The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-20
LITERARY NOTES.

The biographer of Phillips Brooks will
have before him all his published sermons,
now more than hundred in number, his
printed letters. several contributions of
"reminiscences and impressions, and large
store of traditions.
Recently a young man wrote to William
Dean Howells for his autograph. The nov
elist replied in a typewriter letter: Have
you bought my last book? The young
man answered: 'I have not. l want to sell
your autograph in order to get enough
money to buy it.
Fraulein Marie Ruckert, daughter of the
famous German poet, some years ago set to
work to learn Hungarian for the purpose
OF translating her fathers poems into that
language She has now completed the task,
and the work will probably be published by
the Academy of Sciences at Buda-Pesth.
OF Mr.. Barrio's story of his mother twen-
ty thousand copies have been sold in this
country, and of Sentimental Tommy"
thlrty-fve thousand have been printed. In
England, however, Margaret OgilVy' has
run up to thirty thousand in three editions,
Tommy" falling some distance short of
this number.
A "Kailyard' version OF 1.-THE Song of
Solomon" is one of the latest literary nov
elites in the north. The following is taken
from the specimen sheet, which has been
sent out. 1t is verse from the last chap
ter: Z. Mony waters Gamma Slochen luV'
neither can the Spates droon 1t; gin a man
wad gle a the haudin's O. his hoose for
luv', they wad be athegither scorned
The public libraries division of the Uni
versity Of the State of New York has re-
Gently published a very interesting list en-
titled, THE Best Fifty Books of 1896" A
list of nearly five hundred of the books of
the year was recently submitted to the Ii
brarians of New York State and others,
. ito obtain an expression of opinion respect
ing the best fifty books of 1896 to be added
to village library From the two hun
dred lists q final choice is indicated. The
book which received the highest number of
votes is Sentimental Tommy; next came
books is given, which received many votes.
According to the Critic the literary
world is greatly interested in the news of
the marriage of Mr. Royal Cortssoz to
Miss Ellen Mckay Hutchinson, which took
place recently in st. Brides, one of the
oldest churches in London. Miss Hutchin-
son has held an editorial position on the
New York Tribune for the past twenty
hve years, her special department being
that of books, but she has also contributed
regularly TO the editorial page. Mr.. Cor
tissoz is the art editor of the same paper.
and also contributor to the department of
book reviews. He is a constant writer for
the leading magazines on subjects con-
nected with art, and has an enViable repu
tation an art critic.
A writer in the London Mail says: Even
the love SlOIy III It's pSIISCllOu IL l1O IOllS6I
with u.s. OF all the scores of novels pub
lished since the beginning of the present
year, more than two-thirds pose as sto-
ries Of love; and yet there is hardly a. real
and moving love story among them. In
very few cases, indeed does one care
straw whether the puppet lovers are made
happy in the end or not. Yet we cared very
greatly for the lovers in Mr.. Marion Craw-
fords novel, "A Roman Singer" and "A
Cigarette Makers Romance in Mr.. An
thony Hopes Prisoner of Zenda,' and
even in that despised, although popular,
story Moths" Concerning love stories, it
may safely be said that unless the reader
falls in love with either the man or the
maid, the book is failure.
Sixty-two years have flown since Mrs.
Felicia Dorothea Hemans, the poetess,
passed away, and Liverpool is now consid-
ering the erection of a local memorial in
her honor. A prize fund for lyrical poetry
probably will be raised and given in trust
to University College, of that city. 1t might
be more appropriate, says a Philadelphia
writer, to erect a tablet to Mrs. HemanS'S
memory in the little church of st. Anne's,
in Dublin where she lies buried In fact,
Liverpool is doing a gratuitous deed in es
tab1ishing this fund, for Mrs. HemanS
thought the LiVerpudlianS of her own day
stupid and provincial. Though born there,
her father was an lrishman and her moth
or a German. She spent her childhood in
wild Wales and her happier age in Edin-
burgh and Dublin. But whatever the me-
mortal may be, wherever located, it Will
be a pleasant tribute of posterity to the
singer of ''Casabianca, The Lost Plead"
and 1.-THE Pilgrim Fathers.