The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-21
WILMINGTON N. C.
LITERARY HOTCH-POTCH.

was greatly disappointed at h recsp-
ton his "Commemoration Ode" deliv-
cred at Gettysburg. 1t is a poem
of genuine merit. and with some
high reaches of thought. It was colby
received and severely damned WITH
faint praise. Where is it's equal in
the United States as an ode? He wrote
IN much chagrin to Miss Jane Norton, a
warm personal friend: 81 am Icarus
now with the cold. salt sea over him in
stead of the warm exulting blue Of
ether. I am gone under, and I never
will be a fool again. Like a boy, 1 mis-
took my excitement for inspiration, and
here I am in the mud"
Lincoln's speech, short and felicitouS,
was the attraction. 1t has been lauded
In excess by the hero-worshippers in
the north. He stole bodily his most
striking phrase-"A government of the
people and for the people and by the
people" Up in New England in the thir-
ties there was a New England Reader
that contained the sentiment complete.
Any Yankee can hunt it if he likes. But
Lowel's inspired poetry fell fiat on in
sensate ears and unresponsive minds.
:. - -
There are two proper James that Amer
lean and periodicals spell
TO suit themselves and against &C
knowledged authorities in Europe. They
are Csar and Tolstoi. We find that in
the Lest literary circles abroad hat it
E. ~ uNI&1- A. A. Lotion ;1
one of the greatest authors of modern
Europe. it is a pity not to know how to
spell his name as he spells it. A recent
piece of Russian music is called The
Fiancee of the Tsar." The French
Academy, so celebrated, awarded the
and the subject was 1.-The Nineteenth
Century" Byron was the first to write
"He makes a solitude and calls it
peace"
Mrs. st. Leger Harrison's novel, |
''Sir Richard Calmaby'' outsells all
others in Britain now. 1t is by an able,
gifted writer. She is a daughter
Of that superior novelist, the late Rev.
Charles Kingsley. Her literary name is
Lucas Malet." Her critics generally
praise it highly and fail to tell Of its
,ad character. The English correspond
mt of The Era says he heard a clever
add. it was so condemned as to that
particular by the grst critics in her
country. as tt force her to either elimi-
nate an entire chapter. or to rewrite 1t.
Il sells and that is what novelists crave.
A. wicked. low book, it is sad to know,
will outsell a pure, noble book. How
iecayed the taste or is it the morals?
Think of a commonplace book like
Harum" reaching its $4,000
sold. What an age for inferior1-
ty!-A new edition in small volumes of !
George Meredith's works is now appear
ing in this country. He Is a very I'M
writer. A cultivated man can
find nothing in contemporaneous fctive
literature that is more appealing, slim
Frightening than 1.-The Ordeal of
Richard Feverel." "Beauchamp's Ca
reer," 1.-THE Egoist," Diana of the
and Evan Harrington
Z r =
A new life OF Sheridan, the marauder
yandal, is to soon appear in Two vol
ames. His career Is a disgrace to any
country.-Putnam is publishing
. book that will probably interest soma
our citizens. n many residing IN
,ther sections of the state. 1t is the
of the Scotch-Irish Families in
and is by Charles A. Hanna,
4 is in two volumes. New York sat
Review says of 1t that 1t in
dudes a brief history Of Scotland from
he earliest times to the beginning OF
he eighteenth century, n
IRE given of the principal events. etc.
n deals with the Scot in North Britain,
North Ireland and North America"
work of value is now publishing by an
ex-president and leading Viz
r;nian. Tt is The Writings of James
Madison" and will also include MS
of the Constitutional Conven-
son with notes by the editor Gaillard
: Hunt. of the State Department
been very carefully edited
Two female writer's, Mary c.
-rowley and Katherine E. Conway
rave published two novels recently. we
earn that Miss Conway has just WIKI
an .Lalor's Naples" while MISS crow
avs book. "a Daughter OF New
France" has gone into its seventh eai-
ion. The two women first met at the
sacred Heart. Manhattanville. severai
zears age but only in later years dio
heir ACQUAINTANCE ripen into friend
.b;n.-A writer in Saturday Review !
antlv refers to .'ragtime fiction" and
swashbuckleism" in fiction.
There are no les than nine new edi-
so7s of Charles Dickens now appearing,
~ there is a very high priced one
.se.I Der set-that show how Dickens
= stag OUT as some ass wrote a
: ;, or two ago Of him. 1t is very en-