New-York tribune., 1901-01-19
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
CURRENT TALK OF THINGS PRESENT
AND TO COME.


AND TO COME.
Mr.. E c. Stedman has returned from a three
weeks vacation spent in Cuba, to gain a rest
needed after the hard work of seeing his re-
Gently published American Anthology" through
the press. Another literary visitor to the South
is Noah Brooks. who has left what he calls his
Ark in Castine, Me, for a trip to Bermuda.
The rule against the so-called split infntive
that locution in which word is inserted be-
tween the "to'' and the rest of the verb-has
been laid down with particular insistency by
modern English grammarians; but in an ar
ticle in the February 'Harpers'' Professor
Brander Matthews takes up the defence of the
form, and of a number of other expressions that
have under the disfavor of those who lay
down rules His article is entitled Questions
OF Usage in Words" He justifes the split in
fnitive by copious quotations showing its use
by great masters in many periods of English
literature, and cites its behalf among other
things. the authority of Professor Lounsbury, of
Yale The same number will contain the
tinuations of Professor Woodrow Wilson's Col
onies and Nation of Gilbert Parker's novel
THE Right of Way" of Paul Meurice's discus
sion of Victor Hugo artist, and the conclu-
sion OF Booth Tarkington's romance Cherry.
4 story called THE Recovery" by Mrs. Edith
Wharton will appear, with one by Frederic
Remington. "Natchez's Pass" and one by W.
W. Jacobs Captain Rogers There will also
be a selection of Prince Bsmarck's love letters.
and a discussion of Franz Won Lenbach, the
German portrait painter. by Sidney Whitman.
A new edition of Mr. Mabie's book Shake
speare has been made necessary. and is pub
lished this month by the Macmillan Company.
They also announce still another edition of
Elizabeth and Her German Garden" and "A
Solitary Summer"
important books get out of print much more
easily in England than they do here said a
noted dealer the other day, referring to para
graph in an English newspaper about the diff
ficulty of obtaining certain authoritative works.
Unless large popular sale is expected, books
there are often not stereotyped and it is i'm
possible to supply any demand that may mani
fest itself after the edition is exhausted unless
it is set up and printed afresh In this country,
on the other hand. books almost always
stereotyped and If there is demand enough a
edition easily be made. This question
of demand for new edition in such a
qures careful study. few people may want
cut of print book very much, but great many
must want it just enough TO make them buy it
to make It worth while to reprint. The ap-
parent demand is often largely fictitious. If a
would be purchaser comes shop and IS
unable to find what he wants he goes to another
shop and inquiries. and probably writes to a
third. and so on; and the real demand. when we
come to inquire carefully. may be reduced to n
half third. and less. Even when a book is
stereotyped. however. the question comes up
how long il is profitable TO carry the plates
which, like everything connected with the book
business, are enormously bulky. Every year we
select certain number OF plates to be de-
stroyed. but sometimes IT happens that a de-
mand comes for book after that has been
done. 1t is a business necessity, however. 10
average the chances and decide II after a
given period set OF plates proves not TO be
earning enough to pay for carrying them along.
they must go into the melting pot.
"One reason why many English books on
historical and scientific subjects are not stereo-
typed is that the authors are 80 anxious TO re-
wise and correct them. If the expense OF making
plates has been incurred the publisher is re-
luctant TO cut them all up to insert corrections.
and perhaps cancel many pages. for a yevised
edition. If there is demand enough, the pub
Usher is more willing set the book up over
again. with the revisions. Many English au-
thors do not put their best work on their first
editions but them simply as a basis for ra-
vision for subsequent editons-it is so much
easier to handle the material when II is In print.
That is also why you will find that many first
editions have no indexes: 1t is again so much
easier to make them for the later revisions.
You Will find here. too. the cause for the
higher prices many important English books
command than those of a similar class OF pub
licatiOns in this country. AS they are printed
from type. the publisher does not calculate on a
second edition; he must get his satisfactory re-
turn from the first thousand two thousand
whatever the size OF the first edition may be-
Then, if he sets the book up over again, ii is a
transaction
Speaking OF a new volume OF religious Roman
Catholic poems called 'Ver Sacrum," soon TO be
published, a representative OF Messrs. Long
mans Green & Co observed that his firm has
published a number of volumes of such verse
which have had considerable popularity. The
Catholic community is extremely fond of its own
poets, and the verses of such Father
Russell and Father Tabb have always made a
special appeal to this special public. Yer
Sacrum'' consists OF transla tions, mostly from
German sources, made by Edith Renouf
The Century Company observes with some not
unnatural Dride the considera hla number OP Ito