The Washington herald., 1908-02-16
THE WORLD OF BOOKS
LITERARY GLEANINCS AND GOSSIP.

It really strikes the outsider as being
more than a little curious. the ease with
which magazine editors are deceived,
There is a well-authentcated case of a
wag who took the trouble 70 copy novel
of George Eliots changing the name
only OF the characters and sending it to
a magazine editor, who promptly accept
ed it as an original story for serial pub
lication a more recent case is made
known by Mr.. Charles Hanson Towne,
managing editor of the Smart Set who
sends out warning letter calling atten-
ton TO the feat OF one Frederick Her
ron" 1t appears that Mr.. Heron sent
70 the Smart Set a story entitled "The
Shurtlen Dinners" which was promptly
accepted and published in the January
number of that magazine. and. presum-
ably. was paid for. Now it appears that
this Identical story was originally pub
lished In the Atlantic Monthly for Octo-
her, 1900. under the title The Draxon
Dinner" 1t was written by Mr. Charles
Warren. The only change made was the
substitution Of the name Shurtleff for
Draxon throughout the narrative. Mr..
Towne suggests that 10 prevent a repeti-
ton OF this sort Of ofenses there should
be an editorial blacklist association. but
It is difficult to see how such an associa-
ton would serve any good purpose. After
all, it is the editor Of magazine who
must decide whether a story submitted
to him and deemed worthy of publication
has ever before been published. The
uuandary of Mr.. Towne would suggest
that perhaps it might be as we'll for
magazine editors to be weIl-read men and
10 paw a little closer attention To their
contemporaries
The record of book popularity in the
Public Library during the past week is
as follows: In nonfction, Bryce's Amer
lean Commonwealth" and Benson's Al
tar Fire" In fiction, Phelps Walled
In" and Oppenheim's Lost Leader" In
the juvenile department the call was for
AlcOtts Little Women" Lang's Red
Fairy Book" and Dickens Tale of Two
Cities" Other subjects in popular de-
mand were biography and nature study.
on the former subject Carl Schurz's
"Reminiscences, Sarah Bernhardts Me-
moirs, and Nine. Vigee lie Bruins Ne
moirs IN the field Of nature study the
call was for I.oundsberry's Guide 10 the
Trees" SCOTS Nature Study" and Rob
erts "Haunters of the Silences."
A weu-known London Journalist has
pointed out an old poem which ought at
this moment TO be of interest to Ameri-
cans. II was written shortly after the
American civil war, in which both Mere
dith and his dear friend John Morley
We're deeply interested. Mr. Morley, who
was then editor Of the Fortnightly, went
10 America in the autumn of 1861,
and during his absence Mr.. Meredith ed
tied the Review At the time of Mr.
MoTlHys departure Meredith wrote a
farewell poem of some forty-three stan
zas. In it appears a verse which should
be gratifying 10 Americans even now,
Speaking of Morley, Meredith says;
We send oH worthiest, can DO les
II we would Dee read Alright,
To that great people who may bless
OF curse mankind-tbey have the might
Two books that are about as opposite
in character as could we'll be are prom
ised next Friday by d. Appleton & Co.
one Of these is The Story Of Iron and
Steel, consisting Of an addition to the
Library of Useful Stories" showing how
iron lies in the ground how it is mined,
how steel is made, &c, by Joseph Russell
smith. Phi D.. assistant professor Of
geography and industry in the University
Of Pennsylvania. The other forthcoming
book will be the second volume Of Horace
Traubers with Walt Whitman in Cam
den" the first installment of which was
published some time ago, when It attract
ed more attention than almost any liter
airy biography in recent years.
The Society Of Authors. Of England,
was reorganizcd at a special general
meeting recently held in London. It APP
pears that an effort has recently been
put forth by a number of British writer's
10 reclaim the society from the position
Of what Mr.. Bran Stoker characterizes
as a proprietary club and make it truly
representative Of British literary work
ers Ii is not yet apparent how far the
reorganization will effect the result de-
sired. At the meeting. which was at
tended by Messrs. Anthony Hope Haw-
kns Bernard Shaw, and other distin-
gUished writer's. Mr.. Israel Zangwill pro-
posed a rule which would make the de-
cision Of the society ION questions affect
ing the profession of letters" binding
upon every member. but those present
were not willing TO go so far toward
establishing a fixed code for the literary
guild.
A man who has made quite a name for
himself in a particular field of fiction is
7. jenkins Hams. the well-known writer
of sea stories His grandfather was an
admiral in the United States navy. and
his father a general in our army. so he
comes of able ancestry. Mr.. Hams
knows whereof he writes as he has had
practical experience of life on the ocean
wave He is a licensed navigator Of
n-gOing vessels, and holds both Eng
lish Board Of Trade and American navi- !
gators licenses. The Windjammers. % /
the novel which appeared from his pen in /
1899, marked a new departure in modern !
fiction. The Luck OF the Impulse" /
which is published in the March number |
of the Popular Magazine, is one of the |
best stories Mr.. Hams has written.
The Penguins." Anatole France !
forthcoming tale, ought TO prove SUM- |
GENTLY original to divert the most wearied, |
II is a legend. or a fable, OF a symbolic /
romance, CT in any event a tale, of /
clotbes-their effect on a population which /
had lived in innocent ignorance of the /
bad taste Of unclad beauty. The homeli- |
est of all the ladies', newly appearing in |
the enchanting mystery Of a pink robe |
and i flower-adorned hat instantly upset |