The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-29

Copyright.
New York, Sept. 2S.-The arrival of Mr..
T. Hall Game as the agent OF English au-
thors to the Canadian government in be-
half of international. copyright is a mat
ter Of general interest to the authors
and reading public Of the United
States. His mission is a conciliatory one,
and it is hoped that with his aid "A better
understanding may be reached between
the publishers of the United States and
Canada. who are now somewhat divided
in their views as to the copyright rela-
lions of these countries and Great Britain.
Certainly if the radical views of some
Canadian publishers are carried out the
far-reaching and beneficial results of the
copyright bill of 1891 will be neutralized
and many millions Of capital in the United
States and England invested in the pub
fishing business will be directly affected,
to say nothing of the authors of both
countries.
As one Of the leading novelists of Great
Britain, Mr. Game deserves more than
passing notice. His best work has been
done in a strong reaction against the real
istic school represented by lola and Tur-
genieff. He is never weary of attacking
the realistic novelists of the day, and Of
claiming a foremost place in the literary
world for the romantic novel;
He belongs to a new school of novelists
that has risen in the last three years,
and whose success is phenomenal The
most successful authors Of the day are
going back to the old fountains of romanti-
cism for their inspirations. The purpose"
novel, the realistic novel, the medical
novel are all giving way to the romantic
revival
No estimate of Mr.. Gaines character
would be worth much that did not lay
special stress on his strong personality
his belief in himself-and his faith in
the mission to which he has dedicated
his best energies. He shares Ruskins
idea, that authors must be exemplary
men before they can write well.
Mr. Game is about 40 years of age Pho
tographs indicate that he looks like
Shakespeare, and in the forehead, this
resemblance is striking; He is of ner.
yous temperament. AS he does some OF
his best work after midnight, IL natu-
rally tells on his health.
Mr.. Game was born at Runcorn, in
Cheshire, in 1853. His father was a
ManXman, and to him he owes his in
pulsiVeness, his deep religious fervOr, his
enthusiasm and his love Of romance.
He began his career as an architect
in Liverpool England, and his earliest
literary efforts consisted of contributions
to THE Builder" THE Building News"
and The Liverpool Mercury
At the beginning 70 his literary ca
reer he formed an intimate friendship
with Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which only
ended with the poets death IN lSg2. Mr..
Gaines Recollection of Rossetu, pub
lished shortly after Rosseus death, has
borne eloquent testimony 10 the influence
ROssetti exercised over him.
No man has done more for English lit
erature than Rossettt. II his ballad OF
BLESSED Damosel' is not the best in the
language, it is surpassed by no poem
in spiritual insight In his ballads, and
still more in his sonnets, Rossetti shows
himself a great artist. His work in lit
erature and art is a plea for higher
and nObler life-for greater freedom-for
the spiritual as the controlling force
over the intellectual, rather than the
His admirers are among people wen
educated enough to revolt against the
oppressive tendencies of the merely bru-
tai intellect.
1t is interesting to note the obvious
good Mr.. Game received from Rossetti, s
influence. At the beginning of their friend
ship Mr.. Game was trying his wings as
a poet, but when his friend convinced him
that he saw great possibilities for him
in the fervid and impassioned prose lex
tract from a letter from Rossetu TO Mr..
Caine), he began that series of novels by
which his fame must stand or fan;
His first book was 'Sonnets OF Three
Centuries" followed the next year by
"Cobwebs of Criticism" In his third
book, Shadows of a Crime" and his
next book, "A Son of Hagars" he first
struck the note he subsequently devel-
oped with greater richness and power in
1.-THE Deemster" THE Bondsman,' THE
scapegoat," and THE Manxman."
ROssetti's own words well describe the
series acknowledgements of fervid and i'm
passioned prose" To appreciate ms
methods he must be taken on his own
terms-or not at all. He is writer one
likes very much-Or else, not at ALL. He
inspires no mild sentiments.
saNot life as il is--but life as it might be, -
is the keynote of his gospel Win MN II
is moi the domination of fact. but OF feel
ing. The reader who expects an analysis
of the complex emotion OF our modern
social life will lay his books down with
sense of disappointment. The old motives
of love- jealousy, hatred and reYenge-in
their primary elements, unmiXed by any
subtitle shades of feeling or emouon-are
SUFFICIENT to Mr. Game.
While he thoroughly detests Zola's real
ism he is scarcely less contemptuous of
the tea-cup realism of some English and
American novelists, and Mr.. HoWelPs die
tum that "AH the stories are told" He
makes the objection good by telling his
own stories with rush Of movement and
imaginative power that have few equals
in literature
He writes wildly and picturesquely-
limiting himself to a plain Saxon vocabu-
larry. He believes in the superiority of
short sentences. He makes exhorbitant
demands on his readers credulity, and his
impassioned style sometimes seems too
the subject be great or small, is that he
is always ION the nights" Or, as Mrs.
Oscar Wilde abruptly expresses it, al
ways writes at the top Of his voice" We
forgive him this, though, for his consis-
tency-he is never guilty of a reaction in
the opposite extreme.
Mr.. Game has come forward as a dra-
matist on three occasions. In colabora-
ton with his friend, Mr. Wilson Barrett
he dramatized The Deemster' and "The
Manxman," and Mr.. Wilson Barrett IS
now using the latter play in his roper
toire. 1t is a present day version of that
old story-David, Bathsheba and Uriah.
It is not a novel only, but a sermon on the
text, what shall it profit man if he
gain the whole world and lose his own
soul2" The religious influence of the book
is skillfully concealed. AS in the SCRIP
tural legend, the tragedy has three vic
tims-two men and a woman-and will
give the anti-suffragists chance to say
"cherchez la femme"
In 1890 he wrote the play of "Mahomet,"
but owing to religious objections, it is still
awaiting production. In THE ManN-
man." The Deemster' and The
Bondman, he has used the
Isle Of Man as his back
ground-Morocco provided his inspiration
for THE Scapegoat." and IL is an oDeu