Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-25
NOTES

The best-selling novel in the country
is The Silver Horde" by Rex Beach.
Furthermore. by the Bookman's
figures for December. 1t is very far
the list, 'TruXton King" Another
large printing of The Silver Horde
Is just announced by the Harpers.
Will Carleton. of whose homely.
genial verses the Harpers have so fire.
quently to Issue reprints. was asked
at one of the clubs the other day his
opinion OF the use of dialect in prose
and poetry. 1T is largely" said Mr..
Carleton. "a reaction from the old
stilted ways In which the writer felt
that he must strike an approved at
tltude and assume conventional style
before he could produce anything that
would be accepted by publishers. But
whoever wishes to be read by many
people must. as did even the great
poets, use his own style of expression
and assert himself in his own way
without fear or favor OF course he
may fall even then. but he cannot pos
sibly succeed otherwise"
Messrs. Harper &c Brothers announce
that arrangements have been made
with Mr.. Charles Dillingham; for a
llght-opera version of the famous Du
MauTlSr mover, lTllpS- InlS Is INC
first authoritative news OF a musical
"Trilby." about which rumors have
hitherto been idly current that it was
destined for grand opera The time
for the new production has not yet
been set beyond the point OF some
time next year. but the many folks
who have loved beyond all present
measure of light music the Verdant
memory of robin Hood" Will rejoice
to know that the music for "Trilby''
is to come from the man who wrote
that merry score.
John Kendrick Bangs. whose latest
book. "The Real Thing" the Harpers
recently published. has returned to
New York from Cape Neddick. Maine.
where he has his summer home, 1t
really is home in this case rather
than a cottage. because here Mr..
Bangs has his library, which is some
what famous, and his interesting col
lection of pictures. Mr.. Bangs reports
late tarrying in Maine to have been
rather more than commonly comfort
able, since only q few times has the
thermometer passed freezing, and on
all occasions a fire in the authors fire.
place that holds the length of young
tree, unbroken, has burned with COM
fort enough Not the cold, but tho
necessity of opening his course OF
lectures for the season. dislodged Mr.
Bangs from his favorite retreat.
Another of Thomas Hardy's novels
according to the novelists American
publishers, the Harpers, one OF the
most popular-has been dramat tized.
Far from the MaddIng Crowd" has
Just had Its first night in England with
apparent success. Last year was pro-
duced THE Trumpet Major" Perhaps
.f 1n
bcryilles," which by Its own populari-
ty has been accused of obscuring the
other Hardy novels. will begin to greet
companions on the stage. Certainly TO
the qualified playwright the unused
material in Hardy is promise or
treasure.
The book which the Countess 1rma
Sztaray has Just written concerning
the murdered Empress of Austria has
been said to provide a Kind of sup
plement TO '"rhe Martyrdom of an
Empress" a book which in this conn-
try has never last its prestige as
royal chronicle. Both narratives were
written from the most intimate know
ledge of the Imperial household. Both
picture the native joyousness Of the III
fstcd Empress and the natural melan-
choly which alternated with IT. and
both bear witness to the affectionate
relations which, in spite of statments
to the contrary. existed between tho
royal consorts. especially after their
boys death. Each time she left
Francis Joseph's side was grief to
the empress, according to the tcstl-
mony OF these writer's. The Countess
Sztaray was a member Of tho house
hold Of the empress and the only one
present with her at the time of her
assassination. The Identity Of the writ
er of "Thc Martyrdom of an Empress
Is still undisclosed.
"Of all the educated opponents CO
spelling reform. have TO confess that
tho most entertaining to me are WON
en-" says Prof. Lounsbury In his
learned and entertaining English
Spelling and Spelling Reform" which
the Harpers have just brought out.
LAS devotion to the present orthoS-
raphy is n matter Of sentiment and
not one of reason. 1t Is perhaps not
strange that some OF the most vio-
n n -