The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-14
LITERARY NOTES.

Mr. FRANK K. STccKToN's first
novel, The Late Mrs.. MH, will not be ready
for sale until March LIST. The scene of the
story is laid chiefly in Virginia, and the
situations are reported to be complicated
and the plot battling.
Mr. HOWELL is reported as tell NO an
amusing story about his book, The Lady OF
The Aroostook. After the novel was pub
lished he received a letter from an old salt
in which the nOveli't was informed that II
he allowed the Aroostook to go to sea in the
rig he had given her, she would be lost be-
ellis recognized tho truth Of this frank nauti-
cal criticism, and in the next edition the
vessel sailed forth in proper rig.
The sixth volume of The Works Of
AlerdRdev Hamilton, edited by Henry Cabot
Lo3ge tG; p. Putnam's SOns), contains the
continuation of the correspondence and
assays rsi9tive TO the WHISKY Rebellion,
trOversy," the adams Controversy" the
Reynolds Pamphlet" and miscellaneous
papers. The publication Of the Reynolds
Pamphlet needs no apology, The conduct
Of Hamil ton at that crisis of his career re-
quires the light which that painful con-
fossiOn throws upon II.
Mr.. Herbert SPENCER shows how
thorough specialist he is in his reference
TO Sir John Lubbock's list Of best books. I"
MY readinR,' he says, has been much
n orc in the direction Of science than in the
direction of general literature; and of such
works in general literature as 1 have looked
into know comparatively little. being an
impa tient reader and usually soon satisfied. "
Mr.. Matthew Arnold, interrogated In regard
to list, says they are interesting things TO
look AZ, but he feels no disposition to make
one. As for Mr.. Swinburne, he does nOt
think that any mans or wonan's opinion
on the relative value Of hundrei books of
all kinds which he or she might select as the
NEST precious to humanity in general could
itself be of any value to any one not con-
eerned in the diagnosis of that mans or
woman's morbid development of intellectual
presu ption and moral audacity.'
THE following ia considered by an
English critic the best passage in Robert
Buchanan new poem:
''Soit as q leaf
The cleaning fell, and auttered like q veil
Over the half closed eyelids of the world
stars glimmered family, opening ono by
one
And blossoming above N while | stole
Through warmly scented shadows ti4
gained
Dark forp-clad slopes that ran to hills Of
heather,
And looking hoavenward saw painters
There, like naked maiden, stood the
Moon,
Wading in saffron shadows Of the west;
llmlullt WIN tcnueT DhckWATu klNncoe
She reach'd faltering foot TO feel the way,
Then, brightly smiling, as the lucent waves
WaSh'd, tipt with splendor, round her swan
like throat,
Bent forward, cleft the dusk with ivory
hands,
And swan in splendor tbro' the seas Of
night
In all England there is no more low.
able character than the novelist William
Black, writes London correspondent OF
the San Francisco Alta, and that recalls Ia
my mind an incident nevsr as yet made
known t. the public. don't know whether
Black will forgive me for telling II, but, rs
IL illustrates his generous and whole souled
friendship, l will chance II, for the story
ought to be known. Charles .Gibbon Is an
author widely and we'll known throughout
EnRland-in tact n successful novelist. Sew
Black and Gibbon were, Il might be said,
side by side in the commencement Of their
literary careers, and were then, as now,
warm personal friends, Both had made a
cert ain syndicate 70 furnish a novel Of some
twenty or twenty-five chapters: He needed
the money, too, presume, which the n0ye
would net him, but unfortunately he. fell
seriously III and was unable TO do any work
at all, As soon rs Black heard Of the mis-
fortune Of his friend Gibbon he at once
hurried 10 his bedside, and in spite Of
Gibbons vigorous protest Black insisted
that he should be furnished the scheme OF
the novel, which il seems Gibbon had already
outlined. The generous Black would listen
TO no argument OF excuse, but lett in tri
umph with the skeleton novel, and although
he had on hand more work than he could
we'll attend to, he went to work on that skel
eton and in short time returned to GibbOn
a complete novel, and 20 this day no one out
side ofa small, circle knows OF Blacks kim.
hearted action. Gibbon is warm persona
friend Of mine, and has often told me tn,
story. Black is very happy in his domestic
life, | supnose, OF course, YOU know tina
the novel, The StrdRgs Adreatlrcs Of Phoe
fOR, Is really an account Of william Black