New-York tribune., 1901-03-16


Macmillan Company.
Miss Helen Hay, daughter Of tho Secretary of
State. has written a long narrative poem, con-
siderably moro ambitious than anything she has
hitherto undertaken in verse. 1t Is called The
Rose of Dawn. a Tale OF the South Seas and
Mr.. r. II. Russell is preparips it for carly pub
lication. There will be a frontispiece by Mr..
John La Farge
f. P Dutton & Co. have In preparation
| book of literary criticism by John Churton COL
lins entitled 'Ephemera Crtica. or Plain Truths
About Current Literature" The author seems
to entertain considerable disgust TO the pres
cnt state of things. He begins:
1t is time for some one to speak out When
we compare the condition and prospects Of
science with those of literature. how deplorable
and how humiliatng the contrast, 1t is
duty and an imperative duty to expose and
denource men In positions of influence and au-
thority who assist in the work Of corruption by
writing bad books. or. critics cOnniving at
partly protest and partly an experiment, haV-
ing for their object comprehensive survey of
the vices and defects well OF the merits
and characteristics Of current bellies lettrcs.
Mcclure Phillips & Co. report a steadily in
craasing sale for Monsieur B>aucaire." The
eighth edition is published here. making $1,000
copies; and the book is also gaining favor in
England.
A noted book collector Of this city, whose
library is filled with Of the rarest treas
ure3 Of the bbophile's heart, recently com
planned of the total lack Of the collectors spirit
among literary men Il was recently asked by
a lit larry man II send him copy of an eX-
tremely rare book that l have on my shelves, 10
aid him in some work he is doing. Now. want
to help him all I can; and if he will come to my
house he can have the of the book as long as
he wants it, under the most favorable circum
stances. But send him the book-no, under no
circumstances 1t is not the fact that it is
worth hundreds OF dollars anywhere in the mat
ket, but the fact that If damaged or lost it
would be utterly irrel laccablc. that makes the
collector shudder. If ii were lost or spoiled,
Mr. Literary Man would send an abject letter
expressing his deep contrition at an untoward
accident. perhaps with a check inclosed; but of
the real horror of the situation l think he and
his tribe could have inkling."
u,hton, Mifin & Co. have issued neat
little catalogue of their single volume editions
of the works of famous American and British
poets, in several forms, in the Cambridge, House
hold Library and Cabinet editions. They preface
their list with the statement that they alone
the authorized publishers Of Longfeow. Whit
tier Lowell, Holiness Emerson. Thoreau and
Hawthorne.
Several years ago a short story entitled How
the Derby Was Won" appeared i'm ''Scribners
Magazine" that attracted favorable attention.
Harrison Roberts, who. with Colonel Henry
Watterson directs the editorial policy of The
Louisville Courier-Journal,' the author.
Since then he has written three novels. If
Were a Man and Red Blood and Blue have
appeared. and the Scribners are about to
| JoIo " ha
again interprets Southern life. Mr.. Robertson
was born in Rutherford Middle Tennessee. and
was graduated from the University oil Virginia.
The Harpers preparing TO pubilsh soon
transations of number OF the novels of
Matilde Serao. who is one of the best known
writer's of fiction in Italy. and whose position
in the world of letters is the subject or an artlce
bv Henry James in the current North Ameri-
can Review" The first of these stories to ap-
| pear will be THE Land of Cockayne," dealing
Wit, Neapoltan life Her Fantasy, one of her
best known books, will appear later in the
Harpers' series.
The Century Company imparts the fact, as
| Irdication of the widespread interest taken in
Miss Runk,e's Helmet of Navarro which is to
| he nuhshed soon as a book that the first ad-
vance quantity order" came from Denver.
| Doubleday Page & Co. announce another
! hook in their nature series, of the several vol
| umes of which they have published now more
than sixty-five thousand copies. 1t will be The
| Insect Book by DR.. l.. o. Howard who has
| been chief Of tha Government Division of Ento-