New-York tribune., 1911-12-09
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Current Talk of Things Present
and to Come.

\ committee has been formed in Hol-
land for the purpose Of erecting statue
of Sir Philip Sidney at Zutphen. where
he was mortally wounded, on September
22. 1886. while leading the English
cavalry against the Spaniards. The
committee, which includes the names Of
many distinguished men Of both coun-
tries. considers it fitting that the two
peoples should combine in commemorate
ing a notable episode in their joint his
tory and in thereby strengthening the
bends of friendship between the two
countries. \ considerable sum has AL
ready been collected.
Shakespeare's Dark Lady.
Mr. Frank Harris has set out to prove
"the subjectivity of Shakespeares
works" In so doing, says the Uni
versity Correspondent" he has turned
the plays into a kind Of gigantic ro-
man a clef. character after character
ng identified with the friends and
relatives of the dramatist. In his
latest study, The Women of Shake
speare," he draws the likeness of the
woman colored ill' Of the sonnets-
the darkly handsome Mary Fitton. She
would not, perhaps. complain of being
identified with Portia. Beatrice and
Rosalind, but she might fairly resent
the suggestion that her portrait is also
drawn in Cressida, Cleopatra, Goneri
and Lady Macbeth. Really. MI Harms
must think ii over. Mary Fitton may
have been far from perfect, but surely
she could not have been like Cerberus,
three gentlemen at once?'
ANPrison Poet.
Two years ago there appeared in the
Century Magazine a poem, Con Sor-
DIM" C'with muted strings'O, which at
tracted wide attention. 1t was the work
of a convict in the saltwater, Mimi, pen
itentary. who hid his identity under the
pseudonyme of John Carter In 1904,
when he was a boy Of nineteen,
stranger in this country and penniless'
he was beating his way on freight
train one night in November, when the
brakeman threw him off at a little sta
ton called Karlstadt, MINI. Freezing
cold and weak for want Of food. he
managed to get into the depot. where
he robbed the office of 81. He was
caught, convicted Of burglary, and SEN
fenced TO the penitentiary for ten years.
Soon after entering prison he began TO
write. his first verses appearing IN Inc
Prison Mirror" weekly paper pub
lisbed in the Jail volume Of his work.
Hard Labor, and Other Poems" is
published this week by the Baker d
Taylor Company.
Sir Gilbert Parker's New Novel
Sir Gilbert Parker, NJ. p, who Is pay
ing a protracted visit TO this country
has finished new novel, upon whlch he
has been working for the last three
wears. It's title has not yet been oeciued
mon Sir Gilbert never does any liter
arv work while Parliament is IN ses-
sion.
The Author Of Nothing to wear
In his old age, when his eyeslght was
falling the late William Allen Butter
dic+oted his "reminiscences to his daugh-
Ter. Miss Harriet Allen Butler Ihese
memoirs are to be published soon by the
scribners under the title of "A Retro
snect of Forty Years. 1S25-1S6o.' The
hook Is in the nature of an autobiogra-
pbv from childhood on, and is SAID 10
contain a succinct account Of the growth
NJ the anti-slavery sentiment in this
country and of the important political
and social developments Of that period
Nothing to Wear" was published
ANONYMOUSLY at first, and Miss Butler
saws Of the poem that
Whenever any reference was made TO IL
I'm its authors presence the effect on mn MN
was very disconcerting. lie was once Try
ing a case against Mr.. BouTke Cochran, III
which ii was necessary 10 prove the NaIue
of a stock Of dress goods. A witness that
Vr. Butler was examining testified that the
stock contained, among other things, Hlty
dozen fchus Wont you explain 10 the
iury" said DIR. Butler. what hchu Is?
Mr. Cochran broke in and said, THAT 5 not
necessary. Mr. Butler, everybody knows
that a fchu is an article that lazy puts
ON when she has nothing TO wear
Fictional Names.
Bearing in mind, no doubt several
English libel suits caused by the acci-
! dental use Of real family names by
BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.