tly remember the page in that first "Atlantic" that
began with--"If the red slayer thinks he slays--" a famous poem, that
immediately became the target of all the small wits of the country, and
went in with the "Opinions," paragraphs of that Autocratic talk, which
speedily broke the bounds of the "Atlantic," and the Pacific as well,
and went round the world. [Applause.]

Yes, the "Atlantic" has had its triumphs of all sorts. The Government
even was jealous of its power. It repeatedly tried to banish one of its
editors, and finally did send him off to the court of Madrid [James
Russell Lowell]. And I am told that the present editor [William Dean
Howells] might have been snatched away from it, but for his good fortune
in being legally connected with a person who is distantly related to a
very high personage who was at that time reforming the civil service.

Mr. Chairman, there is no reason why I should not ramble on in this way
all night; but then, there is no reason why I should. There is only one
thing more that I desire to note, and that is, that during the existence
of the "Atlantic," American authors have become very nearly emancipated
from fear or dependence on English criticisms. In comparison with former
days they care now very little what London says. This is an acknowledged
fact. Whether it is the result of a sturdy growth at home or of a
visible deterioration of the quality of the criticism--a want of the
discriminating faculty--the Contributors' Club can, no doubt, point out.

[In conclusion, Mr. Warner paid a brief but eloquent tribute to the
Quaker poet.]

[Illustration: _HENRY WATTERSON_

_Photogravure after a photograph from life_]

HENRY WATTERSON

OUR WIVES

[Speech of Henry Watterson at the dinner held on the anniversary of
General W. T. Sherman's birthday, Washington, D. C., February 8,
1883. Colonel George B. Corkhill presided, and introduced Mr.
Watterson to speak to the toast, "Our Wives."]

GENTLEMEN:--When one undertakes to respond to such a sentiment
as you do me the honor to assign me, he knows in advance that he is put,
as it were, upon his good behavior. I recognize the justice of this and
accepted the responsibility with the charge; though I may say that if
General Sherman's wife resembles mine--and I very much suspect she
does--he has a sympathy for me at the present moment. Once upon a festal
occasion, a little late, quite after the hour when Cinder