The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-28


Mr. Anthony Hope, in q recent interview.
expressed a personal preference for his
novel, The God in the Car"
lola Is said TO be so superstitious that he
breads the number seventeen, and always
leaves home left foot first when on busi-
ness.
1t appears that Miss Mary E. Wilkins's
novel Jerome" was anticipated five or six
years ago. as to its title, by Miss Annabel
Gray, an English novelist.
F. Marion Crawford waited over fifteen
years to see his first magazine article pub
lished. In the meantime he had written
about a dozen two-yolume novels.
Mr.. Herbert Spencer has passed through
the press small volume entitled Various
Fragments" 1t will be issued in London
as soon as the American edition is ready.
Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the negro writer.
has completed his novel of Ohio life. The
Uncaued." His lately granted position in
the Congressional Library will probably
give him ample opportunities for study and
writing.
Figures ct Chooses qui Passaient," Pierre
Lofts latest book, which has just been
brought out in Paris, is having a remark
able success even for that popular writer
having gone through twenty-three editions
in the first three days.
Captain Mahans Life of Nelson" is hav-
ing a tremendous success in England.
More tnan nVe InOuSflnu copies nave been
sold in that country, and All reviews OF
every character unite in calling the book
masterpiece and one transcending ali eX-
pectation.
1t is not without significance, says the
New York Post, that, but for Bret Harte
and his Heather Chlnee, not a single one
of the poets now nearest the front in years
and in the quality of their work figures in
the final edition Qs9D of Bartlett's "Fa-
miliar Quotations"
Apropos of the lack of literary skill OF
many popular writer's, it is related that
Alfred Henry Lewis, the author of Wolf
VILE" was somewhat reluctant to allow
his work to be brought out in book form,
and remarked: Il see the booksellers
windows filled with books by people who
do not even know how to write postal
cards."
The current number of the London Acad-
envy prints the following copy of a charac-
teristic note written by Mr.. Kipling to a
literary aspirant in New Zealand 1t runs:
mo mans advice is of the least benefit in
our business land | am very busy MANI
Keep on trying till you either fail or sue
ceed." The author, adds the Academy.
deemed this missive encouraging.
1t is reported that for his poems "Our
Lady of the Shows" and THE Recessionar'
Mr.. Kipling declined payment from the
London Times on the 81 ound that he would
not be paid for patriotic poems. It is stated
by Ine BOOknlan IndI dIleT Inc INeceS-
sional'' was printed he sent to the Times
a poem describing the action of torpedoes
and entitled THE Destroyers," but the edi-
tor of the Times considered that it would
clash with the fine and stately piece Of
verse which had gone before it, and it was
not accepted"
The London Athenaeum says that Mr..
John Payne has just completed a metrical
version of the whole of Omar Khayyam's
quatrains, between 500 and 900 in number
or nearly three-quarters more than have
ever yet been presented to the English pub
lic The special features of the new trans
lation will be an attempt to reproduce the
very characteristic and varied scheme or
rhyme and rhythm of the originals, and SO
might appear to a native of Persia; and it
is believed that Notwithstanding the phe-
nomenal difficulties involved in this course
the version will be far more literal than
any which now exists