The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-03
Literary Notes.


Mr.. Matthew Arnold's approaching visit
to this country is to be commemorated by
Macmillan & Co. in very pleasing manner.
VIZ. by a new and uniform edition OF his
prose writings in seven volumes.
Aphonse Daudet, the great French novel
list, will write series of "reminiscences and
pen portraits of prominent Frenchmen and
others, to appear in The Century during
1884.
The new novel by E. P. Roe is entitled
His Sombre Rivals,' and it is said that an
edition OF 25, 600 copies is needed to supply
the immediate demand. The scene of the
story is laid in the time of the War of the
Rebellion.
San Hour with Charlotte Bronte; or,
Flowers from Yorkshire Moor" is the
title of a work by Laura G. Holloway, of The
Brooklyn Eagle. 1t comprises fine steel
portrait of the novelist, biographical essay,
selections from the writings of Charlotte
letters and poems.
The editor of the Century has obtained
permission to print extracts from the pri-
vate journal kept by General Garfield during
bis trip to Europe in 1868. The material
includes notes on a debate in the House of
Commons, day in Westminster Abbey, a
sermon by Sturgeon, the British Museum,
ets., etc.
Rev. Washington GLADDEN., LII. D., whose
christian League of Connection" attracted
SO much attention in the Century last win
ter, will furnish to that magazine during
the coming year essays on the general sub
ject of Christianity and Wealth." touching
The APPLICATION of Christian morals to the
present phase of modern life especially in
America.
The capture of JEFFERSON Davis will be
fully treated by Mr.. Burton N. Harrison in
paper to be published in an early number
of The Century. 1t is narrative of person.
al experience, describing the retreat of Mr.
Davis aud party from Richmond at the close
of the Rebellion, and is said to be of deci-
sive historical importance with regard to the
event on which there has been so much dis
pute.
William Swinton, well known as the wsr
correspondent of the New York Times, and
more recently as a writer of school text
books, is about to begin the publication of a
Weekly, to be called Swinton's Story-Teller.
and consisting exclusively of choices COM
plete tales, from four to six in each issue
nc uds alIoduy enlisted Inc pens OF many OF
the star story-writers of the United States
and England.
An intimate friend of Gen. Lew Wallace
tells this story of how Gen. Wallace came to
write Ben Hur, which is interesting if not
authentic: Before, and for sometime after
the war, Gen. Wallace was inclined to be
skeptical on religious matters, particularly
as to the divinity of Christ. Chance one
sday, while travelling on railroad, threw
himi company with Col. Ingersoll, the in
fidels Their conversation turned on relig-
ious topics, and in the course of their dis
cussion Ingersoll presented his views Wal
lace listened and was much impressed, but
finally re Narked that he was not yet pre-
pared to agree with Ingersoll on certain very
extreme propositions relative to the non
divinity of Christ. Ingersoll urged Wallace
to give the matter the careful study and re.
search that he had, expressing his confidence
that Wallace would, after SO doing fully ac-
quiesce in the Ingersoll view. After parting
Wallace turned the matter over in his mind
and determined to give it the most thorough
investigation. For six years he thought,
studied, and searched. At the end of that
time Ben Hur' was produced.