The San Francisco call., 1904-07-28
English Literary Folk.
Special Correspondence.

GARDEN, LONDON, july 15.-lt is
rather doubtful If there is another
poet who can boast Of as ro-
mantle career as that Of
Colun Wallace, who at the age of
los is now living and writing in
modest cottage in Oughterard IN
County Galway, Ireland. Probably
Colun Wallace is absolutely unknown
in the United States-he is practically
so in this country-but in his own
land his reputation as a verse writer
is no mean one and a new collection
of his poems has just been published
10y the Gaelic League in Dublin. Wal
lace was born in 1896 aud for almost
a hundred years made his living as
mason and a sawyer in various parts
of ireland, writing poetry in spare
moments. He married twice, but
about three years ago his second wife
died and soon afterward Wallace's
lack OF means obliged him TO enter
the pOorhOuse at Oughterard. 1t was
some months before the poets readers
discovered where he was, but when
they did a fund was raised for his
benefit, as a result of which Wallace
was provided with a cottage, which
he now occupies, as well as money
enough to help him through his de-
clining years. He. is now in splendid
health and spirits and wrote an intro
ductory poem the other day for the
new volume .of his verse. Perhaps
the most striking. item of this collec-
tion is a poem which Wallace calls
The Song of Tea II is. a dialogue,
spoken by a husband and wife, while
they are picking potatoes, as to the
relative merits Of tobacco and tea to
the excessive use of; which they are
respectively addicted.
A friend who recently has been see
ing something Of Signor Gabrielle
d'AnnGnziO furnishes me with a little
incident of what the Scotch call can
Biness" on the poets part: Like other
writer's of renown D'Annunzio receives
requests for his autograph by almost
every plai- His reply to these is in
variably the same; that he viii be de-
lighted to furnish his autograph, but
only upon a copy of one of his works,
and Signor d'AnnunziO implied TO my
friend that so far the results of this
little expedient Of his had. been high
ly gratifying.
American readers of Lorna Doone"
and BlaCkmOre's other novels, who
subscribed TO the memorial recently
unveiled in Exeter Cathedral, will be
interested on hearing that there re-
manned after the completion of the
whole business a balance of $1O0.
This has been handed over to the So
ciety Of Authors of which BlackmOre
was a most enthusiastic member.
A rather undignified contest over
the body Of George Whyte- Melville,
the novelist, who died in 1873, is now
going on between his widow and the
NiscOuntess Massereene, his only
child Mrs. Whyte-Nelville is peti-
tiOning the Consistory Court for the
issue Of a faculty authorizing the
disinterment and removal of the re-
mains Of her late husband in order
that they may be buried in the parish
churchyard of Wherestead, Suffolk
with the other members of his family.
The Viscountess 1Iassereene is pro-
testing against the issuance of this
"fsculry.n her objections. however, not
being especially clear. Whyte- Melville,
of course, met his death through an
accident in the hunting field, which
played so prominent a part in prac-
tcally every one of his novels.
That an American author, il only
there be quality in his or her work, is
sure Of an audience in this country is
being demonstrated constantly. The
latest example Of this is the success
OF Miss Alice Browns books. The
first of them, published almost with
out any booming. were praised unani-
nOusly by reviewers, and of Miss
Browns latest volume, High Noon. .
kindly things are being said on almost
every side.
The American wife Of still another
rather prominent figure in the London
literary world is making an enviabIe
reputation with her PEN This is Mrs.
John Lane, whose husband is, of course,
one of the best known of London pub
fishers. The really good stuff in Mrs.
Lanes story, ''Kitwyck," led to its
being widely praised, and Mrs. Lanes
occasional articles on social and do
mestic matters are being paid the
compliment Of publication in the
Fortnightly Review. The latest of
them, which deals amusingly with the
rary Power"
Oddly enough London has now no
weekly comic paper printed in colors
on the lines Of Puck and Judge at
home, and in consequence much in
terest has been aroused by the an
nouncement that such a periodical.
partly composed of American hurnor.
is about to be started. There is plenty
of room for It. for Punch appeals only
slightly 10 the man in the street.
whereas the English comics, such as
Ally Sloper, Scraps and so forth rely
for support chiefly upon Office boys.
At present one of the biggest sue
cesses in the way of comic weekly
IS a little periodical called Snapshots,
which sells for two cents, and is made
up entirely from advance sheets of
the principal American comic week