Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-28

, copies OF Miss Johnston's novel, "Au-
drey," is reported to be the largest first
edition ever printed. 1t was exhausted
within one week of its publication, and
the publishers, Houghton, Mifiiln & Co.,
now announce that the book 10 in Its
l50th thousand.
Harper's Literary Gossip tells this
story about Mr.. Howells and Henry
James In their earlier. days A certain
prominent publisher in New York had
invited numerous guests to literary
evening" Of which the piece de resist
ance was to be the presence Of Mr..
Howells and Henry James, On the
very eve Of the event the publisher fell
suddenly III, and requested his son-in-
law to act as host in his place Now
the son-ln-law was a business man
not accustomed to consort with literary
folks. and not enthusiastically anxious
for their company, In fact. being a
modest man, he felt that he could not
support conversations sparkling with
bon-mots and scintillating with cpl
grams. He therefore urgently desired
to escape the ordeal; but his father in
law was kind and wealthy man. and
IL seemed inadvisable to decline So he
promised TO ofliclate. And this was his
account Of the affair: IL got through
very much better than | expected. But
] confess / was a little scared at the
meeting between Howells and James,
Now I'm In for the genuine brillanee,
thought !, and waited for the shock.
+" 'Hum-eh- ha.-how are you Mr.,
james, said Howells.
"'Ah-hum- eh-how are you, Mr.,
HowellsY said James. And that was
about ALL A Phillstine told me later
that literary stars were afraid to say
much to one another, for fear an idea
might escape and the other fellow
would print 1t. II was great fun for me.
/ haven't been afraid of literary gath
erings since
One OF the most pronounced hits Of
modern Journalism has been made by
the new pages Of Comment in Harp
er's Weekly. The paragraphs are un-
signed but at their head is printed a
list Of contributors. which includes
such names as William Dean Howells
John Kendrick Bangs. Henry LOOMS
Nelson, +. $. Martin. Edward W.
Townsend, George Harvey, Henry Mills
Alden, and others from week TO week
Of equal note. Not the least interesting
point about these paragraphs is the
remarkable extent 10 which they are
copied all over the country probably
more than the contents Of any other
periodical The spirit OF the para
graphs is wholly patriotic and optim-
istic and their general effect brilliant. |
They set the high-water mark for mod |
ern journalistic enterprise.
A novel reader has written 10 the |
Country Gentleman TO confess that he
has read Arthur Coltons novel. The |
Debatable Lnad." three times. finding |
more In Il each time than he had real
ICED before. He pertinently adds. How |
many novels since Thackergys time |
viii bear a third readingg II may be
answered at once very few. Mr. Col
tons novel is, In fact significant 1t
has been called "a study In egoism,'
and the study Is made from an original
standpoint his view Is striking. his
genuine, and his humor has
a favoar entirely It's own. Mr. Cotton
has recently gone to Italy for a visit
Of several months.
Hamlin Garland. whose new novel,
"The Captain Of the Gray-Horse
Troop" was published by the Harpers
on March Is. was born and reared In
the Lacrosse valley, In Wisconsin. at
the junction where the Lacrosse emp
ties into the Mississippi At this point
there was o tradlng-post and hither
came the lndlans-the Sacs the Foxes,
Chlppewas and sloux-from the other
side OF the Mississippi TO trade. making
the place a sort OF highway for Indian