New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-05
AUTHORS AND BOOKS.
MR.. RUSKIN AND Mr.. MERED1TH-oulDAo
ONSLAUGHT ON THE LATE MR. BAL
EsTIEE-LARGE-PAPER EDITIONS.
London. November 90.

some reason % fear that the state OF MI KuSflh
health is such as to detract from the value OF his
oninion. il he gave IT, But there is no satisfactory
evidence that he has expressed an opinion one
wav or the other Some busybody appears to
have written him. stating the fact OF Mr.. Mere
dith's election. and adding that Mr.. Ruskin
name was mentioned. but put aside 10 thls
came a reply. either from Mr.. Ruskin. or from
somebodv in his behalf. 70 the effect that he was
pleased that anybody should have done him tle
honor 10 think Of him in connection win such
n post and ending with some phrase OF clNiitN
toward Mr.. Meredith, anybody to whom ne
stood in the position of a rival naturally "o"'''
That, imagine. ia all Put the cagerness 10 press
testimony so flimsy this on the pubic oe''aSs
an uneasy consciousness that the public i'seli'
whether general or literary. does not approve 'ne
appointment Of a writer eccentric as Mr. "eorge
Meredith. - the chief place in society WHICH,
rightly or wrongly, is supposed to have wi'I
reference to English authorship representative
character No testimony 10 the fitness oil the
choice Of Mr. Ruskin himself would have oech
needed or sought.
The unique publicity of 1.-The lines mas us
nerils as we'll as it's profits. One OF them Is 'he
nooas;,p,, arncarance of letters whose proper
homo wac the waste basket and such is the letter
~ the female writer who during her eccentric
career in fiction has chosen to call herself oulua
She is angry because Mr.. IIeinemann. LONDON
nubiisher. having bought and paid for her Ia'esu
novel chooses to issue it in his own way ana NOT
in hers. She is not content TO he angry with Nj
He;nemann. who is alive and can defend hlmSei'
She is angry with the late Mr.. Wolcott fales
tier. who had the imprudence TO ouy O"iu"
novel. and then die. 1t is hard to make on, "'''
Ar Ralestier's offence was An angry woman does
not always take tho trouble to be lucid OF eA-
nlanatory. But this is her own account:
1.-Two years and half ago the late w; Baies'ic,;;
tben clerk or aycnt of the firm Of Lowell IL Co., o,
NcwYork. asked me AS experiment. 10 sen
hoth European and American rights IN onc-
volume story to the said firm of LoVeli.
She did sell them parted absolutely with all her
rights, European and American. over 'he oooN'
Presently she hears that the European rlGh's nave
been acquired by Mr. Heinemann. ana inc Wiche"
IIeinemann has started Continental publishing
business in oppositon to Ouda's old friends the
Tauchnitz.." and includes her new taie IN MS ne"
,hrarv Mr. Balestier knew perfectly we'll she
,rouId never have sold the story had she dreamed
n would he thus used. How did he know II
Om,da docs not pretend she told him, nor offer the
least evidence of his knowledge. She does not
onnesr n have remembered her old friends the
Tauchnitz.n till they demonstrated; then she Hes
into passion and begins TO revile man VINO Is
dead and 10 all appearance. innocent. She calls
him very hard names She considers that her work
was obtained by unfair secretive, ana peIhuiouS
means She ends with the following pretty
niece of feminine fireworks:
IF the general rule OF de mortuis' etc, prevents
the full expression y of my views concPrhlne uc
deceased uerson whom Mr.. Henry James mas Ell
g. n moirn as a NlaEcelus, l must. IN Justice 10
mvself and 10 the little Florentinc tale OF an oiq
toyver say herein that in the arran9em MS LOT us
production. l was completely oNcrrc"o"c" w
singularly sharp Yankee
7, ;s M. 70 be supposed that Mr. Balestlers
memory will suffer from this nice arrangement oi
epitaphs He needs at any rate. no other defence
than the one suggested above namely. that the
angry Ouida produces not scintllla OF eNldehce
ocains, him. But one feels disposed TO ask where
was the editor when this shrill and spenctic out
burst found its way into The Times
Wherever he was, he returned to his post
next day and gave Mr.. Heincmann's answer TO
the world Ouida's complaint against him, the
actual living Anglo-Continental publisher was
not, after ALL very serious enc, ana MI
Hcinemann has no difficulty IN showing th''
70 nublish the new story in three volumes rather
than one was a violation Of 10 law, human or
divine The service lie does to TIC cause Of
morsls is TO bring a very strong piece Of evil
dcpce in defence of Mr. Balcster-nothing less
than the contract for the purchase of Ouidas
hook not only signed by her, but written with
her own hand. As a curiosity of semi-literary
history the clause which touches this matter may
be worth quoting;
1T is expressly agreed and understood on
the part Of Ouida on the one part and Jolh W.
Lowell of the other part that the copyrl2ht 80
surrendered shall embrace all rights Whatever
of any nature in said book; including not only
all rights and advantages derived from the cA,
elusive right 10 the publication OF the salo
story in all forms in Great Britain and her
colonies for the full term Of copyright and the
term of renewal, but all rights OF publication
In ali languages and all countries, save only
that the said author reserves TO herself the
right of translatiDg the said story into French
German, Dutch and Italian. togetaer WIN I'LL
profits rising therefrom."
On this evidence, most people Will be likely
20 agree with Mr. Heinemann when he says
at ia not true that Nine. Ouda was over
coached IN any way whatever" If she has any
evidence that she was, now is the time 70 pro
duce it, Mr. Heincmann thinks MI. Lovea
NAV have something TO say when Oulda iet
fer reaches New-York. BY all means, IL ne
likes. but it is not easy TO see what there Is lett
of this excitable lady's accusation TO answer
whether against Mr.. Lowell Mr. Heinemann OF
the late Mr. Wolcott Balcstier
The amateur of largc-paper editions OF the
Wayerley Novels appears TO have made up his
mind that he prefers Mr. Andrew Ians's border
edition. published by Mr. J. c. Nimmo. to Messrs
Rlack,s Dryburgh edition. The whole issue of the
former is said 10 have been sold, and the London
nricc is $50 for the as volumes. The statement
Of the bookseller on such point may be received
9th caution: the more so as no limit OF number
20 this large-paper issue was AT first publicly an
nounced As a piece Of boolImakng. the Borier
il. however. better than the DryburSh edition !:
which is printed from much smaller type. and Will
be completed in % volumes. Neither is really
good example of the arts which relate to the pro-
duction of books paper, ink, prcsswork, liiuSra-
lions. all seem to me inferior TO what one might
expect They are. at any rate. onspcuously IN
ferior 10 those of the 4s-volumc edition, long
known as Scotts favorite, of which the hrst issue
the one which the book lover will prefer-bcars