New-York tribune., 1900-12-08
ROCKS AND AUTHORS.
-,-pRrNr TALK OF THINGS PRESENT
AND TO COME


AND TO COME.
r,,-,sn slocurn's narrative OF his adventurous
a. IN sailing Alone Around the World" is
-.ciated IN naval circles. as Is shown by tie
80, that his book has recently been added 20
-. ps, of works inciuded in the crews libraries
!, American men-of-war.
7hs decorations AZ the dinner given last week
- Mark Twain by the Aldine Club were cleverly
s,,4s.d 20 remind the guest OF his early days
!. shs Mississippi River. The room was hung
,,s.. the long moss that grows on live oaks. and
:, the head Of the table was built pilot house
.,-,nsr 70 those the Mississippi steamboats,.
9TH the wheel appearing just in front OF Mark
-rssn himself Painted across Il was the name
!, the steamboat Alonzo Child. which
~ vas st one tinne employed. The port and
s-srhosrd lights. red and green. were also shown
on either side.
rr. Anaory II. Brsdford's book Of essays The
Axe os Faith" that is being brought out by
Eoschton Mifilin e. Co. is said 20 take point
y. view widely different from most books OF its
osss = declares. paradoxicaIiy. perhaps. 20
me minds OF many readers. that the present is
an axe of faith in fundamental religious princi-
plef: but il is one of faith founded on reason
He says:
The days os authority are gone No one any
,,Drer believes anything simply because A was
so-rsarlv believed rs IL TeasonsbIe?" Even
rpvelation IS brought 20 this test. The truth for
ar age ~ faith above an things must be reason
sble Whatever contradicts reason and moral
sense cannot he OF God. Whatever harmoniZes
with reason ana the moral sense presumptively
must be true
Dr.. Bradford is a well known Congregational
clergyman of Montclair. y. J., and is said 10
have an international reputation ss a preacher.
tions as ne is 70 those Of New-York or Boston
He was for some years on the editorial stan OF
The Outlook"
The growing appreciation OF the Western por-
tion OF the Cnited States Offering stimulating
material for writers OF fiction. as well as the
increasing number Of Western writers ready &C
make use OF the material about them. is strik-
ingly shown IN the list Of D. Appleton & Co.'S
recent books. This includes Hsmlin Garisnd's
The Eagles Heart" story Of the West. which
ny the way. is entering upon fits third edition;
r Hough's The Girl al the Halfway House" q
story OF the plains; William +. Bsrton's Pine
Knot" e story o. Kentucky life: Mary z. Stick
ney's Brown of Lost River" ranch story
Adelia z. Orpen's 'TThe Jay Hawkers." re-
nance OF Free Soil and Border Ruflan days:
Francis Lynde's "A Private Chivalry." story
~ Denvc-. and General @. A Forsyth's The
have also published other stories OF Western life.
There r. no reason why the handy little vol
unes Of Moliere IN the Temple edition should
not cnd, in their place and degree. the same
sphere of usefulness that the many pocket edi-
tons OF Shakespeare have found This edition
is 20 be published in this country by Mcclure.
Philips g. Co. in twelve volumes, OF which the
hrFt Is now appear1ng-''Le Bourgeois Gentii-
~Ev-a
French text, and has notes and glossary OF
rare words and expressions hy Frederic Spencer.
Al least one pesstrnistic publisher thinks that
authors are an ungrateful lot, seldom appre-
oiativs OF the work done on their behalf by the
houses that publish and push their work for
them. and that as he stoutly afirms. make less
money out OF a successful book than the writer
% ~ Authors generally sure that their sue
cess is al due 20 themselves and rarely think
of the work done and money spent by the pub
Usher sometimes f. vain, 20 hiring them before
the public This gentleman recalled with a sad
smile an aUthor whose book. published four
I'VE years ago. had fallen quite fat but who
wrote TO him the other day because some pass
fng incident relating 10 the subject OF his work
had come before the public eye. which he
thought made il desirable for the house 70 spend
a lot of money advertising It again. On the
other hand one writer whose books have had a
wide success. had come 10 him and told him
that he wished TO give an autograph copy OF his
most popular book 20 esch OF the employees OF
the house in recognition OF the work they had
al done 20 make his publications successful 10
which he considered ne owed a great deal.
AS rare as II was refreshing" was the pessi-
rristic publishers comment
We have received the following letter:
To the Editor of The Tribure.
Sir: IN q recent paragraph you speak OF j. NJ.
Bsrrie's writing On note paper OF The ordinary
octave size" Are you correct IN saying this :?
ask for information and not 10 be captious.
Is not mote size" fiction? Is there any such
I I