New-York tribune., 1906-12-30
Gbe Neao'2ork gribnaae e
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 80, 1906.

Year after year we have protested against
the cumbrous volume, and it is with much
sympathy therefore, that we have READ a
strenuous article on the subject in the "Pall
Mall Gazette" The writer has not any ex-
pectation that his protest Will be needed. AS
q matter of fact, it will be needed the more
rs he and others continue to hammer away at
the point at issue The publishers will re-
form if il is proved to them that WORKS when
cannot be handled easily will be neglected. 1t
is useless to argue that the big book is printed
because readers demand illustrations, and these
"eXact large page, and thicker paper
work can be issued in two volumes. The truth
Is that as our Pail MALI commentator says,
this abuse of size often proceeds from the
false notion that to be vOluminOus is TO be
important" Speaking of the makers OF Di-
ographieS, for example, and the way IN Whlcn
they pad their books with trivialitieS, he says:
at is the abominable superstition of dignity
which leads them into these absurdties.
little book would not be worthy of the great
Jones" 1t seems, however, almost hopeless
to expect publishers or the writers they aid
and abet, to see that this superstition of theirs
really hurts their interests Books are made
and published in order to be read, and to fulfil
their purpose adequately they must be Of
form and a weight convenient"
Another question appropriately brought up
at this time, when the making OF good resoln-
tons is in order is treated by Mr.. w. L. Alden
in The Author" He discusses ''The Vice OF
Complete Editions" yehemently asking, why
should any one wish to possess all the books,
good bad or Indifferent, which any favorite
author has written?' The query is one for
master of morbid psychology. OF course, we
Chara no rests I
tiOns which are made complete by the inclr-
sion of writings which the author, helpless IN
his grave would gladly have left in oblivion
1t generally rests with the members of the
authors family who cannot resist the tempta-
ton TO turn the manuscripts in their possession
Into coin, or it rests with the editors" who
ferret out hitherto uncollected" fragments and
publish them with an air as OF conferrInS
benefit upon mankind But it still remains
my ystery as to how reader who claims to love
q master of literature can bring himself to
encourage our modern art of body -snatchins
Says Mr. Alden
This passion for complete editions keeps alive
the worst things that an author has written
Most men who have written at all have written
much that they would willingly let die. But
the lover of complete editions cares nothing for
their wishes. 1t was to pander to his depraVed
appetite that the London magazines and news
papers have been raked over in order TO collect
the refuse of Thackeray'S writings And now
no edition of Thackeray is complete unless il
includes two or three volumes in which this
rubbish is given permanent form, and the honor
Of a place side by side with "Pendenns'' and
Vanity Fair and the other works for which
we owe TO Thackeray eternal gratitude Thus
.he passion for complete editions not only in
jures the victim himself, but it has reflex
action which mars the reputation of authors
whom we shall hold in reverence.
We know where to place the literary execu-
tors who do their dirty work for gain We
confess that we are at loss TO account for the
support they receive amongst readers who pro-
fcss TO honor an authors fame, but go right
on maintaining a market for stuff that they
know is unworthy Of him.
Everybody knows that when Fanny Burney
made her first appearance as an author, what
her father thought mattered to Fanny more
than everything else put together" The SEN
tence is by a writer in the London Saturday
Review" who goes on to say that the thing
which must always matter greatly to an au
about him think. But some authors are diff
ferently constituted as this critic sees. ''Feed
ing praise" he says, "for the wretched sake
of praise, starving savagely for the want of
1.-THE author who does either of these is in a
rotten way. The sensibility of some authors
to-day to praise and blame, simply as praise
&c foo IpI,o