The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-22
LITERARY NOTES.

Sara Jeanette Duncan (1rs. Everard
Cotes) has recently returned to England
from a visit to Canada and the United
States. Her next novel is to be entitled
"Hilda,' and is story of Calcutta, in which
an actress and a Salvation Army girl are
the leading characters.
NJ lola while in England has been so com
pletely a recuse that messenger from his
own lawyer was once unable to find him.
This solitude has given the novelist an ex-
cellent opportunity for hard writing, and he
has made great progress in his new novel,
to be called "FruitfulnesS.
Marion Crawford is credited with saying
that deaths from suicide and deaths from
starvation among literary men are more
numerous. in proportion to the number of
men engaged in such work, than deaths
caused by alcohol among those who drink,
by nicotine among smokers ana by morphine
and similar drugs among those who use
them.
Mrs. Violet Paget, the author, who writes
under the nom de plume of Vernon Lee"
is obtaining signatures of artists, authors
and noted people to a petition which she has
drawn UP to the Town Council of Florence,
Italy, requesting them to stay the present
work OF demolition of many of the most
beautiful and interesting historical monu-
ments of that city.
A French review predicts the near advent
of a revival in literature bearing upon the
French Revolution and a corresponding re-
newed interest in all that pertains to that,
not altogether successful, great struggle for
liberty. 1t is said that the national archives
of Paris are full CT unclassified documents
on the subject, the historical worth of which
has never been estimated.
Shortly before her death Mrs. John Drew
wrote her "reminiscences, and they will APP
pear serially in the pages of scribner this
year before they issue in book form. Mrs.
Drew probably knew more anecdotes of
Macready. the elder jefferson. of Fanny
Kemble the elder Booth, as we'll as forgot
ten PLAYERS and playhouses of the early days
of the American stage, than any one else.
There exists an English book collector
whose great object in life is to form seven
sets of the first editions of Sir Walter Scott
in their original state. His desire was to
bequeath to each Of his seven children one
complete set, and he only wants one or two
more volumes to complete the seven be
quests" He commenced long before the
boom in Scott set in, so that a very hand
some profit would now accrue were he to
sell his seven sets.
Gertrude Anterior, the author of several
novels that have found more favor in Eng
land than in the United States, of which
she is a native, is thus described by an in
terviewer: SHE has an immensely interest
ing personality. A dash Of yellowest hair
maSsed above small featured face sin
gulaTly sensitive on close observance and
fine and vivid in expression, very blue eyes,
shooting keen. direct giances, and a chin
that says, L can take care of myself, thank
you, fight my own battles. and win them "
She is now in this country getting local
color and affects English mannerisms.
In W. L. Alden's London letter in the New
York Times is this about that eccentric per-
sonage. Marie Corelli; 1.-THE other day she
published a Itter to the Kingston-on-
Thames Debating Society, in which she took
the not particularly novel ground that
suicide is not always a proof of courage,
and that il sometimes takes more courage
to live than to die. The president of the
society has since written to the newspapers
to say that the society does not contemplate
suicide and therefore does not discuss the
works of Miss Corelli. Therefore, Mr..
Alden thinks, is delightfully."- suggestive.
A passage in the life of Prof. Henry Nor
ley should, says the New York Post, be
pasted in the hats of minor poets: AS a
young man l had q literary ambition: /
thought that / could make name among
the minor poets of the day may be stupid
in my estimate of my own powers. but I
think so still. Soon however. l asked my
self whether II would not be of more service