Evening journal., 1903-01-05
THE LITERARY WORLD

The January number Of Scribner's
MAGAZINE, which marks the beginning
OF its SSd volume, contains two of the
notable features of the coming year.
II is seldom that the opportunity is Of
fered to present the brilliant letters of
woman who has filled the highest so
cial and official positions at the Courts
Of Europe. The letters OF Madame
Waddington, wife OF the eminent
French Ambassador, NJ. William Wad-
dington, begin in this number, with
Entertaining and witty accounts or the
English court in the eighties. Madame
Waddington's observations have the
greater value to American readers be-
cause she is an American, the daughter
of a President of Columbia College and
the granddaughter of Rufus King, who
was American Minister to England.
These letters were written to her rela-
tives in this country at the very time
in which the events described were
fresh in her memory. They are there
fore spontaneous, natural, and uncon-
ventionally bright. The illustrations
are from portraits and other pictures
in Madame Waddington's own collec-
ton.
There is a variety of short stories,
including a tale of exquisite humor by
Nelson Lloyd illustrated by A. B..
FrOst), entitled THE Best Gun in the
Valley" a dramatic story of Revolu-
tionary times by George Hibbard, IL
lustrated by Pyle; a tale of sentiment
by Alice Duer Miller, and "A Death in
the Desert" by a new writer of fiction
WHO in this story shows herself to be
clever in style and deep in feeling. Her
name is Villa Sibert Gather.
The American Free Trade Almanac
for 1903 is an important publication.
1t not only prints such matter as is to
be found in the usual run of almanacs,
but there are excellent articles by Ed
ward Atkinson, Louis T.. Post, Byron
w. Holt William c. Edgar, Henry
Loomis Nelson, Dr. James II. billiard,
Congressman Thayer, of Massachusetts,
and Hazard Stevens.
First among the Harper publications
for the coming year is Mrs. Humphry
Wards novel, Lady Roses Daughter
: which, on its completion as serial
will be issued in March in three edi-
tions-one volume, two volume and an
autograph two volume edition Of 35(
SETS Aside from her, the list of au.
thors who will publish novels through
this house during 1903 is distinctive
Among them are Mark Twain, Mary
e. Wilkins, Booth Harrington. Rober
w. Chambers, Octave Thanet, Howard
Pyle, Matilde Serao Cyrus TOWNSEND
Brady, e. S. Martin, Mary Johnston
William Dean Howels, Margaret De
J land. A. T. Quiller-Couoh, E. +. Ben
son. John Kendrick Bangs, Elmore Ell
, liot Peake, Henry James and Georg
: Gibbs.
"The Flying Death" by Samuel Hop
kins Adams, the first part of which ap
, peam in the January McClure's, is
mystery tale built on absolutely origi
, nal lines. This is saying a good deal
for inventors Of tales of this sort mus
? be pretty hard put to it today to avoi
repetition. Mr. Adams has succeede
and the clues to his mystery com
. monplace enough murder on a lionel
, beach within a hundred miles of Ne
/, York-lbad with unimpeachable logi
: straight to a region as yet undiscol
!, cred and unexplored even by the mos
: daring purveyors of the uncanny.
! The November number OF Outin
{ contained a breezy little story o
d "Trolleying to Baltimore" written b
$ William j. hampton, the writer {
6 "Yaups" and other things 1t is Il
e first time such a ride from New YoI
e southwark has been described. The
II we're some jumps by steam road al
'e boats. but just the same hampton ma,
5, the journey and lived to write plea
n ing account of his experiences.
,e presented several good pictures
" snapshots taken on the wing.