Mr. Harper represents the useful pioneer laying down the way for more showy performances, such as the conquest of virgin peaks. The plodding pioneer has a right in virtue of his useful contributions to knowledge not to be over-shadowed by every Jack and Jill who go up a hill in order to put their visiting card in a bottle. The picture on next page represents a Dolomite (if the singular be permissible), presumably in its virgin state. The Dolomites have been a favourite hunting-ground of late for the Club Alpine as well as the English Alpine Club. Signor Sinigaglia wrote what was little more than a pamphlet on the subject, but has been induced by the enterprise of his English publisher to expand it into a beautifully illustrated volume, to which Mr. Edmund Garwood-an Alpine "specialist" if ever there was one, and a member of the recent Spitzbergen expedition-contributes an introduction. All Miss Viall's (the translator's) proofs have been read by Signor Sinigaglia, and the book must, therefore, surely be accounted one of the most important travel-books of the year. In the Preface a touching account is given of the noble death of the faithful guide Carrel, during the author's memorable ascent of the Matterhorn on August 23, 1895. Thanks to him they were at last, after a terrible night, on their way to the pastures, and were "nearly at the bottom, when I felt the rope pulled. We stopped, awkwardly placed as we were, and cried out to Carrel several times to come down, but we received no answer. Alarmed, we went up a little way, and heard him say, in a faint voice, 'Come up and fetch me, I have no strength left.' We went up and found that he was lying with his face to the ground, holding on to a rock, in a semiconscious state, and unable to get up or to move a step. With extreme difficulty we carried him up to a safe place, and asked him what was the matter. His only answer was, 'I know no longer where I am.' His hands were getting colder and colder, his speech weaker and more broken, and his body more still. We did all we could for him, putting with great difficulty the rest of the cognac into his mouth. He said something and appeared to revive, but this did not last long. We tried rubbing him with snow, and shaking him, and calling to him A. P. HARPER, The Dolomites. 21s. net. continually; but he could only answer with moans. We tried to lift him, but it was impossible-he was getting stiff. We stooped down and asked in his ear if he wished to commend his soul to God. With a last effort he answered 'Yes,' and then fell on his back, dead, upon the snow," A 2 M. St. Loe Strachey has not flinched, although Dagonet let loose all the anecdotage of the Referce upon him; and here we are with Cat and Bird Stories. It assuredly needed the pencil of Mr. Tomson to do justice to the sense of duty and guardianship on the face of the cat who figures in the accompanying story, which we cite from his volume "Cat and Bird Stories from The Spectator.”—A cat with a fire brigade medal :— "SIR,-A lady friend of mine had a very favourite cat named 'Peter.' One night she left him in his usual sleeping-place, and went to her own room. Not long after, she heard a noise at her door-scratching and other sounds, which she knew must come from the cat-and took no notice of it at first; but as it continued, she opened her door, upon which the cat immediately turned and walked down straight to the kitchen, followed by his mistress, who, to her dismay, saw that the legs of the table were on fire! She started at once to the station of the fire brigade, not waiting for bonnet or shawl (about five minutes' walk). The engine came and extinguished the fire, and the fire brigade presented the cat with a medal, which it wore always hung round its neck. This took place in Brighton. The station of the fire brigade is in West Hill Road, where this story can be verified. The cause of the fire was traced to the fact of the fire in the grate having been raked out as usual, some of the hot cinders had reached the wood flooring, and the table was not far off.—I am, Sir, &c., “August 31, 1895." Cat and Bird Stories. "ESTHER WELLS. 5S. A Life Spent for Ireland. After that, why not a Hibernian story or two? Here is one from "A Life Spent for Ireland” :— "A beggar woman with a baby asks alms at the window. Madam, why do you not go to the poorhouse?' 'Musha, bad luck to it for a poorhouse! I was in it before, and eleven of my childher died in it!' 'And had you eleven children?' I asked, with some surprise. I had fifteen, your honour,' responded the prolific mendicant, who seemed not much above thirty years old. When the Poor Law was first introduced, a Dublin beggar woman whom, in answer to a prayer for alms, a gentleman referred to the poorhouse, said, 'This Poor Law is a grand thing for the sowls of the jintlemen.' 'Why?' 'Bekaise now, when we axes for alms, they only say, "Go to the poorhouse," but before there was a poorhouse they used to say, "Go to the d-1!"" 5s. And here is one from "Here and There Memories," by H. R. N.-His Royal Nobody, as one more humorously than justly infers : Here and There "Mr. Patrick Lalor, at one time member for the Queen's County, was another disciple of 'the Apostle of Temperance.' Lalor, however, had never been drunk, though a couple of bottles of wine and twenty or more tumblers of whisky punch was his daily after-dinner allowance. When Father Matthews met him, he said, 'I am told, Mr. Lalor, you are an intemperate man?' 'It's a lie, sir,' said 'imperative Pat,' 'I never was drunk in my life.' 'One may be intemperate without being drunk. I'm told you can drink ten glasses of punch without effect.' 'I can drink any amount I please, sir, but I've never been drunk, or I should not drink one.' 'But your influence, Mr. Lalor, should be exerted for weaker vessels. Imagine the effect of your good example! Indeed, you ought to comply with my request, Mr. Lalor.' 'Your request, father? If you put it on that ground, Pat Lalor cannot refuse Theobald Matthews' request. I shall take the pledge. The Guargantuan drinker knelt down and took the pledge, and kept it, never drinking even wine again, except when prescribed by his doctors before death." IOS. 6d. Authors and Friends. 78. 6d. You will find a more tempered vein of anecdote in Mrs. Fields' delightful volume, "Authors and Friends." The name of Fields is honourably and indissolubly connected with the publication of the best literature of America, and Mrs. Fields in her social capacity moved among the literary gods. She knew Longfellow well, that most charming of poets, who sent his publisher his "love" in lieu of the poem he did not feel able to compose. There was no Authors' Society then to say a word against it. Mrs. Stowe, in her pages, reveals a flow of winning humour quite inimitable. All will sympathise with the old lady who observes that the stories in the serials keep "tramping" over her mind till it feels "macadamised." Emerson stands before us again, a subtle personality at once fastidious and catholic in his tastes, the writer of the easiest and most perfect of styles, produced amid the acutest throes of self-criticism. But he, too, strikes fire sometimes. A man is spoken of as having inexpressive eyes. "Holes in his head," remarks Emerson. Then there is the friendship with the Tennysons, the great-hearted poet and the delicate musician, his wife, who kept him from spoiling his verses. But we must cease: the ADVISER has become the "well-advised," and has been tempted by his own culogy to lose himself in the book. IN AND ABOUT A SUPPLEMENT TO The Literary Adviser. MODERN FRENCH MASTERS. A Series of Biographical and Critical Reviews. TIMOTHY COLE and others, and 28 Half-Tone Illustrations. Edited by JOHN C. VAN DYKE Twenty biographical and critical monographs of the most famous French Masters, written by their American pupils and admirers-in each case an American artist, chosen because of his knowledge and sympathy with the painter of whom he writes. The book is edited by Prof. John C. Van Dyke of Rutgers College, author of " Old Dutch and Flemish Masters." It is illustrated by 66 full-page pictures (insets) by Timothy Cole, Woolf, Kingsley, and others, chosen designedly froin both woodengravings and half-tones, placed side by side, to allow judgment as to the relative merits of the two classes of reproduction. PIONEER WORK IN THE ALPS OF NEW ZEALAND. By ARTHUR P. HARPER. About 50 Illustrations and Maps. Demy 8vo, cloth, 21s. net.—Ako a EDITION DE LUXE printed on Japan paper limited to 20 copies, price £5 5s. net. III-Westland:-The West Coast of New V. Waiho River The High Country :- VI. Cook River Balfour Glacier : - Old X.-Cook River (continued) and Ancient XI. The Francis Joseph Glacier:-Secon XII.--Karangarua River :-With Douglas again XIII-Karangarua River (continued): - Bad XIV. Landsborough River:- Into Land- 1 PIONEER WORK IN THE ALPS OF NEW ZEALAND.-continued. XVII-A Pass to the Hermitage:-Instructions to go to Hermitage - Forestalled-Meet Fitzgerald and Zurbriggen - Saltwater Creek Pass to Tasman Glacier-A Memorable Meeting at the Hermitage Solitary Journey back -Copland River-West Coast Work Discussed -Complete the Exploration of Copland River. XVIII.-Copland River and General: Welcome Flats-Douglas River - Rureka Strauchon Glacier - Decrease of Native Birds - First Ascent of Ryan's Peak - Return to Hokitika - XIX.-Glacier Observation:-The Number and |