The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-12
LITERARY NOTES.

Sir Edwin Arnold is about to publish a
series of translations of love songs.
Tennysons biographer had to make his
selection among four thousand extant let
Queen Victoria, it is said, has tried to
dissuade the ex-Empress Eugene from her
plan OF writing the life of her husband, the
late Louis Napoleon
The Tennyson Life" is having tremen-
dous success in this country, the sale being
quite as great as the interest of the work.
1t is in its ninth thousand in England.
The New York Sun says of Hector Full
lers Roach & Co., Pirates" THE au-
thor's merit is that he conducts his fancy
with liberal rein and that he causes Wig
orous and interesting things to happen"
At the time of Sir Walter Scott's death
the number of novels published in the Brit
ish Islands did not exceed one hundred a
year. Five novels at least are now issued
every day in the British Islands, Sundays
not excepted.
Mrs. Humphrey Wards religious opinions
have been much discussed in the years that
have elapsed since Robert Elsmere" and
David Grieve'' were published. but she her
self says: II am personally unwilling 10 as
sumo any name other than the name of
Christian"
Madeline Bridges, a name familiar to
readers of Puck, Life and other comic pa
pers as a contributor of humorous verse
and sketches, contributes another and more
serious class of matter to other periodicals
over her own name, Mary Ainge De We're.
She is a Brooklyn girl.
Those who declare themselves to be tired
of Dickens will be interested to learn that
one of the most important of the London
booksellers is reported as saying that Dick
ems Keeps his place at the head of the list
OF authors, living or dead, although Thack-
cray and Scott come close enough to be as
ISOLATED with him, the trio standing quite
alone.
Andrew Lang, in Cosmopolis, gives fer
vent expression to the feelings of dumb
thousands regarding Hall Gaines THE
Christian" He calls the book "a noisy,
tedious thing of froth, not fire." THE
moral purpose of the art, like that of
ate, but literature has no concern with
such work as The Christian, nor true re-
ligion and undefiled with the hero"
With the ability to read. Mrs. Stowe said,
in after years, there seemed to terminate
in herself the intense literary longing that
belonged to her from that time,'' says Mrs.
Fields new Life 1.-The desire for expression
so early developed reminds us of her father
In his great age, when he exclaimed: L am
sick because cannot reveal the feelings of
my heart; and again when he took up his
dusty fiddle, thrummed the strings, played
note or two unsatisfed and said: If L
could only play what l hear inside of me,
I'd beat Paganini.' "
Miss Glider says in the Critic: II was
speaking of some of my experiences as a
publishers reader few years ago in
recent conversation with a friend. who told
me that Mr. John Morley had read Mr.
Isaacs' for Messrs Macmillan, and had adj
vised against it's publication on the ground
that while it would be a most creditable
book to have on their list there would be no
sale for 1t. In the light Of subsequent events
this is rather amusing, but it only proves
that even aStute a critic as Mr. Nor
ley is not infallible-in other words, that he
is human