The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-11
LITERARY GOSSIP

Paul Dunbar, the negro pOet, is writ
ing a novel he calls 'FThe UncaIled."
He has had "a "fine time in London
among the l~iterati.
There is much difficulty among writ
ers to get names for their books. One
was published lately i'm England with
the title "SaIted with Fire" name tax
en- from the Scriptures. Twenty years
ago Miss Cameron, of Hillsboro, N. c.,
published a novel with the name. Max
Muller's recent Aud Lang Syne' fol-
lows both Clark Russell and Rev. john
Watson. Stockton's "a Cycle of Cathay"
follows a work ON China by DR.. w. A.
P. Martini. Other mistakes of the kind
have Occur ad. Invention lis at a low
ebb it would seem.
Leslie Stephen rather undertakes
TennysOn aus a poet. Perhaps he does
mot really appreciate the best poetry.
A new edition of Charles Levers
works us printing. Eight of thirty
seven Volumes have been issued.
George Ghssing, a really clever man
of Englaish T~etters, will ait once publish
a Critical Study of Dickens" We are
glad of fthis, for he richly deserves
this and to be much read, for he lis one
OF the truly great NOV lists. Mr.. CHS
sing says:
With reserves whidh will appear in
the course of my essay, I believe him
TO nave BEEN what HE always claimed
to be. "a very accurate painter of the
human beings MO less than of the social
conditions he saw about him"
w. B. Yeats, the Irish poet and novel;
list, is very highly praised by some
writer's He is at fthe head of the Gel
tic movement. Thu New York Book
man says THAT he has written some
of the most exquisite lyrical poetry of
our time.
The London Quill Driver is am
amusing literary journal i'm this: it all
lows authors ITO write the criticisms
upon their own books.
OF American publishers in 1897. Apple
ton led with 123 books. ScrTbner was next
with 121; L.ippincott third with 113, and
Harper vas seventh with SO.
Barrie'S decentralization of his fine
novel, THE Little Minister" is a splen-
did success it is said-a dramatic pro-
duction of very high literary value.
We e Spanish john" by William
McLennan, and rather wearied If it.
There are strong scenes and some ex-
cellert description OF character with
marked Individuality. And now Mr..
T. G. Marquis shows i'm The New York
Bookman THAT THE novel to a consider
able extent was stolen, the original be-
ing "A Memui of the EARLY Life and
Adventures of Colonel john McDow-
ELL" which appeared in 1925.
OF all American novels, THE Choir
Invisible" was the favorite in England
last YEAR. Hurrah for Mr.. Allen, of
kentucky!
The novelist and poet, Mr.. c. G. D.
Roberts, makes a very good showing
in The Bookman for Mr.. LeGalienne's
paraphrase of the over-done ''Rubaiyal
of Omar Khayan,' made immortal
by the English Fhtz Gerald. Mr.. Rob-
erts shows that not only has the young
poet dome his work we'll, but has used
hundreds of verses not used by the su-
preme Fftz Gerald. So there was real
ly room for another translation. Mr..
Roberts says:
The English-speaking world,I must |
conclude, is deeply in debt TO Mr.. LIE
Gallienne, not only for his presentation
OF a new side of the great Persian's
genius, but ais for a very finished and
beautiful English poem."
Rev. John Watson, an intimate