New-York tribune., 1897-02-09
LITERARY NOTES.


sIn saying that this volume is the most oeauuiu anu
he mos, valuable which found its way into my
hands FOR know not how long shall no' pre'e'' 70
have read 1t with ease 70 have understood every
word Of It." 1; takes a Yellow-Bookiie to s"a"o"
things in this friendly way.
The scandinavian Press Bureau Il sowing broad
East; on the authority OF lbsen statement mat 's
olay OF "John Gabriel Borkman' - no' alHel az
Bjornson. Presumably Bj6rnson maybe eNpec'eu !"
the field with sort Of proof that the pa! - d"
attack upon him whether Il Is meant 10 De OF "o'
Ana IN ,he mean time the melancholy lhsen Is en-
purpling the air with denunciatons Of MI. ohe'"I"
who published an interview with him. loSen de"'eS
the interview and says he never saw Ny. she'd'u
Which may be true. The interview, as matter oi
fact, sounds passing natural and convincing ana we
ava, with interest the explanation which the author
Is said TO be preparing
Again IT IS demonstrated ;ha: It Is possible 10 be
more royals, than the king. When NJ Hefedla
wrote some verses on the visit; of the Car and his
,orso-t - Paris Their Russian Majesties were highly
nleased and said So Bu: NJ Heredla sent packet OF
his poems 20 an agen; in s.. Petersburg the o'her
day and II stopped az the frontier. He'u'neu 70
the poet with To be returned: prohioite4 hld'heH
upon &c. This little bundle might easily be turned INFO
cause OF boulevard excitement az any o'her TIME
Blu, the French and the Russians are fraitrnz'ng
nowadays and :; is expected that the act OF the cen
sor a; the Russian frontier will be corrected by his
supeTiors.
Professor Arber has Just completed with the eighth
volume, his admirable series entitled. AN Enghsh
Garner-Inga;herlngs from our History and Llterat-
ure" These LILLE volumes are Invaluable IN ihelr
way. No one in England has a jus;er taste in old
literature than Professor Arber. His reprints or
El!zabethan and other relics among the mos;
scholarly publications Of The ;!me. and In this special
series Of his intended FOR popular circulation. ne has
concentrated some OF the best fruits OF his long and
loving Investigations. The Macmillan Company pub
Eshes the books
Nj James Lane Aliens new novel. The Choir In
visible" Is coming from the Macmillan Press this
month. The scene ot the story IS laid in the Ken
lucky forests far back as 1875. The hero IS SAID
10 be something OF a politician.
Lovers 90 Ella have warm place In their hearts
for John Lamb the essayis;s father, bu; It !s doubt:
ful r. they generally know that the latter had liter
a-y ambitions which actually carried him 10 the
poin; Of publication. Nj. Bertram Dobe writes to
The Athenaeum' 10 describe book whicH he picked
UP the sale Of the library Of the late Nj Dykes
Campbell. That acute collector was apt 10 know
what he was about when attr.but!ns book 10 ar
author and though tho title page OF this volume
does not divulge it, origin the back Is lettered
"Poetical Pieces by John Lamb The title page runs
"Poeucal Pieces on Several Occasions and the
book is stated TO have been printed for "P. Shatwe
opposite Adelphi Strand" The book Is dedicated
for the BENEFIT Of Their Widows. OF Which Have
the Honor OF Making the Number Fifty" The
verses are In various keys. There e.egiac lines
and there are humorous sketches. The list includes
The Sparrow's Wedding" The Widow Bui.hnch
The Ladys Footman" and metrical version Of the
story O. joseph derived from the Scriptures In Tai
fourd's Life and Letters OF Charles Lamb there IS
an account OF these verses Mr., Dobe suggests that
the work be reprinted in limited edition and he IS
open TO subscriptions to that end.
There has been a symposium in The Westminster
Gazette on the subject Of reviewing, and Ou!da has
contributed to It Nth some hunor. AS there are
no: more than out Of every hundred books
issued in England" she says worth the paper they
are printed on, T. would be well II the press gave
more attention the TWO and all 10 the other
ninety-eight. ! think too that there should
he no ANONYMOUS expressions Of opinion Anonym-
IS lends fictitious importance 10 journalists. as the
Wig and gown 10 advocate"
The literary agent, that obscure We; po,en, lndl
vidual whom nobody ever sees bu' who ho.ds the
desnies Of modern fiction in his hands $50 they say,
IS getting his reward for The abuse that has been
poured upon him in divers places Here II Is In the
shape Of a letter to Nj Watt. who is the most i'm
tor,ant Of them ALL from one Of his authors Mr. 5.
r. Crockett: You believed in my future when few
did and gave your time and thought with a generous
lberalty which ! should be caitiH and recreant II
did not amply acknowledge. You took the burden Of
worry off my shoulders. You said, Now. all you
have got 10 do Is 70 put paper the best that ma
he in YOU in the best way you can. III attend 10
the rest" More than that. by your judlcious (and
often caustc) advice YOU kept me from doing a large
number OF foolish things We have never had a mis-
understandng-though sometimes may have kicked
over the traces and 'gaed my ain wfu' gait You
sni.ed-I remember just how-and you waited.
Then presently after having come 10 grief
back again telling you was sorry not TO have taken
your advice-(but this must not be quoted against
me- next time That will be the one exception which
proves the rulo) ! cannot think Of anything more
fortunate in my brie: literary past than the fact
that had the unusual good sense to place my affairs
right from the beginning in your capable and entirely
faithful hands"
1t Is a curious picture that this presents 1t has
heretofore been supposed that the literary agent
was lust clever business man. who relieved I'M
ar.na,ive authors from the drudgery Of publishing
their books But apparently ne is guide phloso-
pher and friend IN the fullest sense OF the words
The novelette, by Mr. Henry James, "What Maisie
Knew" 70 which alusion has lately been made in
this Mace as appearing in The New Review. IS
running a, the same time IN an American periodi-
cal The opening chapters have just been published
in "The Chap-BoOk"
Mrs Alice Morse Earle has made divertirg and
eeif,ing book in her Curious Punishmerts Of BY
gone Days" which is published by Herbert 5
Stone e. Co. in a style OF quaintness BETTING the
theme What will interest the reader most Is lHe
disclosure Of our pretty generous participation
in the develonment OF these old ways Of correction
Mrs Earle has drawn upon English sources FOR
some OF her data. but she has not had 10 travel
FAR beyond our Colonial history 10 find rich ma
ter!al We have had the bboes. the ducking- g-stool.
the whipping post. and-certanly as curious a
nurishrnent as any IN the long st-the scarlet
letter From the records OF New-P Plymouth, dated
June 1911 il appears that the Hester Prynnes OF
the time were condemned "To wear two Capital
Letters A D. cut in cloth and sewed on their up
perrnost garment on the Arm and Back; and II
any time they shall be counde without the letters
So worne while in this government they shall be
for.hr-i,h taken and nnhlicklY Mhipt." Mrs Earle