Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-27
Literary Notes.

Having achieved distinguished success
as a novelist. Mr.. Thomas Hardy now pro-
poses 90 essay poetry and art. He has In
press a volume Of "Wessex Poems and
other Verses" illustrated by himself.
MIR. Hardy was an architect before he be-
came a novelist, as his early books show
ed, whence comes his skill in drawing.
The pecunary gains of writers always
make interesting reading. Some figures
are published concerning the rewards OF
| that wonderful genius. Kipling. The Bri-
| fish Weekly is authority for the follow
| ing information: Mr. Kipling has contract
| ed to write eight stories for one Of the
magazines next year. for each Of which
he will receive about CPD This is simply
for the English serial rights of the sto-
ries. In addition. he will receive payment
from America. India, and the Colonies.
This will probably bring up the price OF
the stories TO about f5Oo each. making
eLC0O for the year. Besides this he will
receive the royalties for book publication
in England and America. This will not
amount 10 less than Gi000; so that for
each story the author ultimately receives
not less than e1,OO0. Forty thousand dol
lars is not bad pay FOR a years work,
even for a great genius, and oven sup
posing that Mr.. Kiplng will write no
thing else but these eight stories, sup
position which is not to be entertained.
Kipling is worth it ALL however, and no.
body will begrudge him his reward.
4 4 Of pG -
Ursula" is due to appear. 1t is TO have
six photogravure Illustrations
snfectious fashions in titles have been
a noticeable feature Of recent fiction. eve
did not intend 10 set a copy in allitera-
tom. Mr.. Hopes THE Heart Of Princess
Osra" was soon followed by Mr. Mar
rlott Watsons 1.-THE Heart Of Miranda"
and this is now followed by Mr.. Levett-
Yeats's THE Heart of Denise" Mr. Kip
ling's "The Man who Was" was follow
ed by Mr.. Grant Aliens THE Woman
Who Did" which in turn had a ridicu-
lousy large following. Mr.. Jerome's
"Three Men I'm a Boat" which was Itself,
perhaps. an echo Of Three in Norway by
Two Of Them" was also the precursor
OF a numerous family. All readers OF fic-
ton are familiar with the changes which
have been rung on the adjective Red"
which has been worked perhaps more
than any other word. i will be interest
ing TO see what will be the next turn this
curious fashion will take.
A correspondent Of The Writer" states
that Mark Twain gives exceeding care 10
composition sometimes writing an arti-
Gle 2 dozen or more times, studying the
whole range Of syntaX 70 give precision
and lucidity 10 a thought.
A friend Of Andrew Lang's has col
lected some forty poems Of which Mr..
Lang is the subject, which are to be IS
sued in a charming little private autho-
logy. whose title will be "a New Friend
ships Garland" The book will be ready
about Christmas
The first instalment Of Mr. T.angs His
tory Of Scotland" is nearly ready for pub
LEGATION.
Major Esterhazy's forthcoming hook is
10 appear simultaneously IN England
France, and America. 1t will probably
be useless 10 expect any such utterance
from Colonel Patty du clam.
Mr.. Barrie has written a new play,
which he calls Two Kinds Of Women"
Mr. Frank Harris, the editor of THE
Saturday Review" has written a book on
SndkesptstIe, winch he introduces mus
II have sought" he says, "to do i'm this
book for Shakespeare the same labor OF
love that Strauss and Renan did for
Jesus"
Joaquin Miller. in writing Of sundry
literary celebrities, says Of Anthony
Trollope. that he always wrote standing
straight as a post 10 a high desk, mis-
watch before him, beginning always at
a certain minute, and ending exactly the
same" Joaquin has evidently not studied
his Trollope closely Trollope always in
sisted that the main secret of literary
success is shoemaker's wax. and how. we
should like 10 know, would that help a
writer in standing position? As a mat
ter of fact Trollope wrote anywhere ana
at all times. lie had a small portable
desk, which he always carried with him.
and he wrote with the same facility on
steamboats,, railway-cars, or wherever
he Happened to be, as he did at home |
and much that he wrote is evidence OF |
the fact though, on the whole his books !