The San Francisco call., 1897-07-25

stories, whose scenes are laid in various lands
He says that the plot is always the last thing
he thinks of, letting ii form Itself in his mind
while he studio geographical, historical and
scientific books on the particular country he
intends to treat of.
william lie Queux, whose novel, Devils
Dice" has just come out. is at present living
in Nice, where be is writing a new story OF
mystery for serial purposes. The scenes will
= be laid in England and at Monte Carlo. and
it will PROBABLY appear under the biblical
title Of ''If Sinners Eutice Thee" 1t is under
stood that the story will be entirely English
in character although its climax occurs on
the Mediterranean shore.
Richard Harding Davis has been lately the
recipient of letters concerning his best-known
character, the incompatible Van Bibber. The
inquirers wished to know If Van Bibber was
imaginary or a presentment OF Mr. Davis him
self The reply is that Van Bibber is imag-
nary. A doctor at Baltimore, however, where
Mr.. Davis once studied, probably supplied the
name. Anyway, it seems that this gentleman
is obliged to spend good deal OF time in
assuring questioners that he is not the origl-
nal of Mr.. Davis hero.
Miss Lombroso, the daughter Of the Italian
professor, has written q volume, the title OF
which is, "On the Happiness of Women" The
lady has made the study of a hundred women,
married and unmarried, and comes to the con-
clusion that women generally are happier
than men. There are two phases in women's
lives the lady believes she has determined
one is that love- making and maternity are the
essential and decisive elements OF happiness; !;
the other is that moderate means are more
conducive to happiness than riches. Fall In
love. then, young women, and find content
ment in modest fiat.
DR.. Robertson Nicoll is able to state with au-
thority that no less than SIS, 900 worth Of
Thackeray manuscripts were sold to America
last year. 1t has, he adds. ''got 10 be more and
more the case that America secures the most
valuable manuscripts that come into the mar
ket." Since this was written the manuscript
of Keats Endy on has beer bought for Amer
lea at $3475. 1t is the original autograph
manuscript and was sold at auction in London
on the 10th Of March 1t consists of 1S1
leaves, all but one in the handwriting of the
poet. At the same sale the autograph manu-
script of Lamia sold for $1525.
Mrs. Margaret Deland's literary reputation
is so entitled with New England that it will
probably surprise most readers to learn that
her early years were spent in Western Penn
sylvania Since her marriage to Lorin F. De-
land she has lived in Bos ton and has acquired
the local cast of thought and expression so
completely that her stories convey the i'm
preston OF her being q native New Eng lander.
Her Boston home Is on Mount Vernon street
and is filed with art treasures and rare books.
Her summer residence is at Kennebunkport,
on the coast of Maine. Mrs. Deland's envia-
BILE fame as writer has been achieved in the
last ten years Her first book was volume of
poems, "The Old Garden" published in 1856.
Miss Marie Corelli has been celebrating the
twelfth anniversary of her debut as a novelist,
and it appears that the royalties of her initial
volume, her celebrated Romance Of Two
Worlds" would be ample for her support,
even If she had no other sources of income.
And yet, as in so many historic cases, the pub
fishers readers, who seem to be called readers
on the lucus non principle, rejected the
story as romantic rubbish. Perhaps 1t was
and IS, but the public has paid so many dollars
for 1t and the other progeny of Its authors
prolific pen that Marie Co-elli is in point of
income, far and away the richest woman
writer OF the time. She is physically much
the style of woman the lamented Duchess
was, small and blonde-a singular fact, consid-
ering her Italian blood, which appears to
show itself chiefly in her imagination rather
than in her physique. Miss Coreili is one OF
the numerous literary people OF Kensington,
In London. Success has merely stimulated
her pen and possessed her OF truly Marion
Crawford like rage for writing.
DU MAURIER, the Marian, at Doxey's.