New-York tribune., 1906-10-21
LITERARY NOTES.

LIIEhHRI NOIES.
There is to be biography of the late Mrs.
Craigie John Oliver Hobbes)-a work which
would. on the whole, seem to be unnecessary.
II is wiser to postpone the preparation of such
memorials until Time ives us TO understand
that the fame of popular author has become
an abiding one.
Miss Braddon (Mrs MAXWELL has just passed
her SEVENTEEN birthday and is still welding
her pen. Her new novel, announced for early
publication. is entitled 1.-The White House"
There is little art in this lady's books but she
has certainly been among the most entertain
ing of story tellers, Mr.. Andrew Lang has
indicated:
Oh, novel readers. tell me this
Like great Bosgobey's mysteries,
Wet days and weary ways beguile,
And man to living reconcile,
Like these whose very. trick we know?
The agony how nigh they pile,
Miss Braddon and Gaboriau.
Mrs. Braddon Maxwell lives in a beautiful old
house near London a former episcopal palace
which is believed to have been built by Sir
Christopher Wren One of her treasures is a
small table which Wellington wrote the dis
patch recounting the victory of Waterloo
The long unfinished Catalogue of Privately
Printed Books" compiled bv Mr. Bertram Dobeli
is at last to be completed by the issue of the
fourth part The first part brought out in
1891. Mr.. Dobell began the work nearly twenty
about a thousand privately printed books. His
completed catalogue viii describe with many be
gu1ling annotations, about twenty-five hundred
volumes
In two volumes illustrated with portraits and
maps we are to be called upon to observe an
effort to present the man Christopher COlum-
bus lin a narrative of strong human and pict-
uresque interest" The work is entitled Chris
topher Columbus in the New World of his Dis
covery'; the author is of the minor English
The house at Twickenham in which Lord
Clarendon lived and where he probably worked
ms n the sold IT is n haa Wa to
poles day it belonged to that lovely Mrs.
Damer. scholar and sculptor whom the vener-
able Horace admired and loved his child.
Many reader will metaphoricaIly shake
hands with Mr.. Clement Shorter apropos of his
remark that he is inclined to make an appre-
citation of TrOllope'S "BarcheSter'' novels a test
of friendship The man." he adds, who does
not pronounce them delightful is not for me-"
Nearly all Of the six "Barchester' novels are
out of copyright and several editions in
sight. Trollope was the author of siXty-nne
novels, and We agree with Mr.. Shorter when he
declares that I'VE could do with them ALL
How do you pronounce Niagara? The Brit
ish Major General Maxwell, in his book of
dotes and "reminiscences reminds US that in
Goidsmlth'S day ii was pronounced Niagara"
which recalls to a careful critic the fact that
a hundred years later Hood pronounced 1t in
the same way:
Who does not know that dreadful gulf where Nj
agara falls
Where eagle unto eagle screams to vulture, vult-
calls?
General Maxwell is the Trainer of an inter-
esting theory respecting George Eliot's choice
of her pseudonym:
Many years ago-some time in the 40s-a young
officer of the Bengal Cavalry-a very fine young
man, ! believe-caled George Donnithorne Eliot
accidentally drowned in the lake of Nynee Tai,
in the lower HimalayaS. Now, it Will be admitted
that Donnithorne is a very uncommon name; yet
have Arthur DonnIthOrne in Adam Bede,' and
have the rest of that young mans name, George
Eliot" as the novelist's pSeudOnym. think there
is something in this. II is too remarkable conci-
dence to be due mere chance. Who knows but
that the George Donnthorne Eliot of Nynee Tai
early friend fame ideal of Marian Evans,
and hence her adoption of the name George Eliot?
Novel writing business to have
been developed in lively fashion by Mr.. Franz
fort Moore. This Irish author is to have four
novels running through as many magazines
during the coming season. The list of books,
plays, etc, produced by him is very long
and SO far he has given nothing which prom
ise5 to live. The list, however means. we be-
Heye, comfortable income.