Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-09-21
Books and Authors.

II hardly seems possible that almost
twenty years have elapsed since the
nublication of Cape Cod Folks. Ihat
,,ool however was issued in 1SS2. and
the sensation and discussion ana tur-
moiI aroused by it We're a neNer-enu-
ing topic of conversation MIS- ny
Lean at that time was. new 'h.,
vavs of the literary world.s she had
not reached her twentyHtth year,
and with some of the thoughtlessness
of youth and more. perhaps. OF ITS IN
yenuousness. she thought there would
no no harm in introducing into her
story real people under their real
names. But she soon discovered her
error. The characters IN ner story
proyed to be an exceptionally sensitive
lot of people in real life. and Tor
time made things very uncomfortable
for both the author, and her publishers.
Not until the original edition of Cape
Cod Folks" was suppressed as far as
possible, and the real names of its
characters replaced by fictitious ones.
we're they even partially satisfied
The book itself had exceptional merit,
and aroused expectations Ssof even
better things from its author. In
1887 she was married to- Franklin
Lynde Greene and sincethen has
been known to the public by her hus-
bands name. Her most recent novel,
"Vesty of the Basins" will be fol
lowed this week by Flood Tide" from
the press of Harper & Brothers.
Flood Tide" depicts life in the
primitive by-wayS of an isolated ham
let on the coast of Maine.
Max ORell recently told good
story on himself. 1t appears that some
time ago he was engaged to give a lee
ture before the students of an Ameri-
can college for women. The subject
that he chose was Woman" this be
ing one on which he feels that he does
his very best. Arriving at the college
town, he had no sooner taken a room
at the hotel than he was informed that
a committee of young women desired
to speak with him in the reception
room. They We're students from the
college in question. and their leader
said that they wished to make a Sug-
gestion as to the subject of his lee
ture NJ. Bouet was charmed. What
could he do for them? We'll, said the
leader of the delegation, a young Wo-
man who were glasses and had a Sc
verely thoughtful look. we feel that
if you have no objection we should
prefer you to lecture on a different
tCpic-one that you know something
NJ fhnI1Uh h
man. has an unfailing sense of humor:
and so he granted the request with
great urbanity. and tells of the Incl
dent with a very thorough enjoyment.
Says the New York Sun: Tho
ljtcrate population of the United
States is divided into two classes
thos. Who make historical novels and
those who read them. Both sets of
laborers are working day and night,
yet it seems impossible to keep up with
the ORDERS
Messrs. Harper e Brothers announce
that in view of the death of President
Mckinley, and in Difference to the au-
thor's wishes, they have concluded to
postpone the publication Of Gen. Al
gers work The Spanish American
War" which they had expected to
publish this week
IF one were fairly to take his
honesty in both hands," says Mr.
Howell3. in the current number OF
Harpcr's Magazine. "he would proba-
bly, be abl" to confess that the in
hucncc of any powerful story 0n his
mind was Stupefying." If this is the
ease with the normal human being
and where powerful" literature is
concerned, what must happen when
the scale is lowered both as to the
reader and the book? The effect. Mr.
Howclls remarks, lis not perhaps s.
bad as that of morphine: but it may
be something ike that Of cocaine. and
lar worse than that Of cigarettes. Ir
this sense the habit of reading inferior
hction tfor out of a hundred reader!
ninety-ninc read nothing else) is GER
tainly a vice, without the picturesque
ness of a craze" How is the vice to b,
eradicated? Good books. one w,ult
naturally say. are just the things t
accomplish the reform. Mi. Howell.
is not so sure. The power to thinl
must be developed before the change
rs accomplished, and. as Mr.. Howc,E
rather plainly hints. the power o
thnking is not so widely diffused a.
most OF us like to believe Talk NAV
help to bring about the reform. "Th,
art OF thinking is not likely to go fal
unless il goes hand in hand with tn,
art OF talking. Nevertheless. if tn.
good book gets its proper chance won
ders may ensue. 1t is no less an in
c"ntive to talk than the trash. and i
is bound to help people to think. Mr.
howolls speaks Of beginning with tn
tender mind Of youth" Somethin,
may yet be done with the mature MAJ
and woman. if only authors and pub
LISTERS will cease putting rubbish so in
" "SSantly into their hands that the,
can think of nothing else
American Authors and Thei
Homes is the title of an illustrate
volume which Messrs. James Pott (
o. nave almost ready. 1t contain
descriptions with Interviews. Of tn
houses in which now live twenty-fcu
- the best-knoWn writer's in America
inPlndlne William Dean HoweIls
''i'hard Henry Stoddard. Stedmar
stockton. Aldrich, Mabie. Van Dyk,
burroughs. Seton-Thomspson. Pau
leicester Ford and Thomas Nelso