The San Francisco call., 1897-11-07
LITERARY NEWS AND NOTES.

Henrik Ibsen is said to be one of the vain
est men i'll the world, and he always carries
comb and looking-glass in his hat. Before
and after lunch he stealthily adjusts his
locks, looking steadfastly into his hat and the
little mirror it enshrines.
The wives of Milton, Byron and Dickens
could not live happily with husbands whom
all the rest of the world admired. Milton
must have been trouble with his everlast-
ing Greek ana Latin. Byron was egotistical,
and his wife was not disposed to give him
sufficient homage; and while Charles Dickens
won the admira ton OF his children it is said
that his wife pronounced the "Pickwick Pa
pers" "to be perfect nonsense"
Jerome K. Jerome recently gave harvest
home supper to the farmers in the vicinity OF
Goulds Grove, OXfordshire, England. After
supper two OF the guests were overheard ar
gulng as to what made Mr.. Jerome famous.
"He writes books" said one, defantly. NO,
ne DON'T, was the contem ptuous retort; che
rowed three men in a boat aud then won the
race; that's what he's noted for"
Lord Salisbury is not an author, with the
exception OF writing one or two articles to re-
views and magazines. This is ell the more
remarkable because he achieved some emil
nence scholar at Oxford, where he
elected fe low of All Souls College in 1858
and is now chancellor of the university. The
Saturday Review states that he is & man with
sing ularly clear Intellect.
Herbert Spencer never accepts college de-
gree nor any other honorary title from any
learned society. He says he wants to stand
wholly on his own merits or to be forgotten.
Professor Jowett was quaint and somewhat
brusQue in his speech. On one occasion when
Jex Blake, formerly master of Rugby and then
Dean of Wells, was talking very prosily, Jowett
said. 81 have for long time known that law
comes of lex, but 1 never knew till now that
jaw comes from jex."
volume of William A. Dunnng, Ph D.
professor of history at Columbia University,
is announced for early publication by the
Macmillan Company. The title Of the book O
Essays on the Civil War and Reconstruction,
and Related Topics" and its chief purpos e is
to present in an i'm partial manner the most
conspicuous phases of the constitutional de-
velopment of the United States during the
troubled ears from 1861 to 1870.
"Men in Epigram," q companion to "Women
in Epigram," Is to be pub ublished soon by A. c.
McClurg & Co. "With Pess1mist in SPAIN"
by Miss Mary F. Nixon, is another OF the prom
ised books from the same firm.
G. A. Henty Is an English public school ma n
and halls from Westminster school, the home
of many men of letters. This popular novelist
of the boy was a war cores pondent in the very
thick of the Franco-German war; he was also
a correspondent in the Abyssinian expedition.
He is q genial, gray-bearded man and is an
immense favorite at the Savage Club, where
he has wonderful reputation as a raconteur.
"SeIect Documents Illustrative of the His.
tory of the United States, 1776-1s61," edited.
with notes, by William Macdonald, professor
of history aud political science at Bowdoin
College, is the title of a book announced by
the Macmillan Company. This work is de-
signed to meet the needs of teachers and stu
dents who desire to have, in single volume
of moderate size and cost, an accurately
printed collection of important documents
illustrative of the constitutional history of the
United States
Some newspaper reader of Missouri has
compiled list OF odd names of newspapers in
that State. The list in ncludes the Rock O. Com
fort, Unterrifed Democrat, Hustler, Rustler,
Buzz Saw, Silver Hammer, Eye-opener Cy-
clone, Blizzard, Whizzer and Comet, and then
comes down to the quiet Eye, Optic, Fly, Eli,
Quill, Bee, and the businesslike Cashbook and
Fact.
Ian Maclaren (the Rev. John Watso NJ has
finished the preparation of his volume OF
studies, "The Potter's Wheel and 1t Will
shortly be published.
Mrs. Mary Wood-Allen is lesding physi-
clan in the East and is writer of force all
ability. In her latest booklet, "What Young
Girl Ought to Know" she says some whole
some truths which every mother ought to Pc
ruse. The volume should meet with good
sale and can be most heartily commended.
The Yer Publishing Company, Phi iladelphia.