The San Francisco call., 1906-07-04
NOVELIST HEARS
Of HIS DEATH
False Report Tells of
Demise of Rev. S.
Baring-Gould.
Labor Leaders Talk of
Inspiration From
Books.
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL.

LONDON, July 3.-To be made the
subject of premature obituary notices
IS by no means unique experience
nowadays Several more or less ia
nous men have been reported dead one
day, only to be publicly resurrected
the next. But to go through such an
experience and then refuse to read any
of the obituary notices certainly con-
stitutes unique claim to distinction.
The Rev. s. Barring Gould has earned 1t.
The death OF his cousin and namesake
in South Africa caused the report to be
published all over the country that the
voluminous author had passed away,
and every daily newspaper of any con-
sequence followed the announcement
with review Of his life and work.
Instead of availing himself of the
opportunity afforded to see himself as
others see him, Mr.. Barring g-Gould de-
clined to read any of the numerous bio
sraphical notices that were sent to his
family by press-clipping agencies.
Il have" he says, Enclosed the whole
set unread in an envelope, sealed 1t up
and put it aside with my will to be
read or burned when I am no more"
He shows himself to be very differ
ent type of man to the first Lord
out what the newspapers thought of
him that he put in circulation a false
rumor Of his death, with results hardly
fiattering to his vanity.
A London newspaper offered the vet
eran cleric $50 for a critique of his
obituary notices. The tempting offer
was declined. So also did he the sug-
gestion of a benevolent society that he
should make a liberal contribution to
its funds as a thank offering for not
being dead as reported
Though the living he occupies is
worth only $1,000 a year, he was sur
prised to discover how many curates
there are eager to take advantage OF
his decease. His wife was inundated
with letters from enterprising drapery
firms anxious to supply her with wild
ow's caps and mourning costumes. But
the oldest of all communications he re-
ceived was one from q tradesman who
congratulated him on his resurrection
and sent him a new patent razor which
he wishes to introduce.
Does he want me to try it on my
throat" says the novelist, that / may
elicit another. series of obituary no.
tices?'
Mr.. Barring Gould Is 73 years old, and
has been wrlelng books for nearly half
a century at the rate of something like
three year. The obituary notice writ
ers have almost unanimously praised
several of his novels, and their sale will
undoubtedly be greatly stimulated. In
this way the genial old man will reap
substantial reward from the prema-
ture announcement of his decease.
LABOR LEADERS AND BOOKS.
Several labor members of Parliament
have been telling what books helped
them most in their early carers. John
Burnes obtained his first stimulus
1eJ., - to- <1F ~ al &c
Charles XII" a secondhand copy of
which he bought for two cents. 1t
taught him to cultivate physical hardi-
hood and Indifference to extremes of
heat or cold. He credits John Stuart
Mill with having done most to make
him a Socialist by his failure to refute
the arguments OF the Socialists.
F. w. Jowett says: The book which
Cd made me want to read was Ivan
hoe; (2) led me to think and reflect
was Past and Present; CD made me
Socialist was Unto This Last"
John Ward, the strenuous and elo-
ouent NAVY, writes: When l was
first taught TO read the Bible was my
chief source of inspiration. Pilgrim s
Progress comes next. The first book
that struck my imagination was Scotts
Ivanhoe,' which l read when about IL
years old. About this time / devoured
not read. that's too tame an express
sion-'Robinson Crusoe."
With Stephen Walsh from very
early years shakespeare has been
prime and constant favorite. Falstaff.
Brutus, Mark Antony, Cassius, quaint
old Dogberry, and TIE tender, half-pet-
ulant yet innocent old Verges-all
these have been almost living realities
with me. The first book I ever bought
was Pilgrims Progress over thirty
two years ago, though / was then a
Roman Catholic"
7. Burt acknowledges that the great
est literary influence of his youth was
Charming. particularly his essays on
Hardie was most impressed by his
mothers Scotch songs and Wilson's
Tales of the Border" which is the first
book he remembers reading.
RARE VOLUMES FOUND.
There has just been brought to light
one of the most important literary dis
coveries OF modern times. In a library
in Ireland, which was recently inher-
tied by an Irishman, there was found
seventeen of the rarest English pre-
Shakespearean plays. Their owner had
no idea of their great value, but some
body advised him to consult London
authority. Then he learned to his
amazement that these long neglected
volumes were worth more than all the
rest of his inheritance.
Historically these old plays are more
valuable than those of Shakespeare, for
they give a clearer idea of Englands s
literary growth, from its rise to the
date of the master dramatist. They in
clude moral plays, interludes and com
edies, several OF them being unrecorded
editions. Among the most important
Of them are two well-preserved copies
of the first and second comedies to be
written In the English language,
namely, Nicholas Udalls Ralph Roi-
ter Doighter," the first issued anony-
mously in 1866, and rhe "Ryght. Pithy.
Pleasant and Merle Comedie: Inty-
teled Gammer Gurton's Nedle."
Still rare are an unrecorded edition
of John Bales early sixteenth century
morality play. Here Begynneth the
Enterlude of Johan the Evangelist"
and the excessively scare first edition
of THE Ninth Tragedie OF Lucius An
naeus Seneca" (called Octavia), trans
lated out of Latin into English by T. N.
(Thomas Luce, student in Cambridge,
and the only known edition of the un-
recorded "Newe, Merry and Wittie Com
edie or Enterlude, Treating Upon the
Historic of Jacob and Esaw," 1868.