The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-09-03
IMPRESSIONS OF
VARIOUS OOK
Anecdotes Of Irving, Dickens, "R. L.
s." and Others, With Estimates
Of Some Recent Books.

certainty, as to fitness-may we'll
oyertake n in learning Of the ap-
pearance Of a book, The House OF
Harper. by J.. Henry Harper. publish
ed by Harper and Bros. The aatural,
the instructive emotion comes: that
the song Of the harper might more
i.tly have been sung, in this instance,
by a troubadour perhaps, OR . mime
singer. to the music of a cithern or
a lutte. Yet this feeling must be dis
reflection of the high repute and dig
niied standing Of the prncipalS-even
before a peruSal Of the work in queS-
ton. Not only Is all trace Of uncer-
tainty dispelled by even a casual ex-
animation of the text; it is impossible
not to feel a genuine sense Of graft
tude for the mass Of interesting facts,
letters, "reminiscences. memorials. i'm
pressioEs which pack this worthy vol
ume from front to back. To me, At
has been more readable than the vast
majority OF novels hat pass before
the public today-giving, as it does,
the inside story not of novels, but Of
their publication; the idiosyncrasics
of the great and the n~ear-great;
strange, curious, fascinating incidents
in the lives of the directors of a great
publishing house in their contact with
the life of the times through which
they passed-as publishers, as public
AoJC, do do VA
nature, as creators Of a public for
their separate publications. Light is
flashed in from various sides upon the
intricate and delicate problems in the
daily life OF a publisher. Here We
see the marvellous tact and dexterlty
requisite for the successful transac-
ton Of correspondence with that
strange tribe Of folks denominated
literary; the often stupendouS re-
suits of a chance decision, a reasoned
prejudice or an enthusiastic recogni-
ton; the complex details Of business,
copyright. insistence upon rights
along with recognition Of obligations;
and through all, the multitude, the
tnfnity Of forces, active, restless, om-
nipresent. which cooperate in the
maintenance Of a great publishing
house, n Of the very greatest and
most distinguished in the world.
Were I to yield to my inclination,
[ should soon find myself quoting
with such liberality and such detail
as to run beyond all reasonable limits.
Indeed, his one must do-for the
author has modestly and scrupulous-
ly withdrawn to the wings, and play
ed, in large measure, the role of
manager and Of this va
riety performance, leaving to others
these highly individual performances
which the English. closely following
the French, delight in m~eticulous1y
terming "specialities." What a world
OF personal confession, for instance,
lies in these words Of Abraham
Iincoln concerning Abbott's Histories
of Kings and Ouee1s:-
II want to thank you and your
brother for Abbott's Series Of His
tories. l have not education enough
to appreciate the profound works OF
EOluminOuS historians, and, If l had,
I have no time to read them. But
your series Of Histories gives me. In
brief compass. just that knowledge OF
past men and events which I need
l nave read them with the greatest
interest. To them I am indebted fol
about all the historical knowledge ]
have"
The story of John S. G.. Abbott
one Of the ~jOint-authOrs, we'll illus
trates the point OF view OF the "mar
of letters who leans in support OF
his statements, not upon The the
canons Of literature or the dictates OF
his own taste, but upon h guidance
or an all wise providence. WheI
the firm Of Harper and Bros. rye
Abbott to modify sone Of the lauda
tory statements, in his Napoleon
Bonapartc. out of Difference to tn
violent objections OF many OF HI!
readers. he c~onclusively replied "tha'
ne made every ine 10 wrote the sub
5ect Of prayer, and what he wrote h.
believed to be the truth and he coul6
make no CHANGE!
To North Carolina historians, wht
owe a debt Of gratitude to Benson j
Tossing for his interesting Pretoria
A1eld Book Of the Revolution. for it
illustrations made by the author him
SELF for its text, the following let
ter of Washington Irving to Lossint
should appeal
~Sunnyside, January 4. 1882.
L have the Ficld-BoDk CONSTANT.
by me for .perusal and reference
While I have been delighted by tn
freshness. freedom. and spirit Of you
narrative and graphic effect OF YOU
Illustrations, I have been gratifed .
finding how ~scrupulously attentiy
you have been to accuracy as to facts
which is essential to- writing Of al
historical nature. AS I observed o.
a former occasion, there Is. q genia
spirit throughout your whole worl
That wins the goodwill Of the reader
am SllrpEised To find iu bow sfaQI