The San Francisco call., 1904-06-20
London Literary G0SslP.
SPECIAL c5r.sg5assnee

HEADQTARTERS OF THE CALL
2 HENRIETTA STREET, COFENT
GARDEN. LONDON. June 5.-Resders
81 home may be Interested in hearing
that ". =. Asnock. who wrote Is Lie
Worth LivIng?" and The New Repub-
lie" and whose latest work. The Veil
of the Temple" is the book of the hour
n this country at present. Is special
fsvorite with the most prominent
American society folk IN the metropo-
lis He Is frequently a guest OF the
Bradley Martins ct their town house In
Chesterfield Gardens. and among his
most intimate friends IS William Wal
oorf Astor. with whom he often stays
81 CIiveden. the millionaire's beautiful
summer home on the Thames, near
Taplop-. Mr. Msllock was. in fact. the
second person IN London 20 hear OF
Nr Ast0r's change OF citizenship de
was al the house Of Lady Jeune when
z letter arrived from Mr.. Astor 10 the
wife OF the famous divorce court Judge
saving that as she had been his best
friend in England he wanted her 10 be
the first 70 know that he had taken the
necessary steps toward becoming an
EneIishuan. and Mr.. Astor added,
Tell 8Gauock"
II y. H. AIalIock's new work. The
Veil q the Temple" has not already
been published in the United States its
appearance there is not likely 10 be de-
laved long. for the work is regarded
here as the most striking that MalOck
4 rQs1r1 n
llc~ with which he set philosophers.
scientists and religious folk by the ears
nearly a quarter OF q century ago. AS
in that work. the author has gathered
several sufficiently unlike people at a
country house and set them 10 talking
Oh the ultimate questions OF the uni
verse. the main point al issue, how
ever. being the relation OF religion 10
science. In this book Msllock has been
10 less satirical than in his much dis
cussed is Life Worth Liying?" Parts
Ct The Veil OF the Temple" appeared
anonymously in one OF the reviews.
and says MauOcz in his preface. 1T
has been brought 70 my knowledge that
many readers were offended 70 a high
degree" There is no doubt that the
book Is daring or that II viii worry the
orthodox. and the discussion which il
has aroused seems likely TO be a
lengthy one.
Personally MallOck is one Of the most
popular men in London society. He is
seen everywhere. and they say jokingly
that from the time he leaves London at
the end Of one season until he arrives
again AT the beginning Of the next he
sleeps not q single night at his own
expense. he is not one OF the authors
of the day who have got into society
on the strength Of their works, for he
is a member OF an old and renowned
Devonshire family, his brother being
the present owner of Cockington Hall.
near TorQuay. His work rs Life Worth
Living2" has been translated into al
most every known tongue. At oxford
he won the Newdigate prize for poem.
Msllock has now arrived IN London for
the season and taken up his abode in
Curzon street, q few doors from the
MsrIboroughs' house and in the center
of the fashionable American colony IN
Mayfair.
In his introduction TO his Success
Among Nations, Just published by the
=
work Is the outgrOwth OF suggestion
made 70 him by Curtis Brown. chief OF
the London staff Of this paper.
NY little book" wrote Charles Oar
win, in q hitherto unpublished letter OF
his that has just turned up in Lon
don. will not be ready until the au-
tunn." BY his little book, the great
g.rf,- -
cies." The letter in which this remark
occurs was addressed by Darwin to q
friend IN Jamaica, who had sent him a
jamaican beehive, and in commenting
upon n the naturalist observes that the
cells are larger than those Of British
combs, in the proportion OF sixty To
ffty-one. He goes on, Characteristic
ally. The size Of the cells Of European
combs is so uniform that I think / re-
member that some wild man proposed
them ss q standard unit OF measure
nlent. The walls OF the cells are, ]
am sure, considerably thicker than in
our cells, but have as yet made no
precise measurements"
George Sands centenary occurs next
month and VIII be celebrated. in Paris
BY a performance at the Odeon Of her
play. lie Demon au Foyer" by an ex-
hibition Of portraits and other objects
touching Upon the life Of the novelist
snd b. the unveiling OF a new statue
Of Nine. sand by the sculptor Sicard
This shows her-seated upon a favorite
bench in NOhant in her native province
OF Berri. The marble figure is charm
ing and cOquettish. has a rose in its
hair. and is considered much more
truthful than the one which stands In
the foyer TO the Theatre Franchise
which is so unlike its subject that
jules Sardeau. a lifelong friend OF
George sand. asked whom it repre-
sented- BY the way. the authoress
old country-house at Palaisau, where
several Of her later books were writ
ten, is now TO let
hear privately that David Christie
Murray, author OF "One Traveller Re-
turns" and many other novels. is Sc
riously III.
One Of the most interesting literary
events Of the month has been the pub