The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-02
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK
Politics Take Hold Of Tarkinson-Lerd NevIes Prison
Lfe'"ConVersations With Bsmarck-.-DaIy
Training by Two Methods
By HERBERT BREWSTER.

When Mr., Booth Harrington con-
sented to become a candidate for the
State Legislature of Indiana, his
friends, thought that his political ca
reer would be but an episode. Accord
ing to the present news, however, it is
occupying his time and attention to
the exclusion of everything else. At
the beginning of the legislative session.
Mr.. Harrington requested the Speaker
to leave him of the committees and to
give him as little work as possible, The
author did not wish to appear promI-
nently during the first session, but ex-
pressed his willingness to take up any
task later on. 1t happened that he was
put second on one of the committees
and, as this honor involved no promi-
nence in the assembly, MIR. Tarking-
ton willingly accepted the place. In
a few days, however. the chairman of
this committee was taken i'll, and Mr..
Harrington was forced to take his
place. 1t was. the beginning of the
end of all his plans to stay in the leg
islative background, Before very
AOAiS llG NdS III THIS dLlu lndl COt1ItT-
ence; he became known as one of the
leading men of the party, though he
did not hesitate to cross the pArtys
wishes when it's course seemed wrong
TO him. Now, his friends say, he will
not thing or talk of anything else but
politics, and 1t is not to be doubted
that he is tremendously interested in
everything going on in Indiana's pub
lie affairs. Some of the younger ele-
ment of Indianapolis have even gone
so far as to mention Mr.. Harrington
as the next Governor of the state
1t is improbable that the author will
think of going beyond his present pub
lie office and it Is certain that when
he took the idea up, it was merely with
the intention of learning how the legis-
lative wheels were run in order that he
might later on write a novel about 1t
The idea of writing is too strongly fixed
in him to let politics claim him. Not
long ago ii was reported that he was
at work on a novel which would give his
experiences as political canvasser in
Indiana, but, as his political canvass
ing consisted in refusing to appear in
public during the eleGtioneering days
and in presenting cigars to the friends
who chaffed him about vote buying, the
report is probably not true So far as
writing is concerned Mr.. Tarkington's
next long story will probably be a novel
of theatrical life. He has, in point OF
fact, been working on this theme for
some time.
Mr.. Henry Harland, known best as
the author of THE Lady Paramount
and The Cardinals Snuff Box" each
Of which sold in the neighborhood of
100000 copies, has about completed a
third novel which he says will be much
better than either OF these. The forth
coming story is to appear serially In
one of the leading magazines beginning
in June, and the book publication will
not take place before next fall. Mr..
Harland has made his visit in New
York much longer than he had plan
ned. says now that he may not
return TO England before the early
spring .,i7ut 81 p M ~ ;, b.
~ - 5a1na-r' ~
A book which 4see' attracting much
attention n ENGLAND just now is Lord
Neville's, Prison Life. 1t win be. remem-
bered that this sciop of a noble house
was sehtspced to five years at Old
Bailey toratfajd in obtaining the. name
OF a wealthy relative to use as a Sc
cllrity. He, was liberated only a short
time ago, having, served out his term,
with the exception, of five months for
Boou behavior, LorQ, Neville says that
during the first nine months of his
imprisonment he spent eight hours a
day in knitting stockings and he con-
fesses to finding this occupation rath-
er absorbing. He takes occasion to
condemn the judge who convicted him
and also the system of solitary con-
finement. He says he wrote the book
in the hope that It might have some
effect looking to the Improvement. of
the condition for future prisoners. 1t
is expected that an edition of the book
will shortly be published here
The most notable book for Febru-
airy is Sidney Whitman's Personal
"reminiscences of Prince Bismarck"
Mr. Whitman had the good fortune to
meet Bismarck shortly after he began
his retirement and. in all, the writer
made ten visits to the chancellor's
MUSICALES. A.