Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-29
LATE BOOK NEWS

the largest English publishing houses. 1t is
announced by the publishers that the total
number of titles is nearly six thousand and
that about twenty-eight hundred different au-
thors are represented.
Thomas L. Masson's new book, "a Bachelor
Baby" will suggest, in general contents and
appearance. his extremely successful book of
two years ago, "A Corner in Women" 1t con-
tains his very latest humor which means his
very shrewdest and best work. for Mr. Mason
has been growing greatly OF late The book is
freely illustrated by Flagg, Richards, Hanna,
Crosby Budd and other favorites. and has a
ccver Of baby faces by Blashheld.
The first voulme Of my Memoirs" by Alex
andre Dumas, Is out in its English translation
and brings with 1t an Introductory essay by
Andrew Lang which Ia almost as delightful as
Dumas himself. THE Memoirs" says Mr..
Lang, possess this advantage over most other
books that the most grabbed critics cannot say
are all his own. and the essential point Of note
Is that they display all the humor, the good
ness Of heart. the overnowing Joy Of life
which make the charm of the novels" The
memoirs are to run to six volumes, appearing
at intervals of month. The Macmillan COM
pany, which is publishing them, also an
nounces translation in four volumes of Du-
mas famous book of Celebrated Crimes. :
Like the memoirs, this also will be the first
complete edition ever issued in English. The
translation is entirely new, and each volume
contains a short introduction by r. S. Gar
nett.
In his book "An Artists "reminiscences,
Walter Crane publishes letter from Steven
written at the very ouset of his career
which is amusingly characteristic of the man.
Mr.. Crane had been engaged to design O
frontispiece for Stevenson's first book and
the young author wrote the Illustrator as fol-
lows, with all young authors impatience.
observes Mr.. Crane, and amusing, but
a little cheeky perhaps:
"Burford Bridge Inn, Box Hill,
Dorkin, Surrey
'Mr Crane:
'Dear sir-I hope that is the orthodox begin.
ming. Mr.. Kegan Paul has asked me to call
on you; and 1 have tried to do SO. Owing tc
time and tide, that could not be, so take the
other liberty of writing.
.'You have written to him promising a from
tispiece for fortnight hence for a little book
OF mine-'An Inland Voyage shortly to ap-
pear Mr. Paul is in dismay 1t appears tha'
there is a tide in the affairs of publishers
which has the narrowest moment OF Hood con-
ceivable; week here, a week there, and a
book Is made or lost; and now, as 1 write to
you, is the very nick Of time the publisher
high noon.
IT should deceive you If 1 were to pretend
had no more than a generous interest In this
appeal. For, should the public prove gulible
to a proper degree, and one thousand copies
net counting thirteen to the dozen. disappear
into its capacious circulating libraries. should
begin to perceive a royalty which visibiy af-
fects me as 1 write.
.T fear you will think me rude, and dc
mean to be importunate The sooner you can
get the frontispiece for us, the better the
book will swim, If swim 1t does.
"Believe me, yours very hopefully,
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
my mother Ia good judge) says this is OBJ
scure and affected. What mean Is, couldn't
you get that frontispiece sooner?
my mother says the last is impolite
Couldn't you as favor get the frontlspece
sooner? X. l.. >.
It used to be considered high praise to say
that a book was read wherever the English
language is spoken; but now the books OF
popular American and English authors are
widely translated into foreign tongues. The
work Of Mark Twain. William Dean Howells,
Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman. Robert
Hichens, Gertrude Atherton. Katherine Cecil
Thurston and others is familiar to France
German Italy and other countries. The
Story of the Other Wise Man." by Henry Van
Dyke has been translated even into such un-
usual languages as the Armenian and Turkish
and ben Hur'' has been put into even 9
greater multitude of tongues.