New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-09
LITERARY NOTES.

The literary detective is often useful in de-
tecting conscious and unconscious plagiarism,
but occasionally he is successful in detecting
crime that was never committed. One Of these
Sherlock Holmeses of letters recently ran afoul
of James Branch Cabell. whose Line Of Love-"
illustrated in color by Howard Pyle, is included
in the "Harpers' " holiday list Mr.. Cabel re-
Gently published in magazine story which
purported to be "a translation from the French
OF Nicholas de Caen,' and shortly thereafter
received letter from an indignant but I'M
known correspondent who sharply rebuked him,
first for the lack Of originality in falling back
on translations from the French" and secondly,
for the neffectiveness OF the translation itself.
Educated people" he wrote, are supposed to
be conversant with French, and quite capa-
bic Of reading in the original the exquisite tale
which you have butchered in translation. The
French OF de Caen has a certain Greekke sim
plicity impossible to paraphrase" Unfortunately
for this deep student Of French literature. Mr..
Cabell had not only invented the tale. but the
alleged author well
Charles Majors new novel viii be published
on October % by Macmillan 1t is entitled "Yo-
landa: Maid of Burgundy" and will doubtless
appeal to the large class of readers who de-
youred with delight, if not with discretion, the
authors when Knighthood Was in Flower
{ and Dorothy Vernon OF Haddon Hall" 90
6 The new Life Of Charles Dickens" by Gil
: bert K. Chesterton. author of Varied Types 80
VIII be published in this country next month by
Dodd Mead & Co
: Those who have enjoyed she discursive de-
scriptions OF Samantha's experiences at the
great expositions and under other and varied
circumstances sill without doubt also enjoy
: Marietta Holley's new book, Around the World
with Josiah Aliens Wife just published by
the c. ". Dillingham; Company In spite of her
wide ira vel and mixing with the world, saman-
tina preserves her pristine provincialisrn. and
declines Cprobably for literary reasons) to IA
,n.lI.r1zs herself with the manners and customs
% IN. neopIe whom she meets She speaks Of
"a. palmer House IN Chicago a tavern
and r.srrts that Mis- Palmer" was occupied
with the help" that she was unable to make
,,ar zeouaintance. She is stu as ardent ad-
vocste of total abstinence as ever. and civersi-
.aes her accounts OF her adventures In foreign
lands with attacks Ola the demon KUN and
the canteen system of the army She still re-
fsrg 70 Jonesville as a standard IN describing
the places she visits and the scenery she views
ens IN all other ways is the same old initerate,
laxative goodhearted, narrow and amusing
woman that she has proved herself TO be on
FORMER occasions It is TO be feared that those
who read the book with a view TO deriving any
really useful information about the strange coun-
tries that Samantha explores will be disap-
pointed. Her observations quite superficial
and are used more often 60 point a moral than
TO acorn the tale. Take, for example, the fol-
lowing extract In regard to Bombay:
The Hndoos haze ys ssye IA, temples IN B2Rsy
euske charIners bring TO this place the deadly
slskes, which are then fed 10 propitiate them. By