The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-03
OUR FRIENDS THE BOOKS

.
test against the horrors Of life that
Sienkiewicz paints, but we cannot be
certain that these will check the sale
of the book. According to experience
in the past protests are more likely to
promote its sale. Mr.. Fords STORY OF
an Untold Love- has now reached its
thirtieth thousand-figures which prob
ably entitle it to a place next after
Hugh Wynne" in point of sales for
books published since last October.
Remarkable has been the literary
rise of this writer He is still a young
man, and he has gone forward in the
face of some discouragements that
might have overcome less resolute
souls. Many years ago / saw him often
in his fathers house, diminutlve
young man, sitting apart from the
company, at a small desk in his
fathers library, studious and absorbed.
but the object of very general interest
and kind words, for he was known
even then to be we'll endowed intellec-
tually. though seemingly feeble and
undeveloped physically. But the w.sest
among those who thronged his fathers
hospitable house scarcely could have
predicted the success he has won-least
of all his success in writing fiction.
Surely we do not often find writer
anywhere in literary history who has
made distinct success as an editor or
writing like Jefferson's. only to make
another and a greater as a writer of
fiction.
Mr.. Ford's edition of Jefferson has
become the standard edition. Indeed.
it was sure to be that. once he had
begun it, for he was known to be in
position to add to it much important
material heretofore uncoilected. His
brother, Washington G. Ford, had
made a great success already in the
same direction with his edition of
Washington. ard Paul L. Ford was
confidently expected TO repeat 1t. which
he has now done with Jefferson. One
volume only of the jefferson remains
to be issued, and this is delayed by
the making of the index. Meanwhile,
we are promised in the same series
devoted to the Fathers OF the Republic.
the writings of Monroe, which will be
issued in ten volumes. Following the
Monroe viii eventually be brought out
the writings of Samuel Adams in three
volumes, and then will come Madison,
whose works viii require eight. vol
umes. Some Of the new material which
will go into the Madison volumes is
said to throw important light on Madi-
sons administration.
Readers in the Northwest, perhaps do
not know how much attention has
in late years been given in the East
to local histories-the history of small
ard ancient towns. Fifty end more
years ago much work in this line was
done. Almost every town or county
that had history worth recording
had its chronicles. One of the in
dustrious men who turned to this pur-
suit was Jay Gould. Mr.. Gould, just
before he reached his majority, brought
out a history of his native county
TNalo J,yfx nrIy
was not a book of which any young
man need to have been ashamed.
twenty-five years later local histories
were again written in large numbers;
but they We're commercial enterprises,
pure and simple-costly folios and
Quartos, filed with cheap pictures, the
text badly done. These books We're
sold as county maps are sold, and they
were even less valuable.
But now this class of work prom
Uses to be done in a more historical and
literary spirit One editor will super
wise a series devoted to the towns of
New England that have some real his
torical interest. Readers in the West
must find these books interesting
There cannot be town or city west
of the Ohio river which does not con-
tain scores of families whose ances-
trail lines run back to Massachusetts
or Connecticut.
A surprise has come to collectors of
scarce books. Before the end of this
month all the first folio editions Ct
Shakespeare will be sold at auction in
New York Rare, indeed, is the library
that contains all these folios. I doubt
if ever more than once was sold such
a set in America. One or two colIec-
tors have been known to possess full
sets; but they have guarded them
closely. At the same sale will also be
sold all the first five editions ofWal-
tons angles" and here, again, we
are met with the fact that complete
sets of these five editions are extremely
rare in any country. Still another
scarce and costly book will be sold at
the same time-the first edition of Mil
tons Paradise Lost" which, judging
from precedent, ought to bring $500.
1t is one of the stock facts Of literary
history that Millions financial returns
from paradise Lost" amounted to the
pitiftl sum of $50-one tenth the value
of a single copy of the first edition Of
the book.
The sum of $500 has just been paid