The herald., 1893-12-31
[BY L. BEHYMER. !

g. P. Putnam's Sons have Juet issued
a volume entitled Authors and Their
Publishers in Ancient Timee, by George
Haven Putnam. The work, according
to Mr.. Putnam, is "a sketch of literary
conditions and of the relations with the
public of literary producers, from the
earliest times to the invention OF print.
ing" The book ss originally written
was planned to form preliminary chap
ter. or preliminary introduction. to a
history of the origin and development
OF property in literature, a subject in
which the author has for some time in
terested himself. The progress OF the
history has, however, the author states,
been $50 seriously hampered by en-
crossing business cares, and also by an
increasing necessity for economizing
eyesight, that the date OF it's compile
tion remains very uncertain" As the
work Of go conscientious and painstak-
ing an author the book may safely be
considered as OF permanent value.
%*x
Among Lowell, Coryell & Co.'s new
books besides their beautiful holiday
editions of Henry Irving's The Drama,
The Little Minister, Hedda Gabier,
Dypee, Omoo Moby Dick, White Jacket
and others, they also have in refined
grey and green bindings, two books OF
short stories, just out. Mademoiselle
Miss, by Henry Harland (Sidney Luska),
is the title story, followed by four 9TH
ers, forming pleasing volume, form an
agreeable writer. Some fellows in an
apparently questionable hotel in the
Latin quarter OF Paris, were introduced
to lovely young girl as an English
miss, with a very long name which, be-
ing unable to master, they simply called
her Miss. The servants and concierge
feeling that to be almost as disrespectful
as Jane or Sally, prefsced the miss
with Madamoisele, hence" Msdemoiselle
Miss" They all fell in love with her,
her gu ubsequent flight to England leav-
ing them all with nostalgia Tor the Paris
that was, during her stay. The other
stories are The Funeral March OF q Mar
ionette The Prodgal Father; Seev-
less Erraud and A Light Sovereign, all
but one containing situations in the life
of artists; and A Daring Experiment.
the initial story in collection, by Lille
Devereux Blake. This short study in
vivisection, is followed by number Of
others which have appeared In various
periodicals. The last but one being A
Divided Republic, an Allegory Of the
Future, which is quite a remarkable
remarkable paper written At lew J ars
ago and fret printed in the Phrenologi-
cal Journal.
F. Marion Crav lords assertion that
re writes novel lust M he would per-
form any other laUor, by devotiug six or
eight hours a day to the work, ecrib-
bling rapidly and revising little, can be
we'll believed by any one who will tase
the trouble 70 read the latest precinct
from his pen, Marion DArcke. THIS
novel indcatee that Crawford is writing
for the market merely, for If he bae still
the power to produce u Ar. lssacs or A
Roman Singer, he has nicely reserved 1t
to the point of pleasing the tea-snd toast
literary appetite OF the majority OF the
novel readers OF to-day, VINO, we are
assured, are women with nothing to do.
Marion Darche does not deserve criti-
cism, but Crawford does. and to one
who receives the impressit n given by
frequently quoted interviews with ths
young American on the subject OF novel
writing that he is qualified to apeak as
an authority on the subject, it is 8
source Of regret that he ever descended
to the position that he must occupy if
he never does any better work than
this. As novelist it reveals him as a
little lees than Archibald Clavering
Gunter and little more than Laura
Jean Libbey. 1t would be waste OF
time and space to attempt to detail the
story of Marion Darche. Strung out
through 300 pages, it's plot is not suffi-
cient for etory of column and half.
OF description there is nothing OF wit.
pathos, passion, there is little /;
OF love, the warp and wooi
of ali stories, there is mere
trifiing that ia ecarcely serious euough
to lift the theme above the level OF the
commonplace. There are no grammati-
cal errors, the diction is clean and pure
and it cannot be said OF the writer that
he does not know the mother tongue.
But there is nothing to relieve the mo-
notony OF the pale, colorless style that
markG the work, no flash OF original
thought, no treasurable observations,
no eprigTam and no line or situation
that will stick in the memory two min
utes after the last page has been turned.
The scene OF the story in New York city,
tu6 p6TSOUhEHS are members uI an tA
elusive, wealthy "set," and the heroine
woman who marrieH a scoundrel be-
cause she believes the man she really
loves is not strong enough in the essen
tlals that make up true man. In the
course Of few years she finds that che
WAS mistaken, and, her husband dying
fugitive from justice, ehe marries the
hero, nice-enough society chap, and
tie story ends. There are q great many
people who read the novels OF Edgar
Sstus and then deplore the eroticsm OF
the author. Such 81 these should read
Marion Darche. 1t ie one of Saltus'
atorles. minus plot and wicked ess, and
the best that can he said Of it is that 1t
can De safely entrusted to the hands OF
the young person" whom Mr.. Saltus
iDveighs AZ ~inst SD bitterly. Mr.. Craw-
ford is an emaecul&ted SsItus, if we
judge him from Manou Ddrche, and
another novel or two Of this Kind will
recommend the anchor highly To church
lyceums and j.o'clock tea library par
ties.
~
Robert Bonnera Sens are adding
many new features to their choice series
One of the latest additions is an Amer
can novel by j. H. Cunnellv. entitled
Hetty, or the Old Grndge n:cey Illus
trated bv T.. Wnunev. The book il
published in two editnns, 'he u mo
800 pages. bound in ciofn setting ior 81
the paper e,,Ition for 50 r-ut- Ttia N
teresting novel is a car-irI study OF IL