New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
LITER1RY NOTES.

| novel, Blind jim" but it is not probable THAI
it viii appear before the spring.
The merrily satirtcal review of the past yeaz
which Nj E. '. Lucas and two coIlaboratorT
have published under the title of IF has taken
into account various popular authors Mr.
Han Caine is one-and this is what he might
write IF every man were his own laureate:
When Chaos comes on this terrestrial BAN
VIII UNIVERSAL darkness cover Hall?
Never for mid the cirCumambient gloom
l. like the bittern viii emit my toom
Here G. B Shaw is supposed to be speakins=
A rebel open and confessed
fear not death. yet how detest
The thought of joining the majority
Mr. W c. BrowneH distinguished critic who
too seldom takes UP his pen, has been devotfn9
himself Of late to the preparation Of an essay "
Poe. It viii be one of the notable features 4
the January number of "Scribners
In his new book on King George I Mr. Lew1
Melville has retold all the pleasant stories I'd
could find about the Hanoverian. Kere is ons
/ of them:
his glass, and invited him TO drain it to the
toast ef the Pretender Il vii dr1k he rsplIed;; led;
drink with al my hsart to the health OF any un-
fortunate Prince"
Another story-takan from the Percy anec-
/ dotes-shows equal amiabillty:
| Told that an acquaintance Of long standing. on
hearing the news OF his accession TO the english
| smoke pipe with him as EIector Of Hanover, but
/ I cannot recognize him as King Of England, far
from being angry. George expressed his regret that
/ political differences should separate him from
man he loved
When Tower official came in agitation to
| tell the King that Lord Nithsdae mad escaped
he found George in a far from ferocious mood:
! What" cried his majesty, rs the city on dr>
Neither. Sire. but Lord Nithsdale has escaped
rs that all said George 1t vas the wlsest
his 5-'T place And pray Nj Ieutenant be not too
diigent in searching after him, for 1 wish for no
mans blood"
| NJ Armand Dayot who has in divers Volumes
! of pictures illustrated various periods Of French
history, has just brought out another valuable
book Of the same character. It's title IS Ma
pCleon, ulustre d'apres des Peintures, Sculptures,
/ CravJIres Objects etc. du Temps Those who
are in possession Of NJ DayOt's earlier volumes
Second Empire-will not fail 70 acquire the new
one.
| Next spring the FeIibres intend 10 formally
celebrate the ftieth anniversary of the pubIica-
ton of MistraIs "Mireile.i In the course Of the
/ festival is to be unveiled a statue of Mistral
| and at the same time viii be inaugurated the
/ 'rMusee ArIatan." which the poet has been able
! 70 establish thanks TO his Nobel prize The old
question has been revived to whether he
would present himself as candidate for fau-
teuu in the French Academy, six now being
vacant. but he has caused il 10 be known that he
| remains fixed in his resolve not to seek TINS
I honor. The Academy bears an attitude toward
( the old languages Of France which is shared
neither by NIistraI nor by his friends in the Midi
/ and though II counts among its members men
like Jules Claretle Paul BOurget and Maurice
/ BarreS. who would be glad to DO everything Ii
their power to bring him into their ranks, he
/ steadfaStly refuses.
Mr.. Robert Hichens. we are told, Was absorbed
in music and poetry before he began 10 write
novels. There came an evening when a famous
prina donna Warbled Of his songs. I took
a seat and waited in 4 fever Of anxiety the
novelist is quoted saying. The applause
was tremendous, and was in a heaven Of pride,
when I heard two voices beind What a
lovely song that vasi' exclaimed one. Yes
agreed the other, but what awful rot the words
Of those songs always are"
Book selling, it appears varies with the
weather A London bookseller declares that
bad weather. wet. gloomy weather. brings pur-
Chasers. People" he says, are bored BY tbs
necessity of staying indoors. I find our post
much heavier after a wet than after a fine day
Mrs. Rebecca Harding Davis who has writ
ten little fiction for many years, has again
turned to that pleasant task She has con-
tributed to the forthcoming number Of Serb
nA-'s" a short story entitled The Coming o4