The age-herald., 1900-01-14
1S20 OO -DBea BOOKS THAT s
 ARE READ
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SgshaaadR1 S Pag1 PR1 z=zsSsaA AAcaonaaoo.oo9 'Via Crucis" is in its forty-second thou- | sand. It was published a little over a | month ago.
 Two hundred and eighty-ave thousand i copies of Richard Carrof' have been sold since it was published June 1st.
 On the day after Christmas 41O,OOO copies | of David Harum' had been sold since the oate of publication.
 It seems rather odd to Americans to learn l that Du Maurier's "TriIby'' has just been l published in Paris, and that the French l world is only now beginning to make her | acquaintance. The present translation, which is making this work popular, is by 1 Mime. Therese Batbedah.
 Lovers of rare old books will be interest," ed to know that only two copies of "rhe Soldiers Chatechism," published by Crom- Well, are known to be in existence. It was written by the Protector for the use of the Commonwealth army, as companion to the Soldiers Pocket Bible." However, the owner of one of the copies is about to publish fac stmlle of it through a London l publisher.
 .The First violin," which MT. Mans l field has been playing at the Garden Thea l ter, is based on Miss FothergiHs remark ably successful novel of that name Not | wathstanding the fact that there are sev- eral pirated editions, the authorized edi- l tion with glossary of German phrases has | passed through over twenty impressions. At present the acme of literary success as we'll as the height of am authors ambi- | tion, seems to be the final uniform edf tfon' Consequently, 1t is pleasant to note that there Is strong probability tlat we will shortly see a uniform edition of James Lane Aliens notes. The MacMillan Com pany have secured the publishing rights of t all of MT Aliens books; this makes poss- f5le uniform edition. for which the desire has so often been expressed MT. Clement Seott's long expected book has just been published. The title is 'The Drama of Yesterday and Today. from 1S41 to 1S99." It gives the veteran critics i'm pressions of great actors from Macready to Irving, and great actresses from Helen Faucit to Mrs. Kendall, together with con- temporary notes of the great actors and actresses of America, Trance and Italy. All lovers of the theater will undoubtedly enjoy this volume about stage folk, by a writer who has been prominently identified with the criticism of the stage for half a century.
 There are any number of correspondents on literary subjects who disagree entirely with Shakespeare's theory and say that there is everything in "name." One claims that plain John Cray sold ibut moderately. while practically the same work, rechristened "The Choir Invisible" sold by the thousands. Another holds That 9ne does net take kindly to a book which does not leave something to the imagina- ti1D strTha ManE-Ci1a1 Franklin" is much more attractive than The Life of Benjamin Franklin" and fur ther says that there is TO doubt that a large part of the success of "When Knight hood, Was In Flower Is due to the attrae tiveness of the title. title which leaves much to the imagination of the reader and consequently attracted.
 
 In dhis connection it is interesting to note, however, that many of the most pro- nounced successes have Deen made by books bearing the simple title of Hugh Wynne," Richard carvel," David IIa- rum," etc. Possibly this is because of the fact that while nothing especially is prom ised by the title, the simplicity carries a certain dignity which attracts Then, there is another aspect which is found in the ti- tie which rather repels Now, one cannot help but feel that so attractive, well-writ- ten and readable book as Dckson's "Black Wolfs Breed" would have been more acceptable under more euphonious title. The fact that the book is selling largely proves that it will succeed how ever, in spite of its ugly title. "No. John Street" a recent renla rkabe book by Rich- ard Whiteing, is surely a title that would fail to recommend the book; while Mrs. l Frances Hodgson Burnett's recent story, "In Connection with the De Wiloughby l Clalm," sounds formidable and leads the | reader to buy it with trepidatlon fearing l something musty and dry and legal. | The following passage from Robert Louis i Stavensons letters disprove totally the l theory so frequently applied to Stevenson's style: 'T sleep upon my art for a pillow; l awake in my art; l hate to leave it. I love my wife, I do not know how much, Tor care, nor shall, unless I lose her; but while I can conceive my being widowed, l refuse the offering of life without my art. m not but in my art; it is me; am but the body of it."
 MT. F. Marion Crawford, wthc, has been for several weeks in New York, on a busi- ness visit will sail fer his home in Sorren- to, Italy, sometime during the present month. An interviewer says in the course of a pleasant conversation with this popu- lar man of letters that he spoke of the vast amount of work which he had planned for the imne1iate future. Besides his "Life of Leo XIII" on which he has oean for long lime engaged, he exrects sl;t-o to fin- ish a book on 1.-The Rulers Of the South" companion volume to Ave Roma Inn merbalis." Mir Crawford spoke further of looking forward with eagerness to the time when he would find himself at liberty to write another novel of America to include the people who figured in "Katherlne Lau- derdale'' and ''The Ralstons."
 
 One of the favorites in England at pres ent is 'Red Potage," by Miss Cholmonde- ley. It is said. to prove that all the energy in the publishing business is not confined to this side of the Atlantic, that when Mr Edward Arnold found that his first edition of S,000 copies of Red Potage" was 1eav- ing him at 6he rate of thousand copies a day, he took immediate action. He or dored 10000 copies to be printed, gathered bound and delivered within six days from the date of his order. In the meantime he informed his customers that he had sold z, ,000 copies of the first edition of Red Pot age'' to Mundie's Library, where the book could doubtless be seen without delay. Surely Miss Cholmondeley can have no cause of complaint against her publisher after this evident enterprise.