Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-25

HarIand does not agree with bis friend
Henry James in feeling we'll rid OF this
country. Our climate is what keeps
MIN away, and the fact that he finds
London the best place in the world for
leisnrely work. AS far as sentiment
goes. he improves on the local pride
that calls Norwich, CT, the rose of
New England" by calling it the rose OF
the world" "a greater town than
London" His family still lives there
on lard Gacy bought from Indians two
hu.dred years ago: and he calls Nor
vi his birth place because he wants
to VIC been born there. He was born,
as 9 matter of prose fact, in Russia.
Ja.sides being a good Londoner and a
good American toWnsrnan, Mr. Harland
makes evident in his work his natur
alizaton IN Italy. He feels that as a
sympathetic outsider he knows the
country bette. than the Italians them
selves. He socj there every spring
with his wife, On ,vhonl he says, not
without significance hose who know
his stories. ''shs MT. aims a definite
italian microbe.'
When Joseph Conrad. IT, author of |
youth" writes Il story, he writes ,
from the model Everything that he
has so far put on Taper has been at
least based upon a personal experience.
The three stories in Youth" Youth,
Heart of Darkness" and THE End OF
the Tethcr,' are, as it We're. bits cut
from his own lifc-almost autobiogra-
phical. When Il young boy, just after
he had taken up the life of a sailor, he
shipped on q rattletrap of a boat, rum
ming between London and Australia
ports. Out of the incidents of that
voyage, and glamour of romance which
his youthful hunger for experience
threw over all the dirty work and
peril and hardship, grew the story
"Youth.'' In the Eastern seas he
worked for many years on both sailing
and steam vessels. and it was during
that time he met with the type of man
whom he made into the hero Of The
end of the Tethcr,' the steadfast,
faithful captain Of the steamer
'!Sofala." The experiences which
crystalized into the weird and powerful
story ~ the African jungle, THE Heart
of parnnoss," he deliberately went out
to seek. In 1891 he went to the Belgian
congo, Ostensibly to command a river
steamer. but in reality, prompted by
his curiosity to see what life actually
WAS in that Heart of Darkness" He
returned stricken with fever the first
days illness since he was a boy of six
teen. How vivid an impression he
brought back, only those who have read
THE Heart Of Darkness can imagine.
Robert w. Chambers's novel "The
Maidat-Arms," which the Harpers
published last fall, is being dramatized
by Anita Brdger. The Maid-at-
Arms" is a story Of colonial days in
New York. among the aristocratic old
Dutch families Of that time, and viii!
lend itself admirably to stage effects.
Smith College girls appear to have
made more brilliant literary record
than those of any other of the great
colleges for women TO mention
few. there are Josephine Daskam.
whose Memoirs of a Baby is now
running in Harpcr's Bazar; Miss Caro-
line Shipman, whose work in The
Critic is favorably known: Miss Grace
Lathrop Collin, author of putnam
Place." and Miss olivia Howard Dun
bar. author of articles and essays
whose polished style has attracted the
all very young women, from whom
much may doubtless be expected in the
future.
Miss Jannotta L. Glider, the we'll
known critic, has challenged an Eng
lish literary man to explain what he
means by a recent remark published in
his own London paper relative to the
American love tbr a title. The Eng
lishman said: zone may admire Mrs.
Humphry Ward and yet suspect that
the reason why one hundred thousand
copies of Lady Roses Daughter" have
been sold in the United States, as
against not more than one quarter of
that number in this country, is par
tiaky on account of the Americans
love OF n title. In Mrs. Humphry
Wards book ones acquaintance with
dukes end duche.ses is continuous"
Miss Glider rightly takes exception to
this, and requests the Englishman to
explain the success in this country of
David Harum." And Miss Glider
pertinently inquiries if the Englishman
is really serious "in giving this reason
for the success OF Mrs. Wards book in
America, and does he really think that
AUtI1cdflS lONe Al thle Aioic THAI Nic
the English (Which in view of the
average Englshman's respect for rank
would scarcely be possible.
A memorial tablet is about to be
placed ON the house at Thornton in
which the four Bronte children were
born. A butchers shop is now main
tanned on the premises.
Mr.. e. +. Benson who wrote "Dodo'
and has since published a great many
other works of fiction, has just brought
out Il book entitled THE Falkyries: A
Romance Founded on Wagner )
Opera"
Lady Betty Balfour is editing vol
une of the correspondence of her faith
err the late Earl of Lytton. 1t is said
that it will show "Owen Meredith" in
his more intimate moods.
In the Editors Study" of Harpers
Magazine for August, Mr.. Alden gives
this encouragement to young writer's:
"No young writer in whom the liter
ary aSniratiOn is a passion need, OIL