The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-08-25

II has long been predicted that II an
early edition Of Hamlet" ever came into
the market il would fetch as high as
S50,000 This prediction was made by Mr..
Maurice Jonas, who is an authority on
the subject and # lends peculiar interest
70 the coming sale of Earl Howe's conec-
tions Of Shakespearlana. which contains
a second edition OF Hamlet" only three
Of which are believed to be IN existence.
OF the first edition only two copies are
known. One Of them is the property Of
the Duke of DevOnshire. and it cost, in a
volume containing twelve early editions
OF this play, $3.50. The second copy.
wanting a title-page. Is ia the British
Museum. Il was bought in 1856 for
small sum. sold for $3.50, and later it
changed hands at $500 before it passed to
the museum, Mr.. Jonas tells many stories
Of his own lucky finds Of early Shakes
peare plays, which shows that the hunt
Is more profitable than gold-mining. If
only one Is. successful and knows the art.
In a volume OF old plays, which cost him
one shilling. he found a Shakespeare
auarto which he sold for $3.50. He bought
q copy Of a Midsummer Nights Dream"
for $50 and had no difficulty IN selling it
10 an American collector for 5000. He
also says that he picked up for one penny
an impression Of Romeo and Juliet thaG
ought 70 bring him $500
Mr. J. II. Wilson Marriott, of Washing
ton, has written and published in handy
form, Picturesque cabin john" a com
plete and most interesting history OF
Cabin John Bridge. He tells how the
bridge, the biggest single span in the
world, was built; its history and the tradi-
ton that clings about its name He also
tells of the gOld-seekers In Cabin John
Run, and how the Conduit road, along the
path OF which is Cabin John Bridge. is
paved with quartz, some Of which assays
gold as high as SIC a ton. The little book
is packed full OF valuable information,
and the Illustrations are remarkable.
During the week just closed the record
Of book popularity al the Public Library
shows that IN nonfiction the call was for
Mark Twains Christian Science" and
Gerrish's anatomy" In fiction the de-
mand was for Thurston's The Mystics"
and De M0rgan's Alice for short" The
youngsters kept the Juvenile department
busy handing out the Arabian Nights
and Mrs. Virgins "Rebecca Of Sunny
brook Farm" Other subjects Of especial
popularity during the week were engineer
ing and pure food. On the former. two
books were in demand: WendePs "Speci-
fcations for Steel Bridges" and Richey's
Building Mechanics" On the latter
subject. DR.. Wiley's Foods and Their
Adulterauon,' and Blythe's Foods. Their
Composition and Analysis" were most
called for
The only answer that the editor OF the
Academy can make to Mr.. John David
son for a fragrant Misrepresentation is
10 publish his letter under the caption.
"A Terrible Outrage" and TO remark
that I'VE cannot regret that we mad
vertently misquoted Mr.. Davidson's
words, since our mistake has had the
effect Of drawing this elegant protest
from him" Mr.. Davidson's protest is
thus explicitly and justly phrased; Sir
You have misquoted me in a note in
your issue Of the 10th. and you have done
so designedly, and very meanly. I am
represented as saying, the more mascu-
line and less delicate minds among men
dislike women except in their sexual re-
latiOns. This IS what I said, as you
knew very well. The more masculine, and
therefore more delicate, minds among
men dislike women except in their sexual
relations, as mothers, wives, lovers. sis
ters.' You have changed my and there
fore more delicate into less delicate
and you have suppressed the important
conclusion of my sentence. This is the
basest lie that has been acted in the
name Of literary criticism. There can be
40 excuse. The only thing for you 20 do
Is to resign the editorship Of the Academy
and make room for some honester man"
The issuing. by the Harpers, Of a new
edition of a Boys Town. that delight
full book by William Dean Howell, written
reminiscently Of his boyhood days long
after he had become an author Of distinc-
ton, is a pleasant reminder that his first
literary work was written and published
when he was a mere lad-and, it may be
said. published under unique circum-
stances. For Howell, as a boy, worked
as a cOmpOsitOr in his fathers printing
office-his father being owner and editor
Of newspaper in a little Ohio town-aud,
as the desire to write, to express him
self in literary form. gradually grew on
him. he not only produced an essay, but
set II up in type himself for appearance
in the paper!
Even now, after his many literary tri-
umphs. UP TO his recent book, Through
the Eye Of the Needle" he cannot forget
the thrill Of happiness he experienced on
seeing that first essay In type.
The Putnams viii publish in this coun-
try the Cambridge History Of English
Literature, which Prof. A. W Ward and
Prof. A. r. Walker are editing, and
which Is TO be completed in fourteen stout
volumes This will be a work of many
hands, the different chapters being writ
ten by scholars who have specialized in
different phases Of the subject treated.
American and Continental as well as
English writer's viii assist IN the enter
prise The plan Of this history, which is
TO deal with English literature from the
beginnings down TO the end of the Vic
torian age, is thus summarized:
It is intended u 10 give e connected account Of
the successive movements, both main and. subsidiary
IN English literature; this implies an ADEQUATE
treatment q secondary writers. instead Of leaving
these TO be oTershad0Wed by the greater perSonali
ties; % to trace the progress II the English Ian
guage rs vehicle Of English literature: 81 10 take
note Of the influence of foreign Hteratures upon
English literature, and Though in a smaller de
gree q the influence Il English upon foreign era-
tuFei and li 20 provide each chapter with a suF-
6cient photography.
The late Francis Miles Finch, author
Of The Blue and the Gray" who died in
Ithaca on July 80 had very little of the