The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-17
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
Another Napoleonic "Reminiscences I
Men Who Write Under Two Names.
BY HERBERT BREWSTER.

OF the Napoleonic legend there seems
to be no end. Scarcely a book season
passes during which a life of Napoleon
or of some great parsonage of his tine
does not appear. -Four eye witnesses of
his imprisonment at St. Helena have
written their "reminiscences, or rather
tht "reminiscences of four eye witnesses
have been published thus far. Within
the next few weeks another account of
this account viii be brought out. This
last is taken from the Memoirs of Dr.
John StokOe, a naval surgeon who was
on the flag ship "COnQuerOr" at St
Helena. It is said that after DR.
O'Meara was banished NaDOIeOn was
very anxious to have Dr. Stokoe as his
personal medical attendant. The book
gives a thorough expose to the system
of imprisonment adopted by Sir Hudson
Lowe and it includes many hitherto IN
published letters and documents, manv
Of which are printed in fac-simile, Miss
Edith Stokoe, great-grand-niec OF
the surgeon has done the work of trans
lating and editing in preparation Cot
the English edition.
The practice of writing under more
than one name is a more cornnon meth
cd of literary puffery than is at all nee
essaTy. There is a well known profess
sOr not far from New York who writes
occasional essays and criticisms under
one name and then, under his own name
he writes reviews of his other self
There are great possibilities in a plan
of this kind-until someone discovers
the duplicity, but a story which comes
from Paris illustrates what even q
harmless use of more than one pen
name may lead to. 1t is said that thu
famous French critic, Antole France
has been writing a series Of articles
for the TEMPS over the signature.
Pierre NoEere' In one of these ar
tfcles, "Noziere" wrote a very harsh
criticism of RostaHd's poem on 'Hern-
ami" Whereupon Rostand sat down and
indited a very scathing letter to Pierre
NOzieTe" for daring to criticise a ROS-
tand piece. The secret was too good to
keep. Antole France showed ROstand's
letter to a number of his friends who in
turn found great amusement out of the
dramatist. France has been d men Der
of the Academy for several years and
Rostand is one Of the recently elected
members. Doubtless. hereafter, ROstand
will attempt to discover the identity #
his critic before he exposes himself TO
the ridicule Of his friends.
one of the most delightful books for
the present season IS IAN Island Ca
not long ago Mr.. Henry discovered q
small island far out toward the end OF
Long Island that was not inhabited and
which apparently had no owner It
seemed an uninviting place for most
people, but to Mr. Henry and his wife,
it became a pleasant summer resort.
The author took possession of the ISL
and built a cabin on it and proceeded to
live upon the bit of unclaimed property.
With a boat fashioned by his own hands
he made trips to the mainland when
ever necessary to get supplies but as
FISH were plentiful he found that. for
days at time. these trips could
be omitted. The book tells the story Of
his experiences. Of the visits of his
friends Of his fishing and Of his writing.