The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-06

orally level-headed and fair literary
critic Of The New York Tribune, says:
"The romance has the ring of Mr.. Du
Mauriers best romancing; the simple,
almost naive, admiration Of the boys
for Berry shows b author AZ we have
known him In his highest estate, true,
wise, free from the slightest suspicion
Of sentimentality or cant. THE Mar
tian" opens again the portals OF his
delightful world, the story revives the
tenderness, the sweetness. the original
magic which many readers have feared
could never be ~recaptured, and the four
or five pictures reveal Enthusiastically the
same hand that wrought the text"
Mr.. Allen, the Kentucky novelist, is
receiving many kind words at home
and abroad. DIR. Nicoll, the Scotch
editor Of The London Bookman, writes
this Of ''The Choir Invisible" outselling
all novels just now we believe:
HE ho- a rich, beautiful, and highly
cultivated style, bordering often on
poetry and very rarely t~respassing on
forbidden ground. know very
few writer's on either side Of the Allan
tic who give the same impression Of
fidelity and ardour in all they write"
Miss Ellen Glasgow, Of Virginia, is
% years of age and is the author Of
"The Descendant" recently much read
and much discussed. She is described
as unusually we'll cultivated. Her book
was published anonymously and there
by awakened the curiosity and shar-
pened the appetites of readers. Har-
- I- ~o0~}I-
ago., and it has had unusual sale. The
New York Bookman publishes a full
length portrait of her, n says she is
at work on another novel, and will pub
lish a volume of verse in the fall. She
should avoid the common fault Of pop
ular Notwithstanding swiftly to make
money. That may bring in the shekels
for awhile, but it lowers the standard
of excellence and deadens the ears Of
the critics. George Eliot and Thack-
cray did not publish very often, and US
ually took some two or three years for
the production of a novel. But what
a novel it was.
Mr.. Shan F. Bullock is a new Irish
novelist. His first boo is "By Thras-
ma River" It is praised by The London
Athenaeum. His latest story is Ring
brushes" He was born in 1865.
+. There is a Charles Lever revival talk
in England. Many Of his novels nave
genuine charm and rare fun. They
were good forty and fifty years since,
and we doubt not that the rOllicking
humor and the spirited descriptions
and the stirring incidents would be
just as enjoyable now.
The third volume of Ten Drinks able
and valuable History of English Lit
erature' has been translated from the
German and just published. The au-
thor died some time ago and we think,
left his very interesting work unfin-
ished. The third volume ends with
the death of Surrey.
The best and safest critics do not
think highly of "Uncle Bernac." They
say it is far below Micah Clarke and
one other if his works, which we have
not read.
Dr.. Weir Mitchell is publishing i n
The Century a serial novel entitled
Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker" 1t is to
be published in the fall. We have read
it to the June number. 1t is rather a
vigorous work. Many historic charac-
ters figure in it, notably General WASH
ington nj the unfortunate Major An
dree. There is some strong portrait
painting.
Everybody who reads good novels
loves Dickens. He had a charm and
humor all his own. You may criticise
and find flaws but you still delight i n
his fascinating pages, in the many rare
acquaintance o make, in the jo-
cund Genes the delightful humor, the
pathos, the love of humanity. Dick
ems a rare n very genuine geniU
We sympathize with any one who can
read his best short stories and his best
novels and not be filled with pleasur-
able emotion. His daughter, Miss
Mamie Dickens, published a book on
MY Father as I Knew Him." We be-
lieve h has since died. We have not
seen it, but it is said to be replete with
interest and will confirm the good i'm
pressiOns made by the great novelist
as a man of pure affections and sin
certify of character without the affec-
tation of genius.
Kipling has a story out called SLAVES
of the Lamp" He is beyond doubt the
most prominent literary character now
in the literary world. Whether he is
the greatest we may lot say for want
of familiarity with his writings.
a volume has appeared or will ap-
pea in England soon on "Cabot's Dis
cOvery of America" It is by Mr.. G. T.
Weare, an English author. We are
glad of this. There is so much ignO-
rance and deception rs to Christopher
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