New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-26
LITERARY NOTES.

,.,.,.a ,,,s On heartily that he bought up all
the copies he could find and destroyed 'he'"'
does not seem to daunt the author OF TINS oe-
mand. What business. indeed. has any writer
to assume any proprietorshp In anything ne
has written?
The book is now seldom seen even In private
libraries and Is not TO be purchased one copy
IL known TO be In the British Museum III i
supposed that the author decided TO suppress u
because it appeared TO the outer world 10 De
autobiographical. especially In the quarre'
some relations OF the hero with his father' II
is also thought that the heros heretical OPINIONS
might have induced the suppression
For manv wears n has seemed as II the En-
slish county histories which have got them
selves written largely through the enthusiasm
OF unprofessonal students. were 10 be the only
works Of their kind in the Libraries, but OF ia'e
more than one American has turned 10 similar
tasks We have had occasion TO speak or sew
eral recent volumes OF American Typographical
and historical research. The latest essay in THIS
field is published by Miss Ellen Strong Bar'let''
under the title Of Historical sketches OF New
Haven" Based on fugitive papers which 'he
author has from time to time contributed 10
New-Engand periodicals. this Is a brei I'M
pretentious and yet very useful work, interest
ing to local readers and Ct Importance 10 all
Americans who care FOR the byways OF our So
cial history Miss Bartlett has brought tosether
a considerable amount OF curious nformauoh'
she has woven IT ingeniously into smooth ana
n,easant narrative and her numerous illustra-
lions give the finishing touch TO brochure Una,
should prove 10 be in the libraries OF historical
students a publication Of permanent value
"The Changeling' Is the title OF Sir waiter
Besants new novel. That OF Mr.. Richard HARD
ing Davis's growing romance is THE Kings
Jackal"
In a recently published memorial OF the great
Orientalist Solomon Cesar Malan, there are some
interesting passages illustrative OF MS extra
ordinary skill in language. Writing to his Wife
during a Journey down the Danube to odessa
he said: This is life. Talking thirteen Ian
s,sees a day-Jews Turks. infdel-l like the
Turks hest" At a certain railway station IN
Hungary having tried in vain TO take MS
ticket in English. French. German. Turkish. AT
rnenian. Russian. Hungarian, modern Greek
Italian ard Spanish. he at last sale, ia mini
symbol1m" etc. and. finding ii successful ne
rated the ticket clerk soundly for knowing only
the unguam soarorum the language Of cut
throats."
Mark Twain has prepared for the Marcn
"Harper" an article dealing with stirring
Times in Austria as Seen from the Parliament
at Vienna
The first novel OF a new writer. MISS Ellen
MacKubin-some OF whose clever short stories
have appeared In The Sunday Tribune-is an
nounced by Houghton, Mifilin & Co 1t is
story Of army life on our Western frontier-a
life and region with which this lady has an
intimate acquaintance.
Other notable pieces Of fiction on the presses
OF the CAMBRIDGE house include a collection OF
stories by Bret Harte called Tales OF Trail
and Town" and book of four short stories.
From the Other Side the work Of Mr. H. B.
Fuller. the author Of The Chevaer Pensieri-
Want" and The Cliff -Dwellers'
II Is no light la Dor 10 transcribe an ancient
manuscript In the preface Of Mr.. H J.
Whites edition OF the Bobbo Palimpsest (the
fourth number Of "Old-Latin Biblical TextsD,
the editor says
At first sight to me the Palimpsest appeared
utterly hopeless: in many Of the leaves the hrst
writing has completely disappeared; in others
II can only be traced by marking where the
scribes pen has roughened the surface Of the
parchment in others the ink has eaten through.
and the letters can only be traced by holding
the case with the writing on both sides the
task Of deciding to which side any one letter
or part Of a letter belongs is not an easy one;
the parchment. too Is in many cases so thin that
the employment of a reagent, even were II
allowed by the authorities in the library, would
probably do more harm than good
The scrtbners send us "Afterwhres" and
Sketches in Prose and Verse" two new volumes
in the Homestead Edition" Of the works OF
Mr. James whitcomb Riley. He IS readable in
any form. In these beautifully made volumes
he ought to make a more persuasive appeal than
ever. The form OF the edition is exactly right,
being not only artistic to look upon but con-
venient TO the hand.
Jules verne's story has the Arctic regions
for its scene. and is called lie Sphinx des
Glaces."
Two English novels which are coming from
the Harper press are ". E. Norrs's The Fight
for the Crown" and Maxwell Grey's "Ribstone
Pippins" The first is described as story OF
love and politics in English society; the last is
an idyl OF true love in Devon
Mr. Gosse is not particularly original. but he
Is entirely tust when he writes concerning Pierre
Lott Doomed forever to deal with the ex-
ternal side Of things the exquisite envelope OF
life Lott as time goes by. seems knocking with
a more and more hopeless agitation at the door
OF the mystical world. But that which Is re-
vealed 10 children Will never be exposed 10 hin
II ought 10 be enough for Lott that he surpasses
All the rest OF his fellow -men in the perfection
Of his tactile apparatus. That which is neither
TO be seen nor touched. nor smelled. nor heard
lies outside his province
Mr. T NJ Hopkins. in The Westminster Re
view" offers a timely and forcible protest
against Low Works OF Fiction" Referring TO
the pernicious and far-reachng influence Of such .
literature. he says: