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guish them apart; but, like the other young lady, they had scarcely got wetted, before they drew back in fear, and the gentlemen entered by themselves. Indeed, the guide said (which I suppose we consider flattering) that there had not been a lady there since Mrs. Butler [Mrs. Kemble] who had exhibited the fortitude and courage that we had. It was now getting late, and as we were very much fatigued we declined going to the museum and collection of natural curiosities found at Niagara, which I believe are well worth seeing, and we started on our return. But seeing

the boat had just put off with a party we sat down on the bank to take a last look at the falls. Miss Watson commenced sketching the Crescent fall and Goat Island. The sun was quite low, and the bow reflected on the spray was in consequence much higher than at midday; and as I looked I no longer wondered at the former, or indeed the proper, name for the island—Iris Island-for the two rainbows, one from the American and the other from the Horse-shoe, completely encircled it and at that hour gave it the appearance of a fairy palace built in the clouds. It was perfectly enchanting! The lovely scene, the noise of the waters, the gentle breeze, the hum of happy voices-all lulled the mind to such a sweet dream of happiness that it was with sighs of regret that we were forced to leave it. The view from the middle of the river is very fine, and would perhaps be the best place for an artist to choose for making a sketch of the whole cataract. After tea we went to the music-room, and finding it unoccupied, Miss Watson gave, or would have given, me some delightful music, but the piano was cracked and most wretchedly out of tune, so we soon gave it up and went to our room. Miss Watson retired early, but I, though quite as much inclined to sleep, was obliged, according to promise, to write to some of my friends in New York; after finishing my letters I leaned from the window and listened to the roar of waters.

July 22, Wednesday. Rose early and sealed my letters, which father put in the mail-bag. After breakfast he told us that we were to start at twelve, as he had engaged seats in the stage for Buffalo; so with feelings quite sad that we were to go so soon, we hastened to Goat Island that we might once more ramble over its lovely walks. We visited the tower, bridge, and every other scene that we found interesting, and I returned to the toll-house completely laden with spoils which I was taking as relicsstones, branches, roots, flowers-but I was forced to throw half of them away in the stream as we crossed, for it would have been impossible to carry them in the stage. And thus adieu to Niagara.

(Contributed by)

Robert A. Benton

OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES

HIS EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY

On the 29th of August, just passed, the versatile writer who for upward of half a century has delighted his contemporaries with polished verse and satiric humor, and whose cheerful spirit has been a perpetual benefit to the human race, reached his eightieth birthday. It was as long ago as 1836 that he published his first volume of poems, which contained, among other sparkling gems which established his reputation, The Last Leaf, the closing lines of which are:

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But Dr. Holmes has to this day kept all his faculties in such constant exercise, cultivating meanwhile that bright, healthy current of common-sense which shakes the cobwebs out of the system, that there is no probability of his ever "tottering" like the man in the poem, and causing a smile thereby. But who of us will ever cease to laugh with him while life remains? Mr. Lowell wrote truly of him, more than forty years ago, when he said in A Fable for Critics:

"You went crazy last year over Bulwer's New Timon;'

Why, if B., to the day of his dying, should rhyme on,
Heaping verses on verses, and tomes upon tomes,

He could ne er reach the best point and vigor of Holmes.
His are just the fine hands, too, to weave you a lyric
Full of fancy, fun, feeling, or spiced with satiric

In so kindly a measure, that nobody knows

What to do but e'en join in the laugh, friends or foes."

A writer in the Boston Transcript of August 28 says: "Judging from what a man accomplishes in life, it surprises no one to be told that Dr. Holmes is eighty

years old measured by that standard, he might be twice eighty and excite no especial wonder. So that while with one breath we marvel that this light-stepping gentleman we meet on the sidewalk should be eighty years of age, in the next we find ourselves wondering how one who has done so much can have passed so short a time on earth. He is as great a mystery as any that his pen has explored and elucidated.

The inhabitants of New England take Dr. Holmes's eightieth birthday more calmly than one would, at first thought, imagine that they would. Considering the fact that he has done them, in their literature and in their life, an immense service in letting out of the bag of their Puritanism, so to speak, the cat of their natural gayety; and considering, also, that they fully recognize in their hearts and upon their lips the service that he has done them in this and other important regards, it would not appear at all unlikely that they should hold jubilations, and go down to Beverly Farms with illuminated addresses, and declare the anniversary a legal holiday, and all that sort of thing. Dr. Holmes's life and literary work—we must not forget the appalling fact that The Last Leaf was published more than fifty years ago, and Old Ironsides well nigh sixty years ago-have corresponded pretty closely with the New England Puritan's progress from the slough of social and literary despond which he was in at the beginning of the century to the at least comparatively delectable mountains upon which he dwells at present. From a state of absolutely literary slavery we have emerged, in a considerable degree under the guidance of Dr. Holmes himself, and for the rest under the influence of an inherent impulsion which he himself has been constrained to obey, into an epoch of intellectual daylight which occasionally dazzles even the gaze of the clearsighted autocrat beyond the power of seeing quite correctly. The impulse has carried us, perhaps, a little beyond the point which Dr. Holmes would have marked out for us. In stimulating the literary activities of his countrymen, Dr. Holmes has struck off more gyves than he knew. In regarding the effect of it all, he has lately seemed not quite disposed to say of conditions of American literature that are in some degree his own work, 'They are good.' However, that is neither here nor there in the tributes which are paid to Dr. Holmes on his birthday. Among the first, we have no doubt, to yield the praise which is surely due to Dr. Holmes's work, as well as to his personality, would be the disciples of the younger school, who have drifted beyond his direct leadership."

PRIZES FOR HISTORIC WORK

TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF THE FESTIVAL OF 1892

The Spanish government has offered two great prizes, one of $6,000 and one of $3,000, for the best essays on Spanish activity in discovery, with special reference to the discovery of Columbus. The following circular has appeared.

"This competition is instituted with a view to celebrating this great festival with some lasting literary work which will perpetuate its memory. This work, for which a prize will be given, must consist of an historical study, written in prose, recording the great event which it is intended to commemorate.

Ever since the sixteenth century a great deal has been written on the life and deeds of Columbus, and no doubt difficulties exist in bringing anything new to bear on the subject. It is proposed, therefore, that the paper to be written should be of a comprehensive, synoptic, and concise character, without tedious and recondite details. Although there are numerous works respecting American travels and discoveries, there is not one that sufficiently demonstrates the marvelous efforts made by the nations of the Iberian peninsula from the beginning of the fifteenth century for the acquirement and knowledge of hitherto unvisited portions of the planet in which we live. In this work there is a growing interest which, putting aside various mythical voyages, such as those of Doria and Vivaldi and others, began at the epoch when Gil Eannes doubled Cape Bojador, discovered Guinea, etc., and concluded at the period when Elcano circumnavigated the globe. The culminating point of all these voyages of discovery was when Columbus first hoisted the European flag on the soil of the new world-a deed which led to the knowledge of the whole globe, to the advancement of the Christian religion, and to the general wealth of all nations.

No doubt the actors in these glorious achievements were inspired by diverse sentiments-some by the thirst for renown or wealth, others by the desire to eclipse the feats of the ancient Greeks and Romans. But the subject to be treated of is the vast significance of this discovery of Columbus, the centenary of which it is proposed to celebrate, without in the least detracting from the deeds of Bartolomé Dias, Cortes, Pizarro, and others, bringing into due notice the civilizing power Portugal has brought to bear, and the crowning act of Spain, when she for the first time braved the unknown Atlantic and circumnavigated the globe.

The program for this paper, thus vaguely sketched, should contain in a compendious introduction accounts of travels and geographical advances made up to the time of the settlement of the Infante Don Enrique of Portugal, in Sagres, concluding with an ample treatise on the changes and benefits wrought on civilization by our united efforts as regards commerce, the policy of nations, the extension of learning, etc. The vastness of the subject necessitates that the paper should be a highly finished work of art, not so much from the richness of diction, but rather from the general arrangement and neatness of style for its nobility and beauty should spring from the simplicity of the phraseology and from a just appreciation and careful judgment.

Any unpublished paper, written ad hoc, in Spanish, Portuguese, English, German, French, or Italian, may enter into the competition. The tribunal to award the prize will be composed of two members of the Royal Academy of History, of one member of each of the royal Spanish academies, and of various others.

VOL. XXII.-No. 4.-24

The diplomatic representative of each power will also form part of the tribunal; he will forward, to take part in the competition, any work of his countrymen or present any person that power may designate. The tribunal will select a president, and all decisions will be made, by means of voting, by all the members composing it.

The works presented for competition should be neatly bound, written legibly on good paper, the name of the author not being mentioned, and marked with a motto; but the author should write his name and address in a folded sheet, on the exterior of which he should repeat the same motto and the first sentence of his book. Those folded sheets belonging to works that receive no prizes will be burned unopened. Although it is difficult to assign the exact dimensions of the works entered for competition, they should not exceed two volumes of five hundred pages, of the same size and of the same type as those of the complete works of Cervantes, by Rivadeneyra, 1863-64. Still, if desired, another volume, containing documents, maps, etc., may be added. In order that the jury may have time to examine and vote, the competing works should be sent to the secretary of the Royal Academy of History before January 1, 1892.

One prize of £1,200 (30,000 pesetas) will be given, together with a second one of £600 (15,000 pesetas).

In addition to these rewards, each of these two authors will be given five hundred copies of the edition of his book.

The centenary commission will decide how many copies of the editions of these works are to be published, and to whom they are to be presented.

The authors will preserve full rights over their works, and will be able to have them reprinted, translated, etc. But the commission, nevertheless, retains the right of having either or both of the prize works, should they be in a foreign language, translated into Spanish.

The above is published by the commission for the information of the public and of the governments of the persons who may desire to take part in the competition.

MADRID, June 19."

DUKE DE VERAGTA, Vice-President
J. VALERA and J. RIANO, Secretaries

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