The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-25
LITERARY NOTES.

Mrs. Grant Allen, the widow of the now
elist. is about to open a bookshop lii Lon
don's West End.
Speaking of popular novels, James Lane
Aliens "Choir Invisible" is said to have
sold in England and America to the extent
of 100000 copies.
Most people, when they speak of decadent
literature, include some of Tolstois works
for instance, 1.-The Kreutzer Sonata
but the Russian evidently does not count
himself in the list with Ibsen and the rest
Edmund Clarence Stedman asserts that
he leaves Wall street to devote his time to
literature in better health than for long
while. II feel equal" he says. Ito long
and hard work, and I have always found
literary work more firing than any other
kind
A volume of poems by Alonzo Leora Rice
is soon to be issued by New York house.
Its title will be I'm Forest Temples" and
1t will have an introduction by Mr. Charles
Major and an epilogue by Frank l.. Stan
ton. Most of the poems first appeared in
the columns Of the Journal.
An English paper says the book trade in
that country has been greatly injured by
the war in South Africa. Never has there
been a time it says, when a breezy
optimistic novel had such a chance as at
the present moment 1t is the only kind OF
kind of novel that is always in demand
The element of cheerfulness Is what made
David Harum''-not great novel in any
sense-so popular.
According to the London Academy the
late Mr.. G. w. Stevens left behind him
enough material to make a book on 1.-The
Siege of Ladysmith,' which is to be pub
lished at an early date. 1t will consist of
the letters he sent home from his arrival
at Cape Town till the day when he was
struck down by enteric fever and could
write no more. At later date volume
Will be issued containing his London. Paris
and Berlin letters. A memorial edition of
his works will be published towards the
close of the year with a memoir by Mr.. w.
Z. Henley.
Tolstoi, who is feeble and is aware that
his life is drawing to close, has beer CIV
ing his opinions of the contemporary drama
and literature. The former is decadent,
he believes, and the latter already pac-
tically dead; 'the daily press has de-
stroyed IT.. He has just read Ibsens latest
drama, when We Who Are Dead Awak-
en- and says 1t is simply delirium and
is devoid of life, character and drama tic
action. Thirty-five years ago such drama
would have been stified by cutting parody
in the press, and the piece would have beer
ridiculed to death. How can one now speak
of the serious tasks before the theater ?
They are at an end.
New York writer, in commenting on a
recent literary imposition worked upon a
well-known book-publishing firm. says:
THE editors of our leading magazines are
men of letters. yet they cannot afford to
rely for safety from imposition upon their
knowledge of Anglo-Saxon verse. The only
practicable safeguard has come to be the
asking OF satisfactory references from all
would-be new contributors to their pages.
and this system also prevails to large
extent in the offices of publishing houses.
Wide as is the field Of literary dishonesty,
1t Is so far as can be judged. but spasingiy
worked. And the few who have II to them
selves do not appear to thrive"