The sun., 1909-06-16
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

BCrlpt aTrlVel Ia time lot hr. futuain
birthday. Mrs. Reed has for several
years now sent In a novel on this ami
versary, and each has proved . sue
cessful seller. The author 10 particularly
felioitous In her choice Of titles, which are
attractive and arouse curiosity and in
terest. Lavender and Old Lace" Flower
Of the Dusk "A Spinner In the Sun and
AT the Sign Of the Jack O. Lantern are
some Of those which have preceded '0ld
Rose and Silver"
Maurice Maeterlinok, the author. be-
longs to an old Flemish family descended
from a fourteenth century bailif at
Renaix. near Ghent. who was a measurer
OF grain-henoe the name. He lives in
Normandy. In the beautiful old abbey Of
st. Wandrille. The abbey. which was
put on the market on account Of its aban-
donmont by q congregation OF Benedic-
tine monks who declined to submit to the
French law OF 1901, was founded in the
seventh century. The Maeterlincks live
in the modern part Of the abbey. They
pass their winters near Grasse and have
house in the Passy quarter OF Paris.
Norah Davis. q successful young South
ern writer. the author OF wallace
Rhodes is frequently referred TO by
enthusiastic critics as q genius When
Miss Davis hears 1t abe smiles with quiet
amusement and says simply. There is
no genius but work. 1t Is the power to
nail yourself to your desk, hour after
hour, day after day, week after week;
to think one thought to the end. to shut
the door upon the world and give all up
but work that produces the book in the
end. Even with the greatest writer's this
is what aocomplishes 1t, not a burst OF
genius
The Colquhoun Club OF the Royal
Society Of Literature made Mrs. Kate
Douglas Wiggin Its guest OF honor at a
rocent dinner in London. Mrs. Wiggln
spoke on the subject who's Who? The
Authenticity Of Genius
John Bigelow's "reminiscences will be
published in three volumes under the
title OF 'Retrospections OF an Active
Life The period covered is between
1917 and 1857. and the book will contain
anecdotes Of Lincoln. Sumner. Bright.
Thackeray and Queen Victoria. as we'll as
a full account Of the Trent affair and Of
MaIimilian's occupation OF Mexico both
from authoritative sources and original
documents.
Joaquin Miller is planning to establish
a colony OF poets and to conduct q school
OF poetry near his homo at Fruitvale in
California. He has given an aero OF land
to Henry Meade Bland and another to
Herbert Bashford. They expect TO build
cottages there and help found this colony.
One OF the important literary events
OF the year Is the announcement Of new
novel by Sudermann which Is to be
brought out In an English TRANSLATION.
This novel. entitled The Song Of Songs
Tin German 'Das Hohe Lied }. is q study
Of woman's soul by one who blends the
passion Of the poet with the science Of
the surgeon. Life in it's noblcst aspects
and in it's most repulsive is presented to
the reader. The book Is already in it's
fftieth edition in Germany.
Now while the exaltation Of Jeanne
d'Arc to a place among the saints has
Just been accomplished with much oere-
mony both at Rome and In her native
province. a French writer. N. Raphael
Symptor. is arranging to publish a book
entitled Jeanne d Arc n a jamais exist<.
which is said 10 be tho result Of several
years Of research. To argue the newly
beatifed heroine out OF historic existence
viii not he an easy task.
Mrs. Humphry Wards novels have
been classified by Mr.. Clement Shorter
as belonging to three decades. To the
first period belong the Elsnere story
and two or three which followed it. In
the second decade Mrs. Ward has pre-
sented actual life with altered circum-
stances. LADY Roses Daughter is a
clever rewriting OF the story OF the Mar
quise du Defand and Mile. Lespinasse.
The Marriage OF William Ashe' is a
retel!ing OF the affairs of Lord Melbourne
and Lady Caroline Lamb. while Zen
wick's Career" is n paraphrase Of the
career OF Romney. With Marriage Ia
Mode Mrs. Ward makes her third de-
parture and devotes herself 10 the divorce
question. The thing which strikes me
strongly" says Mr.. Shorter. lis the char
acteristic hatred OF her sex which women
novelsts OF the secondary rank always
display and which was particularly oh
servable in the work OF George Eliot
The mourners at Mr.. Meredith g funeral
included Lord and Lady Morley, Mr..
Barrie. Mr.. John Burns. Mr.. Anthony
Hope and Mr.. A. E. W. Mason. Mr.. Mere
dith's body was cremated and his ashes
were carried to his grave in Dorking
by his daughter small oasket CON-
tanned them on which was the quotation
from vittoria. Life ls but little holding
lent to do a mighty labour." The oasket
was enclosed in saroophagus Of the ma.
terial known as white terra Gotta. 1t
was the gift OF Mrs. g. F. Watts and was
made at her pottery at Compton. being a
replica OF that in which the great artists
ashes were intAred. The novelist's
pet terrier was carried to the graveside
in the arms OF Mrs, William Meredith.
His Order OF Merit was carried by his
son on a cushion Of wild daisies shaped
like heart.
The life OF Cyrus Hall Mccormick has
been written by Herbert N. Casson.
author Of the Romance OF the Rsaper.'
and will he published In July. The story
Is not biography only but a cha pter in the
one of the important developments OF
American history. Mr.. Casson pictures