The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-12

BOOKS and AUTHORS, COMMENT And GOSSIP

this comes the announcement OF new
edition Of Lorna Doone in England at q |
popular price. This makes the forty-ntnth
edition OF the romance The hold this
story has taken upon the hearts OF the
English people is evident In the con-
tinued demand there for low-rriced copies
Five years ago a London. slx-penny eui-
ton sold 10000 copies in two or three
weeks. In this country the demand Tor
cheap copies is not pronounced, and one
OF the most successful editions OF the
book was Harper's edition that sold at
two dollars and is famous for Its spe-
cially made illustrations OF the .Doone
country.
Few of#us are accustomed to think OF
the poet, Longfeliow, as a dandy, yet no
less an authority than Colonel Higgin-
son voucl,es for the astounding statement
that on Longfellow's return from Euro
rcan tour. in the early twenties, he
amazed his friends by crossing the gans-
plank in pair of spiral striped trousers.
And this was by no means solitary IN
stance of the poets somewhat startling
originality in the matter of apparel; his
dress at this period being Of so pronounced
tyne that his social intimates we're
sometimes obliged to register polite pro-
tests.
The Observation-Disclosures came to Amer
lea through the medium OF Alexander
Pope, the poet, who planted a willow
twig on the banks OF the Thames, at his
Twick.nham villa The twig came to
! him in a box of figs sent from Smyrna
by friend who had lost all in the South
Sea Bubble and had gone to that distant
| land to recoup his fortunes. Harper's
Encyclopaedia of United States History
| tells the story of the willows arrival in
America A young British officer, who
%1,o IN orr cJ1
tho rebellion Of the American colonies
brought with him a twig from Popes
| new beautiful willow-tree, intending to
| nlant it in America when he should COM
| fortably settle down on lands conflscated
| from the conquered Americans. The
young officer, disappointed in these ex-
| pectations, gave his willow stwig 6. WRAPPED
| IN oil-sik. to John Parke Gusts, Mrs.
WashinEton's son, who ,planted 1T. on his
Abingdon estate in Virginia. It tllrived,
and became the progenitor OF all our
| willow-trees.
Messrs. Elder and Shepard, San Fran
| cisco, publish a little booklet of quota
| lions on friendship. culled from the great
| wealth of material furnished by the think
ers Of all times in honor and tribute of
| this noblest emotion of the human soul.
1 Refined by careful selection and graced
By the charm of tasteful and original ar
rangement, it is thoroughly perVaded
from cover to cover with the spirit of its
| subject offering most appropriate token
! of remembrance. A little specimen fol-
| lows:
FRIENDSHIP.
I 1t is a name.
! Virtue can only answer to: couldst thou
| Unite into one all goodness whatso'er
/ Mortality can boast Of thou shalt find
/ The circle narrow, bounded to contain
| This swelling treasure. Every good admits
/ I'esrees; but this. being SO good, it can
4 not:
For he's no friend who's not superlative-
! Shirley.
''These practical hard-headed Amerl-
cans are greatly attracted always by the
| feminine soul and mind. They like to
| know what women think. how they feel:
they are inspired by their ideas: but In
! England. if you speak Of woman's
i soul to man. he supposes you must be
1 either mad or affected. In fact, the soul
! is a. thing which I never discuss with an