Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-07

-.-------------------------
ours. The second hand bookshelf Is a
beneficent institution. Many man
comes here and reads the books and
obtains useful knowledge. whereas II
the books were kept inside, where he
couldn't get at them, he would go
spending his money In public houses"
Some people do not appreciate the
appearance of the value of uncut
books. The person who wrote this let
ter to New York publishing firm is
one Of them: "Gentlemen-You do not
find enclosed the payment you are ex-
pecting. but you are no more disap-
pointed than were we when we opened
the package of books for instead OF
finding what we bought-viZ., set
of nice finished books. we find books
with edges (all except the top edge)
which looked as though they had been
chewed off by rats, instead Of being
cut smooth. only they were not chewed
deep enough. There were left innum-
cradle leaves still unchewed which the
reader must disconnect ere he could
pursue his narrative
II was on one of her Southern trips.
some years ago, that the author OF
The Kings Messenger" stumbled up
on the material which inspired her to
write Il story of those old and memoir
able days in the history of Louisiana.
In a quaint old village near New Or
leans she learned of the existance of an
old Creole lady who shut herself up
81, a. 1, p., NJ m n N it-
looking house. Mrs. Robinson's curl
osity was piqucd and very soon she be
came acquainted with the old lady and
won her confidence. 1t appears that
she WAS "A descendant of the wife of an
officer who had come over with the
casket girls in the time of Louis XIV.
She had Il number of ancient keep
sakes, one of which was a small black
box containing Il number of letters
which had been written nearly two CEN
turtles ago and revealed "A romantic and
tragic attachment. The owner of the
letters would not part with them, but
she read them to Mrs. Robinson, who
incorporated the story which they
limited at. using the liberty of the
story-teller to substitute n happy end
ing for the untimely one in real life.
4 writer in the Daily News of Lon
don thus looks askance at American
slang. John Henry by Hugh Nc
Hugh (Heinemann), appears to b. an
essay in American humor. We have
made some attempt to construe it. but
for want of Il dictionary of the peculiar
language in which it is written We
Il h..., nl
the humor remains hidden from us.
We quote the second paragraph:
When guy can buy couple OF cosey
corners in n dead-Swen theatre for
fifty cents per Coze. he's mark TO
blow four plunks to squeeze into one
of these joints where they led you on
problem plays and the fricasseed pasts. |
figured ii out that way. ana stood pat
If there is any body who can under
stand and enjoy that sort of thing
there is plenty more of it,"
\ new book by the late Eugene Field
cannot fail of being one of the literary
events of the wear. Such "A treasur"
tome is soon To- be published by the
New Amsterdam Book Go. II is "a
children's story and is to he presented
for the first time in book form. Will
NJ. clemens. fellow journalist and
friend of Field has written an appre
citation of the poets child-lovc as an
introduction to the volume.
The Deacon's second Wind is the
Very peculiar title of Il Very peculiar
story. the latest novel by Archibald
| ClaverinS Gunter. the author of Mr..
Barnes OF New York. 1t is Il romance
| of rural life with metropolitan cmhe,-
| lishments and Is said to be MI Gun
ter'S best novel.
Arlo Eatcs' popular Talks on Writ
| ing English are to be followed by Il
second series, touching upon fresh top
| les, and carrying the counsel of one
experienced as an author as wei as a
teacher. The opening paper deals with
What besides pen. paper. and ink. is
| needed for composition. Another treats
of Little Foxes. the faults that spoil
| writing. Throughout. matters OF vital
Importance in composition are dis
cusscd in Il familiar and helpful way.
Mrs. Ellen Olney Kirk has written
n novel which Houghton. Mifiin &
60. promise for early publication. Ii
| is entitled our Lady Vanity. and inds
| its motif in the strong tendency in HUI
| man nature to dance ruppet-like when
the right person pulls the strings. Some
proper ambitions come to success in the
story: there is Il fine flavor of good
humored satire. and Il thoroughly in
| teiestinS narrative, such as we always
| expect from Mrs. Kirk.
French authors and dramatists have
from time immemorial been pillagrd bv
English writer's Of ideas. incidents and
plots and this form of larceny goes on
F! today. Long before de Maupassant
| had been heard of in England. what
kwere almost literal TRANSACTIONS of his
Short stories used to appear i'm Lon
don periodicals as the original work of
his plagiarists. many of whom enjoyed
some reputation in the English world
of letters. And this is only one in
stance. says a writer in the Boston
n Transcript. AS a resident in Paris I
4 have frequently received from English
h litteTateurs. friends of mine. letters
asking me to send over any stories or