The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-10
Literature and
Literary Workers.

Jess" Jenkin Llpyds Jones' story
Of his, horse and the journeys which
they shared together has just run into
q second edition. It was published only
q few weeks ago. 1.-THE Jingle BOOK
by Carolyn Wells with Oliver Herfords
funny. Illustrations has also run into
Its second edition in the two weeks OF
its existence
Richard Carver is now in it's nine
teenth edition or 100000.
A new translation of "The Arabian
Nights" from the best Arabic EDITION.
IS In course of preparation in France
Rev. Otto J. Gilbert, A. NJ, of en-
cinnati, O., is translating into English
F. OeAninger's History of Christian
ity."
Charles Neufeld's account Of his thir-
teen years captivity in Omdurman will
be published shortly by G. P. Putnams
Sons.
Herbert Spencer, who was believed to
that his literary activity was definitely
at amend, is now said to be partly re-
covered, and engaged on a new book,
the nature Of which cannot be ascer-
tanned.
An Interesting book, entitled sour
Native Birds and How to Protect Them
and Attract Them to Our Homes" by
d. LANCE, Instructor in nature study IN
the public schools of ST. Paul, is about
to be published. The author puts for
ward many of the ideas advocated by
the Audubon societies in more than
usually definite form, and greatly in
creased in value by his practical sug-
gestiols as to what to do. The book Is
another sign of the greatly increased
interest in bird life.
Shakespearean criticism by Huxley is
something of a novelty, yet a bit of 1t
appears in a recent book, Country
Matters in Short by w. F. Collier.
He had based a daring botanical the
Dry, which he referred to Huxley, upon
these lines of Shakespeare:
The moon, methinks, 1ooks with a watery
eye;.
And when one weeps, weeps every little
flower
Lamenting some enforced chastity.
Huxley replied: your Shakespeare
parable is charming, but l am afraid
it must besput among the endless things
that are read into the divine Will
Jams, as the Frenchmen call him.
There was no knowledge of the sexes of
plants in Shakespeare time-barring
some vague. suggestion about figs and
dates. Even in the eighteenth century.
after Linnaeus, the observations OF
Spengel, who was a man of genius, and
first properly explained the action Of
insects, were set aside and forgotten.
I take it that Shakespeare is really al
luding to the enforced chastity of Dian
(the noon. The poets ignore that lit
tle Endymion business when they like !"
Speaking of Shakespeare and French
views of him, a London paper makes
some amusing extracts from a "Vie
Veridique de William Shakespeare, by
NJ. George Duval, lately published in
Paris. This, for example, about the
poets departure from Stratford:
THE inhabitants, upon the threshold
of their DOORS awaited his passage, in
order to- wish a pleasant journey to a
child of the country, obliged to ex-
patriate himself"
And this is the explanation Of
Shakespeare's long absence from his
family:
Compelled to divide his life between
work and pleasure, to compete with his
rivals, a family would have been q
hindrance. Besides it was, necessary
for him to associate on intimate terms
with; such personages as Essex and
Southampton, among whom the daugh-
ter of NJ Hathaway would probably have
cut a. rather poor figure.
-
We are told that in the case of. one
celebrity at least the world will have
to wait for a biography. Sir Henry
Irving has decided that not until ten
years after his death shall his papers
be made available for literary purposes.
W.gD. Howells is quoted as saying
that she wanted to be an author at the
mature age of 8. II remember" he
added, my first attempt was an essay
on Human Life and perhaps you
won't be surprised to hear that took
a gloomy view of the subject"
In the just published autobiography
and letters of Dean Merivale there is
an epistle in which Merivale tells an
amusing story illustrative of his state
ment that it is surprising how soon
celebrities are popularity forgotten: "A
friend of mine dining with some French
officers at table. d'hote, the CONVEX
sation turned upon the age of Gener-
ais. and some one advanced the remark
that fsthe English Generals were all
young men under 40; upon which my
friend instanced the Duke of yelling
ton. Yes, said the Frenchman (only
one, T believe, had ever heard Of hin),
the Duke is an, old man. but he is an
Admiral
MerivaIe quotes a remark which
Thackeray once made In his presence
81 was much struck by a remark of
Thackeray's once when I was in his
company, and hazarding some small
witticfsrn, he Immediately cried out, i
beg your pardon, sir; but have you any
further use for, that? L think 1t is
worth half crown"
Here is the opinion of one firm OF
publishers on the subject of perpetual
DOWNRIGHT. Rand, McNally & Co. write
70 the Boston Literary World: I'VE