Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-22

Illustrations by one OF the best known
illustrators in America, who. in illus.
trating a book Just out, has put the
heroine in three different costumes
when by the narrative it was impos.
sibe for her 20 change garments and
would have been indecent to suppose
she had.
Very few serials have called forth the
attention that j. NJ, Barrle's "The Lit.
Tie White Bird, now running IN Serb.
ner's. is receiving. The story, as far as
II has progressed, shows Barrie In all
his tender charm and delightful humor
SO far 1t has not risen to the heights of
Tommy and Grizel, an author creates
few such books in lifetime. But 1t
win. we venture TO predict, be a vastly
more popular book.
A curious parallel to those startling
lines of Oscar Wilde's Ballad of Read
Ing Gaol,' is cited by the London out
look, The ballad, 1t viii be remembered
described at length, and in most
dramatic way, the end of a trooper OF
the Royal Horse Guards who was
hanged al Reading on July Z, 1896, fol
the murder Of a woman whom he was
said to have loved devotedly. In the
poem occurs the following verse;
And all men KIN the thing they love,
by all let this be heard,
Some do IL with a bitter look
Some with a ilatterng word,
The coward does II with kiss,
The brave man with sword
In the daily papers of Friday, Sept,
~ the following lines appeared among
the police news.
A reservist recently returned from
the front, Henry Williams, was charged
with the wilfu murder Of. his child,
Margaret. aged five years, by cutting
her throat with razor Addressing a
constable, Williams said, II know what
you want me for, for killing my little
girl | did il, God bless her I'll hang
like a man for It," The prisoner said he
had told the constable he killed the
child because he loved her, and would
willingly hang.
David Harum Is really a wonderful
book In some ways though few, If any
of these ways are literary. But book
which has run through hundred edi-
lions, and has sold CO. 900 copies, is un-
usual, to put it mildly The only other
book which has such a record Is Uncle
Toms Cabin. Having said that the sit
uation becomes only more complex,
The reasons for the sale OF the latter
book are patent; but the case OF David
Harum Is different, far different. How
small in the light OF these figures seems
the great range few years ago Of Tril-
by Yet Trilby had a vogue that few
OF the popular novels Of today, though
they may surpass In sales, can equal
in extent or influence. Trilby was
good writing.
Mr.. Dooley is about to go into liter
airy criticism He has made one or two
very successful advances into this field
before; but now he is to contribute
series Of studies on literary subjects
10 the Century. In the words Of Kip
ling:
Attlnd We lasses of swate Parnassus.
In a symposium held by London
editor on How to Become a Novelist
Mr.. Nell Munro tells the beginner that
he must be born novelist; but that is
only to confirm the would-be literary
aspirant in his foolhardiness, for who
that aspires TO the fame OF fiction does
not believe himself a heaven inspired
genius? Mr.. Max Pemberton insists on
having "a story TO tell' but that sim
ply means thar you must catch your
iish before you eat It, Mr. William lie
QueuX says, in effect, study your public,
find out what II wants, then give II TO
them. He lowers the standard OF his
40, no al Of 10 I'm gh aY
the baker, and the candlestick-ma
Mr. A. Il. w. Mason. in recent melody
through his dramatized Miranda OF the
Balcony, protests. Nor do | believe
that popularity. and by that | mean a
genuine and lasting popularity, is to be
obtained by perpetually and deliberate
ly aiming at IT," Among other contrib
rtors who uphold the dignity of letters
In fiction in taking a high standard for
the making Of novelist are Mi gull
ler-Couch, Lucas Malet." Mr., l.. Il.
Benson, and Sir Gilbert Parker. In his
flashing epigrammatic manner Benja-
min Swift sums the matter up ina sem
tence: The best art is an affair Of per-
sonalities great art Is not an echo, but
an apocalypse
Speaking OF symposiums, an utter
ance OF Mr. Hamin Garland in re-
cent number of the North American
Review merits attention. MIR. Garland.
as one Of the contributors to the dis
cussion OF Jules Nernes statement thar
the novel was doomed. said that the
drama Is to become its serious COMPETE
tor We should Ike to think this and
fatter ourselves that the divine art OF
playmaking Is to regain its pristine
prominence. but facts hardly justify II,
Mr.. PinerO Mr., Jones, Mr.. Grundy, Mr..
Esmond. VI. Hervieu, Herr Sudermann,
and dozen other men perhaps are
writing today excellent plays, Of artis-
tic technique and literary value. These
plays are Of absorbing interest and vi.
tai import Moreover, they can be had
In print Yet scarcely the names OF the
dramatists are known, and not one per.
son in ten thousand Of the reading pub
lie has read one Of their plays. Even
lbsen is little known save by one or two
plays Occasionally poetic play by
Rostand or a Phillips comes out and
for time enjoys q vogue. But the
truth is plain and simple; plays are not
read The reason is not hard 10 see. To
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