The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-20
Good Books
Of the Season

The spring season of 1903 is now
fairly on its way and the reading pub
lie may we'll congratulate itself on the
quantity of good books which are being
brought out. In novels there are
enough worthy of note to last through
the dog days of late summer and long
before that time the fall season in
book publishing will have begun. AS
for serious books, few seasons have
been so productive.
Let us look over this latter field first.
Have you ever read such a book as
Helen Kellar's "Autobiograph y?" Here
is a great story of a wonderful girl
blind, deaf, until lately dumb-which
makes those who have all five senses
wonder what they have been doing
to get so little in comparison out of
life.
THE Letters and Memoirs of Jane
Carlyle" More Letters of Darwin"
The Diary of John @. Adams" The
Benedict Arnold" Memoirs of de
Blowitz," Crossings Life of Dickens"
and Dillons Life of Gorky''-here are
human documents and volumes of in
struction whose Importance is at once
apparent.
In the field of fiction there Is Lady
Roses Daughter" Youth" Lovely
Mary" The Pit" Golden Fleece" and
a score of others in the first rank.
Delicate Subterfuee.
The following story of book selling
in the East is now going the rounds:
"Oh, East is East, and West is
West" says Mr.. Kipling. This seem
ingly applies with special force to bust
ness matters. in which Orientals have
little to learn, if the following is a
fair sample of their modus operandi:
"A Mussulman is forbidden to sell
copy of the Koran, and therefore
foreigner who desires to purchase the
sacred book must proceed as follows:
Go into the book store, having on your
face as piOus an expression as posi-
bic, and to say to the proprietor:
l shall consider myself eternally in
debted to you if you will present me
with a copy of the Koran
AS | am a devOut believer the pro-
prietor will answer, I think it my duty
to assist any unbeliever who desires
to instruct himself in our law. More
over, you seem to be a serious man,
and 1 am convinced that it is not vain
curiosity which prompts you to OBJ
tain copy of the Koran. but a sincere
desire to study our religion. Therefore
am willing to make you present of
this copy, though l value it highly,
for 1 paid a good price for IT.
You will then put the book in your
pocket, and a minute or two later the
proprietor will say. L shall consider
myself eternally your debtor If you will
make me q present of ---,' naming
certain sum. If you think the price
too high you may bargain with him,
but you must take care not to make
the slightest allusion to the copy of
the Koran in your pocket, for In dis
posing of it the proprietor has clearly
broken the law, and it would not be
good policy for you to remind him of
that fact"
A Merger Rumor.
A most persistent rumor is quietly
circulating in New York publishing
circles to the effect that thu house of
Appleton is to be merged into the Har-
per establishment. Granting that such
a consolidation actually occurs. the
cry that there will soon be a publishing
trust would have some weight if it
were not for the fact that almost ev-
cry week sees the birth of some new
concern.
AS a matter of fact. ten rumors fly
and one lights There is always a great
deal of misinformation about the do
1ngs of the publishing world which
passes for the truth. 1t was recently
reported that several American pub
fishers were planning to establish huge
plants in London with which they
might capture English book markets,
but the American publishers are still
here.
A Scotch Phenomenon.
More than 100000 copies of a little
book called "Wee MacGreegor' have
been sold in England within the past
few months. a success so remarkable
that, though the story is told in a
broad Scotch dialect which almost re-
quires translation, firm of American
publishers are to bring the book out
in this country. A few days ago a copy
of the book was handed to a New York
publisher of Scotch parentage. He
kept it day or so and then returned it
to his friend with the words:
This seems to be a good little story
but l can't translate it fast enough to
really enjoy it."
The joke of it is that the publisher
In question is not only an enthusiastic
Scotchman but he is also a most ardent
defender of the Kailyard school and
delights in the worst-or best-that
Ian Maclaren and J. M. Barrie have
done in dialect.
An Authoress Ill.
Miss Louise Forssland, author of
1.-THE Story of Sarah" and 1.-THE Ship of
Dreams" has been obliged to go to
New MEXICO Tor her health. She will
remain at least a year. In the interval
of her absence from Long Island, how
ever, Miss Forssland hopes to complete
series of short stories of Vonstra-
dam, the Dutch town of her story
Sarah" A Long Island village is the
real NonStradam and most of the sto-
rles are to be true. with the charac-
ters easily recognizable by those who
know the Dutch settlements of that
section of New York state.
Play in Book Form.
One of the most attractive plays of
the past season was "Everyman," and
Its recent publication in book form by
new firm Of publishers recalls it's
ancient history. "Everyman" was pub
ushed In book form first as long ago
as 1929 by John Skat, of London. The
great English critic, Hazlett, regarded
the play as one of the very best of the
re-Elizabethan literary productions.
and his son included it in his edition
Of old Plays According to HaZlett," the
play was written sometime during the
reign of Edward " That a play should
live so long is remarkable. The repub-
hcation of it in its present form is most
worthy.
Quest for Entertainers.
Simeon Ford, who is one of New
York's most famous after dinner speak
crs, and whose Few Remarks' are
TO be published shortly, was offered
$500 the other day to talk ten min
utes twice a day for a week on the
stage at Proctor's Fifth Avenue The