New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-04
LITERARY NOTES.

III i EhAR NOlEO.
Mr.. George Meredith's brilliant novel. The
Egoist' is now in process Of translation into
French. 1t will be interesting TO see what the
translator will make Of this fascinating whim-
steal and cynical story.
The tentmaking ascribed to the singing Omar
disturbs the equanimity Of The Scotsman"
The idea that the Persian astronomer royal was
a tentmaker, il says, has now got fairly
well started down the hill Of mythology that IL
Is probably too late to stop it, but the Oriental
philologers have demonstrated that, although
'Khayyam' means tentmaker, it was applied
to Omar as a family name only; so that 3
would be as absurd to argue that Sir Sank7ei
Baker made buns, or that the late DR.. Gotham
Brewer made bitter beer. or that Sir Henry
Campbell BanLerman has really any rag Of a
flag to carry, as to say that Omar did in very
deed make tents"
Mr.. Kipling, IL is said, has relinqushed his
intention OF going 10 his Vermont home, and
will sail for England soon.
Dean Hole, whose delightful book about roses
is a gardening classic has just published a
our Gardens" and it deals in most winning
fashion with the proper management Of flowers
and he arrangement OF gardens.
Mr.. Hayden Carruhs Mr.. Milo Brush and
Other Worthless: Their Recollections." 1t is to
be published by the Harpers.
The report that many Of the most emphatic
passages in the new historical play, "Esen-
zahn'-"Iron Tooth"-are from the pen OF the
young German Emperor lends interest to these
words put into the mouth OF the ElectOr in tho
play Let him that is with me, that can under
stand my mission, that cares for his native land.
and wishes that our ships may fare across the
seas. our crops ripen. that the German name be
honored high and soar forth among the nations
like an eagle-iet him follow me. Brandenburg
al|aysV
NJ Brunetiere, It appears, refused to publish
NJ. Tolstofs new story, THE Awakening" in
the Revue des Deux Mondes." The ground Of
his refusal was unsuitability OF subject. He
held that the exalted character Of the central
idea could not atone for the selection Of 50
offensive theme.
A volume Of selections from the MSS. OF Lady
Louisa Stuart, who born in 1863 and died
in 1901. is coming from the Harper press. The
work is full Of picturesque notes on English
society and its most interesting members at the
end Of the eighteenth century and the beginning
Of the nineteenth.
It Is said that George Borrow once wrote
story called The Life and Adventures OF Joseph
Sell, the Great Traveller" Here is a pleasant
task for the man who loves 10 search out
forgotten things. Nobody knows whether the
story printed in book or magazine, but II
printed it is probably to be found somewhere.
has just published book Rudyard Kipng,
the preface OF which contains a letter from Mr..
Kipling himself written Nhen he heard OF Mr..
Monkshood's intention to serve him up in print
There are so many ways" says kipling in
which a living man can fall from grace that,
were you, should be afraid 10 put so much
enthusiasm into the abidingness OF print until
] very Of my man. Please do
not think for a moment that l do not value
your enthusiasm; but, considering things from
the point Of view of the public, to whom after
all your book must go. is there enough to them
in anything that Mr. kipling has written TO
Justify one whole book about him.
IL we may believe Mr.. Monkshood the writer's
that have Influenced kipling William Ernest
Henley James Thomson, Bret Harte, Macauay,
Rudyard Kipling. William Ernest Henley
showed him the way to promotion and pay
and helped him to chant The English Flag and
a Song OF the English; James Thomson
brought home to him the awesOme things that
exist in The City Of Dreadful Night; Bret
Harte drew his attention to the literary pic
turesqueness of vagabonds; Macaulay flashed
the spark that fired his genius for proper names;
Defoe taught him the trick OF using minute de-
tails and exact Technology TO gain verisimili-
tude; Dickens inspired him to sympathze with
the oWly, and 10 see the humOr that dwells in
small things; the compiers Of the Bible gave
him a large share OF his dictiOn and showed him
the value Of a cunning simplicity, and Rudyard
Kipling gave him his irony OF the understate-
mont his hashlight powers, his craftsmanship,
his industry invention, insight and ability to
make dream come true and lie seem some
thing else"
"Zack," otherwise Miss Gwendolen Keats has
written a novel which is to appear in Black
wood" Her short stories were clever If pes
smstic-it remains to be seen il she con-
quer the more imposing form Of fiction.