New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-06
LITERARY NOTES.
w z Norris has been writing a new noVa "noo
ia to be published under the title Of HIS Grace

w. e. Norris has been writing new NV" "
Is to be published under the title OF Ills "ra'e'
Miss Harriet Monroe the young lady TO whom was
intrusted the task Of writing the Columbian ooe' Is
about to publish book Of verse us ulie u !" De
"Valer1a, and Other Poems"
"Ouidan in answer to the question "why don't
you write plays'n says that when she was seven or
eight years old she wrote several plays, one especaaS
complete and dramatic. entitled The Black Witch In
which all the characters one came to violent
end" She adds " But. although had the unspeah'
able advantage OF acting In my own plays ana oehs
nv own manager, ] soon deserted the drsiHna ioi
romance finding that my Louis de Courcys and my
Reatrix de Beaumonts could be moved about much
more freely and more greatly to my own delight, IN
a story than in a play imagine this fact, when 1
discovered in the nursery, is what causes adt auhors
to prefer writing novels to plays There are mex
orable laws and limits In dramatic composition winch
fetter and irrate and to these boundaries In com
position there must be added the annoyance OF Hi
the excsons additions and alterations which manager
and actors insist after the piece is read to thcm'
With your novel you wholly free-no one can care
TO interfere with IT. with your play you are subject
10 a hundred birds OF interference. and spec1s Oh
chopping and carpentering against which no bT1ancy
OF reputation as a writer can save you Dramauc
literature Is essentially artificial and the dramatic
author L. compelled to wear the muz1le collar ana
stays which 60 with It. This is the reason which mas
always kept me from writing for the stage. though
do not say that II win always do 50. 10 any auhor
used to the entire liberty Of romance writing to Its
analysis. It's descriptions, its opportunity Tor renee
ton, irony and portraiture, the canvas OF the
drama must seem very narrow ana conTneo.
1t tho quality Of the acting and the unlntesehoe Oh
the audience which has kept writers OF emlncnce on
the English stage ever since the nrst Loru Lyt'oh
turp.d to 1t his versatile genius I am surprised
that the New Criticism as certain Set OF
writer's call themselves somewhat Silly should not
since they adore .Modernty,' see that the novel Is
essentially the modern form OF literary expression
We are so used TO seeing the play the product OF oil
great writer's from SophOcles to Comeile. that we al
tribute to the dramatic form fictitious value Tile nove
as il exists In our time Is wholly modern WORK OF art
and It's popularity is due the fact that 1t can hold
the mirror up TO life much more closely and COM
pletely than any drama
Mr.. Collingwood's biography Of John Ruskin is to
be brought out in this country by Houshtoh' Aliiih
g. Co.
In the Rev. Edward Everett Hales "reminiscences
OF his boyhood in "The Atlantic he tells this story of
an old tavern on the Merrimac where he once stayed
Mr. Isaac 2. Davis, who was, / think, one OF the
proprietOrs OF the locks and canals which maze Lowell
went TO this same hotel with party and inquired what
they were TO have for dinner. The keeper SAID tial
good salmon had up the river the night before
and he proposed to serve hm-wtth which answer
Mr. Davis was well pleased. Later In the morning he
said he should like to see the salmon But the man
only expressed his amazement at such folly on the part
OF a Boston man. You don't suppose would take
him out OF the water, do you he Is in the water al
the foot Of the falls and has been there since last
night When is time to cook him shall go out and
catch him.
Mr.. Hall Game proposes 10 publish next year
novel dealing with the position Of the Jew In Europe
at the end Of this century. In the preparation ~ hs
book he has had the help Of the distinguished Austrian
novelist Karl Emil FRANCIS, himself jew
curious volume Dancing as an Art ana
Pastmen is announced In London Its author Is ha-
ward Scott and 1t is to have forty ilusauonS io"'
life.
In Mr. G. B. Drnnens forthcoming book. BLACK
foot Lodge Tales the stories appear told by the
Indians themselves over the lodge fire.