The sun., 1905-11-23

taking the New York stage by storm and
planned her comedy of Courtland street.
In New Brunswick there il a dwelling the
inhabitants point to with pride az the Mere
dth homestead
One great cause Of the plague of books
seems to be the lack of any sort Of required
! preparation, any prescribed course Of study
in the art Of writing like that demanded for
the following of any other profession
medicine, law music, art NO other equip
/ ment is necessitated save paper and ink;
| no capital invested, no special environment
essential. The other great tributary to the
! appalling food of books which threatens
to oimpede traffic is the longevity of the work
! ing period of writer's. Other professional
/ men and women retire or reduce their
activity with maturity, but writers go on
forever. A distinguished Wisconsin editor
/ who died not long ago after sixty years of
active Journalism, although in his later
years nearly or quite blind, still in his daily
work of editorial writing set the pace
I which younger men found it difficult to fol-
| low. Thyrza Peckwith Gray, who recently
! died at the age of lO3, accomplished much Of
| her published work after she reached the
! century mark Mrs Francis Alexander,
/ who has recently trars s lated from the Italian
more than 100 miracle stories and legends,
l. in her ninet y-third year. DR.. Wallace, who
/ has just published a truly monumental
! autobiography is past so. These are but
| few Of many examples Of literary activity
in advanced years all n which may he
| complemented by records Of juvenile pre-
cocty of success in the literary field,
The Emma Willard Association has
decided to offer prize of not less than
81 900 for the best text book on law and
| business adapted to the needs of women
and for Use in girls schools.
The London Book Monthly speaking
Of a certain unpleasant peculiarly Of
modern fiction which is strongly apparent
to all those who study it closely, says
The most striking characteristics OF the modern
novrl-,hc very latest novels It's almost entire
freedom from the trHnmcls Of | will not say pro
pricty though would say proprsty II 1t were not
that desire to be Ia oiicnsive-but Convenionallty.
| constantly md passages in novel that simply
dare not quote IN n rcView-the editors would blue
pencil them instantly and write me a letter that
would create between us strained diplomatic rcla
tions, to say more than that. So one may now
write in novels destined to circulate In families OF
thing, which We can only mention In the same
fGmiic, under penalty OF prompt election from
tue house, with social oStracism to follow. Such
is the freedom Of the novel considered as an art
from that the novelist may with perfect immunity
portray what the artist who illustrates him dare not
follow
This liberty of unlicensed expression
seems to be rapid growth of the past five
or six years and the literary need OF the
hour seems to be public censor who will
not prescribe certain books, but classify
them in the name Of decency and the pro-
lection Of the family circle.
1t is an interesting and significant fact
that the Imperial Library in Toxic reports
that it has little or no call for fiction.
Readers want to study books on science.
medicine, mathematics. philosophy COM
merce or art, in a word, whatever tends
to increase their efficiency as nation and
they manifest little or no interest in fiction
Several interesting facts contribute to
the story of the writing of DR.. Alfred
Russell Waace's autobiography, The
authors first intention was merely to write
an account of his early life for the informa-
ton of his son and daughter, but through
the demand of the public he was induced
to attempt the larger work. Having
enough materials for such a work but as in
many another cas- they cama to h and as
he wrote. Finally and most notable of all
these incidents Dr, Wallace, although
over 80. personally wrote the whole book,
no small manual task.
Alexander Won Herder Grantham, the
great granddaughter Of Won Herder the
German philosopher and poet, has written
a dramatic poem called THE Little Mer-
maid" Miss Won Herder went to England
to study philosophy and history at Girton,
where she was graduated with honors. She
then studied law at Somervie Hall. OK
ford, being one of the first women TO do so.
Since her marriage to the second son OF
Justice Grantham she has travelled in
Africa and the Far East.
The Duchess of Sutherland, who has
recently had a play produced on the London
stage is an author as well dramatist.
She began early with IA book on How /
Spent My Twentieth Year" Since then
she has written one or two novels and some
short stories and has contributed various
articles to the discussion of social questions,
in which she is much interested.
Brotherhood -Rossetti, Millais and Mr.. Hol-
man Hunt-the last named Is the only sur
viyor and the one man capable Of writing
of the origin of movement which has had
a, far reaching influence. 1t was this
thought, il is said. that led Mr.. Holman
Hunt to undertake the book of reminis-
cences recently published,
aThe spanish Explorers, just ready for
publication by A. S. Barnes d Co., presents
in a uniform four volume set the original
narratives, carefully edited, OF the great
Spanish explorers who followed Columbus
and instead Of stopping at the shore we're
the first white men TO penetrate the interior
Of our country. The set includes the jour-
ney Of Alvarez Nunez Cabesa de vaca from