The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-05-29
SOME NEW u
BOOKS RECEIVED.
Pastime Stories by Thomas Nelson
Page, from Scribners.


cause he wanted to and because he found
a publisher. The two go excellently to-
gether certainly and Mr. Page Is TO be
congratulated on the second following
the first 1t is by no means uncommon
for gentlemen land LADIES' 10 want TO
publish stories 1t is less common 20 ma
a publisher. In all these stories there Is
something pleasant. That is. perhaps
the highest praise 10 which they are en-
| titled. and we regret that the writer or
"Marse Chan" which placed its author
name prominently before the public,
should delay so long i'm giving to the
world a worthy successor to 1t. But If
| these "Pastime Stories" are only pleasant,
and have no more virile characteristic,
| they are certainly that and several are
irresistibly amusing To travellers famil-
lar with the destinations OF our Ninth
| street mule car line there is one which
| will be keenly enjoyed-that OF the darky
| who wished he had a hundred dollars 70
| buy his mule. 80 he could cut her thote
| This has local color" that appeals 10 all
Richmond people. The stories deal prom
inently with the Southern negro. or
laughable and novel types, although
| there are one or two where he does not
appear at all. Those are the least inter-
esting Of the volume, and one certainly
seems 10 us pOintless LOW long are we
10 await a worthy successor to "Marse
Cham that story whose charm sped
straight to the popular heart and won
| it.
II
Nothing positive seems 10 be known OF
| the antecedents Of Miss Marie Corelli In
that inexhaustible mine Of biographical
information, who's Who she is cred
tied with mingled Scotch and Italian
| parentage. having been. as every one
| knows. adopted in infancy by the poet
| Charles Mackay, the father OF Eric
Nackay But now the rumcr is afloat IN
| London literary circles that the popular
novelist IS OF Irish extraction Whetner
| this be true or false, II has the erect OF
arouslng a discussion in regard 10 MISS
| Coreli and keeping her name In print
AS is we'll known TO those who read the
| columns devoted &c literary gossip ii
daily and weekly papers. she has re-
Gently threatened proceedings against
| Mr.. Leonard Smithers. the publisher OF a
| book BY Mr.. w. p. Ryan called Later
| ary London" because the author named
| her among those writer's whom he could
not take seriously. Mr.. Smithers has
written the following letter to MISS
| Coelli. which he asks me to make pubic
on this side OF the water
| neTEDN
| in a book published by me. called Lat
erarv London statements have appeared
which are damaging TO your reputation
| and position as an authOress, and l un-
| dertake not TO sell any more copies OF
| the book until the passages complalhed
| OF are eliminated. l authorize you 10
publish this apology
| Miss Coreli is said 20 be appeased. but
Mr. Ryan is not; he says that he VIII
! publish the book himself and let MISS
| Corelll sue II she will. He will then
prove whether critics have any rights
Mr.. Ryan must first. think, prove that
| he is a critic His book does not do that.
| IL il amusing II you will. but not con-
vinclng. He should read Mr.. Asquith on
| criticism before he sets up his claim 10
being a critic: or MATHEW Arnold might
| give him a hint on the subject.-Critlc.
| Thackeray's VANITY Fair" has been
dramatized by Lorimer Stoddard, son OF
Richard Henry Stoddard the poet and
the play will be produced In this country
in the coming season by Mrs. Madden
! F'iske. II will be remembered that it was
Mr.. stoddard who dramatized Tess OF
the D'Urbervilles." in which Mrs. Fiske
has been playing the title role with great
| success.
Miss Sarianna Browning. the devoted
sister OF the late poet, and his almost
| lifelong companion, has just recovered
from very severe attack or influenza
| at Cannes says the Daily Chronicle.
MISS Browning. who is upwards Of eighty
years OF age. and who has been the pest
| of daughters, Of sisters. and OF aunts, has
returned by slow stages TO AsOlO, where
| she lives with her nephew. pen" Brown
| ing. the only child OF his poet parents
III.
| BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. BY Edward
Robins. c. Putnams Sons. New York.
| London.
For sale by George NJ. West.
Mr.. Robins could hardly have made a
more happy selection than of Franklin
with which 10 introduce a series on
american Men of Energy. Looking
back along the line OF great men which
this country has produced we know OF
| none who was more Enthusiastically
and essentially "a man Of energy than
| that tallow chambers brilliant son whose
gifts gave him title greater than an In
heritance. His autobiography, which Is
the most interesting volume regarding
him which has ever been written, stil
leaves much unsaid, and the biographer
of to-day. in recording his life, is at a
special advantage. for he has been sig
nally neglected by historians and IS a
slgnally interesting subject. II has not
been often. even in American annals
that Ell Grzc(. ablywesr
which abound in wondrous storiesot the
self Made" that between the birth and
death cf a man the contrasts were SO
brilliant and so sharp.
This man, born OF poor and obscure
parents. lived TO hold the worlds atten'
ton through his varied gifts and in
domtabe force that no vicissltudes OF
fortune could overcome. His career II
one Of splendid vigor-his "energy" was
not less remarkable than his gifts Mr.
Edward Robins the author of the pres
ent volume, appropriately enough-a
Philadelphia In writing this book his
purpose has been. so he tells US In his
preface. TO give "the composite picture
u the man. TO show his character and
activities, and 10 touch briefly upon the
| national condition which brought the lat
ter into play" The book Is illustrated
with a number OF portraits OF Franklin
and his contemporaries, and also repro
auctions from contemporary rints. IL Is
agreeably written. and although II does
not add a great deal 90 our knowledge OF
Franklin, II gathers together the facts
| about him in a compact and readable