Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-30

The interesting announcement is
made in McClure's for August that
Charles Wagner, the author of The
Simple Life" is to visit this country in
the fall as follows: THE thousands OF
Americans who have been reading The
Simple Life and BY the Fireside' Will
be interested in the announcement that
Charles Wagner is to make his first
visit to the United States this autumn.
He comes to see the people who have
grasped so eagerly his doctrine of The
Simple Life OF his reception he is
assured in advance. He wants to see
the President who wrote, 4 preach your
gospel to my countrymen'; and he
wants to study the life of these 'coun-
trymen.' While travelling primarily for
observation and recreation, Mr.. Was-
ner will deliver lectures and addresses
wherever he goes. Owing to the
shortness of time-he will be here only
during October and November-he will
confine his visit to the territory east Of
Chicago and north of Washington.
Among the interesting results of Mr..
Wagner's trip will be the record OF his
impressions of America, which VIII APP
pear in part in McClure's Magazine.
What the man who wrote and believes
in The Simple Life will think of our
complex and strenuous existence cam
not but interest us ALL"
Fiction does not appear to rule the
literary world in France as it does
here. OF the total of 1914 works copy
righted there in 1903, history and
biography come first with 1921, medi-
cine. etc. second with 1926, education
and instruction third with 1918. where
rs fiction. which is Il sub-heading UNI
der literature (otaI 1I5O claims only
5e1: religion accounts for 7SS. of which
745 are Catholic, So Protestant and 10
| Oriental.
Mrs. Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward,
| who is spending the summer at
Gloucester, has just completed new
love story with a dog as an important
character. 1t will be published In
October by Houghton. Mifilin & Co. The
same house also announces a fourth
edition of "Dog-Watches at Sea-" by
Stanton H. King; a fourth edition of
Essays on Great Writer'S" by Henry
D. Sedgwick; and a second edition of
THE Penobscot Man." BY Fannie
Hardy Eckstorm.
Winston Churchill's new novel, The
Crossing" is said to be in course of
dramatZation by his friend, Mr.. Louis
Evan Shipman, who made the stage
version of THE Crisis" Mr.. james
X. Hackett, who is taking a holiday in
Newfoundland, will appear in the play
next season. first in Washington and
later in New York.
Mary Austin, author of THE Land of
Little RAIN" has just finished a ro-
nance of Southern California and
Mexico which is to appear serially in
The Atlantic Monthly, beginning with
! September. under the title of ''Isdro.'
Mrs. Austin is also to publish through
HOughton, Miffiin & Co. tales of the
California desert, collected under the
title of 1.-The Basket Woman
1.-THE letter G is venerated by the
novelist Winston Churchill said a
publisher. 'Churchill's superstitious
treatment Of the letter makes one of
the oldest passages of modern literary
history. The young mans first book
was called The Celebrity Its title
4 began with a 6, and it had n great
/ success. His second book was Carvel-
Richard Carvel.' Another G and
/ another success His third book was
The Crisis Again c and again sue
cess. His fourth book has now been
announced. 1t is The Crossing A
fourth G. Winston Churchill believes
that each of his novels succeeds be
cause its title begins with c. He
believes that if he should write a novel
with the title beginning with a d or a
II X or a W the book would be fiat
Il failure"
Mrs. Arthur Stannard, who for thirty
years has been best known to readers
as John Strange Winter. has, by her
own count, turned out something be-
tween fifty and sixty books since she
| began to write. Her last volume, "The
| Little Nanities of Mrs. Whitaker" is
being given a most cordial welcome.
A story that is being told of Mr..
| Andrew Lang relates recent eXpel j.
enCe of the eminent critic and author
with an insufferable bore. This per-
son had buttonholed Lang at gather
ing in London, and was RECALLING him
with gratuitous opinions on literary
matters. Finally his talk turned to
eighteenth-century authors, and the
bore mentioned johnson, with an in
quiry as to one of the great lexico-
graphers works. Lang looked at his
tormentor with languid Indifference.
Johnson" he asked, YEARLY, "who
was Johnson?''-which recalls Mr.
Israel Zangwills effectual query under
somewhat similar provocation: "What
are Eeats?'
The August magazines have first