The San Francisco call., 1903-01-17
GOSSIP FROM
LONDON WORLD
OF LETTERS

With regard to EnSilSh
mast wear has certainly been s'S-l liiiie
one The two premier noVelists Vl HtNs
Land have been silent with a silence 'hae
is none the easier to bear for being 1slN-li-
lar On the other hand, HehIy S@
has given TO the world oOOk tndS -
ied 10 the furthest point of exceHehcs
III cbaracterfstic methods While DOth
KIpling and Barrie have pubhsned ensI N m
ing hooks whose fate is to rank Win tiie
old nursery classics. several OtheI hoEo
lists such as PhillpOtts, Hlcnehs' N1Is9
ChOlmOndeley, Jerome ana O OIhSl7 - = -
merous 10 mention, have nereaSeu - -
reputation by new novels, WIlilT ~ -~'S'
Violet Jacob we have a very WeicoIue du- az.
dition to the band of capable rustic Gov
elsts. -,
In poetrv the chief achievement has
been William WatsOn's coronation Que,
while IN the critical branches OF literature
we have had a book of essays from
Street. a miscellaneous book from Beeche-
ing and book great both IN promise ana
performance from Chesterton- Inen Hen
lev has given new volume OF essays on
matters artistic, and Yeats has issued an -
enlarged edition of his Celtic IWlhShI
and a little play in prose. Courtney mas
published a charmingly pOetical drama.
and there has been a notable book OF
poems from Miss Emily Lawless, while
in the weightier branches Of literature
there have been a second volume OF An
drew Lang's Scotland and Podmores
admirable History of Modern Spiritual
ism" In theology there has not been
much of note. The oxford Library Of
Practical Theology continues TO issue its
sinsularly useful series OF handbOOls.
'.Contentio Veritatis" has hardly achieved
or deserved the success and nOtoriety OF
previous collections of essays. such as
Ink Mundi." Canon Henson gained the
Of he Il
while by his not very practical proposals
for reunion in Cody Union and Con-
coId."
The Messrs Treherie are beginning
with the new year fresh enterprise that
should be very successful. They intend
to issue a series to be called Poets or
the Renaissance" and will thus cover
English poetry between Surrey and Her
rick. The first volume Will contain selec-
tions from Surrey, Wyatt and SacIville.
BENJAMIN Swift who is himself a nov
eltst of reputation. has been contributing
somewhat pessimistic views on the de
cay of the novel; to a weekly paper
Swift, whose real name is Paterson. con
siders the spread of popular education
has more or less swamped literature with
limitations, just as there is imitation jew
elry put on the market against real jew
elry- People nowadays, he thinks, go to
the bookstaU as they go to a buffet. and
it is not surprising that the great reading
public who rejoice in jerry built villas re-
joice also in jerry built novels.
On this interesting prOnOuncement sew
eraI novelists offer criticism Thomas
Hardy. for example, approves Swift's
statement that the Immoral book is the
book which hides the truth and creates a
fools paradise and mirage that mis-
leads Fl. G. Wells stOutly denies there
is any decay. Whiteing agrees there is
but is not therefore disheartened. and w
z. Norris thinRs the novel is going
through a state of transition at the mo-
ment. but adds he is afraid the public
taste is not very likely to improve. Nor
ris doubts whether shams have much
more power for evil than they have for
good.
Heinemann will before long. I believe.
issue a book entitled Penal Servitude.'
the author of which cOnceaIs his identity
under initials. He is, however, I under
stand, no other than Lord William
Nevill. who was sentenced, it will be re-
membered. to FIVE years penal servitude
some time back. Lord William served
three years and nine months, mainly In
Parkhurst prison. His book describes
faithfully what he saw and underwent
there The story is likely TO prove a very
lively account of his experiences. He has
something TO say with regard to Judge
and counsel which promises not to be at
ali conventional.
~ knighted, General Sir Alexander Bruce
TTllOch. has written his "reminiscences
They are to be published by Messrs
BlackwOOd under the title of "RecolIec-
tions of Forty Years Of Service" It was
Sir Alexander who was requested by the
King of the Belgians TO undertake Cor
dOn's work in Central Africa when Cor
don was shut up in Khartoum. but this
was not sanctioned. He has seen much
active service.
The Duke of Argyll and General Baden
Powell are contributors to a book which
Messrs-. Jack are about to issue Ii has
the title South Africa and It's Future
and is edited by Louis Creswfcke The
idea of the volume is treating broadly
and with full knowledge South African
subjects and problems. Thus, General
Baden-PowelI writes of the future of the
South African cOnstabulary, the force
which he commands. Another of the con-
tributors is the Hon. A. WiImott
ugfrre eFa1 ~.