The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-09
LITERARY GOSSIP

LITERARY GOSSIP
Authors, quite as much as anybody else,
are interested in the adoption OF an inter-
national postage stamp. Several OF the
great powers are considering the expedi-
project may be realized. At present 1t is
inconvenient for authors to forward
manuscripts to publications outside of
their own country because Of the difficulty
of securing stamps for return postage
The adoption of an International stamp
would greatly enlarge the manuscript
market for all writers. besides being a
convenience and help to business every
where.
Colonel Will H. VlssHner. Y ! the western
humoriss, enjoys his reputation for home
illness; Speaking Of his yearnings for
married and had little daughter, l had
some one who really admired me. To
her l was an Apollo. One day Bill Nye
was in my Office with me and my little
as was her way. calling me all sorts of
sweet names. Nice papa said she;
pretty papa Nye turned around and
said in his peculiar drawl: 'Vischer, are
The report that the appointment Of poet
laureate has been offered to Alfred Aus
tin Is something which the Philadelphia
Times finds hard to believe. unless it be
supposed that Lord Salisbury wishes to
emphasize tho lack of q great poet by
giving the office to one who Is scarcely to
be ranked as poet at all. Such an ap-
pointment, indeed. would not," says the
Times, ''be entirely without precedent, II
we go back to the dull Georgian days,
when the laureate was simply u court
poet, commissioned to write to order per-
functory odes on public occasions. in which
poetical Inspiration was not essential pro-
vided the politics were all right. This
kind of work Mr.. Austin should do well
enough. He is an experienced journalist,
accustomed to write at short notice on
any subject and in amy required form or
style. He has been war correspondent,
political correspondent and leader writer
for that respectable Tory organ. the
Standard. for quarter Of century at
least. He has written novels, dramas, es-
says. and no less than six volumes Of
verse, which are said to have had readers
and are not known to have brought the
blush of shame to the cheek Of innocence.
He could write paean of victory, q
birthday ode, an epithalamium, whatever
might be required at court, on the short
est notice and in the most approved style.
This is really more than could be expect
ed of Swinburne or Morris, or even Of
Watson or some of the yunger men, But
upon the whole our contemporary plainly
intimates that it is not sufficient Qualih-
cation for the successor OF Lord Tenny-
II II Il
In his charming Love Affairs Of
Bibliomaniac, which has been appearing
and which Is to be published next year by
the Scribners In book form, Eugene Field
recently had this to say concerning the
Napoieonic mania: II any one question
the greatness OF this man let him explain
II he, can why civilizations interest In
Napoleon increases as time rolls on. Why
y It that we are curious to know all about
ing tell of his minutest habits his moods
his whims. his pra ctices' his pretiaices?
Why is it that even those who hated him
called upon to record In ponderous tones
their "Reminiscences of him and bis deodsS
Princes, generals, lords. courtiers. poets
painters, priests, piebeians--all have We'd
demand for more and more and ever mora
about Nanoleon Ronanarte thinL tSat
the supply will, like the demand. never be
exhausted.
,.r
10 the human eye there appears In
space luminous sphere that in its ap-
p9inteu pain goes on INCREASINGLY. The
wise wise IN, men are not agreed whether this
apparition is merely Of gaseous compost
tion or y solid body supplied extrane-
ousiy with neat ana luminosity. inexhaus-
ha some atsne tnad itS existence ks @ VIII
or 10000 years; others declare that 1t
VIII roii on untii the end OF time; Pehaps
the nature OF that luminous sphere will
never pc truly known to mankind; yet
ed path among the planets and the stars
oi. me universe. It's hres unabated. Its
iumihosity undimGned. Even so the great
Sorsican; scrutinized OF all human eyes.
IN the s'e mVstarn me 81 snyeSopsd
asm' genius ana spiendor."
u u
n nca M%'e S'rS SasDhpy, h vne ACTOR mas griev-
ton Poet. !" n,ni,o5 ~, Al .ms Wasnins-
naner tbe o,har p.'Meu da' up; western news,
with namnh,a, y,It u toun1 !. pa9ued
reading. tGrifiith Gaunt SborIes R.,e XP,e
con,nIat,o ih nn,,ni Saunt, Shuries. heades
had read s tbis mastsrM,noa trge MAN ms IN copy.
Enslish novei,at vssrs p'sSs sa, Oh tne greai
in tn read Inc neu,sna,'or asU; S., anu starred @
- SURPRISE e and sorroW ed,0m so,md q IT. Io
story had been deprived Of its beautiful
touches of soliliouy. The novel was asrey s,ess,
c,,lafed almost %ovond rn movsI MAS emas,
the blundering editor who was guilty a@S of
this sacrilegioIs piece Of iconoclastic work
continuity, and was SO horribly a, siointi saohea
no intelIrent s est,nste neu.e ~ na ,h could form
is a grim, unconscious humor about smcS
an a5.s fnt,erprIs1s strSke q nswspaper work
which some Journals are broueht tn order az
to give their papers circulation. The verv
thought Of ar, overworred ad,.or u,;tEy vHy
perhaps, no iiterarv ac,in,et sittin1 Tnrr T,
In cold blood and with a bii,e lead nsncii
destroying the pearls of thourht of a
great writer in order 10 econoinize nm
space, paper, and tyne! II is rs ii,de.
corously absurd as stone cutter. breaking
into the Vatican and defillng the statue OF
the Venus of Medici." -
m If n
AUTHORS AMI r,I,pr Isr,rps.
~, a, AND robLishEKs:
GnarieS Dudley Warner Ii In England.
. Ine Two Pages" is the title of a new
hls1oricai N,,o story by STANLEY Weyman.
company. IsaaH is the youngest leading lady in
Walter H. Page. formerly editor of the
iantIc Monthly q INV ass'stans editor Of the At