New-York tribune., 1909-07-24
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Current Talk of Things Present and
to Come.

A new novel by Mr. Robert Hichens is prom
ised for the autumn The title has not yet been
disclosed, but it is stated that the scenes are
laid in Egypt
The Dodge Publishing Company has in prepa-
ration a series of reproductions in color of mas
terpieces in the National Gallery All the
schools will be represented One hundred plates
will be issued the collection being completed in
seventeen parts.
It is recalled by an Irish correspondent of The
Pail Mall Gazette" that some nine or ten years
ago a well known irish literary man prophesiee
that in about six years from that time the Irish
would be a bi-lingual people. We know Of an
other Irish author who informed a couple of
nephews of his that, though they were his nat
uraI heirs he would cut them out of his will If
they did not faithfully pursue their Irish studies
and achieve some command of the Gaelic Ian
guage Plainly there are enthusiasts in Ireland
who will not be withstood. The correspondent
just mentioAed states that the prophesy of his
friend has not been realized, and that there is
no chance of its coming off for some time yet
IT, indeed. It ever comes off. Nevertheless he
adds. the Gaelic League propaganda is making
very considerable headway. as is shown by some
recent events and statistics The number OF
branches of the league. for instance, is now
nearly thousand and there are five colleges in
the four provinces which have been created for
the special purpose of Irish studies. In
addition to these colleges whose working IS
chiefly paid by the fees Of the students who at
tend them, there are six summer schools for
Irish, which largely attended during their
holidays by national school teachers desirous Of
learning the language in order to be able to
teach it to their pupils" It seems that Pro
fessor Mahaffy, who skeptical about the
Gaelic movement has found reason to change
his mind on the subject and has publicly made
the amende honorable for taking wrong view.
Mr.. Eden PhilIpotts IS indefatigabIe. We have
scarcely noted the appearance Of one new book
Of his before another Is announced. His latest
story is called Fun of the Fair"
Mr. Richard Watson Glider begins in The
Century Magazine" for August series Of
papers embodying recolIeetions OF his friendship
with the late Grover Cleveland. friendship
that lasted for more than twcnty-one years.
These informal and discursive memories. which
make no pretence toward conveying full por-
trait contain much that should be Of value TO
the blographer Here is a passage on Cleve-
lands literary characteristics,
One s2f e F q4~eTea r. g ogPgsis Himself 2p'nt9ns ns
roundabout and heavy manner. The other opiH-
Bailey Aldrich. who. whenever / met him or
heard from him, had something enthusiastic to say
about Nj. Cleveland and often spoke OF ms a"hlLy
a q writer In a letter written in 1901 he said.
Iar5;s second VeneziIeia paper what admirable
diction compact, strong and simple-smple as all
This is the truth Of the matter as ii seems to
me: during ms PGbHe ne riIe MI CIsVeIsno Wa hGt
youth. and later apparently set a standard Of con-
ventioual 6icJon. and. furthermore, his sense Of
dignity induced him to approach q subject some
tires in en- overfor1nal manner. But ihe convic-
moral fury tended to pToduce IN many a docu-
vehement as his feeling Then were struck out the
hot and memorable phrases scattered through his
in innumerable addresses and letters phrases
those which met with quick applause when
added Tote Of tenderness stole into his habitual
thought. sometimes lending an unexpected charm
to his written or spoken expression
passages. there is a good deal in the remark of
Jesse Lynch Williams that he was innately shy
style" In some OF his documents, particularly his
the Bi5e Vas naturally shown; and When once
some friend cougratulated him on his biblical man
ner ne WAS pleased with the compliment though
People have often asked me whether he wrote his
documents. They little knew the mind Of the
patient plndding writer who only at the very last
could even ease his hbors by means Of dictation.
lie often read ms speeches and other writings to
uon. tlattered myself that once-it was only
once-induced him to change some unimportant
phrase.
The late Rosa Nouchette Carey was a volum-
inous novelist. She began to write in 1868. and
the Lppincotts have Issued some forty novels
from her pen, showing that she got one off the
stocks every year. The story she had just fin
ished at the time of her death viii be pub
Iished in September, under the title of The Key
of the Unknown"
The "Recollectiqns of a Long Life" which
Lady Dorchester has put together from the pub
Iished and unpublished writings OF Byrons
friend Hobhouse afterward Lord BrOughton,
have just been brought out in London. The sig
nifcance Of his memories of the poet may be in
ferred from this passage in Lord Roseberys
preface:
He loved Byron with jealous affection and ad-
InIration which never degeneFated into nattery and
their intimacy was only once clouded Tor
moment by irrepTessble epigram of the poets
fIobhouse survived Byron FOR fOrty-tVe years, for
thirty-siX Of which he was, as II We're, facing
Lady Byron who embodied in silence the hostile
view and during that long period represented the
BYRON epoch e indeed the High Priest of
the Byron mystery. He knew more about Byron
than any Those who him in his old age
and ne lived to be -three-regarded him
and could tell if he chose But he did not choose
to tell. Much of Byron, of the secrets of that
brilliant, unhappy life, died with him. Perhaps
ii is well
An American edition of this work win be
awaited with keen curiosity, for it contains
souvenirs not only of Byron, but of Napoleon,