The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-27

went into scores of homes where Ho-
wells went into one-and great was
his financial reward.
These conditions have not been pecul-
lar to America. They are true also in
England where, in cheap weekly papers,
or in cheap paper-bOund volumes, au-
thOrs unknown to Mayfair and Bel
gTaria, to stately country homes and
to Seashore- resorts, have found read
ers by the hundreds of thousands. And
in France also they have been true.
Emile Richebourg, who has just died,
was probably the most successful of
them all-these widely-known and
widely unknown writer's. Richebourg
wrote stories for the Petit Journal, that
Paris newspaper of largest circula-
ton among all French newspapers,
whose readers were always of the lower
classes, and of which what we call
tout Paris, has always been in content
ed ignorance.
Richebourg's tales were tales Of ad
venture, of mystery, of pathos and vir-
tues among the humble classes. Virtue
and poverty, at his hands, always
found rewards. Some years ago the
Petit Journal instituted for Richebourg
a new authOr-one whom fame had
literally gone to the ends of the earth
Gules Verne. 1t printed his Michel
Strogoff" The result was a loss OF 3d.
600 purchasers in one week. Back then
came Richebourg in great triumph, and
back came the Petit Journals lost sub
sCribers. RichebOurg wrote not only
for that paper, but for others. He was
known to have had three stories run
ring at one time in as many publca-
items More than one book of his has
sold. to the extent Of 100,0 900 copies, and
with his death a month ago, came the
rot unexpected news that he had &C
cumulated a large fortune.
Robert Burns might die in ignith
poverty and Roe in direct want. Wads-
worth might live all his days in hum
bic cottage, and Carlyle long seek in
Resartus;" but as the narrator of high
ly sensational taste, such as Old Sleuth
and Richebourg told, the world has
willingly paid with mUnifiCent large
ness.
In solid historical work, the past year
has given us nothing mora notable
than Prof Moses Cont Tyler's volume,
THE Literary History of the Ameri-
can Revolution" They are not alone
valuable as a history Of literature, but
as political history During the Revo-
luton our literature was largely politt-
cal in its character. 1t was on the one
hand patriotic, and the other loyalist.
1T was Wing or Troy, American or Eng
lish. And thus, through it all, that. the
very life and spirit of those tumui-
tons natiOn-m making times. Prof. TyleS
has written a book In many ways more
inspiring than Bancroft's or F'icke's,
for it deals, not with actual events,
the marching of armies, the conduct Of
battle the proceedings of congress,
but with the life and temper of the
people as reflected in the things they
rode and read, applauded or condemn
ed
Prof. Tyler will continue his work
and has now in hand a study of liter
allure during the fifty years that fol-
lowed the peace-that is, from 1888 to
1853, which were the critical formative
years of the republic Near the close
of that period Irving made his appear
ance and so did Cooper; but the more
substantial fame Of Irving and Cooper
yet remained to be achieved. Except
for Irving and Cooper had done little
in 1853 that will he remembered, but we
had been a nation of writing people, of
newspapers and pamphlets, and the
record of Prof. Tyler Will give it cannot
fail to illuminate events and inspire
the patriotic heart.
Among the newest novels I hear that
a large success rs coming to Mrs.
Craigie's school for Saints" This is
true not only here but in England. For
a first edition some 10 600 copies were
printed over there, and now a second
large edition has in part been disposed
of
No book of travel is having greater
success than Isabelle Bird Bishops
''Korea and Her Neighbors." Mrs.
Bishop is now something of veteran
among travellers who write books 1t
is many years since her "Unbeaten
Tracks in Japan" carried her name
into every Fnglish-speaking cOmmu-
nitv that reads books She has been
a writer since her sixteenth year. when
a volume, published anonymously with
the title ''ProtectiOn Versus Free
Trade" became so scarce in the book
stores on the day it was published, the
entire edition being exhausted. She
two, and has never published book
that did not have an immediate sue
cess. The fact that she was a woman
must have had something to do with
this. but by no means everything.
Such acts TO success cannot have con-
tinued the popularity she has had. The
books themselves were vital, original
and interesting. Mrs Bishop has al
ways had something Of value 30 impart
to her readers.
Zola's new book. which deals with
Paris. will be ready about March l.
and who can tell to what extent it will
not sell? His trial and conviction can
only augment his audience by scores
of thousands. This volume continues
the line Of work already successfully
carried on in his Rome" and "Lour-
des." Zola, in his Paris" represents
a series of approximations, men of
letters, artisans, scientists, politicians
and the struggling, tOiling masses Of
men and women. Meanwhile, it is as
serted that. for the newspaper article
that was the cause of his trial lola
was paid $4,000. He need not mind his
fire Of $500, nor his year in Jail, for
there he can write
Following, the recent sale of a copy
Of the Kilmernack edition of Burns
comes word that the next Ashburn-
ham sale is likely to yield up an inter
esting auction event. Copies will be
sold of the first five editions of Wal
toms Angler" For the first edition a
large price is certain. Only twelve
copies have turned up in London in ten
years, and they were more or less. i'm
perfect In December, 1895, copy sold
for 5000, which is the record price.
Francis w. HaIsey.