New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-20
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Current Talk about Things Pres
emit and to Come.

The recent action Of the French government
In appointing Marcel Provost, Eugene Brieux
and Paul Hervieu on subcommittee TO make
recommendations Of amendments to the mar
rage code is fruitful Of suggestion All of these
men have written plays that deal with the Ques-
ton Of marriage and may certainly be consid-
cred experts on this subject Yet the action Is
Enthusiastically Gallo, and we can hardly
bring ourselves to conjure up a picture of Con-
gress requesting the assistance OF Bronson How
ard. Augustus Thomas and Clyde Fitch in franz
ing national divorce law. STILL example is
CONTAGIOUS, and our playwrights may yet live
to find their services in demand as sociologists
and economists.
The popular belief that the way to mans
heart is through his stomach is vehemently
attacked bv Helen Rowland in her recent book.
1.-The Digressions of Polly" She says. and there
is at least as much truth poetry In her state
ment, that
coffee as by a cold disposition. Whoever heard OF
man seeking separation because MS wi5e let
morning? Nobody! But there are dozens of good
while they were busy with making the batter
cooks signing for the husbands they forgot to kiss
cakes.
The first defnitive photography of Nathaniel
Hawthorne" to which reference was made some
time ago in this column. is announced for
publication by Houghton, Mifdin Co. next
month. The book is the result of research car
ried on for a number of years by Miss Nina
E. Browne, the secretary of the American LII
brary Association Publishing Board and will
contain along with the entry Of all Hawthornes
scattered and multltudinous writings, whether
in book form or in old newspapers and maya
zines reference to everything that the compiler
has been able to discover in print about Haw-
thorne in books and periodicals. The volume
will be issued in a special limited edition. uni
form with the large paper CSvo) edition of
Hawthornes works, and will be printed on only
one side Of the leaf in order to leave blank pages
for any additional notes comments that the
owner may to insert. 1t is proposed to
make this pioneer volume of similar bibliogra-
phies of other noted American authors, includ-
ing Lowell Emerson. Holmes, Whittier. Tho
reau and Longfellow
In his new novel. "Iole," which D. Appleton
& Co. publish this month. Robert w Chambers
tells the story Of eight pretty girls brought up
In the country, next to nature. free and I'M
embarrassed" and then suddenly turned loose
New. York society-the kind that is spelled
with a capital s.
1t is one thing for an author Of detective
stories to solve the puzzles that he propounds
hlHIs7I anu quite dhoJIer 10 elucldate a mys-
terry that confronts him in real life DR.. Conan
Doyles methods of dealing with the crimes of
which Sherlock Holmes was expert and saga
cious a disentanger quite different from
those which he employs. doubtless with no less
sagacity, when he himself is the victim Of acct
dent or evil design. Mark the following adj
vertisement recently printed in the London
Daily Mail:
L06r.-on road between Cambridge and London.
,box containing four ladies' hats and some artid-
cial flowers. Reward. Doyle Grand Hotel.
How commonplace No hurried summons of
the superfuous and ineffective Watson, no
secret Journeys to Cambridge interviews with
the undergraduates of the university who might
be designing to substitute more becoming mil
Enery for the awkward mortarboard and to
deok sheiT sombre gowns with artificial flowers