The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-17
MOST interesti


ENA the literary world IS that of Mrs.
Elinor Mccartney Lane, whose,
portrait appears on this page. She
early distinguished herself, as it is re-
corded that at the age of four she was
borrowed by the neig1bers to entertain
them. Mrs. Lane has Irish blood in her
veins and this fact crops out in her
work, showing forth in her sense of
hunor and dramatic power. All her
life Mrs Lane has written stories and
verses and she has now published her
second novel, Nancy STAIR having al
ready achieved some fame with the
Mills of Cod Nancy. Stair is a
Charming study of one woman, and that
woman wholly modern and unique She
seems to be in advance of her time, but
When the crucial moment arrives,
Nancy proves herself entirely a woman,
her felnininity untouched after all her
intellectual training and her heart in
the same old place. Mrs. Lanes book
IS written partly from the authors own
experience, and her friends like to trace
q likeness between her and her heroine.
Some years ago when Mrs. Lane was
in AshevilIe, N. c., she started a little
paper called The Triffer, which is
original and exceptional in that it is
published wherever it's editor happens
to be. When at the seashore in sum-
mer Mrs. Lane gets out q summer
number, while the winter numbers
usually appear from New York, and
though it was started merely as a rec
reatlon for woman of literary tastes.
has been widely commented UPON and
has for contributors college professors,
poets, newspaper and society people
1t has attracted the attention of prefr1f-
nent papers, such as the New York
Herald and the Boston TRANSCRIPT.
which copy largely it's wit and wisdom
and give due credit to the clever won1-
an who conceived it. It may be Iilsened
in originality to The, PhiIistfne of Fra
Elbertus, while wholly differing from it
In aims and the standard eff it's con-
tents. While one cannot but admire
the energy of a woman who will found
and keep going little journal like
The Trfffer, it would fill one with
alarm should. the fad spread among
successful authors and each one pub
lish his personal organ IN which to ex-
plot his individual ideas It would be
the part Of wisdom, rather, to discour-
age the establishment Of any more
Journals, as it is the consensus of opirf-
ion that the reading public is simply
SWanped with magazines and books
On this subject there is an article In
one of the literary monthlies for July,
IN which the writer makes a reasonable
protest against the immense quantity
and poor quality OF Americn literature
at the present time. He saws:
There is a boast abroad that au-
thors are no longer poor, that literary
pursuit, instead of being attended with
the hardsh1ps of poverty, is now the
boon companion of affiuencei There
Is, too, another boast in circulation to
the effect that every literary aspfrant
has an equal chance. Better that the
chance We're to make q full waste pa.
per basket or bonfire than that 1t
should permit the palming off of every
order of literary atrocfty upon a none
TOO wise and tolerant public; lrr1re-
buked by that egotiSt of the editorial
chair, none too wise and proudly
tolerant critic. Probably
the first step toward a new literary
era should be a revival Of the old
masters. 1t is said that the classics
nave never been really read. IF this Is
true, then let US begin reading them.
Let US give to the genius of the ages
a few of the hours that we now de-
vote to the vainly ambitious of our
own day; let US learn a. few things
ABOUT the great literary minds Of the
world, instead Of devouring so assidu-
Dusty the scraps of inane gossip that
describe so infinitely the equally in
ane do1nSs of the twentieth century.
m1Snomered Iitterateur' AMI
the mechanic who is striving to be a
novelist, the pretty society girl who
thlHfSSS oh, 50 ridiculousIy, that she is
q poet, surely some of these
will find their level" That criticism
Is very severe, but the writer will filpi
many TO agree with him in regard to
the quality of the books that are paur-
ing from printer and publisher The
poor unfortunate who tries merely TO
keep UP with the output of magazine
literature and attend to his usual axo-
cations hnds no time even to OMEN the
modern novels. leaving out of cues
tion the classics and much that every
man should be acquainted with.
In the Red HiIis-By Elliott GRAFTON Nc
Giants Doubleday. Page & Co. Fnr
sale by st. Paul Book and Statiane.-v
company.
BY no means Of an ordinary kind IS
this story Of the Carolina country IF
is the life history of Billy Maysen. be-
ginning when a boy, and his strange
and tragic career UP to the time when
ne rooes has enemies and wins the girl
ne loves Here we have the real
South portrayed by one who knows
those red hills well, and he draws for
us most sympathetic picture of the
people during the reconstruction ne
Rod. There IS no attempt made to
nght the war over OF to justify the
Rebellion, but the writer is distinctly
Southern, and with him we enter into
the feelings of the blighted families
who tried TO re4fabilitate themselves
after the terrible struggle. Partieu-
Iarly well drawn are the negro char
ecters. Ab'ram and Nanny Nancy
VINO Mno khew no better use to make of
their freedom than to servo their. ola
masters with love and loyaltx RiIiv
the hero. gets fnte trouble with a