New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-12

MT. Walter PhelDS DouSe 10 opOu' W ~-'e
out in London a new book entitled THE Sea OF
Love"
Mrs. SCHUYLER Crowninshied. the author OF
that clever book Where the Trade Wind
Blows" is writer of verse as well and
composer also.
Much OF the work Of the late Professor T. w.
Newman lies buried IN periodicals. those writ
ings collected in the five volumes Of his MIS-
cellanies" forming an nconsideraole poruon OF
what he contributed to magazines
Ian Maclaren Is quoted as selecting 'Esmonc
and THE Heart OF Midlothian as the hghes'
types OF the literary art.
Mr. Richard Harding Davis's novel Soldiers
Of Fortune" has gone into its fftyffth thou
sand-whch means a remarkable safe.
In the course Of an interesting article in The
Athenmun" on Dante Rossetus letters we
find a wholesome outburst on the subject OF
printing peoples private correspondence. The
writer. who has had, apparently. the best means
OF knowins whereof he speaks. says that KOS
setti was strongly against the printing or private
letters and was accustomed TO burn all his cor
resDondence:
This he did at periodical holocausts-memora-
bic occasions when the ccruscatlons OF 'he poe
Wit made the sparks from the burning paPe1
seem pale and dull He died away from nome
or not a scrap Of corraspondence would nave
been left for the publishers. Although the pun
lie" acknowledges no duties toward the man OF
literary or artistic genius. but would shrus up
Its shoulders or look with dismay at being asked
to give five pounds in order TO keep poet from
the workhouse. the moment a man OF genius
becomes famous the public becomes aware OF
certain rights in relation to him Strangely
enough these rights recognized more fully
In Yba iirprQ
among them the chief appears to be that OF
reading authors private letters. DO
we not live at time when the unfairness or
printing an authors letters Is greater than II
ever was before? To go no further back than
the early years OF the present century me "a
clities Of locomotion were then few friends
were necessarily separated from each other by
long intervals Of time and letters were very
important part Of ntercOmmunicatiOn conse-
ouently II might be expected that even among
authors O good deal Of mans individuality
would be expressed in his letters. But even at
ture like that OF Charles Lamb, which ade-
quately expressed itself in epistoary form
Keats's letters, no doubt, are full or good sense
and good criticism. but taking them as body,
Including the letters 10 Fanny Brawne, we
think It were better IL they had been totally de-
stroyed AS to Byron's letters. they, Of course.
are admirable In style and full Of literary life,
out their very excellence shows that his natural
mode OF expression was brilliant. slashing prose.
But II II unfair to publish the letters OF
Coleridge and Keats. what shall we say OF the
publication Of letters written by the authors OF
our own day. when. owing TO an entire change
In the conditions OF life. dreams OF put
ting into his letters anything Of literary inter
est?
This writer on Rossetti quotes the poet
sayng-what Is well worth remembering by dill
ettanti-that those who the most curious
to the way in which poem was written are
precisely those who have the least appreciation
Of the beauties Of the poem itself
Many people have forgotten az they
knew that the second name OF tho Irish poet
James Clarence Mangan was assumed by him
self from one Of Shakespeare's characters. The
duke who was drowned in a butt Of Malmsey is
said TO have been fascinating individuality to
Mangan.
Mrs. Hugh Fraser-the sister Of Marion Craw-
ford and the widow Of a former British Minister
to Japan-has written a book about japan.
which is to be published soon. This lady is the
author of the successful novels "Palladia" and
"a Chapter OF Accidents"
The reader may peruse with profit these wise
sentences from the Point Of View" Of Serb
ner":
No doubt II is q truism that the very worst
way TO At ourselves for the appreciation OF
work Of the first rank is false optimism about
work OF the fourth or fifth. But this is Pc
culiarly the vice of the time that TO point Il out
may well be made the "deenda est Carthage"
OF every literary discussion IL we are so con-
scious OF the dearth OF geniuses. why work 80
hard all the apparatus OF criticism that might
be reserved for them exercised on the very
considerable mass Of their work already exist
ent? If not to have meal Of great
Barmeedes w feas: This empty dish that Your
reviewer is passing you Is not Lamb stuffed
with pstachio-nuts. ard you know it. and he
knows It,
We grow 30 used TO the conventions of our
own creations In this process that when the real
thing comes along we unconsciously try IT by
them good deal OF current criticism of Mr..
Kipling-especially OF his poetry--is an instance
in point. That the reality of Mr. Kiplings
genius has been established and recognized be-
yond doubt within these last few years is OF
course In so far argument against this fritz
tering away OF our discrimination; but see how
we take him. We either deluge him with indis-
eliminate laucaton and insist that he shall take
his place in Ne after-dinner vaudeville. OF
the same kind with the rest. though greater: or
We demand OF him qualities which In previ-
Gus course OF setting up men Of straw we have
decided TO be necessary II he has these we are
told The future is his" II would be worth
while perhaps. make that Of his
future Is ours.
John Oliver Hobbies who is certainly n most
industrious writer. has a new book nearly ready
for publication. and is also at work a sequel
to her school for Saints" This last brilliant
book. b. the way. has gone into a second edi-
ton. This is said 10 represent a demand for
over eleven thousand copies.
''The Spectator OF London has this pleasant
thing to say concerning American author:
"As q writer of fiction Mr.. Howes is especial
~ worthy Of admiration in that well-nigh alone
amid American contemporary novelists OF the
front rank, he has withstood what may be called
- denationalizing drift-ths tendency to lay