The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-31

ma IL, ana l presume the colony OF
hornets nest, among the shelves Of books,
could live amicably with their owner,
whose secrets he would be sure, however,
to share, and if they were of Importance,
communicate to the public. This cosy
study, if it were round instead of square,
would look like section of one of the
Yosemite trees-such a one as the Chi
cago people hope to put up at the great
Columbian fair.
Mr.. Douglass Sladen, the distinguished
Australian poet who, with his family, has
been living in this city during the winter
in pleasant fat. has lately left for Eu-
rope, and will make his home, for a year
or two now, in London. Mr. Sladen is
very genial cosmopolitanized EngIishman,
who has lost his insularity by extended
travels through China, Japan and India,
as well as in other parts-which countries
he pursued with an authors purpose, on
behalf of the magazines and their eager
readers. He IS a graduate of Oxford, is
about 50 years of age, has dark brown hair,
very black eyes, and short mustache and
beard. He is said TO resemble to some ex-
tent Mr.. K. w. Glider, of the Centsy; in
other words. Is an Anglicized copy OF him.
he has brother who, as the English ex-
press II, has good living" near Roches-
ter, England. Mr.. Sladen's best known
works here are his own poems. The Aus
tralian Poets, Literary New York" and
ounger American Poets" He Will
write next about literary London.
The gayety of our country is soon to be
eclipsed for season or longer by the
early departure of the humorous Mark
Twain for an extended residence in Eu-
rope. His home on Farmington avenue,
Hartford, Conn, is as unique as the one
he describes in the Galaxy" after the
lightning ROD man had exploited it,
though not in the same way. He told me
once, when l had its hospitality, that he
found it difficult TO write in the winter,
but when summer and the birds come,
and vegetation IS lush and booming. then
his mind is fluent, and he can unrayel
strange stories of the death of kings"
or anything else. He will be missed from
Hartford and Elmira, where his society Is
most frequently to be had. for in this city
ne rarely fingers longer than imperative
business demands. As he has long got
past the necessity of playing the literary
man Tor pay, 1t is doubtful if he will
favor the world with any very elaborate
work during his absence.
OF Walt Whitman is Mr.. ]. III. Johnson, of
TINS city, who has himself impressively
poeuzed the Rocky mountains He has,
IN MS library, more and more various edi-
tons OF the Leaves of Grass than, |
think, anyone else in the world can boast.
He does not speak favorably, lust now, of
the health OF the Good GRAY Poet . who
Is 100 weak even 10 ride in his wheeled
chair with advantage. Mr.. johnson is
soon, with his wife, TO Join the stream of
literary and other tourists who. for this
season, will visit the far shores of Alaska.
Julian hawthorne Is vigorously at work
on an exhaustive history OF Oregon which
VIII appear IN two volumes. He ought TO
discover some economically colored facts
IN his studies that can be made available
tor future exploits in fiction.
tross Currents Is the title of a story
rom the pen OF Nav Angela Dickens,
daughter of Charles Dickens which is
very appropriately 10 appear by and bv in
the popular Eag'ssh H,eekiy once edited by
her father.
Oscar Wilde, who has lately Joined some
English reformers, who advocata what
they call 3 reformed dress for women Is 10
nElng out book soon, titled s.Intentious. s"
IL IS . series OF essays. and ia announced
Tor puhllcaton IN this city. Robert
Buchanan, the English poet who IS a
good isult-nnder. titles his new volume of
essays, soon to be offered, The Coming
Terror. This also Is 10 be published
here and lis spleiness can be safely pre-
dicted
The Mitchell library book auction sale
Just closed brought prices that in the main
were considered high, as the hooks were
not of the most famous quality. The fig-
ures ran for she rarest Of them from IS TO
$40. 1t was Bancroft's History Of the
United States" extra illustrated. that
brought the latter price The bindings of
most Of these books were Of the hest. and
some were by such rare binders as Mat
thews and Tout.
Nothing IN 3 purely literary way has
excited more spicy and ysrious comment