The San Francisco call., 1910-07-03
Gossip of Books and Writers


Nine. Anna Costantini, author OF
Ragna. is now in England She mas
an apartment in London for the sea-
son, where she is entertaining many
literary and artistic people.
In the quiet that only vigorously
guarded front door can insure where
the hero of the occasion is a world
famous novelist and the scene a cozy
London fat, Thomas Hardy celebrated
his SEVENTEEN birthday last week
From every part of the world con-
gratulations reached him by post ana
Telegram In his little eerie in the heart
of a London that he knows and loves
a good deal better than some WeSSeN
worshipers imagine. An attack OF IN
fluenza had left him in no mood TO see
visitors, so, while pilgrims-many OF
them Americans-were tramplng tne
path that leads to Max Gate, Haroy
country home in Dorsetshtre. he NM
self was calmly sitting at his London
tea table with his devoted wife, MS
tening to the distant roar or the motor
buses tearing their way TO Lohooh
'dormitories,' as her northern SUBURBS
are called.
Louis Closer Hale is among the au-
tbors who have both vocation and avo-
summer instead of a holiday since
writing "The Actress she has been at
work on a new novel. This and her en-
gagement to play a character role IN
comedy now on for a summer run VIII
keep Mrs Hale in the harness, either
writing or acting, the year round.
An important announcement is MADE
by Harper & Brothers this week whlch
reveals the fact that a new book py
Mark Twain is to be given to the pub
lie. They will publish late in June
mark Twain's Speeches" thick vol
une containing. it is said. some or ms
best and most characteristic work Ad-
dresses, lectures and speeches never
before printed are contained in the new
book Some of them were delivered 40
years ago and are in Mark Twain's ear
liest vein. Later Ones like his address
at the Aldrich memorial meeting and
the one delivered at Oxford university,
show the ripe philosopher. The d1scov-
cry of this wealth of material has made
the publication of the work possible,
although quite unexpected.
Edgar Beecher Bronson has written
for the July Century, under the title
"A Man of East and West, an appre-
citation of Clarence King, one of the
and letters, the gentlest, sweetest.
bravest man and stanchest friend"
Mr. Bronson quotes these quips as
characteristic of him:
New York society reminds me of
nothing so much as a simian circus.
Another evening, returned from a
dinner at the house of plutocrat,
surfeited with, the vulgar prodigality
of its superficial display and bored by
its stupidity, King threw off his coat.
and, with a gesture of disgust, re-
marked: These people have bought
the scenery of society, but the play
isn't going on"
And of civilization in general he
once said: Civilization. Why, it's a
nervous disease!"
One of the volumes in the noted
"pigskin library" which accompanied
Mr. Roosevelt on his African trip was
Maurice Francis Egan's The wiles of
Sexton Maginnis. which has been
called the best book of Irish -Ameri-
can life that has ever appeared The
writer, formerly professor of English
at the Catholic university. washin gton,
is now United States minister to Den
mark.
With the recent death of GoIdwin
smith the world has lost one OF rs
great leaders of political and economic
thought. Smith was in way pioneer
in his field and the ideas which he ad-
vanced first became in time the funda-
mentals upon which later economists
based many of their arguments. His
published works include An Outline
of the Political History of the United
States, Essays on Questions of the
Day" and "Guesses at the Riddle of
Existence"
Claude Montefiore. the well known
rabbi and author of numerous works
on Judaism. notably The Synoptic Cos
pels,' the first two volumes of which
have just been published, Is at present
In this country. Following the general
conference of rabbiS this month he is to
return to London. Montefiore has de-
livered several addresses since his ar