Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-28

his astounding genius in no way, per-
haps, more clearly than in his power
of mastery over the technical details of
any and every business or profession
which he desires to make the environ
ment of story, has been sharply
brought to book by more than one old
salt down Gloucester way because of
alleged mistakes in Captains Coura-
geous."
Examples innumerable might easily
be cited to show how hard it is, if not
impossible, for a novelist to escape the
censure of experts when depicting
scenes by sea or land. Poetry, which
is often fiction, too, subjects the au-
thor to similar perils. At the New
England Conservatory of Music in
Boston, an eminent lecturer on the lit
erature and history of his are points on,
to eagerly listening students from year
to year that Coleridge Numbered badly
in his illusions to the music which was
furnished, or was to be furnished, to
the wedding guests mentioned in The
Rhine of the Ancient Mariner"
The critics are fain to admit that
their task is a thankleSS one, and hope
less as well; seeing that nearly all the
people who will read any novel or any
poem are necessarily ignorant of the
technicalities introduced therein. So
the critics plant falls on indifferent
ears, if it reaches them at all.
An obvious excuse for the shortcom-
ings of authors in this respect is that
it is impossible for anybody to know
everything.
Moreover, it is not needful. y work
of the imagination is not a handbook
of an art, craft or trade The killing
of the albatross with the cross-bow.
and the story of the retribution, would
not send any more cold shivers down
our spines than is now the case, if
Coleridge had known that THE loud
bassoon" does not, in fact, emit a loud
note, and that it is an instrument very
unlikely to be found in the orchestra
of wedding festival.
The Putnafns, New York, have in
press "A Book for All Readers" by
Ainsworth r. Spofford, formerly libra
rian of the Congressional library, TO be
read with interest chiefly by librarians
and book collectors. Mr.. Spofford dis
cusses the art of bookmaking old
prints, fOlios, the classification and the
history of libraries. as well as the his
tory of copyright laws and the whole
international copyright question.
DR.. and Mrs S. Weir Mitchell of
Philadelphia, recently arrived at Bar
Harbor, and are at their cottage Far
Up ,yhA is.
known in the literary field will do no
writing, this summer as he intends
taking a complete rest after his labors
of the past winter, so as to be able to
renew his labors in the fall. His "Ad-
ventures of Francois which met with
such a demand. is now being dram
atised by his son and is expected to
meet with great success.
Every one will rejoice that Mr.. Kip
ling has decided not to publish his let
ters from South Africa in book form.
says the Springfield Republican. add
ing that they show a deplorable tenn
per, an unlimited conceit, and a tota!
absence of craftsmanship. while as lit
terature they are calculated to hinder
rather than advance the authors over
grown reputation"
Miss Mary Bartlett Harris, the en-
thusiastic and accomplished librarian
of the Pillsbury free library at War
ner, N. H., has a very readable and
suggestive article in the last bulletin
of the New Hampshire library commits
sion upon 1.-THE Importance of local
material in town libraries Among
the hints to her fellow librarians is the
following: 1T is very desirable. so far
as possble-and painstaking can bring
about wonderful results-to obtain
sketches of the lives of all authors
born in the town, and those who have
been at any time residents, with lists
of their publications and copies of the
same. 1t will surprise anyone who has
not looked into the subject, to see how
many names there are of people who
come into the photography of any
given place. In my own town Ca COM
paratively small one) the list of men
and women who have had books. SER
mons. speeches. etc, printed is more
than forty. This does not include the
many who write only for magazines
ana newspapers. MISS Harris might
have suggested that these local biblio-
graphic lists when sufficiently elab-
GRATED should be made available for
public information and use; perhaps
not printed with the copiousness of de-
tail and elegance of workmanship
shown in DR.. Charles L. Nichols
photography Of the imprints of the
early Worcester press, but multiplied
in some permanent form. The collect
ors of local material, as Miss Harris
observes must give unwearying per-
sonal attention to their work without
hope Of present reward. appreciation
or even sympathy. But the future
historian will bless their Names
In its review of Memory Street. the
new story of Mrs. Martha Baker Dunn
of Waterville, the Boston Evening
Transcript says: The air of genuine
ness about this book is very attractive.
1t contains bits of local history worked
into the background just as they might
be more or less irrelevantly into a real