The San Francisco call., 1896-09-13
A BATCH OF LOVE LETTERS.


A BATCH OF LOVE LETTERS.
LOVE IN LETTERS. Illustrated in the CORE
spondence of eminent persons. BY James Grant
Wilson, Del New York; G. w. Dillingham;
Company. For sale by the San Francisco News
Company, 206 Post street.
We have 1t on the authority of Emerson that
"All mankind loves a lover" This statement
might be modified by some latter-day misogy-
mist with the qualifying clause that the world
loves him up 10 the point where he puts pen
10 paper. The reading OF q love-letter by a
third and disinterested party is invari-
ably followed by diminution in the sympa-
thy expressed for the swain. But despite this
there can be no doubt that there has always
been considerable vogue for volumes of love-
letters. OF all forms OF epistolary corresponds
ence these have received the most attention.
James Grant Wilson of New York has lately
published collection of letters written by
some of the worlds celebrities. Herein are
included specimens OF the correspondence of
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, the Marquis
and Madame de Sevigne, Charles II, Swift,
Steele, Pope Sterne, DIR. Johnson, Goethe,
Pepys, Nelson, Burns, Napoleon and jose
phlne, Sir Walter and Lady Scott, Webster and
Keats. This list OF notables will suffice TO give
the reader idea OF the scope of the work.
All these letters, however, not the letters
OF Lovers Many of the personages enumer-
ated would hardly suggest themselves to the
mind of the reader as admirers OF femininity.
For instance, we cannot conceive Alexander
Pope appearing in any such role.
Physically disfgured as he was his advances
to the beautiful Lady Montague could only
have merited the fate they encountered. His
presumption was rebuked and theneeforward
he became, in the words of his biographer,
'her bitter and unscrupuIous foe degrading
| himself by indulging in mean and coarse
abuse of the woman at whose feet he once
knelt, conduct unworthy of gentleman"
Very interesting is the correspondence of
Dean Swift. Much has been written to show
that he whose name holds place in English
literature as the creator OF Lilliput and Brob-
dingnag will be remembered to an equal degree
for his execrable treatment of Varina, Stella
| and Vanesss. To the second of these, his legal
and affectionate wife, he was particularly
| cruel; and yet it was 20 her he addressed
those witty and com plimentary lines on her
birthday:
Stella this day is thirty-four
eve shan't dispute year or more);
However, Stella, be not troubled,
Although thy size and years are doubled
Since first saw thee at sixteen,
The brightest virgin on the green;
So little is thy form declined,
Made up so largely is thy mind.
o, would it please the gods to split
Thy beauty, size, and years and Will
No age could furnish art a pair
OF nymphs so graceful, wise and fair;
With half the luster of your eyes,
With half your wit, your years and size.
And theu before il grew too late,
How should 1 beg of gentle Fate,
(That either nymph might have her swainl
To split my worship, too, in twain.
While the matter contained in the volume
under review is of considerable value it is to
be regretted that the work is SO cheaply
printed. little more attention to technical
detail would make books of this kind of more
worth in the library.
Win Carleton's "The Old Infant and Simi.
lar stories" published recently by the Messrs.
Harper is the first prose work from the poets
pen.
1.-The Joy of Life'' is the title of new novel
by Miss Emma Wolf OF San Francisco, author
of "Other Things Being Equal" and "a Prodi-
gal in Love- 1t is now in the press of Messrs,
A. C. McClurg & Co., New York.
Mr.. du Maurier is said to have got higher
price for the Ms. of 'Trilby" than most
authors get for the serial rights in a novel.
The London Fine Arts Society preserves it in a
locked glass case. 1t is written in the hand
writings of all the members Of the authors
family.
The Roycroft Printing Shop of East Aurora,
M. L.
edition of "The Song OF Songs: Which Is Solo
mon's'-viz., "The Journal of Koheleth: Be-
ing a Reprint of the Book of Ecclesiasts,
With an Essay by Ebert Hubbard" Seven
hundred copies will be printed on Holland
handmade paper, and twelve on Japan vellum
from type.
R. d. Blackmore is reported by Current
Literature as saying that he had offered his
famous novel, Lorna Doone," to nineteen
-
out it fell fiat, but soon after came the mar
rage of the Princess Louise to the Marquis of
Lorne, and society people, thinking Lorna
somehow had something to do with Lorne,
bought the book, read it and liked it, then
recommended it to their friends,
Mr.. Emerson said, ''Next to the originator of
sentence is the first quoter of it.' The Gen.
tury Company will publish in October a
unique book entitled, Quotations for Occa
sions," collection of about fifteen hundred
clever and appropriate quotations from Shake
speare and many other writer's, intended for
use on dinner menus, invitations, concert
programmes, etc. 1t is said to be an extremely
clever COLLECTION, so bright and readable that
it may be picked up with enjoyment at any
time.
The September Cosmopolitan, as If to show
what magazine can do, gives four complete
stories in a single number, by such noted
authors as Frances Courtenay Baylor, Maurice
Thompson, Gertrude Hail and John ].
a'Becket. Louise Chandler Moulton, Mrs Lew
Wallace, Francisque Sarcey, L Zangwill, Agnes
Repplier, Norman Kerr, Md, H. C. Chatfield-
Taylor, William Eleroy Curtis, Robert E. Stra-
horn, Colonel Tillman and Ruth McEnery
Stuart are also among the contributors to this
one issue of magazine that is sold for 10
cents Among other writers, too, is Camille
Flammarion, who has an article on ''The Won
derful New Eye OF Science