Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-27
Literary Notes.

With the January No. scribner's Mag
dzine enters upon its sixth year. Ii now
claims to have a circulation OF moro than
140, 900 copies monthly.
A new book by SAMUEL SMILES. called
"Jasmin; Barber, Poet, Philanthropist."
will shortly be published by HARPER d
BROTHERS.
The first paper IN the illustrated series
on 1.-THE Jews in New York" will appear
in the January Century. The same No.
will contain an article by GoUNoD, the CON-
poser. on his own early lite.
DR.. PHILIP ScHAFF will contribute to the
January Forum paper on "Heresy Trials
and the Briggs Case"; also one by DR..
BRIGGS himself on Theological Educa-
ton and its Needs"
Guy DE MAUPAssASr. the most popular
living French writer Of short stories. Is
suffering from disease of the nervous
system. 1t is feared that he may become
insane.
Mr.. HENRY 7. FINcK, OF the New York
Ereninq Post, is said to be writing life OF
WAGNER.
The January Atlantic will contain post
humorous paper on EMERSON; also, an ex-
PLANTATION by Mr.. WALTER CRANE Z" Why So
cialsm Appeals to Artists" and some I'M
published letters of JOHN STUART Mill.
A New York bookseller offers copy OF
the First Folio of Shakespeare, absolute
" perfect" for $4,000. Copies have been
sold within the last few at prices varying
from $3.50 to $1,000. the latter amount
having been obtained in New York for an
exceptionally large and perfect specimen.
A COPY Of the "Sonnets," Q609) which
went for G225 15s. in 1864 has since been
sold for $1,000.
F. WoLcorr BALEsTIER, the young Ameri-
can author who wrote, in collaboration
with RupYARD KIPLISa, the story 1.-The
Naulahka," now running in the Century, Is
dead. The manuscript Of the story is for
| tunately all in hand.
Itissald that BEEcHER wrote but one poem
in his life, and that he refused an offer
from ROBERT BONNER, of the Ledger, of
$40, 900 for it. This may be q true story,
but it does not fit in we'll with BEToaER's
well-known money-making procllvities.
At the end of this year Mr.. W. ID. How
Ellis will "sever his connection" with
Harper's Magazine and will write exclusive
ly thereafter for The Cosmopolitan. 1t is
said that this change is due to Mr.. How
r1Ls's shortcomings as literary critic.
| Certainly he has pronounced some remark
able literary Judgments.
Oliver Optic, who has been writing books
for boys for 10 these many years, has be-
gun still another series, to be called "All-
Oyer-the- World" divers optics must
serve HIM very well if he Is still able to dc
his own writing.
The latest announcement of new book
bv ANDREW LANG is an edition of BURNS fol
the Parchment Library.
A correspondent of The British Weekly is
quoted as stating that he has heard on ex.
cellent authority that Lord TESsYsoS't
poem, Crossing the Bar" was composed
at the request of an old lady who com
plained that he had written no hymns
The following interesting story is told o
the manner in which the future Laureate
first essayed to make poetry: "One day al
about the age of sixteen no was too i'll tc
90 to church. His brother suggested that
he should employ his spare time in trying
to write poem. The boy did so, and dis
covered FOR the first time his capacity fol
poetical expression"
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON has just sent Il
England new story of some $4,000 words
The title is 1.-THE Beach Of Palesa."
JEROME X. JEROME is about to start {
new magazine in London to be called Tn
Idler, to which Mark Twain is to contri
butte serial entitled IAN American Claim
ant" Tire New York Sun will possibly se'
in this title reference to its editors bel
noir, MIR. CLEVELAND, though Mr.. DANA
idol, Beast BUTLER, is more fitted. both b,
name and nature. for that character. VI
should think.
Truthful Jeems" appears to be on {
protracted poetical bout, judging from re
cent editions OF the Saturday STATE. Man,
a man has written much better poetr,
than Jeems writes who was not half 81
good fellow. By the way. what has be
come Of that bo,Ronniere'