The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-20
LTTERARY NoTEs.

Mr.. James Lane Allen is understood TO be
at work upon a novel-of greater length
than THE Choir visibie''-which will like
~ engage him until spring.
when Knighthood Was in Flower" the
novel by Mr. Charles Major, of Shelbyville.
Ind, will, il is said. be dramatized soon for
the use of Miss Julia Marlowe.
Kipling's THE Days Work. and G. w.
Steevens's with Kitchener to Khartum''
have been close contestapts for first place in
recent sales of books in England and Scot
land
Sir Edwin Arnold the other day praised
Kipling for his "Recessional'' Yes" said
Kipling, lit was just at the right time, and
write, but when.S
A recent critic, speaking Of 1.-THE Chris
tian,'' says: THE wonderful charm of Hall
Gaines book was that nobody. for the life
OF him, could tell whether John Storm was
an idiot or maniac"
The unpublished story 1.-THE Market
Place." left by the late Harold Frederic, is
mentioned as dealing with the fortunes OF
daring Spectator and with the corruption
attributed to titled directors Of English
companies. 1t was written nevertheless.
before the Hooley disclosures
That there is a great difference between
a book knowledge and a practical knowl-
edge of a language is shown in the case
of Mr.. Kingsbury, who made the transa-
ton OF Cyrano de Bergerac,' which Rich
ard Mansfield is using. The translation is
said to be an excellent one, but Mr. Kings
bury cannot speak French
Perhaps Mr.. Zangwill has forgotten the
doom that overlook William Prynne, the
English Puritan lawyer who wrote His
triomastix," about $50 years ago, with a
view to suppress stage plays. His book was
burned, he was sentenced to pay a fine of
5000 both of his ears were cut off he was
exposed in the pillory and a sentence of
perpetual Imprisonment was pronounced
against him.
THE Open Question" novel of Amer
lean life, has so charmed the one and only
Whistler that he has designed a cover for
the book which is to be published by Heine-
mann in London and Harpers in New York
The book concerns the Southern States and
is said to be full of realism and local color
How Whistler the dilettante should have be-
come interested in a work of this sort is GER
tainly puzzle, the Springfield Republican
thinks.
Wilbur Gleason FeigIer, an attorney in
San Francisco, has written book CIT
Was Marlowe), in which is set forth the
theory that Christopher Marlowe wrote the
plays ascribed to Shakespeare. Dr. William
j. Rolfe says in The Critic: THE theory is
worked out very ingeniously in the novel,
which, as pure fiction, is excellent in it's
way, and far more entertaining than an Or
binary statement and defense of the theory
would have BEEN"
Anthony Hopes new novel will begin to
appear serially just before Christmas His
first selection for a title, Born in the
Purple" having been used before, the story
will be called '"fhe Kings Mirror" The
hero is royal boy of delightful kingdom,
such as we find in the Prisoner of Zenda,"
and lad of parts His nurse imparts to
him the greatness of his authority, the mai
esty of his privileges, as q born king. Next
day she has occasion to spank him. He
mas d1fhculty In reconciling the two facts.
In article in Literature on literary
criticism in America Mr.. HoweIls says that
the critic, as rule, has conviction that
his knowledge of what he likes is a knowl-
edge Of what is good or bad. HE needs
another ideal, another perspective; but
mainly his will is generous if it is not al
ways enlightened. We are still new a
people as to be proud of liking the arts and
of finding pleasure in them; we. or at least
upon u.s. and we make haste to show our
liking, our pleasure. believe that is a more
hopeful state for the critic than that in
which he fancieS that he acquires merit
from not liking and not finding pleasure.
At any rate, l am not sorry that our criti-
cism is prevailingly optimistic. ] do
not feel that | am going too far in saying
that q book important to the race by its
beauty or wisdom, its art and its soul, may
take it's chance with our literary criticism
and not fail Of appreciation as general as it
finds popular acceptance as prompt and as
cordial; but this happens in all countries;
and 1t does not often happen here by con-
nivance of the critics"