The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-04-20


The younger American poets have
been making themselves known to the
public recently by their plays, which.
In a number Of cases, have been put on
the stage with great success Mrs.
bargains 1.-THE Shepherd" which deals
with the life and struggles of to-day In
Russia and which was published In her
recent book, Lords and Lovers" is to
be produced very shortly by Sothern
and MarlOwe.
The rare first issue of Champlain's
first narrative of his first voyage to
America-"Des Savvages, ov, Voyage
de Samvel Champlain de Brovage, fait
en- la France novelle Pan mil six Gems
trois," was sold at auction recently for
$4,000. The book was printed by order
Of Champlain upon. his return from his
first voyage, and was published in 1903
and dedicated to Charles de MontmOr-
ency. 1t was picked up In Paris about
six months ago for some twenty CEN
times by a book lover who found 1t
among a lot Of cheap books on street
book stall.
The idea Of the trial marriage"
which has caused such a sensation
among scandalized people, who explain
that they are thankful to-day they are
thoroughly old-fashioned" and never
heard of such advanced notions, will
be interested in reading the Letters of
Dorothy Osborne" This seventeenth
century maiden writes that she thinks
''it would be very convenient that all
such as intend to marry should live to-
gether in the same house some years
of probation. They should
then be permitted to marry if they
pleased, but how few would do it then"
The Boz Club, which meets once a
year to do honor to the memory Of
Dickens is made up Of members of
many professions. At the last yearly
meeting of the club Dickens daughter,
Mrs. Perugini, was present, Miss Ho-
garth, Henry Fielding Dickens and
some of Dickens grandchildren. AS an
evidence of the continued popularity Of
Dickens, w. L. Courntye informs us
that single firm in England sold 4OO,-
600 copies Of Dickens works during the
last year. Mr.. Courntye estimates that
no less than million and half copies
Of Dickens books were sold during the
year.
Ridgeley Terrence, the author of
"Abelard and Heloise," is graduate
Of Princeton University in the class of
1897. He has been occupied with lit
erary work since his graduation, and
was for while librarian in the AS
tor Library and in the Lenox Library
of New York City. During the time
Of the Russo-Japanese peace conference
Mr.. Terrence was the American secre-
tary of Baron -Kaneko. He has pub
Hshed a poetic drama, "Eldorado," and
a volume of verse, "The House of a
Hundred Lights" His poetic gift has
already been popularity and authorita-
lively acknowledged, and he is one of
the most promising Of the younger
poets.
Some interesting data concerning the
estates left by modern writer's of prom
inence are published in the London
Sphere, from which it may be learned
that Sir Thomas Wemyss Reid left an
estate Of some nine thousand pounds,
Sir Edwin Arnold, $4,000; George Gis-
sing, $1,000; William Sharp less than
f40O. In consideration Of these facts
Clement Shorter concludes that no one
should enter the profession of litera-
ture or journalism without sufficient
means to live upon outside the remun-
GRAFTON earned by writing. Although
six successful novelists of the day in
England are able to provide themselves
with motor cars and other luxuries
apart from the popular writer of fiction
there is little to be said for the literary
life save that it brings a great deal of
pleasure with 1t.