New-York tribune., 1905-12-25
Wbaf ~. y. Booksellers Say 0beD
Are Telling Most
LITERARY NOTES.

H. ". Boynton's monograph on Bret Harte
in the Contemporary Men of Letters Series re-
Gently brought out in London. has aroused con-
siderable discussion as to Harte's Jewish an
cestry. Clement K. Shorter. editor of THE
Sphere" asserted, in contradiction of Mr. Boyn-
tons less positive view, that any who knows
anything about Bret Harte knows that ne was
of distinctly Jewish origin; that his grandfather
was Jew Of the most pronounced type, and
highly indignant with his for having
married Christian woman In response to
this. Mr. Boynton writes:
! can only say that after reading everything
about Bret Harte that I could find, before be
ginning my sketch. remained ignorant or any
such certainty Mr. Shorter predicates. 1t would
be interesting TO know the source of the informa-
ton Not thar the point IS OF notable importance S
Newman. Lowell. and how many other nineteenth
Eowe hse 9s Tas adept fa at the
and his own proudest treasure trove-
Mereikowskrs new novel Peter and Alexis"
is announced for early publication by G. P. Put
MANS Sons in translation by Herbert Trench
Il IS the third story in q trilogy, the first of
which was THE Death OF the Gods" tale OF
Julian the Apostate. and the second, The Ro-
nance Of Leonardo da Vinci." The present novel
deals with a moving episode in the life Of Peter
the Great and with social political and religious
conditions in Russia at the beginning of the
introduction with these significant words:
Probably before the present year has expired.
perhaps even before these words are read NlchoIas
will occupy the throne 10 longer And the forces forces
the same as those which decided the fate of Alexis
The recent publication by Fox, Duffield & Co.
Of The Letters of Henrik Ibsen' has served to
draw attention to the extremely feeble health OF
the Norwegian dramatist. He sees but few peo-
pie and those only his most intimate friends.
yet two American visitors last summer were so
fortunate as to find him able and willing TO re-
ceive them. 1t purely private visit that
they paid him in his own house, and one or thehl
has set down his impressions of his host in
words which show that the aged writer was a.
least at that time mentally alert to the vital
questions of the hour:
The library was a high. dark old fashioned room
on the first fooT Of the house Newspapers o1t were
Tos, about IT. There eTs Tssen had been read
ing IN volume OF Kant He wore an old biack
he was When emo ns saW " him first fifteen years ago
1e ?eeIed at US with wateTy hey EYES , face in spife
Of al the accumulating marks OF age, age; "d yl was
massive domineering, cold. with the power OF IN
leIeot in every line Of AZ -. ~, nravs had
made Of late In America He smiled almost grimly
sac was glad to hear IT. hf ne M S1 ad the Americans
used his plays and yet paid nm nor i penny Smile VI
would have been a tangible proof OF their admlIa- mira
uon- Distinctly he rot interested We began
10 feel fsbuffed / glanced at the newspapers near
NE. and took courage. They were all open az as
patches about the secession of Norway and sweden
/ began to speak of il and he warmed at once. de
ssE reason why Norway should not DecOIne d
republic on American principles. He would IKE 10
see IL There no need TO borrow swediSh
or any other prince TO take the throne de would
use his influence against It. republic would het-
ter suit the conditions and the national spirit de
hoped that he might live to see It established
Then in a moment, his strength seemed 10 faiI-he
had been speaking with q curiousT solemn en-
Dhasls-and he dismissed Us.
Anne Warmers amusing but unreal story of
New Yorlrs Great White Way" 'The ReJuven-
alton Of Aunt Mary" has gone into second
edition In Australia