The San Francisco call., 1904-11-20

neither. Why should one pay several
marks for a single book when for the
same amount one can fill a whole shelf
with manufactured periodical rubbish?
And how is one to get time for books
when the struggle for existence hardly
leaves a moment of leisure? Men think
Of the existence Of books either in rail-
way carriages or-in bed, when they
desire to fall asleep with the least de-
lay" The writer declares further that
"the attitude Of the publishers toward
scientific men and authors Is one OF
chilly indifference. even Of scornful con-
tempt. To them everything is stale, an
tiquated, uninteresting, superluous-
Everything has been said; everything
has been printed and consigned TO the
storeroom. A book which can count on
no more than a total sale Of three or
four thousand copies is rejected by pub
fishers as a hopeless proposition Ihey
will not put 1t out at their risk, even II
the author foregoes all compensation.
In the preface dated April 2S'
1902 to his Life Of William Shake
speare." now Issued in a separate vol
ume by Dana Estes & Co., DR.. Rolfe
tells a curious story OF literary
brigandage which may not be gen.
eraIlv known and which may be re-
peated here. He says:
THE manuscript Of the Life was
finished, except for the notes. in May
1901. and from the beginning OF June
to the middle of September was kept
In safety vault at Cambridge. IN
October il mysteriously disappeared
from nv library. Though 1 had lit
tie doubt bv whom it was taken, the
evidence was purely circumstantial;
and for that and other reasons 1t was
irnpossible for me to make any enort
IN regain possession Of 1t. The person
who took it intended, after reading IL
TO return Il without betraying himself.
but he was afterward tempted to put
II into other hands with a false state
ment Of It's history, possibly with
view to its being utilized. in part II not
as a whole, in print. This can hardly
be done with safety, but 1t has COM
plicated the affair and interfered with
the return of the manuscript IN time
for II to go to press as promised
have therefore been compelled 10 un-
dertake the depressing task Of rewrit-
ing it, and the present volums Is tho
result"
DR.. Mitchell has had paid to him by
the critical press Of the country
compliment which rarely falls to
writer Of fiction. His recent oook'
"rIew Samaria," Is made up In a large
mart Of an account Of the experiences
of a man who threw himself upon the
charity of such Of his fellow men as
ha chanced to meet in the highways
and byways For the purpose OF his
story. as we'll as for the enforcement
of his idea, DR.. Mitchell was obliged
to create a situation improbable In It.
self. This fact has been universally
recognized by the critics, but likewise
there has been almost universal agree
ment in the fact that the situation
which DR.. Mitchell has outlined is en-
tirelv convincing as he expresses II.
This would seem to bear upon the
old question as to whether the fact
that a writer knows his situation to
be based upon actual occurrence is
suf1ctent to warrant him in relating
what Is not plausible to the reader.
From the London Globe comes this
Ianenti There Is no more painful
sign Of modern hustle than the ever
decreasing lease of life allotted to
novels nowadays. An interesting in
terview with a publisher IN month
" magazine which devotes Itself to
the fortunes Of books shows what an
exnert thinks OF the matter. Few
neople.' he says, realize how short
the life Of an average book is. F1f-
teen years ago you could count on
its existence for two or three years.
Now three books out OF every four are
dead as a mutton IN three months.
II "a. of course the transient interest
In the subject matter Of the majority
Of novels which accounts for their
short life. What are called Bible
novels. such as ben Hur," and '-Tarry
Thou TIL I Come" which are still
having good sale, rest on a more last
ing basis and will appeal Just as
strongly to the readers OF tomorrow
as to those Of yesterday and to-day.
News comes from London that the
late Guy Wetmore Carryrs Trans
gression Of Andrew Vane" Is being
dramatized for Mr.. Charles Warner.
who made such a favorable impress
sion in New York last year In Drink"
and in The Two Orphans" 1t is