New-York tribune., 1901-03-08
LONDON NOTES.
AND PAINTERS WITHOUT
A MARKET-THEATRE AS PLACES
OF REFUGE IN DAYS OF
MOURNING.
London. February 16.

books, but very little money. The times are not
favorable for literary activity. So much his
tory is made hand over hand that readers have
all they can do to keep abreast with it in the
newspapers. The Boer the first calam-
ity for the publishing trade. 1t involved the
suspension of public interest in books. and made
bread and the newspaper the national diet. The
publishers held back their issues of current lit
erature as long as possible. and soon as the
war correspondents in the field had collected
their notes. volumes began to appear upon the
military campaign. These works have not been
widely read and the profits from them have
been small. The newspapers had surfeited the
public with details of campaign which had not
increased national prestige nor excited popular
enthusiasm When men and women We're weary
Of talking and thinking about the South African
war. they were not anxious to read books con-
tanning the impressions and judgments of CORE
spondents and spectators respecting it, The
publishers have continued TO publish limited edi-
tions of them. but they have not found the trade
profitable. The China complications opened the
way for many new books upon the Far East
but these also have fallen fiat When light
seemed to be breaking upon the darkness of
South Africa. and the publishers prepar-
ing for a lively autumn trade with belated books
of all kinds, the elections came on and spoiled
the market. The Christmas trade disap-
pontment TO nearly all publishers
Toward the end of the year a sagacious Lon
don publisher remarked that only cne disaster
required in order to complete the ruin of
the book trade. This was the Queens death.
with the inevitable period of mourning. This
disaster has come, and there has been an i'm
mediate decline in the sales of books The
newspapers are filed with the opening scenes
Of the new reign, and the public has heart
for aught else. New books when reviewed by
the press make no impression and speedily
put out OF remembrance when readers are pre-
occupied with the altered conditions of the en-
pire and the dynasty. Publishers ought to be
good judges of the prospects of their own craft
and they are convinced that Englishmen will
not be in mood for reading either fiction or
solid literature for many months. They as
sumo that there will he a long period of mOping
and idling. when every one will be dispirited
and distracted and unprepared for the enjoy
ment and study of literature The spring trade
they frankly admit will be failure. and the
publishers will have 20 wait until the close of
the war and possibly until the coronation. be-
fore they hope to make any money out Of
their business, This may be pessimistic view
but II is entertained by the leading men In the
publishing trade.
Complaints Of a similar kind heard in art
circles Portrait painters have fewer orders
than In recent years, and the works OF we'll
known artists remain unsoId in studios and art
dealers shops. The painters seem to under
stand that the public is not in the mood for inter
estng itself in pictures. and they are not doing
their best work. The spring Academy promises
to be one Of the dulIe5t shows of recent years,
for the patronage Of the rich and Ieisured class
Of purchasers is lacking There is no inspra-
tion in the times for the indolent artist. and he
is only hall IN earnest in his brush work. The
art shops are attractive and there are many
notable exhibitions of water colors and oil
paintings One OF the best is at the Agnew gall
lery. where nearly $50 water color drawings.
at least one-haIf of them by old masters like
De Wint. David Cox. Samuel Prout. Gansbor-
ough. Copley Fielding and Turner carefully
selected and we'll hung. These are for sale.
but the market is not brisk for works of art Of
any class. Even the auction sales at Christie's.
whera the treasures Of town and country houses
are emptied out week after week by order Of
executors of estates far from brisk this
season. London is stale and jaded and has as
little heart for pictures for books 1t Graves
amusement and pIeasurable excitement in a
period Of public mourning and disbursement,
when politics are stagnant and the gay world is
under a cloud. 1t finds more comfort in the
theatre than in books or in art shows. and
there it contrives to forget its dulness.
autumn with pair of Nell Gwynns. and one of
them still draws great audiences at the Globe
II Mr. Anthony Hope and Mr. Edward Rose
wrote the wttier play for Miss Marie Tempest
Miss Julia Nelson has displayed superior ability
as an actress in Sweet Nell of Old Drury' and.
with Mr.. Fred Terry to support her as the
Merry Monarch. she appeals with potent fas-
cination 10 stalls. pit and galleries Shut out
of one theatre at the expiration of her lease.
Miss Nelson has returned to London after
brief tour in the provinces, and the Globe is
crowded nightly with enthusiastic audiences.
This charming actress deserves her success, for
she has enriched the part with byplay. sings de-
IightfulIy. plays with fine variety. and makes ii
a real impersonation by imparting TO it a touch
of vuIgarty like Miss Terry N Madame Sans
Gene. Her rival. Miss Tempest. after a brilliant
season at the Prince of Wales's Theatre. has
made the natural transition from English Nell
to Peg Wellington. but the part hardly suits
her so well. although Masks and Faces" ought
to supply her with fine opportunities for comedy.
byplay and genuine pathos. with the whimsical
actress and the generous. jealous heartbroken
woman alternately on the scene. Another Peg
is also promised in the same play at the Hay
market if the Second in Command ever runs
it's course. so that Charles Reade after a long
period OF neglect again has his day. precisely as
Robertson was rescued from oblivion not long
ago by Mr.. John Hare. and there were sew
eral belated versions of the Three Musketeers"
one after the other.
There is no deliberate intention on the part OF
to adapt themselves TO the conditions |
Of a new reign and period of public mourning.
for their arrangements for the season were made |
long in advance. The production of Henry ""
with Prince Hal was deferred at one theatre for |
obvious reasons but otherwise there has been |