The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-17

nave just nnlSneO reading FORSTER
Life of Dickens, as abridged by Mr.
George Gissing into one volume, and
recently published in England and this
country. 1t is a wonderfully interest
ing story of a great novelist, who had
been able, at the same time, to remain
the kindest and most charitable of
men. This is saying much, consider
ing Dickens first American visit and
his American notes, but, at that time
Dickens was much troubled, not only
by the unfortunate contracts he had
made in England whereby he was en-
riching his publishers and starving
himself, but also by the many pirated
editions of his works in this country
There is little doubt that Dickens hast
ened the coming of the International
Copyright law by many years through
his efforts in its behalf which began
at that time. Later on in his life Dick
ems made most complete amends for
the unfortunate opinions he had form
ed of this country. The remarka bic
fact is that, scarcely to this day has
an author been accorded such recep-
tons as were given him during his
reading and lecture tour here. For
thirty-four readings. during the win
ter of 1S67-6S, he received nearly $751;
900. His account of his worries on ac-
count of the spectators who bought
tickets in advance and sold them again
at tremendous profits reads as though
the tour happened very recently, for
the same worries beset all great attrac-
tions to-day. Dickens, writing to his
friends in England at the time tells
of the excitement in New York city
over his reading. The ticket office was
to open at on a Wednesday morning.
By midnight on Tuesday a long line
of spectators were assembled; later on
few honest buyers arrived; and by 8
o'clock in the morning, there were 81
600 people in two lines. At 8 O'clock
when the office opened, each of these
lines was more than three-quarters of
a mile long, and they seemed to get
no shorter during the whole morning
All of the available tickets were SOLD
by noon. but, during the time of walt
ing, members of families relieved each
other; walters flew back and forth
from the restaurants to the waiting
lines to serve customers; and excited
men offered five and ten dollars for
the mere permission to change places
with other persons standing nearer the
head of the line.
Admirers of the work of Mr.. Frank
Norris will be gratified with the an
nOuncement that there will shortly be
issued IN DOCK form a cOllectiOn or his
essays on literary topics, most of
which appeared in various magazines
and newspapers. and a volume of
short stories under the title "A Deal
in Wheat and Other Stories" This
will make eight books of the credit
of a writer who died before he had
been writing that many years. a re-
narkable record considering the quail
ity of his work and the fact that at
the time he wrote most of these books,
he was obliged to carry on other work
for a living. Not until within three
years Of his death did his income from
his books provide for him freedom
from the drudgery OF newspaper work
or OF editorial work for a publishing
firm.
The other day one OF the leading
yellow" newspapers decided 70 secure
a story OF New York for a daily serial
and "A one OF the editors had dipped