The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-20
K|P[|NG IS MAKING
STUMP SPEECHES
eampalgned for .Dr. Jim"
Other News of the Bookmen
In Foreign Countries.
Special Foreign Service.

once more a SOJourner in South Africa
Is about the only English literary man Of
real note who hasn't come OUT by this
time with some kind of manifesto re-
garding the changes that Mr. Chamberlain
wants to see brought about in the trade
policy Of this country. The general i'm
preston Is that Mr.. Kipling is protec-
zionist, but not by SO much as a poem
in the Times has he indicated his
views on the subject. The author of
Soldiers Three" however, has been tax
ing a prominent part in another political
struggle-that just finished at the
Cape with the result that Gordon Sprigg
is out and DR.. Jameson is premier OF
course, as an ImpeTialist, Mr.. Kiplings
sympathies all were with the Whilom lead
err of "The Raid and he made several
speeches urging the voters to support
DR.. Jim. At Rondebosch the writer said
Enthusiastically that for every man to
get up on his hind legs and record his
vote on the polling day meant a tax on
his time Of five minutes. But on that vote
depended the future Of the land for the
next five years.
Corley Hall farm, which George Eliot
described in adam Bede' as the home
of Hetty sorrei and Mrs. Poyser, was
sold at auction g. few days ago and
bought by local squire for $4,000. The
picturesque old place is In Warwfckshfre
and only a few miles from any Of George
Eliot's early homes.
In spite OF the fame of Balzac's novel,
Eugene Grandet,' 1T was only few
days ago that the odd little story OF how
it happened to be written came to light.
1t seems that while being entertained
with other guests at the Chateau of Sache.
in Touraine, Balzac was told one or two
queer stories about a picturesque miser
named Nivelean, who lived at Saumur.
not far off. These tales fascinated the
author to such an extent that. next day.
he paid visit to Saumur. anxious to see
Nivelean-as well as to hear more Of the
man who was destined to serve as the
original Of 4Pere Grandet.'' He discover
ed that the miser of Saurnur had begun
life as assistant to woman rag merchant,
then married an apothecary's daughter,
and finally blossomed out as a money
lender In this business he made huge
fortune with portion of which he bought.
one fine day. the magnificent property Of
Montreuil-Bellay, in the Loire districts.
Nivelean was small, ugly, badly dressed
and invariably dirty, and to his dying
day his graspingness was the talk of the
whole neighborhood. He had gold pieces
everywhere-eyen In his old shoes, and
when passing travellers, seeing him about,
asked permission to go over the Chateau
MontTeuiI-Bellay, Nivelean never would
reveal his identity as owner, but would
act as the guide Of such visitors, and
pocket their tips with great complacency.
He had one son and two daughters-one
a striking beauty. This girl Balzac took
as his model for Eugene Grandet." The
novelist returned to Sache brimfui of ar
tistic enthusiasm after his visit to Sau-
muir, and few days after, to the delight
of his hostess and fellow guests. read
them the opening pages of what was to
become one of the most famous of his
works
One does not feel certain> to what ex-
tent Mrs. Mary e. Mann is known on the
other side of the water, but for several
years past this authoress has been forging
to the front over here, until now she is
numbered among the most popular Eng
lish women novelfstS Her best known
story is "Tfle Mating of Dove'-her
latest, "Grandma,s Jane Mrs Mann.
who is widow, is deeply interested In
the present scheme for an adequate
Shakespeare memorial in London, and has
just written an "open letter" on the sub
ject. The authoress declares herself OPP
posed to the idea Of memorial theater,
and is in favor of a statue, which, she
thinks, lin the age of Rodin, surely might
be work of art" How deeply Mrs
Mann feels about this can be judged by
the concluding paragraph of her letter.
which is rather fowery in both senses: 81
seem to see, she says. "a wide, open
space, planted, let us say, with the wood
bine the sweet honeysuckle,' the lily,
mistress of the field with 'violets dim,
but sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes,
the marigold that goes to bed with the
sun, and with him rises weeping with
hot lavender and these 'fairest flowers
o. the season our carnations and
streak'd gilly -fowers-with these. and
that green among them all which by any
other name would smell as sweet'-the
Hov yxyI,in oh hob
rising from the center Of such space,
sacred to the plants and blossoms which
to his music ever sprung on huge,
rough-hewn base, and each standing
forth on rough hewn base of it's own,
clear against the sky, those dearer Gre
atoms of his brain; and SO, up and UP
the enduring rock still figures standing
forth, and still and stil1-until above
them all stands the poet. looking down
with mildly brooding brow upon the surg
ing millions. moved at last to record the
fact that he is theirs and that they love
him.
There is real interest in the results
of the Pail Mall Gazette's recent literary
competition. The names were desired
OF the best ten novels of 1903. and the
contest proved q decidedly popular one.
The ten works distinguished by this pIeb-
iscite are "Barlasch of the Guard" by
the late Henry Seton Merriman; Lady
Roses Daughter" 1.-The Heart of RoTne,'
Marion Crawford; 1.-The Yellow van,'
1.-The Long Night" pigs in Glover" by
Frank Dandy; "Place and Power" by Ell
len Thorneycroft Fowler: "Hetty Wesley"
by CUTLER Couch; Katherine Frensham,"
by Beatrice Harraden, and 1.-The ReIent-
less City" by E. F. Benson. "Barlasch''
was far ahead in popularity-gettin 80
per cent of all the votes polled while
Lady Roses Daughter had SIS per cent
1t will be noticed that, among the ten
best" books, only one is by an Ameri-
can. The second ten. however, included
Jack London's "Call of the Wild Norris
Pit" J. L. Aliens kettle of the Pas
ture," and Mr.. James Ambassadors" It
is noticeable that, with the exception of
Frank Dandy the writers of the books
chosen as best are old friends. The
Pail Malls editor gathers from the list
that the public as a whole sis tired of
the problem novel in its narrow sense,
and has determined to disregard, together
with much rubbish of that ilk, not lit
tie of the serious work of authors dealing
adequately with serious social questions
Hayden Church.
Unfamiliar Facts