Evening journal., 1907-06-03
IN THE REALM
OF LITERATURE


and nervously brushed a speck Of dust
off the lapels of his frock-coat as he
stUuu Un the Turkey rug awaiting tie
guests at his June reception of maga-
zines. The first to arrive was Collier
who brought His Wife" a clever
woman who had won a thousand dol
lar prize in a recent literary contest,
and witty friend named Wallace Ir-
win who was still chucsling over the
eccentricities of the Manhattan Hur-
rilegs whom he had just visited. Close
behind Irwin followed another young
cut-up who was known as the Bohe.
milan, and who was stating enthusiasts
tically to magazine who wore
startlingred waistcoat (an idiosyncracy
which gave him the name "Red Book q"
he was otherwise cutie respectable).
we'll the Bohemian was declaring that
he loved a rafting good story and the
atrical anecdotes The Red Book as
sented heartily and asked him If he
had read Crazyland or Lady Billy
/ The Bohemian answered that he was
just then engrossed in the Strength Of
the Weaklings, Coney Island, News,
paper Tipsters. and especially in the
history Of the great Russian actress.
Madame ALA Nazimova, VI whom he
had bowling good picture
At this the Century, an old gentles
man greatly looked up to by the young
er set. FASTENED forward He too, was
an admirer Of the Russian, and brought
from his waistcoat pocket five remark
able pictures of the wonderful woman.
Finding that the conversation had
drifted to art, he produced fine wood
engraving Of a French countess. three
notable Illustrations 20 Les Afiserables
drawn by Castaigne, and noble paint
ing Of Garibaldi. The old gentleman
had become stirred up. and from the
rich stores Of his memory, told the
admiring younger people eloquent tales
Of Dueling in Old Creole Days, remini-
/ SCIENCES Of Lincoln. and was getting
into n heated discussion over baseball
with the Success Magazine, when the
conversation was interrupted by the
entrance of two ladies'.
One of them was a quiet little New
Yorker. the Book Buyer whose BUSH
ness in life was introducing Scribner's
/ publications to the literary world She
was accompanied by tall Boston blue
stocking, The Boston Alaskan. This
lady was deeply interested i'm Alaska
as a promised land. and armed with
photographs she tackled the venerable
Century and urged him to move his
| plant TO Nome at once.
/ The Century was relieved when the
! iovial Scribner's with genial F. Hop
/ kinson Smith broke into the group.
90 . III. r.rf.,. ~
side, but there the yellowness stopped.
! He knew so much about every con-
/ ceivalde topic from contemporary
Franco, America and Eiizabethan
/ England. to Ospreys, ana told such en-
tertaining yarns about hat-tricbs, ar
lists who painted in water up to their
shoulders, and things that happened 10
Henry Van Dyke in his days off. that
he soon had his auditors laughing apl
cheering.
The room was now well filled with
guests. "Who on earth is that man
with leather coat and goggles2" quer-
led Transatlantic Tales. a tall foreign
woman with melancholy, dark eyes, OF
the dapper good-looking young Broad
way. "Oh, that's Automobile Topics
answered Broadway, "he's a crank OF
the subject, knows all about it. If you
bring up any subject like New Yorp
hotels, or New York shows. or Wal
street gambling, that man will talh
about their effect upon motor-wagons
He's so daffy on the subject he carries
a speedometer in his pocket when nC
dances. BY the way, I don't see Bicy'
cling World here to-day. 1 expect he's
gone to the convention at Atlantic City
He's another crank. Last time I saw
him he couldn't talk about nothing bu
the boy market for bicycles. BY th'
way have you read my latest Idio
story? Deuced funny. you know"
The couple were being watched will
interest by an oidly-matched pair il
the corner, an old, white-bearded maj
with a gentle expression, Our Duml
Animals, and a chic young girl who's
dress was covered with flippant rec
tassels, the Smart Set. 'She look
so sad" commented our Dumb Ami
mails rather absently, for his thought
were centered upon the ham sandwich
relentlessly devoured Nv the Smart Set
and he wondered how he could ad
minister a gentle reproot for that, an
for the bird in her hat. and for th
docked tail of the patient horse whic
} had brought her to the reception. TIL
fair culDrits face softened.
transatlantic Tales is my cousin,
. she said. Just as I am happy in m
greaa, free America, how can she nc!
, being sad for the oppressed poor j
her great, suffering Europe. But sh
is a genius. You should read her "Dy
ing Land" to feel her pathos and he
power. You know it is literally a dy
ing land. worn out by centuries q
cultivation. The tragedy comes whe
the old farmers. loving the land wit
all their soul, see their sons desert tll
starving farms for the great home
Z steads of the new world. and the an
r cestral glories of the family come
an end"
Nearby. two swarthy. long-haire
. gentlemen, were engaged In such eal
: nest gossip that they quite forgot any
: body else was in the room. They wei
both musicians. of course did yo
hear" said Musical America, ina
: Hammerstein wants 10 establish pei
! manent opera companies in all the bl
4 cities?" II did," said Musical Courie
g "and what do you think Of the Par
n production of Salome?' Then bot
t beean to talk at once. and the air wa
: filled with waving. nervous. artist
u fingers and cries of "Caruso. Geraldll
O Farrar Wilmington symphony O
a chestra, Sembrich," until Everybody
\ Magazine remarked TO Outing that
sounded like college yell
: outing. who was an athletic. han'
= some man. in the prime of life ha
cleverly nibbled a wafer into the shat