The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-08

~ German sanxuaee! Such propoeitsnn
has been received from DR.. Herman Linz
bach. q member Of the German AnthofE
Corporation. of Dresden. Germany
The Boston Journal prints this item: A
London SECONDHAND book dealer Offers the
nrss edstion OF Wsitman's Leaves OK
Grass for uts.e over $sa- The author
signature - on the title page A copy n
sound condition. without autograph. was
.oid lately Ia Boston for r.
The Youths Companion Is one Of the
best weekly home magazines that Is pub
hsned. The contents interest the todciins
little child and the business man ahke-
Through its many years OF existence u has
steadily grown better. Today II STANDS as
the best known periodical OF all classes.
A number OF Representative English
women" have sent an address TO ~. lola.
expressing their entire sympathy with him
In his recent difficulties: among other
things that they admire him for Is the
noble courage, seif-sacrihce and disinfer-
estsd sincerity he has displayed In
most unequal struggle" Among the sigh
ers are Edna LyaIi. Sarah Grand. Miss
Ellen Terry, Miss Braddon and Mrs. Harry
Turniss.
One OF the most interesting restaurants
OF London Is the Cafe Pagan. 1t holds
about the same. position in art and let
Noir held In Paris. The walls OF the place
are decorated with the autographs OF the
famous artists and other who have d;ned
there Paderewski. Sarasate, Mascagni.
Mile. Chaninade and Melba- Among the
habitues are Henry James, Val Prinsep.
DAumier. and Phil May, the English Caran
d'Ache. The pace Is noted for its spag.
hetti and italian wines and good music.
The late James Payn was said to be a
man without an enemy. notwithstanding
the fact that he was publishers reader.
and fn that capacity must have refused
the manuscripts OF many aspiring authors.
No one ever had an unkind word to say Of
him. Mr.. Payn. at the time OF his death,
was the literary adviser Of the English
branch OF Messrs. Harper & Bros; some
time before that he was the literary adj
wiser Of Baron Tauchnitz OF Leipzig, po-
eition which naturally gave him great in
fuence over the fortunes Of his fellow
authors on the continent.
Mr.. Bernard Quaritch recently described
his first meeting with Richard Francis
Burton. Burton" he writes, was the
first customer I ever had for books on the
Soudan. Before he started on the famous
pilgrimage he spent sonic hours With me-
explaining his intended mode Of action, and
discussing his chances of success" Mr..
Quaritch furnished him with copy OF
",
there should be nothing foreign in its get
up he had it bound as an Oriental manu-
script. Burton carried the FTeitag with
him on his dangerous mission and brought
it back safe and sound.
It is gratifying to see that some Of the
publishers have begun to grow FESTIVE
under the arbitrary separation or their
years activity into two seasons" Mr..
John Murray puts the blame upon the
public. I'VE publish when people are
reading, and when they stop reading we
stop publishing" Nevertheless, il the
publishers choose to change this they can
undoubtedly do so. Books published N
the "siliy season" do not Always die. A
good book finds its public at any time OF
the year. II 1t ever finds 1t at all. 1t Is
curious fact, too. that in this country. at
any rate. many OF the serious books which
are brought out in ona OF the regular
seasons really get themselves read most on
long summer voyages and in country
houses In the winter every one Is so
closely occupied with business or pleasure
that comparatively little reading is done.
Mr.. Henry James is about to interpret
US. In our literature, to our kinsmen
across the sea. Though one may not
accurately use the term American liter
ature,'" observes the editor Of 'Litera-
ture" in a leading article. there Is no
roubt that, on practical grounds, the
phrase is both useful and defensible."
Accordingly the term American litera-
ture' Is amiably used to describe the SUBJ
ject OF a forthcoming series of letters by
Mr.. James. We need not discuss the
phrase nor the amiability. The chief
thing Is that the letters ought to make
good reading unless Mr.. James allows HIM
self TO write criticism as he writes fiction.
He is unlikely to do so. however. His lit
erary papers have always contained his
most delightful work, and for such a task
as that which he Is about to assume he
has the inestimable advantage Of having
lived abroad long enough to see American
writer's in their proper perspective. That
his cosmopolstanism will color his essays
with prejudice seems improbable. He has
written with great charm about some OF
the important figures in American letters.
The rage for gossip about celebrities has
reached a point where 1t calls for serious
attention, says the New York Tribune. So
long as such gossip was confined to eph-
emeral periodicals one might afford to re-
gard it with indifference, but apparently
the last puerilities of private life are now
held to be among the essentials of BIZ
oeraphy. who's Who" an English COM
pendulum giving biographical data con-
corning several thousand persons more or
less important. is based chiefly on the
arniahle revelations of the celebrities them
selves. At the end OF the editors list OF
questions Is one referring to his contrib
utors recreation. Thus we learn that Mrs.
Everard Cotes rides variously horse or
a bicycle. plays golf and tennis. and Is
fond of old china" Mr.. Swineburne
dearly loves to swim, we gather from his
coy confession in this book: Mr.. Arthur
Symons is never SO happy as when he Is
hearing or playing music. of seeing dane
ing. and Mrs. Arthur Stannard. otherwise
John Strange Winter. declares that when
she Is not cycling. or golfng she likes TO
be sewing. Now who's Who" Is an in
valuable book In many ways. Why should
1. be disfigured by this concession TO the
petty inquisitiveness of the time? IL the
book is TO be permanently popular the edi-
tor will suppress his recreation" notes in
future editions.