Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-22
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Sketches of Popular Literary Folk
and the Current Novels.

L
novel by Anna Robson Brown, which
has just been issued by the Appletons.
The story is said to tell "of the shat
tering Of a woman's faith in man
kind, and mans gradual rehabilitation
in her esteem in the person of al
strong, upright young DOCTOR" Treat
ing of the great and well worked prob
,em of the sexes, it is comforting to be
assured that the story sis the direct
antithesis of the hysterical wall which
usually comes from a wOman's pen on
this subject"
Sarath Kumar Ghosh, whose novel,
.The Verdict of the Gods" was recent
" published by Dodd. Mead & Co. is a
high caste Hindoo, who is able to trace
his lineage back eight centuries to the
rrincely RahtOr dynasty of Kanauj, in
the Farrakhabad district of the North
west Provinces of British India. He
went to England at the age of nine
teen to complete his studies and was
admitted to the bar. Lord Chief JUS
ticc Russell is said to have evinced a
great interest in him and to have
urged him to take up active practice,
but he preferred literature, and is now
known as d writer of English fiction.
new book on six great English
schoolmastcrs is full of amusing stO-
ries. or DR.. Kennedy it is rcmem-
bered that he had great dispute with
Charles Dickens over the word mutual.
What was his wrath shortly afterward
when he discovered that Dickens had
lust nro1uccd new book called "Our
Mutual Friend" He declared Dick
ems had done it on purpose. and add
ed: Il suppose people don't like to say
a common friend? Then. how dare
they call it the Book of Common
Prayer" DR.. Vaughan had an ex-
cellent way of getting rid Of shy
schooIboys who had been invited to
breakfast and did not know how to get
IN and go. When all possible topics
had been discussed the doctor would
rise, and, extending his hand to the
shyest and most loutish boy, would
say, Must you go? Can't you stay?"
Dr. Vaughan was not man Of wide
reading. Matthew Arnold put the
fact in nutshell when he said of
him: "a charming man; 1 enjoy chat
with him at the club, only he is so
brutally ignorant"
OF Robert Grants latest book, "The
Orchid" the New York Tribune says:
Mr.. Grant, in the Selma White Of
his 'Unleavened Bread presented
powerful study of an unlovely type,
which has now become familiar in real
life Everybody knows something of
the crude, ambitious creature who
clothes herself in cant and whose re-
Iigion it is to "get on In "The Or
chid'' Mr.. Grant has introduced to us
another type which is quite as true.
but one born into a socially important
set and trained in ways that are
worldly wise. Lydia Arnold, who has
breeding, cleverness and beauty, has
no need to push and scheme for the
place in life which is to her desirable
everything has come to her until, in
her hatred of the commonplace and
her dread Of being bored" she chooses
to put out her white hand and ruth
lcssly take what does not rightfully be-
long to her. She does this with the
decisive insolence Of a conquering gen.
eral. for she has no more sense of
moral obligation than has the more
vulgar Selma. Success succeeds. So
ciety, while it grumbles. accepts her
triumphant selfishness, and smiles
upon her even when she sells her child
to her divorced husband for the mill
lions which are to give her luxury with
his penniless successor. Mr.. Grant
paints the portrait of this rcsOurceful
and determined young woman with
sure touch. AS study of character
1.-The Orchid" is we'll developed and
compact. There is stern logic about
the movement of the narrative. The
reader winces when its grimmest stage
is reached and the heroine takes on
her most unherOic aspect but it does
not occur to him to question the con-
sistency of the whole dreary episode.
This Is one way of saying that the au-
thor has given to his brief story the
air and accent of a page from the COM
edy of life itself. incidentally and
without any OStentatiOus dragging i'm
if moral the book cannot but serve
for the thoughtful reader as COM
mentary on life a book making for re-
Fiction.
THE 26th of the month seems to he
fateful day for me-" said George Barr
McCutcheon recently. Il was born on
the 25th of July and was married on
the 2Sth of September. The other day
/ was looking over my journal or diary,
or whatever you call it. l keep rec
ord of the day on which l begin and
end the novel I am writing. Strange
as it may seem, I began 'Graustark' on
the 26th of December, Castle Craney-
crow on the Goth of September. The
Day of the Dog on the 26th of October
and Beverly of Graustark.' on the 18th
of November. l was not at any time
conscious of this coincidence in dates
and 1t has startled me into the belief
that 1t has been my lucky day-so far,
at least
In the leisure snatched from the
writing of his voluminous replies to
criticisms of The Clansman." Thomas
Dixon. Jr.. has managed to find time
to compile work which he calls "The
Life Worth Living" 1t will be pub
lished this month by Doubleday. Page