Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-29


elder Dumas would astonish and delight
the greatest American novelist today,
whoever he may be. Not only were his
greater books translated into most Ian
guages Of Europe, but at least one of
them. The Spy" is still read in Arabic
and Persian.
Yet scarcely any other author SO volu-
minous has made little use Of living
characters, or who. using such models,
has corned such advantage as might have
been obtained by free use of actual
names Had Cooper not admitted, after
the book was published, that John Paul
Jones was the hero Of The Pilot" the
secret would have died with him, for
Jones is not once named in the story. In
The Spy" Cooper's second and greatest
novel the impressive and influential Har-
per was drawn from Washington, but
this is learned only by inference, and
some men who have read and re-read tn
book with great delight have been obliged
to take the inference at second hand.
There were brilliant and popular figures
| in Washington's camps on the Hudson
Putnam. Heath, Hamilton, and many
others, ana ll' lliDitlh hi9tpL lNttl ii'N'4
list makes free use Of them. but Cooper
introduced none Of them-not even as 81
lent characters in great scenes.
Give me an old-fashioncd. simple love
story. I am tired Of the historical ro-
nance Of European life and of American
colonial and revolutionary times, and OF
the swashbuckling heroes who are always
ready for a fight" So a prominent book
seller of New York, reports the demand
, Of his patrons to be among the novel
reading public. Is there to be reac-
ton from the class Of novels indicated,
that have of recent years had so enor-
nous circula ton? The success of 'Au-
drey" and few other recent books deal
ing with that period does not seem to in
dicate it; but there may be exceptional
circumstances in their favor.
According to several publishing houses
of a conservative tendency the spring
publishing business this year is largely in
excess of last years, though last year
was considered to be time Of eXcep
tional general prosperity throughout the
country One exF-5nation advanced b.
a representative Of a firm that has had
little to do with the publication of popu-
lar novels of vast circulation, and that
reports its business to be from 10 to So
per cent better than last year, is that the
best reading public is coming more and
more to buy books Of a serious literary
character and substantial quality-a fact
! which would naturally increase the de-
mand for its publications.
Henry Harland, whose THE Lady Par
amount will be published next month by
John Lane, was born in New York in
1861, and is the son of Thomas Harland
of Norwich. who was famous in his time
as a lawyer. and also as a mathematician
of great ability. Henry Harland studied
at New York College and at Harvard.
At the age of 10 he went to Europe, resid
ing in Rome and London. and from there.
under the name of Sidney Luska. he pub
lished several clever stories of Jewish
life. with which he was familiar from
having been brought up in the Jewish
quarter of the city. In London he be-
came connected with the yellow Book"
and its young school of litterateurs and
artists. Though many Of Mr. Harland's
time, it was not until the publication of
THE Cardinals Snuff-boX," two years
ago, that he gained a prominent place IN
the literary world.
Newton Booth Harrington, the author,
who was recently nominated by the Re
publicans of his county for the Indiana
Legislature and ran ahead of his asso-
ciates on the primary ballot by 600 votes,
says that he did not know how to account
for the result until this week, when he
began discussing the recent primary with
farmer. Harrington was unknown to
the farmer and affecting innocence, asked
If Harrington was pretty well known to
the people who gave him such a hand
some vote.
No" said the farmer, none of us
around here knows him. The papers said
he's a playwriter and some kind of an
actor and we just wanted to see what
kind of derned fool he'd make of him
self in the Legislature.
Mr.. Dooley has recently sailed for Eu-
rope in company with his mentor and
friend, Mr.. F. p. Dunno, who first intro
duced him to the public 1t is expected
that Mr.. Dooley's observations and expe-
riences in foreign parts will contribute to
the gayety of nations, and will do at
| least as much as the peace conference al
The Hague to promote an era of good
feeling. He will, no doubt, publish them
Booker T. Washington is eminently
| qualified to speak on such a subject as
The Making of Character" having had
experience with the elemental basis of its
development. He has written book
with that title which Doubleday, Page
& Co. are going to bring out as they dill
his photographed up from Slavery"
1t is put in the form of talks by an edu-
| Gator to young people-such talks as Mr..
Washington has given to his pupils at
TuskeSee. and is thus directed especially
TO the negro race, though not without its
| general application. and forming a logl-
cal and connected whole.
Writing in Harpers Magazine for April.
Mr.. Alden tells something of the reasons
which enter into the acceptance and de-
clination of manuscripts. Writers who
have offered articles that have been de-
clined," he says, wonder why this or