The San Francisco call., 1906-03-25
NOVEL WRITTEN
To FL TITLE
Unusual Method Adopted by
Herbert Compton, Author
of Note in Great Britain
LONDON LITERARY NEWS
New Book by A. E. W. Mason,
WhoWrote" Four Feathers
Called Running Water

LONDON. March 24.-Herbert Comp
toms new novel, THE Undertaken 8
Field" is to be given to the world next
month. Compton is really writer OF
talent, whose first story. "The Inimitable
Mrs Massingham." contained some pretty
good work, but it will be rather surpris-
ing if as much can be said for his new
romance. which a London publisher is
now vigorously booming.
1t seems that there is in Kent piece
of land which is known locally as 1.-The
Undertaker's Field" and that Mr.. Comp
ton, happening to come across it. decided
that this would be first rate title for a
novel. Accordingly he made UP his mind
to produce a romance under this style,
and finding also in the neighborhood a
quaint old house built out of ships tim
bers and bearing the date of Queen
Anne's time, he resolved to work 1t into
his story, too, and so now we have
complete tale of some 10000 words which
its publisher rapturously describes as
Original and weird, and with a ghost
in itr'
UNIFORM PRICE OF BOOKS.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Comptons machine
made volume is to be published at the
regular price for novels over here, which
Is shillings or $1.50-and this recalls the
fact that some one has just written to a
weekly review protesting against the
practice, which seems to prevail on both
sides of the Atlantic, Of issuing fiction
at a uniform price without regard for
either quality or contents.
AS an example this writer says, "I have
before me three books just issued:
'(a) Beatrice Harraden, Scholars
Daughter ordinary cloth, cut edges, 2S3
pp. about 6592 lines.
'.(b) Maxwell Gray, The Great Refusal
ordinary cloth, cut edges, 3S1 pp., about
49, 716 lines
"(c) Eden Phillpotts. The Portreeve,'
ordinary cloth, cut edges. 364 pp., about
1860 lines.
ITO assume that the first-named writer
is equal to either of the others is a propo-
sition that few would affirm, but the pub
fishers practically go much farther, as
they ask the public to pay the same
price for 5000 lines of Miss Harraden's
writing as for 14,OOO lines by Mr. Eden
Phi.lpotts."
The writer concludes by saying that if
books like THE Portreeve' and "The
Great Refusal can be sold for ST. so, then
rs cents is thE outside charge that should
be made for books like 1.-The Scholars
Daughter and with this view of the
case most people will be inclined to agree.
Mrs. Burton Harrison, who has been
spending the winter in Cannes, is plan
hing to saAgYforwheme the last of April
She will, as usual, spend the summer at
her house in Bar Harbor.
NEW NOVEL BY MASON.
I hear that the new novel by A E. w
Mason, author of THE Four Feathers"
is to beesealled Running Water" This
is the first story which Mr.. Mason, who
now writes M. P. after his name, has
written for two years, or since "The
Truants" appeared. The scene of the
forthcoming novel is laid in Europe and
a high literary authority who has seen
some Of the manuscript tells me that 1t
is far and away ahead of THE Four
Feathers in fact, quite the best work
that has yet come from Masons pen
American readers seem to be taking
good deal of interest in the brilliant work
of DR.. c. w. Saleeby. whose Evolution,
the Master Key" has lately been pub
lished on both side of the Atlantic. He
has so many scientific books and papers
to his credit that one naturally pictures
him as white bearded savant especial
ly as he was this week elected a fellow
of that grave and elderly body, the Royal
Society of Edinburgh. AS a matter of
fact, DIR. Saleeby is only q, and has never
written line for publication until three
or four years ago. He has the rare fe-
licity of being a popular writer and yet
holding the respect and admiration of his
DR.. Saleebys initials stand for the