The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-15
LITERARY NOTES


LITERARY NOTES
II has been known for some months
past, and freely commented on In tho
newspapers. that Mr.. Ward McAllister.
the so-called inventor of the famous
-four hundred" was writing a book.
When this fact became thoroughly I'M
derstood Mr.. McAllister was beset on
all sides with offers from publishers Of
books, OF magazines. and the managers
of newspaper syndicates for his manus-
cript. and the offers he received were
exceedingly fatteripg in their tes'i-
mony To his drawing power as an au-
thor, but the book had already been
more than half promised to the Cassell
Publishing Company. and few weeks
ago the contract was signed.
Mr.. McAllster calls his book "Soci-
ETY. as Have Found IL. " but while 10 ~
not at all handbook Of etiquette. tnoso
who read il for information on quss-
tions Of social forms will fluid that it
gives them more information than
many books that set out with this intea-
ton only. What Mr.. McAllister's book
really IL, lis a book of "reminiscences
The little well describes itsplan. Ever
since he left college he has been IN So
ciety--and in the@very best : ciety that
the country affords. One might say no
was born into this circle. Tor the Bic
A listers are fine. old southern .am-
Uy. The book begins with the early
days at the old homestead IN Georgia,
and then we are taken To California in
the eventful days of 40, where Mr. Nc
Al,isIer early developed his specially
for entertaining. Later on he came To
New York. then went to England and
To the Continent, still IN the
thick Of society. attending balls
sud receptions of royalty. as well as
nobility. and seeing everything there
was To be seen In social life. Then he
came back to New York and Newport
aud was soon the acknowledged leader
of the most exclusive circles. Mr.. No
| Allister's book il filled with anecdotes
and "reminiscences of his social career.
aud he tells the story with charm OF
style. sense OF humor and an uofailing
amiability that. together with his wide
| spread reputation, are bound TO mako
] the book one of the great successes OF
the publishing business. II will bee pub.
! lished ia the falkland will be illustrated
with portraits of Mr. McAlllster and Of
his country seats.
lir. w. G. Hudson barclay North.
l Who may now be classed among the
most popular American novelIsts. has
made play OF one of his most success
I full stories-''Jack Gordon. Knight Err
( rant - which has been performed in
| Buffalo. with Miss Alice King Living-
ston in the leading role OF Lucy Sher-
man. Miss Livingston. who is a de-
scendant of the old Chancellor. was
formerly member Of the New York
| Lyceum Theatre company. but was per-
suaded to leave the ranks Of "a stock
company to try her fortunes as q
star She chose the heroine Of Mr..
| Hudson's book for her first appearances,
| and be has made her a play cut of IL
that is destined to be one of the most
successful productions OF an American
play wright.
Mr.. Thomas Stevens "Sconting for
| Stanley in East Africa will soon DO
ready. The book will have numerous
| illustrations made from photographs
taken by Mr. Stevens with his Hawkeye
camera. For pictures OF savage life
they probabl y have 10 equals. for Il Is
not often that an amateur photographer
has been able to focus his camera on
the war dances of Africans in their
native wilds.
Among the recent publications OF the
Cassel Publishing Company which will
attract more than the ordinary amount
Of attention are "Viyer OF Viyer. Long
man & Co... - by w. G. Hudson. the au-
thor OF THE Diamond Button" and
Jack Gordon; Stolen America, a
tale of Bermuda. by lsobel Henderson
Floyd, and Two Voices" by Henry
uarland, author OF AS Ii Was Writ
ten" and other powerful novels.
Five editions of marie Bashkirtssf,
the Journal of Young Artist, ARE an
nounced by the CasselI Publishing Com
pany. The original edition is now pub
lished at $3.50, another at 81, two in
paper-one at 30 cents. the other at 20
cents-and an edition in TWO yolu mes
with numerous illustrations at SO. Mrs.
Serrano, the translator OF this Journal.
has recently received letter OF thanks
from Nine. Blshkirtseif, the mother OF
Marie.
In our latest batch OF notes we binted
at "a new author who had been dis,ov-
cred by the Cassell Publishing Com
pauy. We have now To announce that
mis- book is on the press and viii soon
be published. The tile, vengeance is
Mime" il somewhat sensational. Per.
haps. though the story can hardly be
dismissed with that description. The
title was chosen because IL applied SO
exactly to the plot and It's development.
It is a story Of love and revenge. but
the avenger Is not always the same.
The author. so far as the publishers
know, makes IA this book his first APP
pearance before the reading public. but
it must be admitted that while he may
not have written much for publication,
he has certainly written for practice,
for his style has none Of the character
istics OF the novice. Ills plot is original.
his characters firmly drawn, and his
analysis of the motives that influences
men aud women shows unusual knowi-
edge.
The Athenaeum has this compliments
to pay an American book: The psralv-
sis OF memory resulting from some deep
mental disturbance or from some ma.
chanical pressure upon the brain 10,
however, peculiarly suited for the motif
of q story Of dual existence in y time
like our own. when matters OF purely
scientific kind find literary treatment.
Long before the appearance Of Called
Back our contemporary story-tellers
had discovered that here az last Was
something like new ore for imaginative
treatment; but FROM lack Of knowledge
they handled il with becoming timidity
till the appearance OF Hard Cash.
a story in which one shock
obliterated the identity OF tho
character and another shock restored
il. Since then. il has been pretty con-
siderabIy run upon, bat almost aiways
with a plentiful lack Of originality.
until the appearance Of the clever story
Of Mr. Harland. Assuming that the
author would not thank as for dlvusx-
ing his plot. we can only say that nothing
more startljngly new than tho denonnce.
! ment Of Two Women or Onsr (Cassell
i - ~ 4.