The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-04
LITERARY NOTES.

Miss Edna LyaH has two novels almost
ready. One is a seventeenth century story.
after the fashion of I'm the Golden Days:
and the other a tale now appearing II
serial form, entitled ''Wayfaring Men.
BY a curious coincidence Captain Mar
ryats "Snarleyyow." the only novel re-
viewed in the reprint of the London Court
Journal for June "a, 1887, was also reviewed
in the literary papers for June, 1897, as
new edition has just appeared.
William II. Rideing has retired from the
associate editorship of the North American
Review, a position which he has held for
nine years. He still retains his connectlon
with the Youths Companion. fop which he
has worked twenty-seven years.
Two volumes by special correspondents
who have been through the late Graeco-
Turkish war are announced. One is by Mr..
Give Bigham, who saw the campaign with
the Turks and another by Mr.. Wilfred
Pollock. who accompanied the Greek army;
The translation of a modern Greek novel
is also promised.
We understand, says the Bookman, that
Mr.. Thomas Hardy, who has been discour-
aged by the persistent misconception of
many readers and critics intends to aban-
don the problems raised in his later novels,
and to revert to his earlier manner. His
work is now nearly completed, but II
will not be published for some time.
Mr.. Rudyard Kiping has just completed
the manuscript of a new short story deal
ing with Indian life entitled THE Tomb of
His Ancestors The story will first see
the light in this country in the Christmas
number of McClure's Magazine. Mr.. Kip
ling has also recently completed the manu-
script of new poem entitled The Feet
of the Young Men"
Mrs. Oliphant did not mind seeing her
name in print the title page of a book or
in a book notice. but wanted it nowhere
else. Her name was on one hundred title
TNf Ion ~cla1 YOVly- hi a
though she was great friend of struggling
young women and of many good causes,
she had great aversion to any personal
publicity in connection with her good deeds.
Just before the news was cabled here
that the New York Herald had started a
subscription for Mark Twain says a Lon
don letter, there was some talk in literary
circles which had the same idea in view
and it rumored that the Authors
Club or some kindred society would take
the matter in hand. The facts in Mr..
Clemenss case are that he is in poor
health and depressed spirits on his financial
troubles. L am told that his new book will
be called The Surviving Innocent" and
that 1t will appear among the Christmas
holiday publication
The Critic Lounger objects to the little
habit English critics have of claiming all
our best writer's as really English. This
was recently done. for perhaps the thou
sandth time, by the London Publishers
CIRCULAR commenting on this the Lounger
says The only writer's whom English
critics seem to consider typically American
are Mrs. Gertrude Anterior and Mr. Ste
phen sCrane. They call their books 'racy.'
and say they are the sort American authors
should write, instead of those that show
cultivation and decent regard for gram
mer w nat have such barbarianS we to do
with literature? Let us describe American
life as the English believe it to be-then
they will applaud They would praise cow
boy poets they abuse Mr.. Lowell (aS the
Athenaeum did recently), and they would
while they would let. Mr.. MacDowelTs 1nu-
steal genius go unnOticed.
Most writers, says the Book Buyer be-
come so used to having other people ex-
press opinions about their books that they
to their own feelings in the matter. OF
course an author, and particularly pro-
life author, must have likes and dislikes
among his literary children and when he
unbendS sufficiently to let the world know
what is his own honest opinion about the
various books he has brought into being
the comment is bound to be entertaining
Mr.. HoWells once gave a collected edition
of his works to a friend and wrote upon
the fly leaves his opinion of the several
books Here are a few of his interesting
confessions: DIR. Breen's Practice good
piece of work. thought. Venetian Life
The book that made friends with fortune
book that made me most friends The
undiscovered Country'-My wife's favor
lite. Indian Summertime one l like best
"A Foregone Concluson''-My first novel
urban Sketches First studies of Amer
lean life. Their Wedding Journey."-My
first attempt to mingle fiction and travel
fiction got the best of it.