The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-30


 The Bibliography of Charles Dickens. The Avon Booklet etc. The value of the collection is twofold: 1t preserves the random work of a great poet, which would otherwise be forgotten and even lost; and it demonstrates the develop l ment of Tennyeon's genius from its early beginnings. The editor says: T believe I have succeeded in tracing every pub l lished poem of Tennyson's not now given in the Collected. Works
 Balxac's Plan Didn't Work. When Miss Marie Manning, author of Judith of the Plains. was a girl at board ing school, she and her ''chum'' deter mined to devote their lives to the pursuit of literature They decided to follow the plan of BRlzac-iamely, to eat substan- tial dinner in the evening and retire at once to sleep until midnight. Upon the stroke of that hour, they would rise and devote the rest of the night to labor, thus securing the most quiet hours for work. The plan worked admirably so far as eat ing the dinner was concerned. They then retired. An hour passed. Then a voice broke the silence. Are you asleep?" 'No," was the reply, "can't." Another hour passed. Are, you asieep?'' said the voice again, softly. No, can't close my eyes" came the gloomy reply. At mid- night, however. they arose, and prepared for the nights labor. But they had scarcely arranged their writing materials and clad themselves appropriately than they immediately became much too sleepy to work. Are tyou awaken said the voice again. Yes, but can hardly keep my eyes open" Lets go to bed" "Very weli.'' And two discouraged litterateurs retired to the slumbers of the young and healthy. Thus Balzacs plan failed.
 
 Two English Views of New York. The climate of New York seems to ifn+ press various Englishmen quite different- ly. E. F. Benson in The Relentless City, says that 1t is ''unbearable three-quartera of the year. and intolerable the rest" Oh the other hand, Richard Le Galiienne has decided Ito take up his residence perma- nentiy in America, as he finds the air of New York more health-givlng than that of London" MT. ie Gallienne, when in New York, has study on the roof where, under the shade of huge Japanese para soi. he gets comfortably through great deal of work. Here he wrote An Old Country House, one of the quaintest and happiest of all his books.
 Widespread Interest in Wagner. Harper and Brothers have been notified by the American Printing House fer the Blind. at Louisville. that they desire to have embossed, for use in various schools for the blind, Henry Krehbieis Studies in the Wagnerian Drama and Anna Alice Chapin's Wonder Tales from Wagner.
 A New Dramatic Record Made.
 For the first time In the history of any publishing house Harper & Brothers will have three plays running at the same time in New York. all of which are dram- atiEations Of books published by them. They are "Ben-Hur." dramatIzed by Will liam Young from the novel by General Law Wallace; "A Japanese Nightingale" also dramatized by William Young from onoto Watanna's love-story; and Lady Roses Daughter" dramatized by George Fleming Constance FTetcher) from Mrs. Humphry Wards novel of the same name. The coincidence will be made more re- nlarkable by the return of MT. Sothern to New York in ''The Proud Prince within few weeks at which time there will be four Harper" plays running simultane- ously in New York. This condition has never occurred before, and probably mover will again.
 Under the title "A Keystone of Empire the book tells the story of the life of Enl- peror Francis Joseph of Austria, husband of that Empress Elizabeth whose murder occurred at Geneva, some years ago. The author is a personal friend of the Eul- peror, and gives in this Biographical work those Interesting details in the life of royal personages that are known only to a coterie of intimates, and which have never. before been published. The book includes an authoritative account of the Emperor's romantic marriage to Eliza- beth. and the domestic circumstances that clouded their married life. The work, in fact, completes the life of this remarkable pair, which was begun in The Martyrdom of an Empress.
 Whatever effect the Wall Street depres- sion may have had in New York, the book business in the Wes: seems to be in very good condition, Judging from the reports of many publishers. A. s. Barnes & Co report that Samuel sMerwin's His Little World" is among the best sellers In Chl- cago. and that large orders have come from the West for stoddards "Recollec- tions."
 One of the earliest applications for the limited large paper edition of Richard Henry Stoddard's "Recollections," which has just been brought out by A. s. Barnes & Co. was from a brother poet who of recent years has written more State pa- Pers than poems-Secretary of State John Hay.