The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-03-31
Literary Notes.

When Alfred Olllvant's Bob, Son Of Bat
tie" was first published II fell fat nor
would any amount OF advertising rescue It
to public favor, although 1t was praised
by those who read 1t: hut at the end Of
six months the tide turned and 1t sprang
into the greatest popularity.
In his championship of the split inin-
tive Prof. Brander Matthews cites its
distinguished pedigrees, instancing its use
in the pages of Shakespeare, Massinger,
Sir Thomas Browne, Dcfoe Burke, Cole.
ridge, Byron. De Quincy. Macaulay
Matthew Arnold Motley, Lowell and
Holmes. This ought to establish Its good
reputation.
LAS for my damned literature" wrote
Stevenson with playful profanity In his
Samoan dairy. "God knows what bust.
ness 1t is. grinding along without a scrap
OF inspiration or a note Of style" This
seems remarkable utterance from one so
highly endowed with imaginative genius
and who is accounted by competent critics
To be 4 literary artist of wonderful purity
and finish of stvle.
The London Academy speaks Of the poet
Bryant as "a cross between Thomson
and Wordsworth, without spark of the
power OF either" The distinguished liter
airy paper is letting its insular patriotism
run away with It's literary sense 1t
would. indeed. he mistake to assume
that Bryant had equal power and poetic
| genius with Wordsworth. but certainly
| Thomson can claim no -emnence.
In answer to tho suggestion that In THE
Reign of Law" Mr., James Lane Allen
had therein aired some personal doubts
and religious fluctuations of his own. the
| author said "The idea that In writing a
simple story bad some secret personal
| grievance tearing at the troubled vitas
Of my being what reply is man to mako
to a suggestion like that? | can only say
That do not publish my personal grlev.
ances under the disguise Of hctlon.''
1.-The Niagara Book will shortly he re-
| published by Doubleday, Page & Co.. with
additions aud revlsons AS originally
presented by Underhll and Nichols 1t was
a souvenir of Niagara Falls; in its new
form it will rather be souvenir Of the
Pan American Exposition at Buffalo
New sketches. stories and essays have
been added to 1t from the pens Of Marx
Twain, W. d. Howells, Prof. y. s. Shalel
and others.
Harper & Bros intend TO bring out as
book the series of articles by Nine. Ma
thiide Marchesi, now appearing in Hsr
rer's Bazaar. under the title Of Ten Les
sons In Singing" 1t Is not supposed tc
ha a textbook, but embodies without toe
many technical details practical advice &c
singers from one of the most distinguished
mistresscs Of the art. The book will he
uniform with Nine. Marchess volume OF
"reminiscences published by the same mouse
couple OF years ago "Marchesi and
Music"
1t is now more than forty-nve years
since the author OF "The Luck OF Roaring
Camp" left his New York home. the vic
tim Of the gold fever that was still raging
In California, he had a varied experience
as messenger miner. school teacher
printer and journalist. For the pas
twenty years he has been a cOnspcuou
figure in the literary colony Of London
while his stories Of Western life, whic
occasionally appear in the Graphic, hav
served TO show how great period Of dc
yelopnent separates the California Of Bre
uarte from the California Of today
Justin Mccarthy has finished his ne'
Irisb story. which he has called Nor
onla." II will make its appearance IN n
Irish paper before publication in 200
form
"Slgurd Eckdals Bride" has led mau
10 suppose that the author. Richard Vos
is Scandinavian. He is, however. Ge
man. well known in his country both as
novelist and playwright
Fodder & Stoughton Of London are -
. ing 10 publish new and complete editio
NJ cowper's letters, for which the edito
Mr. Thomas Wright, has secured hundred
NJ letters not included In the previous ed
lions.
Mcclure, Phililos & Co. will pubiis
) stortlv Mr.. Edward H. sothern
"pron,pt Book on Hamlet as il VAS pr
nnrea for his own successful productio
for the nrst time at the Garden theate
, New York on September II. 1890.
James Lane Aliens The hrttle Of u
! Pasture Is expected 10 the spring. m
hook was written some four years ae
hut for certain reasons was kept haek unit
aftar the publishing Of The Reign
law" What those reasons are the ne
! hook will probably explain.
strdv OF .'The Anthracite Coal Crisis
n T,ieott Williams. In the. April 4
ns,ic r. made especially timely hr II
Examination on April Of the agreemei
~, which rests the present adjustment
: y,.agcs In the coal mines. the consequence
4, ~ which may be most signineart'