Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-05-01
Mrs. Humphrey Ward planning
To Write a New Robert Elsmere
London Literary Letter
Special CORRESPONDENCE.

Special Correspondence.
" ONDON. April 22.--There have
been Il good many rumors about
the novel Mrs. Humphrey Ward
has just set forth to Italy to 4
write, and some of them have beer
wide Of the mark. 1t is true that the
story wilI.-be4a Kind Of companion
novel to Robert EIsmere." the work
by which she suddenly became ia
nous. thanks in part to the attention
Mr. Gladstone called to the book. But
Mrs. Ward has no idea of calling 1t
Robert Elsmere Twenty Years After"
as has been announced. or even of in
PRODUCING into the STORY Robert Els
mere himself. or any of the other
characters in the novel thatmad such
a sensation two decades ago.
Mrs. Wards new hero will reflect
the present state OF the eternal conflict
between doubt and dogma just as
Robert Elsmere did. and probably
will make as much pulpit commotiont
but the problems with which he is
forced to Wrestle will be apparently
quite different from those OF which
the embodiment in brick and mortar
today is the Passmore Edwards Set
flourishing institution was the direct
outcome Of Robert Elsmere," Just as
the Peoples Palace in the East End
of London was the outcome of Walter
Besant's novel ''All Sorts and Condi-
lions of Men.
PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Mrs Ward put the finishing touches
last week to the novel which is now
completing seria! publication under
the title Marriage la Mode" in Nc
Cures Magazine III America and the
Pail Mall Magazine here, and which is
to appear on both sides of the Atlantic
in book form a few weeks hence. con-
siderably enlarged aud altered under
the title Daphne" Immediately
after dispatchi-sg the proofs to her
American publishers she started for
Italy. where she will probably stay
throughout the spring. completing an
other short novel which Is to appear
in the autumn in the Ladies' Home
Journal in America and the Cornhill
Magazine here; and Will come out in
book form doubtless in the spring of
1910. 1t Is understood that the new,
so-called Robert Elsmere novel will be
definitely begun in Italy, although
Mrs. Ward has been meditating on it.
and gathering material for 1t for
long time. She will also arrange as
to the Illustrations for the collected
edition-de-luxe of her novels which is
to be published by HouGhton. Mifflin
& Co., Mr. Olcott Of that firm having
come all the way over from Boston to
consult Mrs. Ward on the subject. fol-
lowing her from London to Italy last
week. 1t is; said that many of the IL
Illustrations will be special photogra phs
of the scenes described. and will be
taken under Mr.. Olcott's personal
supelwision.
What of the other English women
-novelsts especially favored by Amer
lean readers? Well, Miss May Sinclair
has been busy, / am told, with a novel
that has been making famous pro-
gress since Christmas-not a short
novel like THE Immortal Moment
but one that will be as big as THE
Divine Fire" and that will be. it is
said, more OIL the lines of that novel
than either 1.-THE Immortal Moment
or 1.-THE Helpmate"-m charm and
less sex.
WRITES ONCE IN THREE YEARS.
Miss Mary Cholmondeley. although
happily in better general health than
for some time past. has apparently
contented her muse with short stories
Unlike various popular noyelists who
write three novels Il year, Miss Chol-
mondeley's average is one in three
Years. and as the third year since her
prisoners" was completed is some
where near it is rather likely that Miss
Cholmondeley will be heard from
presently. But publishers need not
become excited by this Information,
however. for this authors next novel.
whenever she chooses to write it, is
already arranged for, both in England
and America.
The mysterious author Of .'Eliza-
haf
is English born though she bears a
continental title--has
Just completed a new novel which is
TO be published seria1ly In England
and America before 1t appears in book
form. and is TO be called THE Cara
vaners. 1t deals. ] believe. with
English country life a play founded
by Edward Knoblauch on her novel
!" Princess Priscilla's Fortnight has
just been contracted for by tho new
theater in New York and is to be pro-
duced as soon as possible after the
theater building in Central Park West
is ready for use.
WHY AUSTIN WAS SELECTED.
Queen Victoria was considerably
blamed for. making a nonentity like
Alfred Austin poet-laureate when such
a poet as Swinburne was available.
But evidently her majesty had better
literary taste than she got credit for.
as is indicated by the following letter
to the Telegraph from a friend of the
late William Morris:
ST was a fellow-traveler with Will
liam Morris OH his last seavoyage,
taken in the unhappy fruitless search
for health in 1896. III the course Of
one of many delightful talks I had
with him. he told me that Swinburne |
had been sounded as to the accept |
ance Of the Poet Laureateship, vacant !
by the death of Tennyson, and that |
Swinburne, though highly apprcciat-
ing the implied honor. had declined, |
because it was not consonant with the |
fitness of things" that the writer of |
resicide sonnets should BIO the official |
poet of a court. Norris added that
after Swinburnes refusal he himself |
was also sounded" and that he too
felt bound to decline, because, as he