Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-26

In Harper's Magazines for August.
Henry M Alden gives US some of the
results OF his many years experience
with authors: "As the editor looks
back upon the large company Of con-
tributors who have been associated
with him and with the management in
shaping the destiny of the magazine
he says, "the most gratifying feature
Of the retrospect Is the amenity OF the
relationship. The ablest writers are
always, as a rule, most amenable to
the natural demands Of editorial man.
agement, and the most ready to admit
their reasonableness. Such demands
necessarily arise, the most frequent
one being that for the curtailment of q
contribution. The very fervor of
genius leads to extension-often to I'M
due expansion, beyond the natural
scope of the story's motif, excepting in
the rare cases where a vigorous con-
| tractility accompanies and regulates
the expansion, being an intuitive reflex
thereof, an instructive reserve. If the
! editor sees that a story is overriding
ana suggests stricter economy, the
author must, of course, be the Judge as
to the demands of his art, but we have
| always found tie lesser writer's the
most unwilling TO see the possibility of
any abbreviation. Sometimes, too, a
contribution from the best of writer's
/ must be declined, and the strain upon
the relation between editor and con-
tributor is in such a case reduced to
the minimum; it is much more difficult
| for the ordinary writer to understand
| the reasOnableness of the rejection.
Within few months the editor has
found it necessary to decline three
short stories from a writer whose work
is in eager demand and difficult to Sc
cure upon an absolute order She
writes to us with no complaint or
acerbity. or even surprise, but asking
for suggestions that may be of service
| to her in meeting the wants of our
readers. Another author, one of our
!. best, to whom the editor has been
frank in the expression of his judg-
Ilnent, writes: The first question with
me is whether you think that you like
| the sketch well enough to print it
whether it belongs to the magazine 1t
| is pleasure to be able to say, as the
result of a long experience, that usually
/ writer's of all degrees of excellence re :
| ceive the unfavorable verdict in the
most friendly spirit; too often the
modesty of the contributor would be
surprised by an acceptance rather than
by rejection"
| Two volumes of the collected works
of f. Hopkinson Smith have just been
issued by Charles Scribners Sons, who
| Will complete the set in ten volumes
under the title of 1.-The Beacon Edition"
Mr.. Smith has revised and rearranged
| his, stories and sketches for this edi-
ton, bringing together related themes,
and he has also added several stories
not hitherto published. A special
| feature of the volumes will be draw
| ings in color by Edwin A. Abbey, How
ard Chandler Christy. Henry Reuter-
| dahl, F. c. Yohn, Mr.. Smith himself
| and other artists.
Messrs. Small Maynard & Company
announce that the authorship of the
| stories contained in the volume en-
titled "A House Party" is as follows
| The Angel of the Lord,
George w. Gable
Artemisia's Mirror, Bertha Runkle
Aunt Nancy's Annuity,
Frank r. Stockton
The Broken Story.
Ruth AIcEnery Stuart
Dawson's Dilemma.
John Kendrick Bangs
The Fairy Godmother,
Mrs. Burton Harrison
A Family Tradition,
Paul Leicester Ford
Sarah Orne Jewett
The Messenger, Octave Thanet
Mother, Owen Wister
The Red Oxen of Bonval,
Charles G. d. Roberts
A sur ender, Robert Grant
In the original competition no cor
rect guess was received, the nearest
correct being that of Mrs. Horace Sis
bee of Seneca Falls, New York. who
guessed correctly the authorship of
eleven out of the twelve stories. In
the second confess, in which the names
of the authors We're given and the
question was which author wrote each
story, twenty-four correct answers
We're received. rs
One more novel from the pen of the
late Nine. Durand ("Henry Greville")
may be expected by the bookseller, as
her last work is even now running as
a serial In a Patisian newspaper. Some
of her stories are said to have gone in
to from twenty to one hundred edi-
tions-and they are now as dead as
nail in door. This lady was essentially
mediocre as writer. and her books
have no claim to survive her.
The first edition of 1000 copies Of
Holman Days new poems. entitled
pine Tree Ballads published byI
Small, Maynard & Co. was exhausted
within a week after publication The
publishers believe that this book bids
fair to exceed the remarkable success
Of Mr.. Days first book, up in Maine"
Of which nearly 10000 copies have been
sold. These figures certainly contra
dict the general impression that poetry |
does rot sell, and prove that the public |
will buy good deal of poetry, if it is |
of the Kind that thew like