Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-03
En- GL|SH AUT HO RS
May Hear From Tan Mac
laren Soon Again.
MARIE CORELLI MAD
MRS. CRAIGIE TAKES TO MOTOR
ING.
Many Dodges Used for Selling Books
A Recent Advertise
ment.



LONDON, September %. 1905.
1t seems that further novels from the pen
of Tan Maclaren''-or the Rev. John Wat
son, as he is In private iife-may be ex-
pected by his American readers before a
great while. l saw the author of Beside
the Bonnie Brier Bush at his home in
Liverpool yesterday, when DR.. Watson de-
clared that his recent action in resigning
his pastorate in that city was due entirely
to wish to give himself up to literary
work.
Ian Maclaren" has occupied the pulpit
of the Seton Park Presbyterian Church in
Liverpool since 1880. His decision to re-
sign created dismay among his parishioners
and every effort has been made to persuade
him to continue his ecclesiastical work,
but the author is firm, for he says he has
found it trNe that no man can serve two
masters. And being Scotchman, withal
kindly one, 1t is not likely that he will
change his mind
DR.. Watson has published nothing since
1901, when his Life of the Master ap-
peared Before getting into the literary
harness again. however, he is going to take
a holiday and is as yet undecided whether
he will spend most of the time In Egypt,
which he greatly enjoys, or In Sicily which
he has never yet visited.
DR.. Watson is a popular lecturer, and
some of his American friends are trying
to persuade him to visit the United States
again next summer with the idea of speak
ing at some of the Chautauquas Whether
he will be able to do SO. however, the au-
thor could not say.
Corelli on Warpath.
Marie CorellI is on the warpath again.
1t seems that she has changed publishers
recently. and that the house heretofore IA
vored with her business has been acting in
Uha ba arltho
unworthy manner. According to Miss
Corelli the deserted publishers have In
dustriously circulated a report that the
new ones have secured only short work
from her pen, and that she Is preparing a
long novel for publication about the same
time, which will quite overshadow the first
book. This, 1t appears. is not the case.
For, says the authoress: Il have only to
say on my own part, and in the most en-
phatic manner possible, that the novel I
am at present writing will be the only one
issued from my pen in 1906; that, SO far
from being short book, it will be of the
average length quite long as 'Barab-
bas for example). and that the publishers
of this one and only book will be Messrs.
Blank Co. Furthermore, that have
no intention of writing any other novel
for any other firm whatsoever at present
having refused to sign any contracts bind
Ing me to future work"
This authoritive announcement that only
one book will be published by Miss Coreili
in 1906 has been received with much re-
lief
Mrs. Craigie John Oliver Hobbes) is
among the writers who have taken to mo-
toring, and she had rather a narrow es-
cape the other day, no mention of which
got into the newspapers. Rather persistent
insomnia led Mrs. Craigie to take up mo-
toring, and the other day near Framing
ham, in trying to avoid a carriage, her
chauffeur steered her car into a telegraph
pole, which resulted in an upset into a
ditch. Fortunately the authoress got moth
ing worse than bad shaking up but 1t
took three horses to get the motor out Of
the ditch.
Mrs. st. Leger Harrson-"Lucas Malet'-
who wrote Sir Richard Calmady," was
one of the guests at an oldfashioned thar
vest home held this week at Eversley, on
the estate of Sir Anthony Cope.
A Striking Novel
One of the most striking novels Of the
past year was Sarah Tulden," by "Orme
Angus" who had previously published sew
eral novels in rather the Hardy vein. The
author, whose real name is J. c. Higgin-
botham, was married at Wareham this
week to Miss L. c. Maher of that city.
1t must be almost a pleasure to have
manuscript rejected-in China. Brusque
enough, in all conscience. is the familiar
declined with thanks of western editors,
but no such frigid formula offends the sus-
capabilities of the unsuccessful contribu-
tor of the fiowery kingdom. On the other
hand, if he does not feel that he is truly
''it'' when his manuscript comes back to
him, II is not the fault of the editor. For
example. according to the Paris Gaulois,
an author at Pekin who sent article to
a Chinese newspaper. received it back ac-
companied by the following letter:
''Illustrious Brother of the Sun and of
the Moon: We have perused your manu-
script with celestial delight. By the bones
oil our ancestors, we swear that we have
never met a masterpiece like 1t. If we
publish 1t, H. M, the emperor, will COM
mand us to take 1t criterion, and to
print nothing that does not equal It, Since
that could never be possible in ten thou
sand years, We return your manuscript,
trembling and asking your mercy seventeen
thousand times. Lo! my head is at your
feet and l am the slave of your slave
If to the making of books there is no end
there is none either, apparently, to the
lodges for selling them. The latest is
culled from the advertising columns of a
London evening journal of prominence and
is truly gem of It's kind:
EXPURGATED EDITION
1T has been pointed out by readers OF
by that Ii con-
tains episodes which are too realistic for
modern conceptions of propriety. and which
prevent 1t taking the first place amongst
the really humorous novels of the season.
In addition to the imprint now selling, an
expurgated edition is therefore, being pre-
pared which will be ready early in Novem-
Der, and will be suitable for placing in the
hands of younger readers
AS usual Americans headed the list this
season of foreign visitors to the birthplace
of Thomas Carlyle, at Ecclefecham. The
total up to August 81 was lao, as against
loo for tRe preceding year Travellers
from the United States were, in fact, in a
large majority. with South Africans next
and Australia next. HAYDEN CHURCH.