New-York tribune., 1891-10-16


The Macmnlans are to be hereafter the special
agents in America Of George Fell Sons. and will bring
out for them here the successive volumes OF the famous
I" Bohn's Libraries
Those who have been particularly interested in Mr..
Marion Crawford's novels Of Roman life. will be de
hghted to hear that his forthcoming Atlantic" serial
Will revert TO divers old friends. This is indicated by
the title Don OrsinO"
While heartily nraising Miss wilknss stories, The
London Spectator" is much afflicted by the Yankee dia
lect employed therein. "The characters one and all
II says, "speak particularly uncouth and un-
gainly kind of English. which provokes to believe
that provincial American Is the most bsrbsrous Ian
guage in the world. The perverted meanings Of
familiar words gratuous, the vocabulary Is so
narrow and poverty stricken, and the few new words
that are imported into II arc grotesque, that one
cannot help involuntary sudder at the talk, even
when 1t most enchains ones sympathy and interest
II the dialect only picturesque, one might for
give il but il Is uniformly ugly and unloveE. That
OF course, has nothing whatever to do with Miss VII
knS; IL is not her fault that the accidental qualities
OF her materials wanting in beauty; on the con-
trary, il sign Of real genius her part that she
has been able to triumph fur such unpromising
matter and TO have written at once so beautifully and
so faithfully" We wonder why the English critics
who so often object TO the Yankee dialect in fiction
have anything TO say about the more than un-
coath and babaOus Yorkshire and Lancashire dialects
which make many of their native novels hdeous to
lover of good English.
beautiful little edition of Herrick is forthcoming
in Eneland-an edition for which Mr.. swinburne has
written preface. The spelling of the poems is
Observation-Disclosures the text is that of the original
edition. This is the first volume of new series to
be called THE MUSES. Library"
From Mr. TIamlln Garland's outburst of enthusiasm
in "The Arena concerning the "Ralistc' play OF
Margaret Fleming" might gather the impression
that verify" in authorship is entirely thing
and that episodes i'm real life had before appeared
in literature and on the stage. 1t is ever the habit
of clever youth to discover something new things
which were hackneyed TO their grandfathers, and to
proclaim fresh gospel teachings which were old
when Socrates was boy.
Mr.. Garland has done some admirable work in fiction
and deserves all imaginable encouragement In that
field; We would not advise him to combine criticism
with novelwritng novelist Is naturally full of his
own theories and prejudces, and the last thing OF
which he is capable is just, calm, and acute criticism
of fiction. lie lacks perspective.
There is to be new edition OF Walter scotts novels
In forty eight volumes 1t to be printed at the CHS
wick Press and it will be edited, glad to say
by Andrew Lang.
Mr.. oscar Fay Adams's book, "The Story of Jane
Austens Life" is coming from the press of A. c. Nc
Clurg Co.
At the recent meeting Of British librarians Mr.
Harrison of the London Library recalled the fact that
Thackeray when It work The Nirgnians applied
10 him for Life of General Wolfe said the Master
Novelist don't want historical account OF WOlfe's
career: Lord MahOn's book gives me that: ! want
something that will tell the color OF his breeches"
Here is bit of the realism which Mr.. Garland, for
example. thinks is something new that fresh egg
would pale beside IL,
AN Author" wants to know who pays for the
copes-a hundred mOre-of new books which pub
fishers send about for review to newspapers and
periodicals. Does he? Docs the publisherl Or do
they share the cN pensc?