The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-28

ity as compared with Ships That Pass in
the Night" but its advance sale has been
very large. thanks TO a reputation which
Miss Harraden won with amazing ease.
Japan is a literary country, with a his
tory of writing and literature since at least
a. d. 12. Last year the number OF books
published was 1856. OF which 10000 were
translated for compilations. Law led with
1880, religion followed with 1,1S, printing
and sculpture had 1900. music 1;o2s. Japan
csc poetry $50 and works I'm bellies ~lettres.
novels, stories. criticisms, etc, LIZ titles.
Says Mr.. Zangwil: Review for arts
sake and the books sake, not for your own
sake nor your authors sake; neither have
regard TO your friend nor your enemy. nor
your friends friend, nor your enemys
friend, nor your friends enemy. nor your
paper. nor its publisher, nor its ass. nor
anything that is your papers" To which
the New York Times adds: And don't
tnink OF $40. more or less. per column
Poetry does not always spell profit in the
dollar sense. William Morris left s225. 1000.
but he only made So. coo: the rest he had in
herited. Tennyson left $3.50. 900. most OF his
own earnings. Browning left s 5000. Sir
Henry Taylor $50, 600. Matthew Arnold only
$500, Christian Rossetti $500 Professor
Blake 10000. Dante Gabriel Rossetti $4,000,
Charles Mackay $4,000. The richest poet
OF our time was Longfellow, who made
and left a fortune OF $350.O0O.
A letter from r. l.. Stevenson TO a DR..
Blackwell, written in 1894, has recently APP
peared in a New Zealand paper. DR.. Bake
we'll wrote to Mr.. Stevenson to tell him
of a New Zealand boy who, when asked
if he had read Treasure Island replied:
Every boys read Treasure Island I've
read il four times" DR.. Blackwell wrote
that If the author OF the book did not APP
p~reciate such a compliment, he must be
more than human" Stevenson in his re-
ply said: Dear DR.. Blackwell, L nm not
more than human, L am more human than
is wholly convenient
The Literary World publishes a para
graph out of a private letter from r. ID.
Blackmore, in which the venerable author
of Lorna Doone' says that to Americans
the English language yves nearly all its
new expressions: There does not seem TO
be left I'm us the power to hit out a new
spark OF language. We are like a lot of
boys with their hands in their pockets.
for his led chips" He adds: What a
pity it is that you will not accept one af-
fectionate offer TO let no little squabbles
and Of wicked grins for all the lower ma
tons! However. 1 hope that all chance Is
not yet over of the success of common
sense between u.s."
Writing in the Book Buyer. Mr.. Albert
Lee says that the two books of Mr.. How
ellis scarcest and most difficult TO procure
are Poems of Two Friends" and Niagara
Revisited" The frst-named was Mr.. How
ells's earliest book. but il did not meet
with great success, only a few hundred
copies being sold. We learn, however, that
an even scarcer volume is the Niagara
Revisited" a book made by a Chicago firm
for the Fitchburg Railroad Company. The
Chicago people were to- pay Mr.. Howells
a certain sum for the privilege of using his
sketch, which had already appeared in the
Atlantic Monthly. The Chicago concern,
however, failed to meet its obligations. and
hence; through his attorneys. Mr.. Howells
served notice upon the railway company
and prevented the publication Of the book.
Not more than ten or a dozen copies got
into circulation.