in the matter of spheres。 But neither Buster nor Ibeing unwilling to get into trouble would like to assert that it is an actual ball。 That it is a shape with which one had better not thoughtlessly meddle is a conviction that my friend Buster stands ready to defend against all comers。
WORDSWORTH'S characterization of the woman in one of his poems as 〃a creature not too bright or good for human nature's daily food〃 has always appeared to me too cannibalesque to be poetical。 It directly sets one to thinking of the South Sea islanders。
THOUGH Iago was not exactly the kind of per… son one would select as a superintendent for a Sunday…school； his advice to young Roderigo was wisdom itself〃Put money in thy purse。〃 Whoever disparages money disparages every step in the progress of the human race。 I lis… tened the other day to a sermon in which gold was personified as a sort of glittering devil tempting mortals to their ruin。 I had an instant of natural hesitation when the contribution…plate was passed around immediately afterward。 Personally； I be… lieve that the possession of gold has ruined fewer men than the lack of it。 What noble enterprises have been checked and what fine souls have been blighted in the gloom of poverty the world will never know。 〃After the love of knowledge；〃 says Buckle； 〃 there is no one passion which has done so much good to mankind as the love of money。〃
DIALECT tempered with slang is an admirable medium of communication between persons who have nothing to say and persons who would not care for anything properly said。
DR。 HOLMES had an odd liking for ingenious desk…accessories in the way of pencil…sharpeners； paper…weights； penholders； etc。 The latest con… trivances in this fashionprobably dropped down to him by the inventor angling for a nibble of commendationwere always making one another's acquaintance on his study table。 He once said to me： 〃I 'm waiting for somebody to invent a mucilage…brush that you can't by any accident put into your inkstand。 It would save me frequent moments of humiliation。〃
THE deceptive Mr。 False and the volatile Mrs。 Giddy； who figure in the pages of seventeenth and eighteenth century fiction； are not tolerated in modern novels and plays。 Steal the burglar and Palette the artist have ceased to be。 A name indicating the quality or occupation of the bearer strikes us as a too transparent device。 Yet there are such names in contemporary real life。 That of our worthy Adjutant…General Drum may be instanced。 Neal and Pray are a pair of deacons who linger in the memory of my boyhood。 Sweet the confectioner and Lamb the butcher are indi… viduals with whom I have had dealings。 The old…time sign of Ketchum & Cheetam； Brokers； in Wall Street； New York； seems almost too good to be true。 But it was once； if it is