Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-05
Books and Authors.

came from the South. The merit of the
work has been very uneven. In some
instances the material was excellent,
but there was no cohesive story, no
central motif. no organic unity In
others. there was good story with
rare possibilities. ruined in the telling.
The majority of the MSS. submitted
were written by women. but only two
of the eleven books thus far accepted
for the series are of feminine author
ship. The publishers concede that no
hard-and-fast facts can be drawn from
these statistics. but that they are in
teresting, in so far as they bear upon
the product of American literature, no
one can deny.
Mcclure. Phillips & co. have taken
the occasion of the Webster centennial
celebration at Dartmouth College to
announce the publication of new
book on Webster, almost all the ma
terial in which now appears for the
first time. 1t consists of hitherto I'M
published correspondence between
Daniel Webster and members of his
family. his farmers. his constituents.
and a great number of public men of
his time. Much of Webster's criticism
of public men of his day and his most
intimately expressed opinions upon
great events are given therein. The
material has been taken from the col
lection of Webster papers in the IL
brary of the Historical Society of New
Hampshire, and from the private Ii
braries of the most eminent Webster
collectors of the country. {. II. Van
Tyne, Phi. D.. Of the University OF
PENNSYLVANIA. is the editor of this vol
ume.
How many readers remember the
long titles which Thackeray and Dick
ems gave some Of their books? There
for example. is The History of Pen
dnnniS His Fortunes and Misfortunes
His Friends and His Greatest Enemy"
but the book is always "PendenniS' to
us. The London Daily News takes oc-
cason to note that all the greatest
novels and plays have thus come to be
known by titles of one or two words,
and adds: 1T has been sought to find
in this fact proof of the innate Su-
perOrity of such titles. and Mr.. Wheat
ley has preserved a delightful literary
note which announces: The author Of
"Doroti y" DE Cressy.'' etc. has
another novel ready for the press,
which, with the writer's Partially for
monosyllabic titles. is named
'Thomasina"
Gail Hamiltons description of Haw
thorne. given in one of her private let !
tiers. could hardly be improved upon: |
He is a glorious man. very idea |
man in his personal appearance with !
an infinite forehead. his gray. dry. long
hair thrown back from it in all direc
lions. deep lamps of eyes glowing out
from under their heavy arches, black |
eyebrows and mustache. a flord |
healthy faCe-a pure, sensitive. |
reticent. individual man whom it is !
enough to have seen, To have looked |
at. to have been in the same house |
with. He talks little. but he talks eX-
tremely we'll"
This month the Harpers will publish |
in book form vivaciouS story OF cur |
rent American life on both sides of the |
water. which has been appearing |
serially in Harpers Bazaar. 1t is en-
titled "Bagsby's Daughter" and was
written by two young women in
collaboration. Miss Marie Van Worst
and Mrs. BESSIE Van Worst. The novel
is Of the lively. rapidly moving kind |
which find favor with everybody. 1t
contains" says The Academy. the !
suddenest proposal of marriage ever !
met with in fiction or in life. II goes |
off like a spring gun The character |
Of Mr.. Bagsby. the Chicago manufac- !
turer. is remarkably well drawn. as is /
that if his daughter. Violet, the .
heroine, whose matrimonial adventures |
are So entertainingly related Miss !
Marie Van Worst is already very favor |
ably known rs writer of exceedingly |
Well-done short stories. many Of which /
have appeared in Harper's Magazine |
"BaSSbys Daughter" is her first novel. |
Notwithstanding the fact that much !
is made Of the argument that the grea |
interest in historical fiction nowadays |
is caused by the increased interest in !
the annals Of our native history, il /
must be admitted that among the most |
successful and popular Of these histori- |
cal romances have been several which |
have had for their subject a remote
period quite foreign to our patriotic |
lHttTtSlS- w men NnlSntnOOu W as IN !
Flower" is a novel about the Princess !
Mary Tudor laid in the times Of Henry |
the Eighth. The Helmet of Navarro" |
has for its chief figure and background |
Henry of Navarro and the France Of
his time. and The House Of de |
Mailly" is a story of the French court
in the middle of Louis XN.'s reign. |
though some Of the action takes place !
in colonial Maryland.
The Self Educated Series" edited by |
John Adams. NJ. A.: cloth: 12mo.: |
price. - cents each. New York: T. Y. |
Crowell & Co.
Within the limits frankly stated by
the editor, il would be difficult indeed \
to find three better works than the !
German" French" and Latin of
the Self Educator Series" edited by !
John Adams. NJ. A.. +. Sc. and pub :
lished by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co, |
w. broadway. New York These limits !
are a thorough. working. reading |
knowledge of the languages treated. |
The ability to converse fiuently is of /
course not to be acquired from books |
alone. but with a reading knowledge !
as basis. the other is readily OBJ |
tanned. Often the reading knowledge |