The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-30

for years says the New York Tribune.
Perhaps the publishers hope 10 sell ev-
sryShiGg that is worth selling while the
| enthusiasm OF the holidays Is al It's height
The truth IS that the public needs some
| leisure for n thorough appreciation Of Sc
| rsous literature, ard II Is mistake 70 pack
| all the new things OF Importance into six
!. weeks. Many OF them are overlooked alto
| zesaer. and. besides. they besgar the sue
| csedi1g months No publication Of conss-
! cnsnce is even limited a: for the near fu-
| ture IL The matter Of new books we are
TO 90 more or less hungry until the
| Sprlng.
| Mark Twain. who is now residing at
| Vienna. where he intends 10 write new
book. had strange experience some
days ago when on q visit 10 the Burg
| theater. He was received by the chief
| machinist Of the house. who had prepared
| complete thunderstorm. with rain.
| thunder and lightning, as we'll IS the
bowling OF the wind. The great humorist
| enjoyed very much this strange welcome
| and presented his compliments 20 the in
| yentor OF rhe trick. Before leaving the
| theater, which was brilliantly Illuminated.
| Mark Twain, who was in that moment In
| the imperial box. had last glance over
| the whole, when ne suddenly WAS taken
by the shoulders. and voice. near him.
| shouted hastily and repeatedly. Back.
| back The humorist. Of course, sur
| prised. jumped back, expecting some dis
| grace, and then only became aware OF
| the reason OF this sudden retreat TO which
/ he had been compelled. \ photogra pher.
who had been ordered 10 take picture Of
| the restored interior of the theater. was
just performing his duty. and eventually
| the picture would have shown. In the i'm
| perial --Sauctus Sanctorum," the demo-
cratic figure OF the humorist. Mark
| Twain, And for the *. e. Austrian
Aa
| horror horroribus!'
| A new novel by Conan DOYLE is a literary
| event OF the first rank. and this the Lip
pincotts promise il the immediate pueiica-
| ton Of "A Desert Drama" The story IS
/ an entirely new departure for the creator
Of Sherlock Holmes Its scene is the
( desert Of Sahara. its actors a mixed party
+ of tourists. American, French. English.
navigating the Nile on a turtle bottomed
/ stern-wheeleT. shaped like a fat-iron."
! The clear. direct sentences which made
/ the detective book so fascinating are here
employed in photographing the green Dor
p, dered Nile with its fringe of ruined tom
| pies. and I'm picturlng the queer groups
I whose adventures In the hands OF a band
/ of savage Dervishes form the Desert
Drama" Love. comedy. character and
/ tragedy al up a heaping measure of the
fiction of adventure such Conan Doyle
I stands first in among contemporary novel;
/ lists.
| NJ. Emile Zola Is said to be very supersti-
| iious. and has a horror OF the number II,
| which he supposes 10 be particularly I'M
| lucky for himself The other day he was
knocked down by a cab. and on looking at
| ii 10 ascertain its number was not at all
| surprised to see that II was No. Il. GER
/ tain DR.. Tolouse has devoted volume 10
| the study OF Zola's temperament and the
sources Of the writer's talents are analysed
with all the resources of psychology and
physiology. The learned doctor gees fully
into Zoia's horror of unlucky numbers; for
instance. he says that Zola will often In
| the night open his eyes seven times 10
| prove that he is not going to die for he re-
| CARDS the number as particularly lucky
| for himself. To such height Is this SUI
| perstition carried that he makes practice
| of touching the gas burners that he passes
| In the streets, surmounls ar obstacle al
| ways with his right foot. and never starts
| out for a days work without his left foot
! foremost.
| We have upon our table the current num-
/ Der OF Current History" The value of
| this work depends not only upon the amaz-
ing scope OF the field which 1t covers. but
also upon its characteristic regard for ac-
/ curacy and impartiality of statement. its
elimination or non-essentials, and its pres
eryation OF due proportions In treatment Of
events. In all these respects the present
HuElnSi lBliy MAINTAINS the nigh standard
I which has enabled Current History to
win it's way during the last seven years to
| an assured position in public favor. The
/ delay In the appearance OF this number
does not detract from It's value. Ii is ac-
I counted for by the recent change of ioca-
ton from Buffalo, ~ Y. to Boston. With
the increased facilities available In that
larger center, greater promptness in pub
LEGATION than ever before is promised in
succeeding numbers. The magazine Is
printed on excellent paper and has an in
creased abundance OF Illustrations and
maps, which add materially to its value
In general usefulness as an historical refer
enec work on all occurrences yof the very
recent past II has no equal II is invaiu-
able to all students OF the times. and the
easy terms upon which it can be procured
either seriallv or In complete sets 10 date
place 1t within the reach of ALL
The lover is an idealist lie is not in
love with living reality though he
/ thinks he Is. HIS happiness. as an IDEAL
| ist consists in believing n poem to be not
| only poetical. but a fact" says Manner
| ton In his story, The Guest OF Happi-
! ness" True love ia religion that is n
I believed poem, but Ii Ia inferior 10 the
celestial religions in expecting its ideal
/ fruftfon on the earth. The lover seeks this
/ fruition In marriage. II his marriage Is
unhappy IL Is a disappointment and there
piest marriage is different from the lovers
ideal II is inferior as TO perfection. be-
{ cause II IS full OF great or trivial annoy
1 ances which are incompatible with per-
fectioD, and which the lover had rot for
seen; but 1t IS incomparably superior 70
( any ideal In richness and in interest The
woman must have poor nature who does
not. after marriage. reveal qualities that
her lover had not included In his coucep-
ton OF her gifts. II Is like going to live
/ In some beautiful place that. hitherto. we
have only read about. We had imagined
! for IL a certain pure and simple charm
! Living there. We find unexpected incon-
venienccs, but the neighborhood has be-
come far more interesting to us since II
has been our home. we have made n
hundred discoveries that our Imagination
was unable 10 foTsee. Finally. we per-
ce.ye that the interest CT the place. which
the tourist thinks he has exhausted in
ore visit is In reality inexhaustibla
Nevertheless, in spite of the superior va
r.etv OF interest In the reality, on COM
pairing IL with an lima Etnative conception
we know that Il has one inferi0rity The
ideai is still the ideal. and from time to
time the first impression (which was rot
rruef NAV recur 70 u< in memory with a