New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-11
NOTES ON BOOKS.
ESPECIALLY on THE NEW YELLOW
BOOK" AND ON PUBLISHERS AND
PRINTERS IN THEIR RELA-
TON TO THE REST
OF MANKIND.

new in fact and new in aim The publishers.
Messrs Elkin Mathews and John Lane, declare
that they mean to depart far as may be
from the bad old traditions Of periodical ltera-
ture. and TO provide an illustrated magazine
which shall be beautiful a piece of bookmak-
ing modern and distinguished in its letterpress
and it's pictures and witha popular in the best
sense OF the word" These gentlemen are. as
you see ambitious. There is even note Of
censure upon the bad old traditions of periodical
literature in this announcement Of the new;
which might perhaps been omitted.
They cannot mean that their new magazine is
to have good new traditions. for traditions imply
antiquity. The measure of their ambition is
further defined thus:
at will be a book-a book to be read and placed
on ones shelves and read again; book in form,
a book in substance; book beautiful to see
and convenient to handle; a book with atyle, a
book with finish book that every book-lover
will love at first sight; book that will make
book-lovers Of many who now Indifferent to
books"
Their prospectus supplies other particulars.
even more minute. and If possible. more glow
ing The quarterly IS to be, for instance
'fresh. brilliant. varied. and diverting. Some
Of these adjectives might have been left for the
critics who will have TO express an opinion on
the first number of the periodical, and who may
find themselves in difficulties If the publishers
use up in advance all the stock terms of eulogy.
These are not all 1t is to observe a delicate.
decorous and retcent mien and conduct more
reticent, evidently than that of its projectors
and advertisers. 1t is to have "the courage of
its modernness," and not to "tremble at the
frown of Mrs Grundy." This last is a little
ominous Is there 70 be a contest with Nude.
who now has a sort Of power of attorney for
Mrs Grundy? 1t is n piece Of bravado when
sends us to the lis Of contributors In search OF
offenders and outlaws. But there are not many,
II any. There are. indeed. one or two names
which have flavor of their own. Mrs George
Egerton, the author of "Keynotes." is one, yet
Mrs George Egerton is not, after all, very
alarming person. The little volume OF little
4. cries which she calls by that name. has. no
doubt a certain robustness Of method in DEAL
ing with doubtful subjects, but certainly not
more than. for example. Mr.. Thomas Hardy
whom Mrs. Grundy accepts and admits into her
drawing-rooms "Keynotes' may rather be
called a book Of promise than Of very serious
performance. There is suggestion in it OF the
ability to do something less slight. What Mrs
Egerton has aimed at she has succeeded In do
ing She IS novice and to be judged as such,
and not till she appeals TO the public more seri-
ously will the public form very serious esti-
mate of her | do not say this because her
stories and studies short, but because she mas
not vet quite mastered the secret OF shortness'
which is perhaps less often revealed than the
secret Of length. ! have called her Mrs. George
Egerton but perhaps the Mrs ought not to be
nreaxed to the name which she assumes for
literary purposes. Her own she has not yet |
think. revealed to the public, though the success
of her first book might well induce her TO- More
will be heard of her in due time. She mas am
bition as we'll as gifts and "Keynotes" whatever
its defects, is not commonplace nor IS II SUBJECT
to the suspicion Of having been written other
wise than from genuine impulse.
Among the better known writers who con-
tribute to the first number Of the yellow Book
are the Girl Of the Carpathans. Miss Menie
Muriel Dowie now Mrs. Henry Norman; lady
who made a snguarly deep impression on the
public mind with her first book and is likely to
mike a deeper. Mr. Austin Dobson and Mt
Edmund Gosse are on the list. Mr. Andrew
Lang without whom no periodical and no new
literary venture Of any kind is supposed 70 be
complete Is absent. NJ Henry James is con-
tr.1utor. So is Mr.. Frederick Greenwood, Mr..
George Saintsbury. the most positive OF men;
Mr. Beerbohm Tree actor. manager author
lecturer and other things. Mr.. George Moores
name appears and Mr.. or Miss or Mrs. Lance
EalcOner, T..
are nineteen. and one of them IS the lady who
chooses to be known John Oliver Hobbies who
now comes forward with experiment in
dramatic literature The artists headed by
M ,ess a parsonage than the President Of the
ROYAL Academy Sir Frederic Leighton. They are
to have place apart They illustrate only
themselves and their work is to stand by itself
lust as article does.
It will be seen that there are many elements
of novelty in the yellow Book" Whether we
are to understand that another novelty consists
IN the absence Of an editor. don't know. but
no editor Is named. Messrs. Elkin Mathews ana
John Lane-for such is the style and tide Of
the Arm-mav we'll enough be their own editors.
They have ! believe. acted as their own readers
In many cases. determining for themselves as 10
the publication Of the manuscripts submitted to
them. Their system is their own. They have
Issued many books which would probably have
remained unssued but for them. They are
often content-and so, I presume. are the au-
+hors-with small editions. They are not con-
tent with poor or cheap editions. They have
found II good policy TO attend to the making OF
their books, and 10 consider taste as an Gle
rnent Of commercial success. OF course they are
not the only publishers who have done this but
they have carried II so far that the collector,
ever in search OF new hobbies. has begun 10 con-
slider that volume which bears the imprint OF
this enterprsing young firm may. for that rea-
son. have value for the purposes Of the col
lector One reviewer announced the other day
that the imprint had literary value also. or
implied that the book which bore II had a liter
airy merit. That may be going rather far. The
publisher. after all or rather before ALL is and
must be a commercial being. lie publishes books
to sell. But it would be going too far to
..,, that Meesre Mathews and Lane
themselves as do some other publishers though
nv no means ALL with the merits Of books as
books. and not exclusively of books as mere
merchandise Some Of the writers for whom this
model young firm publish are not entirely free
from the faint Of preciousness nor are The pub