The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-27
LITERARY NOTES.

It is said that about thirty thousand
copies of a cheap edition of Thoreau's
"Walderi'' have been sold in England.
People of Our NeigI1borhood," Miss Mary
e. Wilkins's new book, is said to have gone
into its fifteenth thousand. and Mr.. Kip
ling's Days Work" is approaching its
twenty-ninth thousand in this country.
Speaking of international copyright, they
want none of it in Holland. The Neither
lands Booksellers Union recently voted, 81
to 40, to take no steps towards adhering to
the Ber1le convention. There were famous
Dutch pirates of old.
Volumes Of essays are not popular in Lon
don. and publishers. as a rule, fight shy
of them. The critic of the Pan Mall Ga
zette says that the only genuine success OBJ
tanned by any eSSayiSt pure and simple
within his recollection fell To Mr. Birrell.
Rudyard Kipling's Departmental Ditties"
in the original wrapper, as issued in Lahore
in 1856, realized 912 los at Sothebys recent
ly; his Letter Of MaTque," 1890 sold at the
same time for &c rs Cd, and the Phantom
Rickshaw" and I'm Black and White" were
purchased for go.
The English Authors Society is bestirring
itself to get the manufacture clause in OUT
international copyright law repealed. 1t is
alleged that this would be graceful, and
at the same time q practical, way of recog-
n;Zing English friendship in the late war
The New York Post synically adds: If you
love us so, give us something
fTOu1S, one OF sweden DeSC-
known lyrical poets, who was tried last year
in Swedish court of law on account Of the
ultraerotic tendency of his verse, has made
an elaborate recantation in a published es-
say called "Nya Tidning," in which he
recommends the perusual of the New Tesla
ment as a corrective to his former teach
ing.
The finding of volume of hitherto I'M
known poems by Shelley and his sister
Elizabeth leads Mr. Alden, of the New York
Times, TO say that I'm these early poems
the versification is not much better than
that of the average camp meeting hymn,
and the absence of ideas is painfully con.
spicuouS." There is hope for the worst of
youthfu verse guShers after this revelation
of Shelley's boyhood banalities.
Thus runs one of the latest of Mr.. Cros-
lands literary parallels: "A thinker read
sweet poem about the brotherhood of man.
And later he spied the author of that poem
in the market place, and RAN up to him,
and grabbed him by the hand and said:
My brother-my dear brother, let us go and
pick bit o. dinner together And the poet
answered that he not in the habit of
picking bits OF dinner with persons "hom
he did not have the honor to know.
Professor George Adam Smith, of the Uni
versity of Glasgow, is engaged to deliver the
Lyman Beecher course at Yale next year.
In a recent conversation with friend the
latter remarked to Mr.. Smith that the writ
ing of the biography or so great q friend as
most enjoyable task. $50 it would have
BEEN" replied the professor, did not
know that Henry never wanted biography
written. and my feelings that when we meet
in heaven he may be displeased.
Some of George w. Cables novels, the
first of which appeared nearly twenty years
ago, are to be republished. The novels were
very popular. They deal with creole life
in Louisiana, which was a new field In
literature until Mr. Cable began his work.
Mr.. Cable understands the French pat0ss
used in Louisiana, and his handling of 1t is
one of the charms Of his books. In one Of
his books Mr.. Cable gave offense to some
people in the South. He moved from the
South to the North. His books have proved
profitable.
The London Literary World says that the
Oldest novelist in the world is Louis Enaut,
the well-known French romance writer,
who was born in Isigny in 1892. and will in
few days attain his 1O6th birthday. Novel
lists, as rule, do not attain any great age,
but M. Enault, 1t is said, leads a very regu-
lar life and still possesses all his faculties.
He took part in Napoleon's campaign in
Russia, and at the Beresina passage lost
three fingers by frostbite. M. Enault has
published q large number of novels, and has
still a wide circle of readers in France. He
intends the anniversary of his 106th
birthday, to issue new novel.
Madame Sarah Grand had a hard time in
securing literary recognition. In a recently
published chapter of her autobiography she
says: II suffered terribly from want of
encouragement it was a black time. 1 was
thrown back for years. No publisher would
take my work. The only publisher that
foresaw success was Mr.. George Allen, at
Orpington His little letter gave me more
hope and more literary life than any other
I received in those days. They were, indeed
dreary days, but Mr. Aliens letter shines
like q lamp among them However, it was
lamp with an ugly shutter, for his accept
ance of "Ideala" was dependent on the APP
proyal of Mr.. Ruskin. l felt elated that the
decision should rest a man for whose
work / had a passionate admiration. But
Ruskin did not care for me and refused to
give me any chance in life. "Ideala" was
put away in a drawer and left there for
years"