New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-07

g. Co II is to be brought out in two volumes, ana
will be accompanied by a number of portraits ana
other illustrations The same house VIII soon
hiring out Cambridge Edition" of Whittiers
poems uniform with the beautiful edition OF Long
fellows poems published last winter
Not until next year shall we have Mr. Kipng's
new volume of Ballads" publication for some
unknown reason. being postponed.
The Miss Kipling who is contributing various
articles to periodicals. IS a sister OF the baladist
She is now Mrs. Fleming. and lives at ST. Andrews
A new edition. in one volume Of General a. w.
Greely's "Three Years of Arctic Service Is COM
Ing from the Scr!bner Press. 1t will contain all
the original matter and illustrations and its con-
venient easily handled form Will doubtless make
1t popular.
Why do people read novels? The London Spec
tator' holds that 1T is not because OF pleasure in
and appreciation Of the art Of fiction. but because
of semi physical need. "Thcre are thousands Of
men and women II declares who merely use
novels as mental sedatves-who simply want them
10 steady their nerves Almost all people who use
their brains much. or otherwise exhaust their
nervous energies want some form of mental
sedative They cannot while they are doing
nothing In order to quiet the thinking organism
1t must be kept gently at work. The easier ana
more mechanical that work Is the better. but the
mental powers must just be kept running The
one thing which Quets them is a douche OF notion
They pour novels over themselves In a gentle
stream. It Is this physical need for novels which
creates the novel-market. for. as In the case OF
all other sedatives there comes TO the person who Is
accustomed TO fiction 10 soothe his mind
positive craving for novels. Novels and novels in
quick succession. he or she must have. Hence
there is demand for novels, good or bad, OF a
kind which does not obtain In other forms OF
literature
'aJ rba
Undeinabe."
The new edition Of Mr. Winters life Of Edwin
Booth has a revised text with some additions and
improvements and a portrait not 10 be found Else
where This edition Is in the charming little pocket
volume size Mr.. Winters Life OF Joseph Jcffer-
son" is also ready. Both books Will be published
this month or next. The author has several other
volumes in preparation
Dr. George Macdonald. who is seventy
years cd has greatly improved in health during his
.ong sojourn in Italy. and he has new book ready
for publication.
Mr. sala SAYS that from the bottom OF his heart
he contends that Thackcray not cynic. Il
never heard him." ne adds. Say unkinily
thing Of human weakness or fra!ty or misfortune"
Mrs. Fields in her pleasant paper in the curren,
"Scrbner' presents the great novelist In win
ming light II seem 10 see kindly face" she
says large. full OF humor. full Of human sympa-
thles The face belongs to Thackeray and can re-
call his goodness to one who although married al
ready was hardly more than a sip Of a girl ana
very much afraid Of him. Afraid. let me say,
ra her OF the idea OF him. the great author ana
famous lecturer who was making his crowded
audiences laugh or cry at his simpe word every
evening" the great man OF the moment whom every
body running after yet % whom they said
that he liked his friends 50 much better than a..
their noise about himself that he always Try
Ing 10 escape from it-and here he was,-comng 70
see-whom? Well, Il appears did not much
matter FOR he was bent klndnesses. and h. took
It all in al a glance and sat down by the window
and drew me to him and told about his little girls
at home How he walked down the wrong side Of
Piccadi.ly one day and 40 lost what money he had
out Of his pocket-money which belonged properly to
these same dear girls OF his: therefore II about
that he made up his mind. though 1t hard
enough 10 come away from them and get some
thing TO take back them In place OF what he had
lost and how they were the dearest gr.s in the
world and when came TO England should find
them more Ike two Cd friends. and should have
somebody l am ne thought. 10 play with
though under the circumstances he could not use
Just those words"
Mr. Waiter Besant Is described strongly
built man Of medium height. with kindly and cour-
ageous blue eyes and brown hair and beard Of the
crisp fbrous character significant Of unusual en-
ergy and capacity.