The herald., 1896-06-28


Cannot wake her. nor shake her th'
17ndeT 'f the purple thyme and the purple
Sleeping at last; .,., poss.tt,
The Jewel outlives the setting,
And likewise does the hen;
The buckwheat cake of the morning
Will never rise again,
The can outlasts the lobster,
The goat outlives the can
You can't be behind the procession
And still be in the van.
You can't keep horse and wagon
While living in fiat;
oh, many a this years caput
Is in q last years hat.
"A good pair Of cowhide uppers
Two sets of soles will outlsst;
You can't with a comb of the present
Part the front hair of the past.
But here's the question that puzzles my
And ais it with wild disaster.
Does the porous plaster outlive the mole
Buffalo Express.
THE LATE LITERARY MARKET.
The New York Sun has this to say
about the latest phases Of publishing,
and the tastes of the public:
"At the office Of the American News
company, where vast numbers OF all
kinds of books are handled. 1t was said
that about the only books affected by
periodical literature were novels at 50
cents each. The publication OF very
good magazines at 10 and cents a copy
had noticeably decreased the sale of
the cheaper novels.
'Tt was not alone the price, either; the
quality Of the magazines was decidedly
superior to the quality of most OF the
paper-covered books on the news stands.
"Perhaps the most pleasing fact noted
by those familiar with the market for lit
erary wares during recent months was
the falling off in the demand for the
"audacious" books. Where they sold by
the thousand a year ago they do not now
sell by the score. These books were al
most without exception from English
writers. The leader Of them all in point
of literary merit was Jude the Obscure,
and that is still in some demand be-
cause Of the ability Of the author, but the
day Of the writer whose chief appea
for consideration is in his audacity, i:
ended.
Just now the market for literar,
wares IL without a fad, save only as II
these later days the purchase of complete
sets by famous writer's has taken the
place of the old-fashioned gift book II
folio size All the really great authors
have been reprinted by one publisher
and another and always in sumptuous
fashion-good paper, clean ink, artistic
illustrations, and bindings that help the
owner In his strivings after liberal ed
ucation. And the fact that such work!
as those are finding an increasing salt
may serve very well for the end of this
review Of the market for literary wares
The desirability of small volumes Il
well illustrated by story told of ont
Of our circulating libraries The library
had q library edition of Shakespeare
one Of the staid kind that looks well OF
the shelves and nowhere else OF course
Il was occasionally called for, but i
was in no danger of wearing out. on
day a gentleman with a kindly hear
gave the branch Shakespeare in fort!
volumes, each in clear type but in siz'
just right to go into the side pocke
of youths coat Every volume bu
the glossary was taken out the next day
and the edition is in constant use.
WOMEN AND LITERATURE.
a. recent writer recalls the fact tha
q century ago literary study was no
common with women anywhere. Attain
ments in knowledge were lightly held il
England in the last century. 1t is re
lated of DR.. More, father of the famou
Hannah More, that he discouraged he
in the study of Latin and mathematics
lest she should appear singular and odd
There was even then literary set,
but there was no literary tone in society
But it must be remembered that thi
was also true of men. The advance ha
been general along the whole line, an
has not been confined to women. 1t i
not alone they who have broken tn
bonds. Outside of professional literar
men there was little if any pride or in
terest in literary attainments. Walpol
said that literary pursuits were hardl
becoming the all-around English gen
tleman. The professional man, the teach
er, the clergyman--all these We're nc
in the best society in the eighteenth cen
tury. The uplifting has been generaLe
GEORGE GISSING.
The Spectator long ago saw genius
Gissing's proposed literary plan, an
now declares that he has now a re;
place as an author. His growth has bee
slow, but sure. He set himself to hel
the lower middle-class. OF this clas
the Spectator says:
Eight centuries ago the lower mic
die class did not exist except in II
villeinS and vasSalS of the great noble!
classes were fewer. Five centuries az
the forefathers of the present low,
middle class moght have been found
the worst class of tabsters, weaver
joiners, tinkers and petty tailors. A fe
centuries later this class budded fort
into bumptious men and pretentiol
wenches the men quoted Latin badl
turned their hands to barbering-vi
famous understanding as well as pra,
tising mustard-making, beer -brewin
oap-boiling, chimney-sweeping, tootl
pulling and a complexity of the the
crude and vulgar crafts, some of whiC
have since developed into fortui
wheels, some into sciences. Then v
come to our own time, when peop
whose precursors were once bondslave
villeins and vassals have come to ket
a servant themselves, and to use son
of the semblances of rednement-sma
tradesmen with piano-playing wiv,
and daughters; Of such is the lower nit
die class of London largely made up"
Here Is a great field to work for ar
stand for this great mass of the EN-
Iish people. No writer has ever dol
more faithful service to literature tha
Gissing has done in such a story as