The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-06-20


novel, Olympia, is about thirty-ive years
old, and has done a great deal of good work
in very short time.
1t is authoritatively stated that Miss Eliz-
abeth Stuart Phelps is not to introduce into
her new story special discussion OF the
woman question"
Mrs Charles, author of 1.-The Schoenberg
Gotta Family" will shortly begin the publi-
cation of a new story, "Lapsed, But Not
Lost" tale of Roman Carthage.
Mrs. Helene D'Apery, known to the liter.
airy world as "Olive Harper has left the
Bohemian world and settled for life at Val
hermoosa Springs, Morgan county, Ala.
Mrs Celia Thaxter, poet, was born on APP
pledore island isles of Shoals) where her
father resided as a half hermit, and she never
went to the main land until she was nearly
II years old.
Gail Hamilton began her literary career as
a contributor to the Boston Congregational
list. She takes her pseudonym from Gail,
the abbreviation of her second name, Abb
gail, and Hamilton Mass, y the place Of her
| birth.
The Literary World is authority for the
statement th4t the Sprague collection of
manuscripts still awaits a purchaser, and
| that the prospect is increasing of its being
fer to England.
Edmund c. Stedman has, il is said, de-
| ferred the completion of his translation of
Theocritus. on which he has been sometime
engaged, to devote such leisure as he may
| have to original composition. He has re-
served the remainder OF Theocritus for the
years when he shall be no longer young.
The publishers of Paul de Musset's
hinorarahv of his brother Alfred HAVING
opened in Paris the subject of the dead
poets relation TO George Sand, and the
| cause of their arrangement "A dozen adj
ditional revisions of the erratic entangle-
ment are speedily to be launched into the
world of print
When authors have their heads turned by
hattery at the success which new work OF
| theirs may have achieved, they should curb
their vanity and try to humiliate their pride
by remembering that Tupper's 'Proverbial
| Philosophy has passed through go editions
| in England and sold over GOO, 900 copies in
| this country.
1t was a singular time-the recent discus
sion of the liquor QUESTION in the Massachu-
sets senate-for the decision as to whether
| the proposed bill should have the word
drank, according to Websters dictionary, or
drunk, according to Worcester's and the
senate resolutely stood by Worcester's die
| UlOQdry ana refused 10 entertain the SuOSLl-
tuition of drank for drunk.
Mr.. Edgar Fawcett, writing about his
young brother poets, says that Mr.. Aldrich
''has written very little that is not surpass-
| ingly good of its kind" that Mr.. Paul III.
! Haynes verse has some resemblance to Shell
| ley's; that r. w. Guilder's book is full "of
noticeable conceits, and exceedingly devoid
| of true poetry" and that Mr. Lanier's poems
are "a mixture of genuine beauty and ex-
cessive hideousness."
Charles Dickenss last speech in public
that at the academy dinner in 1870, was per-
haps his best What could be more exquisite
than such a touch as this? 'Since l first en-
tered the public lists, very young man in
deed. 1T has been my constant good fortune
to number among my nearest and dearest
friends members of the Royal academy who
have been its grace and pride. They have
so dropped from my side one by one that
already begin to feel like the Spanish monk
/ of whom Wilkie tells. who had grown to be-
lieve that the only realities around him were
the pictures which he loved, and that all the
moving life he saw, or ever had seen, was a
shadow and Dream However tnixed or
| however select his audience, Charles Dick
ems always fixed its delighted attention.
"A Berlin correspondent of the Literary
World, remarking on the German criticism
of current light American literature, says
| the critics are not content with being amused
by Bret Harte, t. B. Aldrich and Mark
Twain; they see an ethical or esthetical pur1
pose in everything, without which they
would regard the perusal of such works a
waste of time. They assume, too, that Harte
with perhaps triiing exaggerations, depicts
the everyday state of society and family life,
not alone in California and Montana, but
throughout America As to comparative
merit the critics do not all agree, the most
considering Harte the greatest American
genius, while Others award this glory TO Al
drich A we'll known German critical jour
nal, comparing these two,writers, somewhat
ludicrously adds: = But while HARE, is mere
ly painter of externals, of manners, Al
drich reminds one continually of Richter;
lie depic..s the depth Of the soul.