Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-12
Rocks and Authors.

ness, which however hope may not be
fatal" What is that replied the
startled youth, with almost Il gasp of
CONSERVATION. We'll. il has not sven
rejected by enough publishers: II
takes at least four or five rejectioilS to
make phenomenally successful Dv)i.
The puzzled look of dismay on the
young mans face gave way 10 smile
as his critic turned to the veteran
author at his side and asked. Wasn't
that the case with 'Helens Babies?
Mr.. Habber ton. with the courtly bow
which his friends knew SO well, and
which is only one of his many charms,
promptly responded. 1T was rejected
twenty one times.
Il. D. Blackmore. the author of Lorna
Doone" was man of the most re-
firing. one might even say pastoral.
nature. Kind and courteous as he was.
he would not submit to be interviewed.
as the following extract from one OF
his letters to a young journalist bears
witness: But it is impossible for me
to enjoy an interview for public use.
upon that or any other matter, mas
much as | have always refused to ac-
cept that hateful American institu-
ton. even at the request of those who
had claims upon me-" Blackmore pre-
ferred the repose and privacy of his
garden, where he cultivated the finest
roses, peaches. and pears, TO the
glare of publicity. even after Lorna
Doone" had made him famous.
John Kendrick Bangs was the butt
of a good joke the other evening in
New York theatre. a bright girl. upon
learning from her companion, Il Cock
ney Importation, that the genial
humOrist of the StyX was in the aud
fence. asked her escort in what row
he was located. Hes in L." said the
youth. with insistence on the aspirate.
oh, indeed responded the bright
girl. collecting more material. l sup
pose"
The book by American authors which
gain popularity in England are not
many for the English are proven
bially hard to please when it comes to
matters outside of their own isles.
They object to our spelling and many
other things besides. 1t is odd.
however. that Very often the books
from this side which they favor are
those which are most thoroughly
American in spirit. This is the case
with Elmore Elliott Peaks novel.
The Darlingtons." 1t has recently
been published in London by William
Henemann, and has been We'll received
by the English press and public.
Mention has already been made of
the resurrection of Sherlock Holmes"
by DR.. Conan Doyle. writes James
Walter Smith from London to the
Literary Era Messrs. Newnes man
aged to induce DR.. Doyle to revive his
first and greatest hero. and the publ
cation of the new detective story has
begun in the Strand Magazine. A we'll
known American publishing firm Of
fered u huge sum for the right to pub
lish this story serially in America. but
MeSsrs. Eewnes preferred to run it in
the American edition of the Strand.
What success this venture of Doyle's
Will have remains TO be seen, but it is
/ not improbable that Sherlock
Holmes" will be one of the successes of
the autumn publishing season Mr.
Der at the Lyceum Theatre with his
dra tizaton of Sherlock Holmes.
and if the success of that play in
America is repeated here. it will give
a valuabl flip to the sales of the new
book in London. The pretty point in
literary ethics which has been raised by
the resurrection of the dead hero of tic-
although DR.. Doyle has cleverly
avoideH the direct charge of raising
Sherlock from the dead-would better
be left for discussion amongst those
who are less busy than we.
In The Manuscript, a little periodical
appealing to 'book-builders and book
buyers" we find some interesting
thoughts of Maurice Thompson. They
relate to the lamented writer's tastes
what poems he liked best and what
prose. With him. with most of us,
one poem responded to this mood and
another poem to that. My favorite
passage of English prose-" he says, lis
any and every passage which is satur-
ated with truth idealized-truth glori-
fled by the metamorphic touch of
genius" Then he offers these at
tractiIe thoughts:
The best books now being written
are those whose influence is against the
| narrowing and whitening tendency of
the realistic fad just now possessing
the field Of literature. Materialism is
the arch enemy Of all true religion, all
true art. all true morality. and it is the
one great danger to our civilization
moreover. realism is the soul, body and
life of :naterialism. The best books of
any land or time are those which EN-
body the hope. the aspiration. the flu
ture possibilities and the prophecy of
the people of that land and time
mere Photographic foreground of our
life has not the slightest value. now or
ever A truly artistic and therefore
imperiShable literature embodies the.
moral. social, religious and political
horoscope of people. The books con
tanning this are the best books
The best books are generally men
toned at the foot of the column. There
isn't any great demand for them. and
consequently there isn't any large
amount of money in them. The best
books are seldom the most popular
books. The best books arouse. the
| popular books amuse. The best books
grow in cultivated minds. 1t is a fact