The San Francisco call., 1897-03-14

The Queen of EEglan has accepted
specially bound copy OF 1.-The Book of the Pill
grimage," the authoritative record of the visi
OF the American Congregationalists TO Eng
land and Holland last summer, and Sir Arthul
Bigge has through the American Embassado
conveyed her Majesty's thanks to the donors
The story of Browning's unpleasant expert
ence in country hotel has been revived. Tht
| poet was kept awake one night by strang,
| meanings, siGhS and subdued mutterings
He sent to inquire what was the matter ant
was Informed that his sufferings were caused
by members OF the local Browning Society
They met in the next room to his.
It's reported that Ian Maclaren's works are
being translated into French. It is enough te
| d1siocate ones tongue to think of it. How
Scotch dialect will look in French seems 9
matter beyond ordinary flights of 1magina
ton. DR.. Watsoi's stories have knocked in
vain at the gates of English. No one has yet
| been able to give good English version OF his
| stories.
Ihe Robert Louis Stevenson memorial COM
mittee recently met in London. Itwas agreed,
we understand, that the memorial should take
some form OF sculpture, the particular foIm to
be decided by the amount subscribed. Many
are in favor of statue but it is felt that after
Lord Rosebery's strong pronouncement
against this there might be q difficulty No
appeal will be made to the public until a
pretty complete organization shall have been
formed. 1t is hoped to raise the sum OF
$25, 900.
This little clipping from the Bookman
should serve as warning to that ably
conducted jonrnaI. A gentleman writes:
I find in the January Bookman (page 4O6) the
expression "the most hyocephaous Briton," but
do not find "hyocephalous" in any dictionary
Will You kindly tell me what 1t means?
To which responds the sable editor':
Pigheaded. We thought it more polite to put 1t
in that way.
. Not reallyl
Ouida's new novel, which will be published
by London firm, will represent a reversion to
her earlier style, betraying less of the in
huence OF Tolstoi than her last few books have
done. The principal character emigrates to
America, and there acts on the advice that
has passed into proverb, @'Get money, hon.
estly If you can, bit get money" He eventu-
ally becomes millionaire, and he and his
wife attempt to buy their way into English
society, thereby providing Ouida with occa-
sion to unburden herself of a considerable
amount OF scathing carcasm. The book is
phatically up to date.
new feature, and one of some value, has
been added to Book News, published by John
Wanamaker of Philadelphia. This is a short
note by the author of each advertised novel.
stating It's raison d etrc.
Thus we have one from Miss Emma Wolf of
this City, putting forward her object in writ
ing "The Joy OF Life" recently reviewed In
these columns:
Beyond the desire of making my story Interest,"
ing. my only thought In writing st he Joy of Life''
was to contrast the materiaist with the idealist-
and to express the belief that because we are hn-
man we cannot expect to grasp the sweet sanity
OF life which is permitted us. unless we com bine
with the lev el-head eGness Of the one the nobity
or the other EMMA WOLF.
Gan Francisco, Cal. February 9, 1897.
II do not doubt" says writer in the Lon
don Daily Mail, "that the warmth of public
INTEREST," in its appearance. no less than the i'm
por tance OF the subject, will make Richard r,
Holmes personal life of Queen Victoria one
OF the first books, If not the first book, of
the new year. The fact that the Queen
Will personally examine and correct the
work during its progress gives 1t a
guarantee of accuracy which of itself invests
the book with high value. The many illus.
trations will include several portraits of her
Majesty not hitherto known to the general
public" Queen Victoria's book VIII be pub-
lished in America by the Century Company.
There will 100 copies on Japanese paper at
$50, and 600 on fine paper at SIS. Both ed,
tions are strictly limited and no more will be
printed.
An amusing incident in literary history oc-
Cured recently in connection with DR.. Paul
Carus' story, "Karma." The little tale orig
inally appeared in the Open Court, and hay.
ing struck there the fancy of Count Lao
Tostoi was translated by that author into
Russian. Everything To!stoi publishes is i'm
mediafely turned into French-and so was
'Karma." gentleman who was securing the
literary main in scar ch of booty for Eli glish
markets, lighted upon the little craft which
now bore the name of Tolsioi on its stern, and
towed it into port at the Office of the .sInterna
tional," mont thly magazine in Chicago. but
three doors from the "Open Court" Here the
story was translated back into English and an.
peared in the November number It was not
until recently, long after the appearance of
the Japanese edition of "Karma," that the
error was discovered.
Zola doubts whether he will write a boob
about London. He says: "If were to do any
thing in that way 1t would be based on what 7
saw OF London 8 great waterway, the Thames.
which has been the source of all the wealth
power and grandeur of the capital of Eng.
land. Whoever has not seen the Thames can.
not explain the greatness of London, whose
heart and pulse it is. Ishould certainly he
attracted by the Thames in anything MIGHT
be induced to write. do not know tha
people, however; they ere perfect strangers
to me. | was comparatively at homo in
Rome, you know. 1t was to me as the south of
France, where I was brought up. could en-.
ter into the spirit of kindred Latin race. to
which partly belong; but England is differ
ent That bit OF seething water, the Channel
between us and Albion, is an abyss gulf
which separates the two countries morallv :,
we'll as materially. No! ! really think that 7
can do nothing deep with England. any moro
than / can with America, whose people are
asking me to visit them II would take wears
to study these countries, and am no Longer
young"
Brander Matthews keeps on repayfnp In
their own coin the British critics who have 40
much to say about Americanisms. Here ara
some OF his latest collection of Britfcisma as
chronicled by him in Modern Language Notes
(Baltimore):
The Daily News uondon) speaks of an arbi.
tration committee, consisting of tone mem
Der. one Venezuelan and one co-opted
Chosen conjointly)." Thomas Hardy speaks
ofceriain buildings "having the liny Clearly
outlined) distinctness of architectural draw
ings." Matthew Arnold wrote that London
was not Hvable-in on q certain occasion
The London Chronicle speaks of an explorers
having negotiated (raversed) certain pass.
The Fabian Society has coined proprietariat
in antithesis to proletariat Andrew Lang
tells of persons who "took in took or su b