The Washington herald., 1908-06-21
THE WORLD OF BOOKS
LITERARY GLEANINGS AND GOSSIP


idea conveyed in the orthodox heaven
OF those days created something
Of a sensation. Now" says Mrs. Phelps,
who expects after death TO stand In a
row with musical ghosts around a
throne2 Who anticipates a white robe.
and a palm branch and a hymn book?"
II '"The Gates A1ar" were to appear to-
day as a new publication, she asserts.
tha book would scarcely excite remark.
This change of popular sentiment is noted
in a series OF articles which is being pub
lished in Harpers Bazar by Mrs. Phelps
IN which the venerable author gives her
present theories upon Immortality and the
future life.
The annual spring hegira OF authors Is
now in full swing Mrs. A. NJ. William
son, who has just completed a short visit
10 this country, sailed again last week for
Italy, where. with her husband, c. n.
Williamson, she will spend part OF the
summer. Booth Harrington and Edgar
Beecher Bronson are in Africa. the latter
in Abyssinia, where he hopes 20 shoot
big game. Prof. Woodberry will spend
his summer in Blthynia. and Gale Young
Rice is off for a trip around the world.
Arthur Stringer Is cruising in the Carib-
bean Sea in an italian tramp steamer.
with six pounds OF tobacco and six vol
umes OF Turgenen"
What makes or mars novel is the
subject Of a book shortly to be publish
ed by Harper & Brothers under the title
THE Technique OF the Novel" by
Charles +. Horne, Phi. d. The book will
aim to trace with appropriate examples
the evolution OF story writing, and Is eX-
pected to supply a much-needed text book
in the higher courses in literature at the
colleges, at the same time that II affords
entertaining reading for those who are
interested in fiction.
The third volume OF Bielschowsky's
Life OF Goethe" translated by William
A. Cooper (Putnam), contains no formal
summing up OF the poets achievements.
The whole book must serve that purpose.
But there Is brief, comprehensive es-
timate OF his work In the closing chap
ter. Bielschowsky believes that Goethe
created and assured for the German peO-
pie their position Of spiritual power In
the nineteenth century" He leads Us
back 10 Spinoza and forward 10 Darwin.
and in the realms Of nature and history
opens for US a view OF the whole as we'll
as OF the origin and development Of the
parts" The idea OF pure humanity how
ers like a sun above all his achievement.
we must not seek a systematic philos-
ophy IN HIS writings, however. The
biographer makes the daring assertion
that without Goethe the Germany OF to-
day would not exist. Without Goethe.
no Bismarck; without Goethe. no German
empire" He made the whole people feel
spiritually one nation But Prof. Bel
schowsky does not claim his hero exclu-
slvely for Germany. He exists, beside
Homer and Shakespeare, for the whole
world.
TWO volumes. Kim" and THE Days
Work" by Rudyard Kipling. have been
issued by Doubleday. Page & Co. in their
series OF the Pocket Kipling. These vo!-
umes are bound in decorated leather.
printed on good lightweight paper in
clear type. and are excellent specimens
OF bookmaking. Books like this make the
reader wonder why larger and clumsier
volume is ever issued or bought.
II appears that Maurice Hewlett thinks
that his English publishers are asking
too much for his latest book, THE Span
ish Jade" which Will be published in
this country next week by Doubleday,
Page & Co. at 30 cents copy. In re-
gard 70 this question Of price Mr.. Hew-
lett writes as follows 10 the Athenaeum.
The Spanish Jade" written BY me. Is announced
by the Euglisch publishers az the price of 6s
hope ycu viii allow me to explain that the story
IS a short one lof $3.50 words and that the price
which Is that q an ordinary novel. has been fixed
by the publishers against my wishes and n spite
Of my protests Having parted with the copyright.
! have no authority in the matter. and can only
take this means Of making my position clear 10
the public. MAURICE HEWLETT.
a catalogue OF an English book sale
reveals some interesting details of the
life OF Henry Fielding in the shape CT
a receipt for a translation which the
author OF Tom Jones" Is not generally
credited with. The receipt reads as fol-
lows:
Reed March the 10 i7ss Of Air. John Nolrse the
sum Of forty-fve pounds in Part Payment for the
translation Of the History Of Charles the twelfth
by me Hen. Fielding.
The book appeared in 174O under the
title THE Military History OF Charles
XII, King OF Sweden" by NJ. Gustavus
Adlerfeld. chamberlain 10 the King. The
catalogue states that the receipt has been
in the possession of John Dillon, collector
OF autographs, manuscripts, and books.
"The Half-Smart Set" is the title Of
book issued anonymously by the Fred
erick A. Stokes Company. Il is said 10
be by an author whose previous novels
have reached a circulation well up into
six figures. THE Wonder Book Of At
mosphere." which has just appeared. will
be followed by THE Wonder Book Of
Light and "The Wonder Book OF Mag
netism." All Of these volumes. as well
as THE Wonder Book OF Volcanoes and
Earthquakes" which was the first Of
the series, are written by Prof E. J.
Houston. Of Philadelphia.
The Riverby edition Of the complete
writings Of Mr.. John Burroughs. long in
preparation, is now ready and includes
an extraordinary group Of bird pictures,
some in color. and photographs Of scenes
in woodland and field. II is fOrty-three
years since Mr.. Burroughs sent his With
the Birds" TO the Atlantic Monthly, and
thirty-seven since wake Robin" his
first book, was published. IN 1895 came
the Riverside limited edition. now incom-
plete by some seven volumes. and an
other edition is really needed to satisfy
the demand for the pioner Nature
Books" and naturally 1t comes from
Messrs. Houghton. Miffiin & Co.
A book which is held FOR fall publlca-
ton by the Grafton Press has for its
title Early Christian Hymns" being
translations Of the most notable Latin
hymns of the early and Middle Ages, by
Daniel Joseph DonahOe The volume will
contain accurate translations OF all the
notable hymns from those Of st. Hilary
900 A. ID to those OF Pope Urban
VIII Q56s).
Prof. Ferrero. OF Turin University.