The Washington herald., 1907-09-08
By HECTOR FULLER

By HECTC
The close Of the literary auction season
in London last month left the records
adorned with some interesting episodes
and certain extraordinary figures. An
article in the Pail Mall Gazette. sur
veyiug the transactions of Is06-'07 at
SOthebys. shows that Shakespeare. Tor
example. 'ascended 10 a pinnacle OF com
mercial value he never before attained. &"
Mr. Quaritch bought the copy Of the First
Folio IN the Van Antwerp sale for ES,Gl0,
nearly double the record price, and not
long afJerward, at the dispersal OF the
Buckley library. he paid g., 4O0 for anoth-
er fine copy. Shakespeare QuartOs also
Jared handsomely. one Of them selling for
sl.910. and a fine copy OF the nrsJ edi-
ton Of the "Sonnets" went 10 Ar. Qua
ritch for $500 Nor was Shakespeareana
alone the object cf fierce competition
The Compleat Angler" in the original
sheepskin, fetched Gl250, and a copy Of
the KilmarnOck Burns was sold for 600
Among modern authors Browning came
TO the front, a copy of his Pauline
bringing G225 but Shelley was the most
conspicuous, Three small notebooks Of
his. containing rough jottngs Of few
OF his finest poems, were sold Tor the great
sum OF &39Q The Pan Mall notes
that this price FOR q manuscript has been
only twice sGrpassed-With ES,600 for Mel
sons memorandum Of the battle Of Traf-
algar and E4,UJ Tor the manuscript Of
Book ] OF Paradise Lost" " now in the
library of Mr.. J. =. Morgan Many i'm
portant manuscripts came into the market
in the season just closed, among them
autographs by Pope, Gilbert White, Scott
Byron, ThackeTay and Burns, and, ot
course, many Of these are to-day I'm Amer
lean collections.
The approach Of the school session no
doubt accounts for the renewed demand
al the Public Library for books on psy-
chOlogy. among which the works Of VII
liam James are in greatest demand. Miss
Tarbelrs History of the Standard Oil
Company" is also in demand. The most
popular books in fiction in the past week
We're The Impersonator." by Taylor, and
The Beloved Vagabond." by Locke In
the chidren's room the cali was for Miss
AlcOtts Little Women" and the Violet
Fairy book by Lang. An exhibition at
the library Of reproductions of paintings
by famous masters has created an in
creased demand for lives of artists, while
the death OF Richard Mansfield has re-
suited in a number of calls fer sketches
OF his life. Additional references 10 ar
ticles on Mansfield are to be found posted
al the library.
Doubleday, Page * Co.'S next publica-
ton date is September Il They will pub
ish Memoirs OF an Arabian Princess"
translated by Lionel Suachey; Alice In
Blunderland,' by John Kendrick Bangs,
THE Uprising OF the Many" by Charles
Russell; Famous Stories Every Child
Should Know edited by Hamilton
Wright Mabie; The Road TO Happiness
by Mrs. Van Court Schuyler. and "ArJi-
fetal Soft Paste Porcelain" by Edwin
Barber, in their Art Primer series.
The late Joseph Knight, editor Of Notes
and Queries" and dramatic critic Of the
Athenaeum, was one of the most genial
personalities and keenest wits known TO
the higher walks of Londou's Bohemia
His extensive erudition and wonderful
memory made him a felicitous quoter. In
the practice of whimsical misquotation
he had a deftness which belongs TO an
earlier time, when literature was a vivid
and ever present delight. Here is an
instance given by one Of his admirers.
Meeting AIr. Rider Haggard at the time
when his South African story, Jess" was
much talked Of he at once adapted
"Othello:"
If I DO prove him haggard
Though that his jesses were ny deaE heartstFings,
I'd whistle HIM Of
The same admirer supplies the correct
version Of one Of knights wittiest salIies
which has often been spoiled BY incorrect
reporting II occurred at a theatrical din
ner. The Lyceum had been producing
popular pieces Of little merit. which were
unsatisfactory to the critics A we'll
known after-dinner speaker had suggested
that the said critics, being useless, should
be shot when they came out Of the the
ater Knight rose and replied that they
should doubtless be shot. but his friend
was once q barTister, and should know
that torture was medieval; so he would
appreciate the amendment that the critics
should be shot before they entered the
theater. It may be whispered that the
''well-knOwn after-dinner speaker IS. said
10 have been no less a person than Will
lam S. Gilbert.
In The Road 10 Happiness" Mrs.
Van Court Schuylers new book. the
author has a chapter on "Cheerfulness"
which, If read by every girl at the begin
ming Of her days work. would prove 4
tonic-spiHtual and mental. The Alpha
and Omega Of Mrs. Schuylar's creed is
optimism, not blind optimism, but the
practical common sense way Of looking
on the bright side. a way that can be
appled-nOt merely preached. Therein
lies the value Of this little book from the
first page to tho last It is full Of what
We might call golden nuggets OF wisdom
and love and cheer. Doubleday, PAGE &
Go. are the publishers.
The Century Company announces for
early September publication "Brunh,lde's
Paying Guest" a story Of Southern life
and love. by Caroline Fuller. author Of
Across the Campus" &c.
The fan season OF Houghton, Miflin 6
Co. viii begin on September Il with the
publication OF ''The Familiar Letters Of
James Howell in two volumes, with an
introduction by Miss Agnes Repplier;
Thomas Hoods pathetic ballad, Faith
less Nelly Gray" with many amusing
illustrations by Robert Seaver; a new
edition Of Alice Prescott Smiths Mont
livet." with froEtispiece IN color and
decorative cover; Everett 7. Tomlnson's
new story for boys. The Camp Fire