New-York tribune., 1910-09-10
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Current Talk of Things Present
and to Come.

II is understood that the general feel
ing among English authors ana Pup-
fishers is that the prospects "t the
autumn publishing season are hopeful.
The two-shiling novel it is, said. has
thus far justified itself without injurlnS
it's rival the six-shilling story.
Under the title of The Lady Miss
Emily James Putnam has composed
book sketching the feminine types OF
different times and nations, thelr IDEAS
and habits, the kind of men they nave
preferred to marry and many OF the
other points which they have developed
in social history The Sturgis & Walton
Company have the book in press.
Mrs. Clara Louise Burnham's new love
story. Clever Betsy is announced for
publication by the Houshton-M Miffiin
Company on September Il. The scenes
are laid in Yellowstone Park and on the
Maine coast.
George Merediths grave in DorkIns
Cemetery has been inclosed with q
simple marble border. At the head OF
the grave is a representation III marble
of an open book, and on this, following
the usual dates. is this quotation from
''Vittoria": Life is but little hold
ing. lent to do mighty labor
The Harpers publish to-day My Mark
Twain" by Mr. Howells book gather
ing together the "reminiscences of his old
friend recently published in two or three
numbers of "Harper's Magazine. These
pages are full of loving Characterization
and amusing anecdote, and the bio
graphical matter in them is followed by
reprinted criticisms of Mark Twain's s
books. written by Mr.. HoWells as far
back as 1869 and at much later dates.
There are numerous interesting por-
traits and other illustrations. For
warmth of feeling. delfcaCy of touch and
charm of literary form this is one of the
happiest volumes Mr.. HowelIs has ever
produced We quote this fragment on
the subject of his friends autobiog-
raphy:
He meant that it should be 4 perfectly
,.nraciou> record of his life and period for
Y
a true history of man and a true pres
entation of the men the man had known
As We talked it over the scheme enlarged
itself in our riotous fancy. We said II
should be not only book, il should be q
library, not only a library but q literature
It should make good the worlds loss
through OmarS barbarity at Alexandria
there was no image so grotesque. so eX-
travagant that we did not play with it;
and the work so far he carried it was
really done on Il colossal scale. But one
dav he said that to veracity it was a
failure, he had begun TO lie. and that II
nc man ever yet told the truth about him
self it was because no man ever could
| How far he had carried his autobiography
/ I cannot say: he dictated the matter seV-
eraI hours each day; and the public has
already seen long PASSAGES from It, anc
can Judge. probably. of the make and mat
! fer of The whole from these. II is i'm
/ rneuseIy inclusive, and 1t observes no or
der or sequence. Whether now, after his
death. 1t will be published soon or late,
! have no means of knowing. once or twice
| he said in a vague way that il was not tc
/ he published for twenty years. so that the
/ discomfort of publicity might be mini
noized for all the survivors. Suddenly hf
( told me he was not working at it; but
did not understand whether he had fin
/ ighed it. or merely dropped il: | never
/ asked