The herald., 1896-04-19

pulled apart in a day-too suddenly to
make the story Q..ite consistent-and
then met fifty years and more there
after, when the mists had gathered be-
fore their eyes. There is only tiny
thread of story, and the whole fabric
is provokingly thin; and yet through
out there are fine touches that only
come from firm and practiced hand.
The truth is, little as it may appear so
at first sight, Mr.. Meredith belongs to
that great school of writer's Of whom
Aristophanes, Rabelais, Montaigne.
Fielding are some of the most splendid
glory of human life, pagans who love
a good eater and good hater, one who
can give hard knocks and receive them.
whose soul is untroubled with sentj-
mentality, but who holds to whatsoever
things are of good repute, and
can laugh with fine bass laugh
at the puny miseries and absurd
tiles of the world. Mr. Meredith
loves with an exceeding great love the
rich brown earth, the mother of men,
and all her stalwart sons and daugh-
ters: even the sham, the sentimental
ist who fiddles harmonies ON the SEN
sual strings" he does not hate; he sees
him as he is, false and darkling son
of his frank and jovial mother, to be
pitied and even sympathized with. Like
all great writer's. he has philosophy of
life; without it life is an aimless game
and fiction impossible, for there would
be no more reason for one action than
another; and it is a brave and strong
philosophy, philosophy of self-re-
lance and self-repressicn. but not for
that Of joylessness. Nun is responsible
for his own fate, is the constant burden
of his theory.-The Athenaeum.
Mr. John Murray in England, and the
Messrs. Putnam in this country, will
bring out a new edition of George Bor-
rows books, beginning appropriately
with his best and best-known work
The Bible in Spain. or The Journeys.
Adventures and Imprisonment of an
fnglishman' in an Attempt to Circulate
the Scriptures in the Peninsula.
y r y
There Is something new in book-ma mak-
ing. Tom Grogan, Mr.. HopkinSol>
Smiths new novel which is being look.
ed for with so much interest, is now un-
dergoing the finishing touches at
Houghton, Miffiin & Co.'S bindery. 1t
is the first book, it is believed, ever
bound by workmen wearing kid gloves.
or this the Boston Transcript says:
The cover of this volume is unique,
and opens UP possibilities in the way
Of artistic binding hitherto undreamed
or. The peculiar sensitiveness of the
process by which the delicate gloss of
the covers is produced, precludes the
touch OF the bare hand to the unfinished
book; therefore, clean white gloves are
employed After completion the same
finish becomes unusually hard, smooth
and permanent"
4 4 r
Opie Reeds The Jucklins, which has
reached an enormous sale, is to be
dramatized. Messrs. Stuart Robson
and w. r. Hayden have purchased the
right TO it and will put it upon the stage
the coming season. This is one OF
Laird & Lees publications, who are
making a great many hits in the pub
fishing line. The announcements for
the opening season are rich with prom
Use.
y q
1t Is said that Anthony Hope contem-
plates visiting this country next winter
If he does come he will be a great lion,
for his stories and the dramatization
of The Prisoner Of zenda have made