https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/447/1893-02-01-The-Author-3-9.pdf de44f632b63acdb2aa28a2afdfe022d2 PDF Text Text ���������������������������������������� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em> Description An account of the resource A digitised run of the Society of Authors' monthly periodical, <em>The Author</em>, 1890<span>–</span>1914, made available together for the first time.<br /><br />Currently users can browse issues and <a href="https://historysoa.com/items/browse?search=&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bjoiner%5D=and&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Index&amp;collection=&amp;type=&amp;tags=&amp;exhibit=&amp;date_search_term=&amp;submit_search=Search+For+Items&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CTitle">indices</a> (not available for all volumes). Full text search for all issues, and other additional search functionality, will be added in 2022. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1890–1914 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The-Author-Issues Publication Date The date of an event (in YYYY, YYYY-MM or YYYY-MM-DD format) 1893-02-01 Volume 3 Issue 9 Pages Page range in volume 305–344 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18930201 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin The HMutbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) BONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. FEBRUARY 1, 1893. [Prick SIXPENCE. CONTENTS. PAGE. Warnings ae see wee Be ce ae Be ao: ws. OT The Starveling. By William Toynbee ... How to Use the Society... ae ae e vee ae .-. 308 Notes and News. By the Editor... The Authors’ Syndicate } ‘Tho Empty Purse” Notices... x = aie = ae a : = : Feuilleton— Literary Property— 1.—A Writer of Stories a 1.—Author and Editor yes peo Se oe aac coe BLO 2.—My Critic on the Hearth ... 2.—Clarke v. Mills es yas es er wwe ae ce OLD Mr. Hawley Smart. In Memoriam 3.—The First Decree under the New American Copyright Act 312 Labour's Sunday. By John Saunders ... The Output of 1892 Correspondence— 1.—G. P. G. on Many Things... 2.—Wessex wae eae $.—Author and Editor... 4.—On Mr. H. Haes’ Letter 5.—Prompt Payment 6. The Lady of Title 7.—Recommended by the Court At the Sign of the Author’s Head... List of Publications, &ec. 4.—Magazines and Copyright 5.—Another Pirate 6.—A Case for the Society 7.—The Hardships of Publishing Association of American Authors... { From the Daily Chronicle A Confession ... ase i Letter by Miss Mitford Es oo os eee * AnOmnium Gatherum for February. By J. M. Lely A National Name a tae Notes from Paris. By R. H. Sherard PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY. { 1, The Annual Report. That for January 1892 can be had on application to the Secretary. 9. The Author. A Monthly Journal devoted especially to the protection and maintenance of Literary Property. Issued to all Members. The Grievances of Authors. (The Leadenhall Press.) 1s. The Report of three Meetings on the general subject of Literature and its defence, held at Willis’s Rooms, March, 1887. Literature and the Pension List. By W. Morris Coutss, Barrister-at-Law. (Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C.) 3s. 5, The History of the Sociéte des Gens de Lettres. By S. Squire Spriaen, late Secretary to the Society. Is. 6. The Cost of Production, In this work specimens are given of the most important forms of type, size of page, &c., with estimates showing what it costs to produce the more common kinds of books. Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C. 2s. 6d. 7. The Various Methods of Publication. By S. Squire Spriaee. In this work, compiled from the papers in the Society’s offices, the various forms of agreements proposed by Publishers to Authors are examined, and their meaning carefully explained, with an account of the various kinds of fraud which have been made possible by the different clauses in their agreements. Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C. 3s. 8. Copyright Law Reform. An Exposition of Lord Monkswell’s Copyright Bill now before Parlia- ment. With Extracts from the Report of the Commission of 1878, and an Appendix contaming the Berne Convention and the American Copyright Bill. By J. M. Lexy. Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1s. 6d. -  306 The Soctety of Authors (Sncorporated), ADVERTISEMENTS. PRESIDENT. GHORGH MEREDITH. COUNCIL. Str Epwin ARNo.xp, K.C.I.E., C.S.1. ALFRED AUSTIN. | J. M. Barrie. A. W.A Beckert. RoBeRT BATEMAN. Str Henry Berene, K.C.M.G. WALTER BESANT. AUGUSTINE BrRRELL, M.P. R. D. Bhackmore. | Rev. Pror. Bonney, F.R.S. Lord BRABOURNE. James Brycz, M.P. HAuu CAINE. P. W. CLAYDEN. Epwarpb CLopp. W. Morris Cougs. Hon. JoHN CoLurEer. W. Martin Conway. F. Marion CRAWFORD. Austin Dogson. A. W. Dusoure. EpmuND Gossr. THomas Harpy. J. M. Lary. OswaLp CRAWFURD, C.M.G. THE HAR oF Desarr. J. Eric Ericusen, F.R.S. Pror. MicHarn Foster, F.R.S. HERBERT GARDNER, M.P. RicHarD GARNETT, LL.D. H. Riper HaGearp. JEROME K. Jerome. Rupyarp KIpuine. Pror. E. Ray LAnKestEr, F.R.S. Rev. W. J. Lorriz, F.S.A. Pror. J. M. D. Merknesoun. HERMAN C. MERIVALE. Rev. C. H. Mippneton-WakeE F.L.S. Lewis Morgis. Pror. Max Miuuer. J. C. PARKINSON. THE Ear oF PEMBROKE AND Mont- GOMERY. Sire FREDERICK PoLtocx, Bart., LL.D. WaALter Herries PoLiock. A. G. Ross. GEoRGE AuGusTUsS SALA. W. BaprisTE Scoongs. G. R. Sms. S. SQUIRE SPRIGGE. J. J. STEVENSON. Jas. SULLY. Wiuiiam Moy Tuomas. H. D. Tears, D.C.h. Baron Henry DE Worms, F.R.S. Epmunp YAtTEs. MP., Hon. Counsel—E. M. UNpERpown, Q.C. Solici'ors- Messrs Freup, Roscor, and Co., Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Secretary—C. HurBert Turina, B.A. OFFICES. 4, PortuGau Street, Lincoun’s Inn Fiexips, W.C. Now ready, Third Edition, with Additions throughout, in demy 8vo., 700 pages, price lds. AN ANECDOTAL HISTORY oF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, From the Earliest Periods to the Present Time. WITH NOTICES OF EMINENT PARLIAMENTARY MEN, AND EXAMPLES OF THEIR ORATORY. CoMPILED rRoM AUTHENTIC SOURCES BY GCHORGE HENRY JBN NTN. CONTENTS. Parv I. Riseand Progress of Parliamentary Institutions. Part II.—Personal Anecdotes: Sir Thomas More to John Morley. Part HI.—Miscellaneous. 1. Elections. 2. Privilege; Ex- clusion of Strangers; Publication of Debates. 3. Parliamentary Usages, &c. 4. Varieties. | AppENDIx.—(A) Lists of the Parliaments of England and of the United Kingdom. (B) Speakers of the House of Commons. | (C) Prime Ministers, Lord Chancellors, and | Secretaries of. State from 1715 to 1892. Opinions of the Press of the Present Edition. ’ The work, which has long been held in high repute as a repertory of good things, is more than ever rich in doth instruction and amuse- ment. "—Scotsmar. ‘It is a treasury of useful fact and amusing anecdote, and in its atest form should have increased popularity.”—Globe, ‘Its advantage to those who are seeking seats in Parliament, or who may have occasion to assist as speakers during the electoral vempaign, is ineumparable.”’—Sa/a's Journal. “It is a work that possesses both a practical and an historical value. and is altogether unique in character.”— Kentish Observer. ‘* We can heartily recommend this work to the politician, whatever may be his party leanings.”—WNorthern Echo. ‘Here we have the whole company of Parliamentary celebrities, past and present, reduced to puppets, so to speak, and made to repeat their best and most approved rhetorical performances for our | leisurely entertainment, which is not less enjoyable from being allied with edification.”—Liverpool Courier. we Orders may now be sent to HORACE COX “Iaw Times’’ Office, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C.  Che Fluthbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the Authors alone are responsible. ———— NHE Secretary begs to give notice that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post and requests that all members not recviving an answer to important communicatiops within two days will write to him without delay. During the last six months a number of letters have not been delivered at the Society’s office, and, as one robbery at least has Leen proved to have been committed, it is reasonab’e to suppose that the letters have been stopped in the hope of stealing uncrossed cheques. All remittances should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered letter only. WARNINGS. ———- > Seri1aL Ricuts.—In eselling Serial Rights stipulate that you are selling simultaneous serial right only, otherwise you may find your work serialized for years, to the detriment of your volume form. Srame your AGREEMENTS.— Readers are most URGENTLY warned not to neglect stamping their agreements immediately after signature. If this precaution is neglected for two weeks, a fine of £10 must be paid before the agreement can be used as a legal document. In almost every case biought to the secretary the agreement, or the letter which serves for one, is without the stamp. The author may be assured that the other party to the agreement never neglects this simple pre- caution, The stamp duty varies from 6d. up to 10s, or more, according to the form of agreement. The Society, to save trouble, undertakes to get VOL, III. FEBRUARY 1, 1893. [Prick SIXPENCE. all the agreements of members stamped for them at no expense to themselves except the cost of the stamp. ASCERTAIN WHAT A PROPOSED AGREEMENT GIVES TO BOTH SIDES BEFORE SIGNING IT.— Remember that an arrangement as to a joint venture in any other kind of business whatever would be instantly refused should either party refuse to show the books or to let it be known what share he reserved for himself. Sa Literary Acrents.—Be very careful. You cannot be too careful as to the person whom you appoint as your agent. Remember that you place your property alm»st unreservedly in his hands. Your only safety is in consulting the Society, or some friend who has had personal experience of the agent. ——— Reapers of the Author are earnestly desired to make the following warnings as widely known as possible. They are based on the experience of eight years’ work upon the dangers to which literary property is exposed :-— (1.) Never sign any agreement of which the alleged cost of production forms an integral part, until you lave proved the figures. (2.) Nuver enter into any correspondence with publishers, especially with those who advertise for MSS., who are not recom- mended by experienced friends or by this Society. (3.) Never, on any account whatever, bind yourself down for future work to any- one. (4.) Never accept any proposal of royalty until you have asceitained what the AA 2 rise scanpanieemnaii ee ees  308 agreement, worked out on both a small and a large sale, will give to the author and what to the publisher. (5.) Never accept any pecuniary risk or respon- sibility whatever without advice. (6.) Never, when a MS. hes been refused by respectable houses, pay others, whatever promises they may put forward, for the production of the work. (7.) Never sign away foreign, which include American, rights. Keep them by special clause. Refuse to sign any agreement containing a clause which reserves them for the publisher, unless for a substantial consideration. If the publisher insists, take away the MS. and offer it to another. (8.) Never sign any paper, either agreement or receipt, which gives away copyright, without advice. (9.) Keep control over the advertisements, if they affect your returns, by clause in the agreement. Reserve a veto. If you are yourself ignorant of the subject, make the Society your adviser. (10.) Never forget that publishing is a busi- ness, like any other business, totally un- connected with philanthropy, charity, or pure love of literature. You have to do with business men. Be yourself a business man. Society’s Offices :-— 4, Portucat Srreet, Lincoun’s Inn Freups. De HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. 1. Every member has a right to advice upon his agreements, his choice of a publisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solicitor, the member has a right to an opinion from the Society’s solicitors. If the case is such that counsel’s opinion is desirable, the Committee will obtain for him counsel’s opinion. All this with- out any cost to the member. z. Remember that questions connected with copyright: and publishers’ agreements are not generally within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society first—our solicitors are continually engaged upon such questions for us. THE AUTHOR. 3. Send to the office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books repre- sented. This is in order to ascertain what has been the nature of your agreements and the results to author and publisher respectively so far. The secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. If the examination of your previous business transactions by the Secretary proves unfavour- able, you should take advice as to a change of publishers. 5. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the proposed form to the Society for examination. 6. The Society is acquainted with the methods, and—in the case of fraudulent houses—the tricks, of every publishing firm in the country. Remember that there are certain houses which live entirely by trickery. 7. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the inde- pendence of the writer. : 8. Send to the Editor of the Author notes of everything important to literature that you may hear or meet with. THE AUTHORS’ SYNDICATE. [ B. Colles desires to inform readers of the N Author— 1. That the Authors’ Syndicate is now in a position to take charge in whole or in part of the business of members of the Society. With, when necessary, the assistance of the advisers of the Society, it will conclude agreements, collect royalties, examine and pass accounts, and, generally, relieve mem- bers of the trouble of managing business details. All accounts opened between the Syndicate and members are duly audited. 2. That the establishment expenses of the Authors’ Syndicate are defrayed entirely out of the commission charged on rights placed through its intervention. This varies, and must vary, according to the  THE AUTHOR. nature of the services rendered, but the charges are reduced to the lowest possible amount compatible with efficiency. Mean- while members will please accept this intimation that they are not entitled to the services of the Syndicate gratis, and when desirous of seeing Mr. Colles, they must write for an appointment. 3. That he undertakes to work for none but members of the Society whose work possesses a market value. 4. That his business is not to advise members of the Society, but to manage their affairs for them if they please to entrust them to him. 5. That when he has any work in hand he must have it entirely in his own hands ; in other words, that authors must not ask him to place certain work, and then go about endeavouring to place it by themselves. 6. That when a MS. has been sent from pub- lisher to publisher, and from editor to editor, in vain, it is most likely impossible to place it. That in the face of the present competition, authors will do well to moderate their expectations. aul There is an Honorary Advisory Committee, whose services will be called upon in any case of dispute or difficulty. It is perhaps necessary to state that the members of the Advisory Committee have no pecuniary interest whatever in the Syndicate. NOTICES. HE Editor of the Author begs to remind members of the society that, although the paper is sent to them free of charge, the cost of producing it would be a very heavy charge on the resources of the society if a great many members did not forward to the secretary the modest 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Perhaps this reminder may be cf use. With 850 members, besides the outside circulation of the paper, the Author ought to prove a source of revenue to the society. a ee a°o The Editor is always glad to receive short papers and communiations on all subjects con- nected with literature from members and others. Nothing can do more good to the society than to make the Author complete, attractive, and interesting. Will those who are willing to aid in this work send their names and the special subjects on which they are willing to write ? Communications for the Author should reach the editor not later than the 21st of ea:h month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. + > Members and others who wish their MSS. read are requested not to send them to the Office with- out previously communicating with the Secretary. The utmost practicable despatch is aimed at, and MSS. are read in the order in which they are received. It must also be distinctly understood that the Society does not, under any circum- stances, undertake the publication of MSS. SE oe The Authors’ Club is now opened in temporary premises, at 17, St. James’s Place, St. James’s Street. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. oo Will members take the trouble to ascertain whether they have paid their subscriptions for the year? If they will do this, and remit the amount or a banker’s order, it will greatly assist the Secretary, and save him the trouble of sending out a reminder. Members are most earnestly entreated to attend to the warning numbered (3). It is a most foolish and a most disastrous thing to bind yourself to anyone for a term of years. Let them ask them- selves if they would give a solicitor the collection of their rents for five years to come, whatever his conduct, whether he was honest or dishonest ? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign themselves into literary bondage for three or five years  310 THE Those who possess the “Cost of Production” are requested to note that the cost of binding has advanced 15 per cent. This means, for those who do not like the trouble of ‘doing sums,” the addition of three shillings in the pound on this head. In other words, if the cost of binding is set down in our book at eight pounds, to this must now be added twenty-four shillings more, so that it now stands at £9 4s. The figures in our book are as near the exact truth as can be procured: but a printer’s, or a binder’s, bill is so elastic a thing that nothing more exact can be arrived at. Some :emarks have been made upon the amount charged in the “Cost of Production” for advertising. Ofcourse, we have not included any sums which may be charged for inserting adver- tisements in the publisher’s own magazines, or in other magazines by exchange. As agreements too often go, there is nothing to prevent the publisher from sweeping the whole profits of a book into his own pocket, by inserting any number of advertisements in his own magazines, and by exchanging with others. Some there are who call this a form of fraud: it is not known what those who practise this method of swelling their own profits call it. spec LITERARY PROPERTY. LE AUTHOR AND EprTor. HERE are two question- relating to author- Ty ship which, while of considerable im portance to authors, have never yet, I believe, been the subject of judicial decision. They are, how- ever, merely questions of the ordinary law of contract, and the general principles which underlie that law will be found to afford a sufficient answer. ‘The questions are: I. What are the duties of an editor with respect to an article that has been submitted for his approval, but has been rejected as unsuitable ? i{. What right has an author to deal with an article which he has submitted to the editor of a paper or magazine, and of the acceptance or rejection of which he has not heard ? I. As to the first question, papers may perhaps be divided into three classes, their duties and liabilities varying according to the class in which they happen to fall. They are— 1. Those papers which, by the insertion of a notice, invite contributions to be submitted for the approval of the editor, AUTHOR. 2.. Those papers which neither invite nor refuse contributions. 3. Those papers which give notice that they do not desire contributions, and will not be responsible for articles sent in, nor undertake to return them. 1. As to the first class it is clear that the notice in the paper is an offer to consider all contributions submitted, and to see if they are suitable for publication. The sending of an article by a con- tributor is an acceptance of that offer. But if the editor rejects the article as unsuitable, what are his duties with regard to it? Is he at liberty to put it in his waste paper basket ? Certainly not, any more than I am at liberty, if I ask Maple to send me furniture on approval and do not approve of it, to put it outside my door to take care of itself. There is here a bailment for the mutual benefit of both parties, and the editor must take a reasonable care of the article until it is returned into the hands of the author. But provided that he has exercised such care as a reasonably prudent man would naturally exercise in his own business, he will not be liable for loss. Whether reason- able care has been exercised is a question of fact to be decided in each particular case. Of course, if an author sends in his article in answer to such a notice, and the notice contains special terms, to which he makes no objection, he will be held to have acquiesced in, and will be bound by, those terms, provided they are reasonable. By special terms, I mean, for instance, such a term as a refusal to be responsible for the return of articles. Probably, in the absence of special terms, in such a case as this, the editor would be liable to return a rejected article at his own ex- pense ; because, since the editor expects that he will obtain, at least, as much benefit from the article as will the author, and as, therefore, the contract is for the benefit of both parties, it is difficult to see why one of them should be put to more expense in carrying it out than the other. Still, an author who desires to have hig article returned in case of rejection, will, no doubt, be wise to enclose stamps to defray the cost of postage. Ifan editor were to venture to raise the defence that, at the time of sending in the article, the author had, as a matter of fact, no knowledge of the notice, I apprehend that the principle involved in the class of cases commenc- ing with Williams v. Carwardine (4 B. & Ad. 621), and in the last of which, Gibbons v. Proctor (7 Times L. Rep. 462), Mr. Justice Day held that a policeman might claim a reward offered by advertisement for certain information, although at the time he gave the information he had not, and could not have had, any knowledge of the offer, would apply; and that where something is  THE done (e.g., the sending of an article) subse- quently to an offer (e.g., the offer to consider contributions) which does, im fact, form an answer to that offer, it must be taken to be an acceptance of the offer, although it is not shown that the offer was the motive for the act, and perhaps, even though at the time of doing the act, the acceptor had no knowledge of the offer. 2. In the case of papers which insert no notice, if an author of his own motion sends an article to an editor, the offer comes from the author, and the editor, if he accepts it, does so by dealing with the article in such a manner as to show that he intends to become the owner, for instance, by publishing it in his paper. Tf he rejects the article, he is not bound to put himself to the trouble and expense of returning it; though he might do so as a matter of courtesy, and would be wise to do so ev abundantia cautele. It is possible that an editor would, in this case, be under a liability to take some care of an article which had been submitted to him. If he were bound to do so, it would probably be on the ground of a presumed request preceding the sending of the article (Wilkinson v. Coverdale, 1 Esp. 76), but the offer so clearly appears here to come from the author, that it seems open to doubt whether such a presumption would be reasonable. If there is any liability to exercise this care, it can only be for areasonable time, and the author must allow no great length of time to elapse before applying for the return of his article. 3. In the third case, when an editor gives an express notice that he does not wish for contribu- tions and will not be responsible for any that are sent, it is difficult to see why he should be held liable. If a person enters, or offers to enter, into a contract with a knowledge that there is a notice containing special terms, he is considered to have assented to those terms, and will be bound by them provided they are reasonable (Watkins v. Rymill, 10 Q. B. D. 178). The liability of the editor in this case would, it seems, depend upon whether he had taken “reasonable means to give notice of the condi- tions” to contributors, and it is submitted that such a notice might be “ reasonable means.” If it occupied a sufficiently prominent place in the paper to be generally seen, the contributor would probably be held to have had knowledge of it and to have intentionally sent his article at his own risk, and the editor would not be liable. If the notice were not sufficiently promi- nent to be seen by ordinary readers the editor would be in the same position as if there were no notice, that is to say, he might be bound AUTHOR. ais to take a reasonable care of the article for a reasonable length of time. Whether the notice was sufficiently prominent or not is a question of fact which must be decided according to the circumstances of each case. If, however, an author could prove that there is a well-established custom in the trade that an editor, by publishing a paper, holds himself out as ready to receive and consider contributions, then, in case No. 2, where there is no notice, the editor would certainly be liable if he did not take a reasonable care of the article; and in case No. 3 he would probably have to show that he did take all reasonable means to bring the notice to the knowledge of contributors, possibly even that the notice had actually come to their kaowledge. II. As to the right of an author to deal with an article which he has offered to a paper, but of the acceptance or rejection of which he has not heard. In each of the above cases the author appears to make an offer; but im the first case there is an acceptance on his part as well as an offer. In the first case by sending in his article he, in effect, says: ‘I accept your offer to consider my article, and I further offer to sell it to you if you think that it is suitable for your paper.” In the other two cases there is merely an offer by the author : ‘ Will you purchase my article?’’? There is, therefore, in each case an offer from the author to the editor. To complete the contract there must be an acceptance by the editor, and that acceptance, to take effect, must be com municated to the author (Felthouse v. Bindley, 11 C. B. N.S. 69). Until there has been either a direct acceptance by letter or word of mouth, or an indirect accept- ance by some act, which act has been brought to the knowledge of the author (publication would probably fulfil both these conditions) he is at liberty to withdraw his offer. If he desires to do so, however, he must bring notice of the withdrawal of the offer to the knowledge of the editor (Byrne v. Van Tienhoven, 5 C. P. Div. 344). But it appears than an offer only remains open for a reasonable time, and then lapses (Ramsgate Hotel Company V. Montefiore, L. Rep. 1 Exch. 10g), and that withdrawal of the offer is in that case unnecessary; so that it may be that an author, after a reasonable time has elapsed, may offer his article to another editor without notice to the former. But it is, of course, always safer to give a notice. What is a reasonable time is a question of fact in each case; in the case cited above four months was held to be an unreasonable time to keep an offer to take shares in a company open, and the defendant was considered justified in refusing to  312 THE acknowledge an acceptance of his offer after the lapse of such a period. B. — + II, CLARKE v. Mitts. (Before Mr. Justice Wright, sitting as an addi- tional Judge in the Chancery Division.) (From the Times.) The plaintiff in this action is vicar of Battersea, and an honorary canon of Winchester Cathedral, and for many years has been editor of the well known children’s periodical entitled Chatterbox, and other publications. He now claimed the right to a half share in that magazine as a partner, as against the clam of the legal repre- sentative and executor of the late Mr. James Johnson, who, by a codicil executed shortly before his death in 1891, had treated himself as sole proprietor of the property. For three or four years before the Chatterbox was started, Canon Clarke had had business relations with Mr. John- son, and in 1866 they proposed to publish a maga- zine for young folk, and Canon Clarke hit upon that of Chatterbox, which Mr. Johnson, in the October of that year, registered at Stationers’ Hall in their joint names. The first number was not published until December, so that the regis- tration became irregular, and no steps were afterwards taken to register. Nothing but a verbal arrangement to share the profits was made, Mr. Johnson undertaking to illustrate and finance the paper, while Canon Clarke was to do all editorial work. The periodical soon became a great success here and also in America, producing as much as from £3000 to £5000 a year profit, and Canon Clarke proposed that there should be some deed of partnership prepared, but Mr. John- son, who alone managed all the business arrange- ments, took no steps in the matter. During this time they also produced a publication called Prizes, and continued to divide the profits arising from it after the deed of partnership for seven years had expired. They also shared the profits of a third publication called the Parish Magazine for which they had only a verbalagreement. A few days prior to the publication of the first number of Chatterbox, Mr. Johnson sent to Canon Clarke a slip of paper purporting to be a transfer by the latter of his rights in the Chatter- box to Mr. Johnson. It was signed by Canon Clarke, but not stamped by Mr. Johnson until five days before he executed the codicil in ques- tion. Of this memorandum Canon Clarke says he remembers nothing. Mr. Neville, Q.C., and Mr. Swinfen Eady AUTHOR. appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. Chadwyck Healy Q.C., and Mr. Jenkins for the defendant. Mr. Justice Wricut, in giving judgment, said probably Mr. Johnson doubted whether a partnership existed, as there was no deed, but he had clearly so acted as to give Canon Clarke reasonable grounds for believing a partnership did exist. No question was raised as to there being a partnership in the other properties, which were carried on in the same manner. He could not accept the contention of the defendant’s counsel that the half profits were paid to Canon Clarke solely as a salary for editing the Chatterbox, and, in spite of the codicil, he should decide in favour of the plaiutiff’s claim. He, however, would defer giving formal judgment until next Saturday, in order to give counsel an opportunity of couferring as to what would be a fair arrange- ment to make in regard to the title of which Mr. Johnson's representatives had admitted their legal ownership. eee III. THe First Decrer Unprer tHe New AMERICAN Coprrieut Act. The first decrees entered under the new Copy- right Act, by which English publishers are enabled to obtain copyrights in the United States, have just been entered in the United States Circuit Court for the district of New Jersey. The suits in which these decrees were made were instituted by Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode, Her Majesty’s printers, against the New York Recorder Company and the American Lithographic Company, and had relation to a copyright in an engraving entitled “ Little Lord Fauntleroy.” Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode, who, as proprietors of the ‘“ Woodbury Com- pany,” publish engravings and works of art of all descriptions, employed Mr. Charles J. Tompkins, an English engraver, to reproduce, in pure mezzotint, the painting by James Sant, R.A., entitled “ Little Lord Fauntleroy.’’ This engrav- ing was duly copyrighted in the United States. Shortly after the first artist’s proofs appeared in the American market the engraving was copied by the defendants, where:pon the plaintiffs immediately instructed their representatives, Messrs. E. and J. B. Young and Co., of Cooper Union, N.Y., to institute suits. Mr. Rowland Cox, an eminent member of the legal profession in New York, was retained to conduct the case, and Mr. W. Hugh Spottiswoode went over to represent the firm of Eyre and Spottiswoode. The statement of complaint was based upon the allegation that the engraving had  | | . | ' ] i } 1 | THE been used in the manufacture of the chromo- lithograph made and sold by the defendants, which fact was supported by numerous coinci- dences which were pointed out. A preliminary injunction was granted by his Honour Judge Lacombe, based upon an inspection of the engrav- ing and the chromos and expert testimony. The final decrees now entered recognise the rights of the complainants, and provide for perpetual injunctions restraining the sale of the chromo- lithographs. The painting after which this engraving was made was in the Royal Academy Exhibition of 18g1. The infringement complained of consisted of a lithographic reproduction issued as an ‘art supplement” to the New York Recorder of Feb. 28, 1892, under the title of “A Noble Friend.” The result of this litigation will be satisfactory to all who are interested in British art.— 7vmes, Dee. 30, 1892. IV. MAGAZINES AND COPYRIGHT. It is not unnatural, perhaps, that a difference of opinion should exist as to the interpretation of a statute so inartificially framed as the Copyright Act of 1842. With this excuse I venture to dissent from the view expressed in your article on page 190, as to the effect of sect. 18; and T notice that some of your readers are appa- rently still in doubt as to the meaning of that section. You say “if the proprietor has paid for the article, and unless the author by express or implied contract reserves to himself the copyright, then the copyright for a period of twenty-eight years resides with the proprietor . . . after that period the copyright for the remainder of the term reverts back to the author.” This view is in accordance with the statement contained in Mr. Shortt’s ‘‘ Law relating to Works of Literature and Art” (2nd edit. p. 101). But the section of the Act says that the proprietor “shall enjoy the same rights as if he were the actual author thereof, and shall have such term of copyright therein as is given to the authors of books by this Act.” Now, the author of a book under the Act has a copyright for life and seven years more, or forty- two years; and this I submit to be the period of copyright which the proprietor enjoys if he is entitled under sect. 18 to any copyright in the article at all. In order that the proprietor should be so VOL. III. AUTHOR. 343 entitled it seems that three conditions must be fulfilled : (1) Employment.—The writer must have been employed to write the article. (2) Terms.—The article must be written on the terms that the copyright therein shall belong to the proprietor. (3) Payment.—The writer of the article must be paid. Tn the absence of any of these three essentials, would the proprietor be entitled to any copyright in the article at all? I would submit that if he wished to procure the copyright he must do so by an assignment in writing (Layland v. Stewart, 4 Ch. Div. 419). Some confusion apparently arises from the limitation contained in sect. 18, by which the proprietor is precluded from publishing the article in a separate form, and the use of the word “revert”? as applied to the right of the author to publish the article in a separate form at the expiration of twenty-eight years. Inasmuch as the proprietor never has the right to publish the article in a separate form, and the autbor cannot have such right until the expiration of twenty- eight years, except by agreement, express or implied, the word “revert” appears to be inappropriate. Haroup Harpy. V. From THE Zvmes. Sir,—The letters that have appeared in the Times on the subject of American copyright prompt me to give you an account of the treat- ment I have received in the United States. In April last I. published, in England, a book on a medical subject. In November T noticed an advertisement of an American mineral water, in which occurred a quotation strongly recom- mending it. The quotation was stated to be taken from a book with the same title as mine, by me, and edited by R. W. Wilcox, M.D., an American. This was the first I had ever heard either of the mineral water, or the American edition of my book, I got a copy of it from the United States, and found that the English edition of my book had been reprinted there, with the insertion in various places of statements I never made, and that there was no indication whatever that they were the work of the American editor. The exact title of my book was retained, and this American edition was stated, on the title-page, to be by me and to be edited by Dr. Wilcox ; consequently I was made to appear responsible for statements T never made, and even to puff mineral waters of which I never heard, and all this without my BB  THE 314 sanction or a single line from the American publisher or editor to say what they were doing. Iam your obedient servant, W. Hare Wuirs, M.D. 65, Harley-street, W., Jan. 9. V1, A Case For THE Socrery. A certain journal recently advertised for stories. Among those sent in was a good one, for which the author asked at the rate of two guineas for every thousand words. The editor offered ten shillmgs. While the correspondence was. still going on, the editor published it as the winner of a guinea prize, profferine that sum in full payment. A claim was made, at the instance of the Society, for the balance due. The case came before a metropolitan small debts court. The judge expressed himself in very strong terms about the proceedings of the magazine. The defendants then asked for an adjournment in order to produce a certain letter which, it was sworn, would be inconsistent with the plaintiff's evidence, The action was adjourned, the defendants paying the costs of the day. With some difficulty an exact note of the matter, so far, was taken, and on the adjourn- ment the case was taken up exactly at the point where it had stopped, with a reminder as to the meaning of this note, and that the court took a strong view of the case if the letter were not produced. The letter was not forthcoming, The defendants were defeated, and the author obtained his claim in full, together with all his costs. VII. THe Harpsuirs or PusiisHina, Mr. Heinemann, in the Atheneum of Dee. 3; contributed a paper on the above title. What follows—the reply of the week following—shows what he said about the Society. He expresses his surprise that the Authors’ Society should “take upon itself ”—‘ take upon itself” !—“to judge the proper remuneration the author should receive.” Here is a confusion of thought into which many have fallen. Literary work, one must remind Mr. Heinemann, is the property of the author—of him who produces, creates, invents, and writes it—not of him who sells it. The author retains that property until he parts with it for a consideration. The AUTHOR. book does not—cannot—belong to the publisher at all until he buys it. This may seem elementary, but it is really the root of the whole matter. The Society of Authors, as the defender of literary property, must consider the proportion of profit—not remuneration—that is to be the author’s and his agent’s respectively. An author who entrusts his property to a middleman to manage must, if he is a wise man, negotiate in his own interests on the same basis as underlies all other business, viz., the value of the property and the proportion that should be paid to the middleman for his services. The Society has in the past endeavoured strenuously to place authors, for the first time in the history of literature, in a position which will enable them to understand the meaning of their property, and I hope it will always continue to do so. ‘ Mr. Heinemann speaks of “a number of very inaccurate and very unreliable handbooks” which we have pub- lished. Indeed! What are these? We have issued a book called “Methods of Publishing,’ in which a great number of actual agreements which have been brought to our notice have been analysed. Is this book inaccurate? If so, in what way? We have also issued a book, called, ‘ The Cost of Production,” in which the cost of producing books of the ordinary and common kinds is considered. This book was most carefully got up with the assistance and estimates of three or four firms of printers. Now I will tell Mr. Heinemann a little story about the book. A certain publisher, with this work in his hand, began to complain of its gross inaccuracies,” to a man, who, unfor- tunately for him, knew the business. He laughed. ‘“ Well,” he said, “I will make yon an offer, Mr. So-and-so. Give me all your printing on these terms, and I will get it done for you ata good profit to myself.’ He did not get that printing, however. I can also tell Mr. Heinemann that I have seen many accounts in which the cost of production, as rendered by the publisher, was actually less than that estimated in our book. Further, on the recent advance of composition, a new edition, then about to appear, contained the necessary alterations ; and on the recent advance of binding our .members were advised that there would be another small change under this head. I do not know what Mr. Heinemann means by congratulating himself that this book, and the “ mischief’? produced by it have not gone very far. ‘“ The Cost of Production” has, I believe, nearly completed its third edition. There are certainly not 3000 authors of all branches in this country whose productions can be considered as literary property. It is therefore to be presumed that nearly all those authors worth considering have got the book. As regards royalties, I do not know what individual members of our Council may say—itis not evidence as to the work of the Society—but there are one or two questions which naturally occur, as, for instance, what proportion of profit, i.e., difference between sales and cost of production, should a publisher claim for his services ? And why? And what royalty, in the case of a popular book, represents Mr. Heinemann’s views? And on what figure, is his opinion based? We have given our figures in our book, and, until good reason otherwise is produced, we shall stick to them. But it may help us to have Mr. Heinemann’s figures, especially if he will allow anyone to make some such offer as was quoted above. Mr. Heinemann suggests a publishers’ union. Excellent! Nothing could be more desirable. Honourable men can only combine for honourable purposes, and will exclude dis- honourable men from their association. This letter has been followed by one from Mr. Arthur D, Innes, which would call for no com-  THE ment but for the stale old charges which are blindly copied. Thus—Mr. Innes says (1) that publishers “have a natural objection to being spoken of in a lump as little better than thieves.” Quite so. When did the society so speak of them ? (2) “That the authors do not include office expenses in the ‘ Cost of Production.” How far publishers’ office expenses ought to be considered in an agreement is open to argument: so is the question of authors’ expenses. (3) That the authors say that no publisher ever loses on a book. The authors have never said any such thing. (4) The Society “ differs from publishers ” as to the cost of producing a book. One did not know this. We produce figures based on the estimates of most respectable printers who cannot be accused of sweating. These four statements have been made over and over again. They willcontinue to be made, I supp se, so long as it is thought they will serve any purpose. WB. oc ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN AUTHORS. HE stated monthly meeting was held on Dec. 7, at the Hotel Brunswick in Boston at 3 p.m., and was a large and representative gathering. Colonel T. W. Hig- ginson presided. The minutes of the last mect- ing were read and accepted. The stamp plan of publication, which had been discussed and laid over at the last meeting, was then taken up and elicited an animated debate, nearly every member present speaking pro or con. The majority of the speakers favoured the adoption of the plan or of some other that would prove as effective. Mrs. Julia Ward Howe remarked that she had not been present at former meetings, and asked as to the object of the proposed stamp plan. The Secretary explained, that it aimed to afford the author sume knowledge as to the number of books sold; that under the present system a publisher might sell an edition of 5000 copies and report but 3000, and the author could only accept his statement, having uo means of veri- fying it. It was proposed by this plan to apply business methods to what was purely a matter of business. In reply to the Chair, the Secretary said that he had received from Mr. Coolidge, our Minister to France, a letter enclosing one from the Secretary of La Société des Gens de Lettres, VOL. Ill. BUTHOR. 315 which he follows < would read. The translation was as SIR,— It is to be desired indeed that publishers should be obliged to affix upon each copy sold a seal furnished by the author, in order to assure control of the number of volumes ; but there exists no law upon this subject. The Committee is. now occupied with this question, but it is as yet only being studied. From this it appeared that the plan had not yet been adopted, but was being agitated. Mrs. Louise Chandler Moulton and Mrs. Elizabeth Phelps Ward spoke in favour of the general uprightness of publishers; they ferred the stamp plan might be con-idered an imputa- tion on their honesty Prof. N. 8. Shaler was opposed to the plan; he favoured the accountant system; if he believed his publish r was cheat- ing him he would seek another publisher. stamp could be counterfeited. If authors lieved that they were being cheated they could demand that an expert accountant should examine the publisher’s books. Prof. W. M. Griswold replied. He thought the stamp system perfectly feasible. If it made uniform no publisher could object to it as an imputation on his honesty. As to counterfeit- ing the stamp, that would be forgery, and forgery was a serious crime. Mr. W. Blackburn Harte favoured the stamp plan if it could be made general. No young author would dare demand an accounting from his publisher; it would ruin him. Miss Cynthia Cleveland, Mr. James Jeffrey Roche, and Mr. Hunter McCulloch spoke in favour of the plan. President Higginson said that to object to the stamp plan because many publishers were honest was like objecting to divorce laws because most husbands and wives were happy. Laws were made for exceptional cases: because successful authors were on pleasant terms with their publishers was no proof that young and in- experienced authors were not ill-treated and de- frauded. He gave several examples of this fact. The case of a lady author had been brought to the attention of the Society. Her publisher had issued two editions of her book, one legitimate, the other of 20,000 copies without her name as author, without her knowledge, and without giving her a penny of royalty. She only dis- covered it by accident. What was a woman without money or friends to do in such a case? Many other similar examples might be cited. It was the object of the law and of this Society to protect the weak from the strong. Continuing, he said that it would be ruin for an author to enter into an indi- vidual contest with his publisher; it was not wise BB 2 pas The 1 ve- Was  316 for him to have a difference of opinion with him. There was good reason for adopting the stamp system if only to help others who could not help themselves. Mr. Robert Grant thought the effect of the stamp plan might be to widen still further the chasm between author and publisher. He favoured the accountant system, and the making of a list of reputable publishers for the use of members. Mr. Todd, for the committee, said that the plan was reported for discussion, not for adoption at that time and that it might be well to postpone the matter until more light could be had. It was resolved to accept the report of the com- mittee, and to indefinitely postpone further con- sideration of the report. Mr. Todd, being about to visit France, was then instructed to make a special investigation of the French stamp plan, and learn what efforts were being made to secure its legal adoption. It was resolved that the President appoint a committee of three to prepare a circular giving, first —the different methods of publication ; second—the cost of publication ; third—a form of a model contract between author and pub- lisher, and that such circular be printed and mailed to our members. Passed, with an amend- ment offered by Mr. Grant, that a list of reputable publishers be made out and added. Secretary Todd, of New York, Professor W. M. Griswold, of Cambridge, and Dr. Titus M. Coan, of New York, were appointed as said committee. The Secretary proposed the name of Freling H. Smith, of 115, Broadway, N. Y., as legal counsel of the association, and that he be recommended to such of our members as may desire legal advice; referred to a committee of three. Mr. Robert Grant, Miss Cynthia Cleveland, and Mr. James Jeffery Roche were appointed such comunittee. CuarLes Burr Topp, Secretary. ees. FROM THE DAILY CHRONICLE. L _\NE or two letters have recently appeared in () the Daily Chronicle. One of those, signed ‘““A Member,” was indignant because the members do not elect the Chairman of Committee, and because more is not done for the assistance of the struggling aspirants. As regards the first grievance, every committee has the privilege of electing its own committee, except when the Chairman or President of the Society is in, when he is, ea officio, the chairman of that committee THE AUTHOR. as well. The constitution of this Society, it is repeated, is contained in the articles of associa- tion, The government of the Society is like that of the Law Institute, the College of Surgeons, the Society of Arts, the Palestine Exploration Fund, and so many others. That is to say, the administration rests with the Council, or the Fellows, not with the members ; and the Council elects its own members. The complaining member has since communi- cated with the Editor. He reduces his claims, or propositions, to six. We gladly give publicity to these: 1. He would havea Free Register of all persons engaged in literature—Such a list, or register, has been proposed and seriously considered But there are difficulties. What is literature? Is it journalism? If so, journalism including the penny-a-liner? How far down is literature to go? And who is to draw the line? Even if we include only those who have written books, the question of expense is very serious. We could hardly charge authors so much for putting in their names, and the question arises how far such a volume—which must be no more than a dictionary —would pay its way? 2. Public advertisement of the pay of maga- zines and journals.—This has also been asked for in the Author before now. The difficulty is this: The better-class English magazines, unless special terms are made—which is generally the case with well-known names—pay a guinea a page. The inferior sort pay just exactly what they think the author will take. If it is a very miserable sum they fall back on the excuse that it is their “ scale pay,” their “regular” pay, their “tariff” pay. 3. The granting of certificates to literary agents.—Humph! Suppose the agents do not want certificates. There would be some sense in this if authors were agreed to employ no agent without such a certificate. First let us make our members fall into line and agree together. We have not yet got so far. 4, Monthly meetings of members.—Certainly. But what will they do when they meet ? 5. A bi-monthly Author at 3d.—A weekly Author would be better. But it cannot yet be afforded. Shall we ever afford it? Such a paper would cost a good many thousands a year, and would require a circulation of 6000 at least to pay expenses, not reckoning the possible advertisements. 6. “A Union Branch.’ — Well, we are a union, so far as authors, have ever yet been united. What any further union can effect outside the lines on which we are steadily advancing is not intelligible.  THE i The second letter, signed ‘ Resignation,” is appended as a very pretty specimen of deliberate malignity. It appeared in the Daily Chronicle of Jan. 6, 1893: S1r,—The letter of “A Member” on the management of the “ Incorporated Society of Authors” is, in my view, very much to the point. It appears from the January number of the Author that the society “is distinctly and frankly oli- garchic,” and that ordinary members have no more rights or privileges than are covered by the monthly receipt of the journal, which can be purchased in the open market for 6d. a month. To ask poor devils of authors to pay one guinea annually for the honour of sitting at the feet of the fifty odd Gamaliels who compose the council, without ever seeing them or sharing in the benefit of their united wisdom, is too much of a joke. Like others, I joined the society in the belief that it was organised, like any other association, for the union of certain interests or persons; and it is, there- fore, staggering to be told that membership carries with it no earthly advantage save advice gratis on publishing agree- ments, which, however, can be had anywhere for less than half the subscription. There are no published rules in con- nection with this society, no special annual report, no list of members, no publications at all save the Author (and this members are asked to subscribe for in addition as much as they can). Ihave never seen a financial statement. There are no meetings for the transaction of business, and, to crown all, it appears from recent statements that no voice whatever is allowed in the management of the society to any ordinary subscriber. In these circumstances it seems that resignation (not in the sense of enduring) is the best course for those dwellers in Grub-street who cannot spare guineas like members of the “ oligarchy.’”—I am, Sir, yours truly, RESIGNATION. This letter was written, it is clear, with the deliberate intention of injuring the Society by the use of absolute falsehoods. 1. “ No published rules.”’—It is a public com- pany with Articles of Association which it is bound to produce on application. 2. “No special annual report.’”—Not a single year has passed without a special annual report. 3. “ No list of members.”—There is a list at the office. It is not published, and is not likely to be published, for very good reasons. 4. “No publications except the - futhor.’— There are six volumes which are advertised in every number of the Author. 5. “Members are asked to subscribe for the Author as much as they can.”—Members are told that, if they choose not to pay for the Author, they will go on having it; but they are told that those who send up their 6s. 6d. a year help the com- mittee inthe expense of the paper (see p. 309). 6. “He has never seen a financial statement.” —One duly audited by professional auditors appears with every annual report. 7. “There are no meetings for the transaction of business.”—There is at least one every year at which members are invited to comment on the Report. AUTHOR. ot7 8. “Members have no voice in the conduct of the Society.” The Council, through the Com- mittee, manages the Society, but no member has ever yet sent in a suggestion which has not been. properly considered. g. “ Members get nothing but advice gratis on an agreement, which can be had anywhere for less than half the subscription.”—Can it? One would like to know where. Moreover, this is not all that the member gets. He has the right to free legal opinion in any difficulty that arises in his business. He has his agreements examined for him. He has his agreements stamped for him. He can consult the secretary in any arrangement, proposal, or trouble that he may happen to be engaged in. The letter was answered by Mr. Thring. It is only quoted here to show the desperate straits to which the enemies of the Society are reduced when such a string of falsehoods can be devised and thrown into the form of a letter with intent to deceive the readers of a paper and to injure the society. pect A CONFESSION. \ PENITENT Publisher” sends a paper he has contributed to the Western Daily Mercury on the general subject of pub- lishing. It is a remarkable paper, and deserves to find a more lasting place than in the columns of a daily paper. Here are some extracts and compressions : 1. Why, he asks, do publishers publish ? “In order,’ he replies, ‘to make money.” That was known before, but it is useful to repeat it if only to put an end to the ‘ Patron of Litera- ture” impersonation which is so favourite a réle with some publishers. 2. “The prizes are few and the risks are ereat.” It is evident that the writer of the paper uses the word “risk ” ina sense different from that to which we are accustomed. By ‘risk’? we mean the danger of not covering the small outlay of production with a certain amount above. By “risk” this writer clearly means uncertainty of a large and remunerative sale. Now, most pub- lishers will refuse a work unless they see their way quite clearly to covering their outlay, and many, unless they see their way to a remunerative sale. a. “the MSS. came in at the rate of 1500 a ear.” Those which were selected were laid before the partners assembled, 4. Proposals were made to the authors of these MSS. These proposals varied, but they will all  318 be found in the Society’s book—the “ Methods of Publishing.” 5. “Authors sometimes behave badly.”” Some will sell a book and then go away and write another on the same subject for another house. One man assured this firm that his last novel had run through seven editions. So it had: but they were editions of fifty each. Another—a clergyman —said that the last work had sold 25,000 copies. Perhaps; but the work he brought this firm did not reach 200. Authors sometimes plagiarise. Authors sometimes obtain money in advance for works they take five or six years to complete. 6. On estimates. An author cannot be too cautious in accepting an esti- mate. He is usually tempted to ask for one in order that he may know the expense to which he is likely to be put. But the better plan is to get a general idea of the cost, and to bargain that he shall be charged the actual amounts which the publishers pay. He should never attempt to get his book printed for himself. A publisher can always get it done more cheaply. There are few printers who can resist the temptation of making a handsome profit out of an inexperienced hand. Why, indeed, should they? But the author must see that he gets the advantage of the cheap production, and not the publisher. A keen look out should be kept for possible discounts. Advertisements should be paid for at “actuals,” and not at list or scale prices. A publisher receives in some cases a discount of as much as one-third of the price. The cost of “ corrections ” is a fruitful source of dispute. These are charged for by the time they take to make, and cost from tod. to 1s. an hour. It is difficult for a publisher to check this item in the printer’s bill; for an author it is almost impossible. It will perhaps be useful if I give a few examples of the cost of books. These figures may be relied on, as they are drawn from my own actual experience. I have selected the classes of books more usually published by the author at his own, or partly at his own, expense. 1. A crown octavo three volume novel, making in all about 850 pages. This was considerably longer than the average. The edition was one of 500 copies. It may be mentioned that printing (or “machining,” as it is techni- cally termed) is usually estimated for by the double sheet of 32pp., while crown paper is often bought in reams of quad sheets, each of which gives 64pp. & & a. Composition (i.e., setting the type).................. 68 0 0 Corrections (made by author in proof) ............ LS 12 6 Binding at 36s. 6d. per 100 vols................ 000505 a2 2 {e 6 Paper, 12} reams quad crown of 120Ib. per ream at SO Per ll, ue 19° 26 Machining 26} reams at 12s. 6d. .......0....0000.. Ws 3 Total (not including advertising) ...... 143 9 9 2. Novel. One crown 8yo. volume. 1000 copies. 340 pages. s. d. Coniporition (0 34.9 9 COrechions 406 13 15 0 Binding at 86. per 100° 3 8 Binder’s letterings ................, £2050 Paper, 22 reams double crown .....,...... 3 EL 16.56 Machining at 6s. 6d. perream ......................7 3 0 THE AUTHOR. 3. Shilling Shocker, 1000 copies. 192 pages. 2 sd Composition ..0.s. ce Corrections: 9 ...50 205.3 2 4°16 Binding 210 0 Printing 1000 wrappers .. 2 6 0 Pape? oat 7 4 0 Machining ...... eau sie y ibis eels ae Moulditig. ee 210 6 Potala 30 2 7 To this, at least, £10 must be added for advertising. The sale of the whole edition would realise about £30, and there would, therefore, be a loss on the book of about £10, which would have to be made up in subsequent editions. In order that these may be cheaply produced, “ moulds” are taken of the type in papier maché. From these a stereotype cast is taken when required. The cost of this would be about £5. A second edition of 1000 copies would then cost £20 18s. Bringing forward the £10 lost on the first edition, and adding £5 for further advertising, the loss on the book would, after the second 1000 were sold, be reduced to £5. Athird edition would cost £15 18s. After the sale of 3000 there would therefore be a profit of £10 to be divided between author and publisher. Roughly speaking, no shilling book is worth producing unless at least 3000 copies can be sold. 4. Volume of verse. Foolscap. 500 copies. 280 pages.. ae Composition ..055... 22 10 10 Corrections 4.(, 3.05. 2) 312 6 Binding | 32 we LO Binders’s letterings ......4.060..00 0 8 3 Paper 7.45.50 3814 4 Machining ......... ee ay See Moulding 00 a 316 8 Potala ee 50 8 7 5. Volume of Essays. 250 copies. 256 pages. sd. Paper oe a ee 210 0 Binding 32.3 4 Los Composition and machining .. 18-8: 0 Corrections: <30). i 119 6 Voted oe 2618 9 The above examples will serve, to some extent, as a guide to my readers as to the cost of production. The figures given may be taken as a fair price for country printers. London work is more expensive. It is interesting to compare the “ Publisher’s ” figures with our own. Turning to the ‘Cost of Production” (Third Edition), p. 15, we there find the estimate for a novel of about the same number of pages. It comes out, though it is I think longer, at £12 less for composition ; alittle more for machining ; our binding is a great deal less, viz, 28s. instead of 36s. 6d. per 100 vols.; but binding has gone up 15 per cent. The only real difference is in the item composition, which perhaps shows that the work was done in London. Then he allows £18 odd for corrections, which is a very large sum. Perhaps the type was smaller than that for which we estimated. This would make the  THE difference in composition. As regards the one vol. novel, we are not given the type or the length of the page, but, roughly speaking, the cost 1s about the same as our own. The shilling shocker, according to us, costs £29 12s. gd for 1000 copies; according to the “ Publisher” £30 2s. 7d., which is near enough. 7. Royalties : In the case of books of little or no risk the most satis- factory arrangement is to have a royalty on every copy sold. The author is not troubled with accounts. All he has to see is that he does receive his royalty on all copies sold, as instances have been known of several thousand copies being disposed of secretly without the author’s know- ledge. Publishers usually insert a clause in the agreement to the effect that in the case of sales at special prices the author shall only receive 5 per cent. on the amount so realised. It is often necessary to dispose of books in this way, and no wrong is done the author so long as the clause is legitimately used. It does, however, afford a loophole for sharp practice, and the author should, therefore, keep an eye on its working, more especially with regard to sales for America, &c. 8. Agents: On the whole, I should advise young authors to have nothing to do with agents. These intermediaries are quite unnecessary, and their honesty is not invariably cast-iron. I have known cases in which the agent was paid by both sides, and more heavily by the puhlisher than by the author. An author should learn to make his own terms. He should take every opportunity of investigating the cost of produc- tion and the methods of the trade. He should keep an eye on the literary papers and notice what publishers produce particular classes of books. And he should not neglect the simple and ordinary precautions of business, such as getting his agreements stamped, &c. g. Solicitors If the author’s agent is undesirable, the solicitor is use- less. I never knew a solicitor yet who undertood the tech- nicalities of the trade, who could distinguish sheets from quires, or pearl from pica. Some of the worst agreements I have known were those drawn by the help of solicitors. They are always suspecting the wrong thing, and guarding against trickeries which no publisher outside of an asylum would think of perpetrating. The Author’s Society : This society has done good work, and authors would do well to provide themselves with its publications. Pub- lishers have no quarrel whatever with the work of the society. en 9 MISS MITFORD; OR, "TIS SIXTY YEARS SINCE. > HE following letter was written by Miss Mitford, from her house near Reading, to Mrs. Trollope. It was just after the appearance of Mrs. Trollope’s ‘‘ Domestic Manners AUTHOR. 3'2 of the Americans,” and before her first novel ‘‘ The Refugee in America.” It was also just before the appearance of Miss Mitford’s fifth and con- cluding volume of ‘‘ Our Village.” The difficulties of an author with editors were far greater, it will be perceived, thenthan now. The editor who refuses to pay, does not answer letters, and pre- tends not to have received letters sent, is now a creature who presides over obscure and struggling papers, not the representative of great houses. It is a glimpse of a bad anda bygone time. “Three Mile Cross, “ My dear Friend, « April 30, 1832. “T am going to write you a very long and strictly confidential letter; for, as a dramatic author, I am so much in the power of these magazine and annual editors, who are all, more or less, connected with the weekly or daily press, that nothing short of my strong affection for you and my warm sympathy with the cause of your writing would induce me to unveil my opinion of them. The fact is that, for the most part, they are so dishonest that I should entirely Lives you to abstain from writing for them. Two magazines, and two only, paid me last year, though of cne other it is confessed by their own bookseller that my article, and mine only, sold the book!!! If the »y serve me so, it is like ly that they would be e >qually remiss, even with you, though I have no doubt that they would grasp at your papers eagerly. I will gladly oive you notes to two of the editors if you lke, warning you that for certain reasons, of which T will ie you se your papers are likely to be declined. With the other persons IT have made up my mind to have nothing to de. itis too bad to have been for years the main prop of their publications, and then to be cheated (as I have been during the last two years) out of nearly £100 amongst them; and all this, not merely because their works are going out of fashion, but because they live at an expense and give parties, and vie with each other in dress, furniture, and finery to a degree actually incredible. My price is ten guine as an article—higher, I believe, than they give anyone else. It answered to me, because, also reserving the copyright, I thus get, as, it were, doubly paid for the volumes of ‘Our Village,” in which the papers were subsequently collected. But, besides the pecuniary disappoint- ment, it provokes one not to be paid one’s honest earnings. So that I really thought it only right to give you fair warning. What makes it that these people pretend to be my worse is, friends!!! “The magazines will, I fear, suit you as little.  THE 320 The inferior oves pay little, and often not at all. Colburn’s, the New Monthly (which would be sure pay, but is altogether Radical), the Metropolitan, I know (for I have just had a demélé with the editor), is as tricky as if it were an annual, and Fraser's, besides that the pay is very small—only £10 a sheet of sixteen pages, double columns— is hardly such as a Jady likes to write for. On the whole, I think Whittaker’s Magazine would suit you best, though the pay is only £10a sheet. To him you can, of course, speak without scruple. But, in my mind, my dear Mrs. , I really think that you will find it better to write novels—I mean, better for money. There is no doubt of your finding a ready pur- chaser, since this work has done its office of making a reputation most speedily and effec- tually, and have not a doubt but that it is by far the most profitable branch of the literary profession. I shall be most anxious to see your novel. May I ask of what sort it is? English or foreign? modern or ancient ? If ever I be bold enough to tr; that arduous path, I shall endeavour to come as near as I can to Miss Austen, my idol. I do not think that Whitaker has done badly by you. The work was well advertised, as it deserved to be, though Captain Hall’s review was the best advertisement. I suppose that he has made a good deal of me— but so they do all—and I don’t know that one gains much by changing. You are very good about my opera. I am sorry to tell you, and you will be kindly sorry to hear, that the composer has disappointed me, that the music is not now yet ready, and that the piece is therefore neces- sarily delayed till next season, I am very sorry for this on account of the money, and because I have many friends in and near town (yourself amongst the rest) whom I was desirous to see ; but I suppose that it will be for the good of the opera to wait till the beginning of a season, It is to be produced with extraordinary splendour, and will, I think, be a tremendous hit. I hope also to have a tragedy out at nearly the same time in the autumn, and then I trust we shall meet, and I shall see your dear girls and Mr. Henry. Your elder and younger sons I already know. How glad I am to find that you partake of my great aversion to the sort of puffery belonging to literature. I hate it, and always did, and love you all the better for partaking in my feeling on the subject. I believe that in me it is pride that revolts at the puff, and then it is so false— the people are so clearly flattering to be flattered. Oh! T hate it!!! Mrs. Wilson is better, but she breaks fast. I scarcely evér see Mr. B , and fear for her much, The man is spending three times her income, and she will be a very wretched AUTHOR. oor woman. Moreover, he’s a fool. > T hope that dear Marianne will be benefited by her tour. I had an illegible crossed letter from her. from which I contrived to make out that she was very happy—the best piece of information to those who love her. Adieu, my dear frien, Pray keep my secret, and forgive this hasty scrawl, Make my kindest regards, and accept my father’s.—Ever most faithfully and affection- ately yours, ““M. R. Mrrrorp, “I suppose my book will be out in about a month, I shall desire Whitaker to send youa copy. It is the fifth and last volume.” Sees AN OMNIUM GATHERUM FOR FEBRUARY. AY I once more propound a few discon- nected suggestions ? Subjects for Books or Articles—A list of pseudonyms, including (with their consent) those of living writers; Political Nomenclature; A paged index to the Bible; An annotated edition of Mill on Liberty; A short (with all acknowledg- ments to Mr, Moncure Conway) life of Thomas Paine (with extracts from the “ Age of Reason ” and the “ Rights of Man,” and special reference to Paine’s scheme for pensioning the aged poor) ; The Evils of Early Marriages ; Fifty Years of Life : an Inquiry whether the possession of political and other power should not be confined between the ages of 25 and 75; The Curtailment of the Testa- mentary Power, with special reference to the morality of Charitable Bequests. Copyright.—Is not the time arrived for the Society to put forward an amending Bill on the subject of copyright — say, about ten clauses, dealing with the term of copyright, the dramatisa- tion of novels, newspaper copyright, the absur- dity of existing artistic copyright, and other pressing matters? Our consolidating Bill, so grotesquely dealt with by the late Government, must wait till it is taken up by the Government of the day. The Magazines—Not long ago, the Author contained a few particulars of the terms on which the magazines receive MSS., whether they engage to return them with or without stamps, &c. Could not a complete list be printed in the Author of these terms, with the addresses of all the maga- zines P Handwriting.—Is not the chance of an article being accepted the less, and is not the cost of printing it the more, if the handwriting of the le  THE. AUTHOR. author be bad P should be so ? Is it not quite right that this American Spelling.— Could not a conference at the Chicago Exhibition come to some reasonable and amicable arrangement as to the extent to which the books of English authors may be printed with American spelling. Could not a list of the discrepancies (not, I believe, very many) be published in the Author forthwith ? The Laureateship.—Could not the Laureateship be made tenable for five years only (as the office of Commander-in-Chief in India is), so as to give more than one of our contemporary p ets a chance of wearing the laurel ? A Tontine for Authors—The Société des Gens de Lettres has an admirable plan whereby each member subscribes up to a certain age, on arriv- ing at which he may either \ake a pension or de- cline it as his means may allow (see Mr. Besant’s address in the Author of last month). Could not our Society imitate this plan with or without the help of one of our great insurance companies, and possibly with help from the Royal Literary Fund? J. M. Leny. A NATIONAL NAME. ANTED, a single name for “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Treland.” Estne bonum nobis “ Anglobriceltia ’’ nomen An melius, queso, “ Briscoterinna ” sonat ? Nil refert, titulis dum fortis Hibernia nostris Accedat, patrie nomine lata novo. Scilicet hase multos vixdum appellata per annos Non minima augusti pars fuit imperii. ORNITHORHINCUS PARADOXUS. eee NOTES FROM PARIS. iL (These Notes arrived just too late for the last Number.) TYNHE dinners known as “ Les Diners de la Plume” are rapidly becoming the pleasantest of the many monthly dinners wn Paris, La Plume is a literary society founded by M. Léon Deschamps, who publishes a magazine of that name. In connection with this magazine weekly réunions of litterateurs are held at one of the transpontine cafés, whilst every month a dinner, known as “le Diner de La Plume,” brings together the best known and the least known of VOL. ILI. sak Parisian men of letters. La Plume is the magazine of the new schools of French literature, and is contributed to by the Decadents, Symbo- listes, Romanes, and so forth. The bulk of its contents are poetry, but prose and criticism have a large place in its pages also. The contributors meet together once a week at some café, and there read their poems and discuss their art, and are as serious about it as a board of railway directors discussing their balance-sheet. The “ dinners of La Plume” are less formal. The price is five francs, including wine, and the banquet is usually held in some small café on the other side of the water. Some well-known man usually takes the chair. Zola was president a month or two ago, Coppée and Lecomte de Lisle have also presided. Tt is an excellent institution and does much to keep up that solidarity which in our métver, more than in any other, should be the desideratum of one and all, but which it really seems hopeless to look for in England. There was rather a dismal letter printed in the Daily Chronicle a few days ago in which a “member” of the Authors’ Society rather bitterly asked what the Society did for its un- successful members. ‘The question struck me as very unreasonable, but, before writing on that point, I should like to repeat, as to the passage in his letter in which I am personally touched up, that I consider it very bad form for any journa- list, who is a member of the society and who may have complaints to make about the literary con- tents of the Author, to make this complaint the subject of a paragraph in another paper. Every house is, I suppose, more or less divided against itself, but there is no reason for letting the general public know that our particular house is in that state. There are only too many people who would be delighted to see us fall, and such remarks must be unction to their souls. Let us grumble about the Society as much as we like entre nous, but still, to the outside world, present a beaming and cheerful front, as if ever since we syndicated ourselves we have a fowl in the pot every Sunday and change for a five-pound note in every one of our pockets. Se - As to what the Society ought to do for its unsuccessful members, beyond what it does in the way of advice, I for one am puzzled to answer. Still I think much good might be done by the issuing to each member who may consider himself unsuccessful a card, which he could hang up inhis room, on which should be painted in fair letters that text of Thomas a’Kempis, “ Limit thy cc i i i 322 desires and thou shalt know peace.” A man enters the literary profession either as a trades- man or as an artist. If as a tradesman, and he find that his wares don’t sell, let him sell any- thing else for which he can find a market, matches or slippers, or pastilles du serail. Tf as an artist, his success or nonsuccess financially must be matters of perfect indifference to him. All that he requires is the means of living, his enjoyment in life will come from his art. As an artist he will despise money, remembering that while Edgar Allen Poe died without a penny to his name, a certain Jay Gould has recently bequeathed seventeen millions sterling to his heirs ; and that quite recently that great man Ernest Renan died without leaving anything to his children beyond his books and manuscripts, whilst the Baron de Reinach’s heirs are dividing three million sterling between them. Of course, if a man wants to live in a perfect feu de joie of champagne corks, he never should take to litera- ture at all; on the other hand, the man who is satisfied with a very simple life, can find none more desirable than a literary life. I would personally rather live on a pound a week as an independent homme de lettres than on fifty times that amount at the sacrifice of my tastes and principles. One can get a lot of comfort for want of success out of the very genuine contempt for money which those who study the question of how wealth is acquired cannot but feel, and at the same time the pleasures which money purchases are, compared to the pleasures which we can get out of our métier, whether successful or not, so mean and miserable that one wonders at the zeal with which other men pursue them. I was never happier in my life than, when, a few years ago, I was rowing a ferry-boat between the quay of St. Lucia at Naples and the Ischia and Capriz steamers. My duty was to convey old market women backwards and forwards between the quay and the steamer, and I got a penny for each passenger, with a halfpenny for every basket carried, After deducting the rent of the boat and the pay of a scoundrelly assistant, who played the mandoline and was always drunk, my income amounted to an average of twenty-three francs a week, It was very tirmg work, but I had my evenings to myself, and I never did better literary work, nor ever shall, than at that time. I have also had pound-a-week spells in London, and was quite happy all the while. Anybody, however unsuccessful, can earn a pound a week with a few hours’ toil, and have all the rest of his time for the work which he feels it is in him to produce, And if he is a genuine artist and the kind of man of letters who is more interesting than the cheesemonger, it will THE AUTHOR. be a matter of complete indifference to him whether his books sell or don’t sell, are published or not published. The Soci¢té des Gens de Lettres have recently published the tariff at which reproductions of works by authors belonging to the society are permitted. This tariff varies from one penny a line to twopence halfpenny, according to the circulations of the papers. The tariff for serial stories, moreover, is rather less than for short stories. The longer I live the more I see that a course of journalism is the very best training that the writer of fiction can undergo. I don’t say this nastily, although in journalism as in company- promoting, a certain amount of imagination is an indispensable qualification. I mean that jourua- lism will do much to teach a man what life really is, and give him an insight into human nature which he could acquire nowhere else. I should say that a couple of years of interviewing for instance, would teach a man more about his fellow beings than years of reading, or of such society as he might have time and occasion to frequent otherwise. The interviewer is brought into con- tact with all sorts and conditions of men, and if he knows how to keep his eyes and ears open, and is endowed with a certain power of analysis, can learn aa immense amount in the course of his visits. It is, moreover, with the big men and women of the world that he is brought into con- tact, and I suppose there is more to be learnt from one big man or woman than from a thousand nonentities. Iam afraid, however, that such a course would destroy in him to a large extent, that healthy optimism, that admiration for his pastors and masters, which seems an essential characteristic of the British novelist. He will be considerably dissappointed with the great of this world, and often find himself wondering how they came to be great at all) Guy de Maupassant, in his admirable novel “ Bel-Ami,” describes th!s disillusioning piovess on the character of his hero Georges Duroy with his usual power and truth. All French authors of any value, commenced their areer as journalists, if not as interviewers. So In the leisure of writing his new work, M. Emile Zola will contribute to Ze Journal, the new paper, which is being financed by Mr. Menier, the chocolate manufacturer, a series of studies on “ How people get married.” It will be remem- bered that many years ago he published a series of sketches on “How People die.” I presume the new series will be somewhat of the same nature.  THE AUTHOR. I am sorry not to be able to answer the query addressed to me in the last number of the Author by a gentleman, apropos of Stendhal’s « Amour.’ I have not got my books by me where I am writing, and of late have been think- ing of things very different from ]’Amour, Stendbal’s or anybody else’s. But I will look the matter up, and answer my correspondent next month. R. H. SHERARD. Christmas Day, 1892. ET, Alphonse Daudet has asked me to deny the statement, which was published some time ago, in the English papers, that he has any intention of visiting London this year. He said that possibly one of the many false Alphonse Daudets, who are de par le monde, may have proposed to go to London, and to masquerade there in bor- rowed plumes. He added that it has long been his wish, and always his hope, to visit England, but that at present the state of his health makes travelling quite impossible. I was sorry to find him looking aged, and obliged to use a crutch- handled stick to help him about his room. He is, however, still able to work, and is at present engaged upon a novel which is on the subject of youth, and which he proposes to eall “ Soutien de Famille.’ He says that it is giving him a great deal of trouble. +> Jules Verne writes to me that his health is far from satisfactory, and that he suffers especially with his eyes, which are so bad that he is often obliged to interrupt his daily task. At the same time he says that he is encouraged to hope that the trouble will only be temporary. I have always fancied that Verne makes a mistake in living in Amiens, a damp, misty, and most dismal of the cities of the plain. I should fancy it to be one of the least healthy of French towns, as it cer- tainly is one of the most depressing. SS The wife of a New York millionaire, who recently rented the country house of one of our literary lords, has, I hear, taken to authorship. Her first novel will be published in New York in the spring, and will, I fancy, create a sensation in society circles in England. It is a satire on the ways of the London world, and a keen one. T hear that Miss Marie Belloc, who is one of the cleverest of the young ladies in London who 323 make a living by their pens, has been commis- sioned by a firm of London publishers to write a biography of the De Goncourt Brothers, She was recently in Paris to collect material for this purpose, and was most amiably received by M. de Goncourt, who placed himself entirely at her disposition. A few days ago I made the acquaintance of an American at the counter of one of the American bars here. He was a most respectable-looking old gentleman, and I was much impressed both by his manners and his conversation until J learned that this benevolent and dignified person was nothing more nor less than a pirate publisher of New York City, and one of the worst of them. It was amusing to hear him speak of his various business coups, and I can’t deny that I was rather flattered when, in answer to my question as to what he had “done” with a certain volume of my own which he had “handled,” he mentioned a figure, or number of copies, which made me feel quite popular. I did not even attempt to discuss the morality of his transactions, so firmly convinced did he seem of their perfect legality and straightforwardness, but I did venture a timid objection to his having changed the title of my book, and “ edited” it up or down to the tastes of his clientele. To this he answered that he knew best what fetched his public, and no doubt he did. After a whiskey or two he invited his “author” to dinner, and took him to a Bouillon Duval, where he regaled me to the extent of four francs, and seemed to think that he was acting very handsomely by me. Had he only given me a 5 per cent. royalty on the copies he had sold of my book—but he didn’t. Apropos of American pirates. I don’t know why this name should be specially applied to a certain class of publisher in the States. I remember offering an MS, of special interest to the American reading public to one of the best and most reputable of New York publishing firms. Their answer was that, as I was doubtless aware, “I was liable to be republished in America,” and that they should prefer to wait— i.e., until they could get my book for nothing. a Albert Delpit, who died since my last letter appeared in the Author, was one of the most popular hommes de lettres amongst his confreres. Although his talents were not such as arouse the enthusiasm of the fraternity—although he was very popular with the reading public—he was so  324 THE AUTHOR. good-hearted, gallant, and generous, that every- body liked him. He was always willing to give a young author a helpiog hand, and there are many writers in Paris to-day who owe their start to him. Delpit was a great duellist, as ready with his rapier as with his pen. His most famous duel was with Alphonse Daudet, and only shortly before his death he very nearly “ went out” with Brunetitre, the critic, for reviling his dead friend, the poet Baudelaire. Ropert SHERarp. THE STARVELING. Her little hands to wraiths were worn, Her face was weirdly wan ; She lifted up one look forlorn Then feebly faltered on ; The flowers she in her basket bore, Poor, sad, forsaken elf, As afternoon to evening wore, Seemed spectres, like herself. High o'er the turmoil of the town, Above the traffic’s beat, A bright-eyed star beamed softly down Upon the squalid street ; But as it watched that wastrel there, So desolate, and drear, Shining no more serenely fair, It clouded with a tear! * * * * Dawn glimmers from the calm cold sky Across a garret-bed, Where, ah, how strangely placid, lie Two little hands outspread— Into the room a star smiles clear, As tho’ with gladness fraught That Death, in answer to its tear, At last had rescue wrought ! WILLIAM TOYNBEE. ee NOTES AND NEWS. ROFESSOR Brander Matthews very kindly P sends me a little book of his called “ Americanisms and Briticisms.”’ The first two chapters are devoted to the national differences of speech and spelling. These do not, after all, amount to very much. I hope that we shall not be forced into the adoption of American spelling, which seems to me even worse than our own, what nobody can defend and yet we must retain. On the other hand, we cannot expect to convince Americans that our way is better than their own, and we may just as well leave off considering the subject, or at all events, writing essays and articles about it. The author hardly touches on the question of pronunciation, which is a much more interesting one, because some of the older- ways of pronouncing words are kept up in the States. Then Mr. Matthews says that he was brought up to pronounce again and been as if they were written agen and bin, which is Eliza- bethan. All the essays are more or less marred by a singular spirit of jealousy towards our writers, and by a needless persistence in com- paring American writers with our writers, always to the advantage of the former. Every man does well to be jealous for his own country: but it surely shows some suspieion of weakness to be always comparing. It is as if one was not sure of one’s ground. The best essay in the book is that on the Art of Criticism. Here we must all be heartily on the side of this American writer. More, we must acknow- ledge that he has put his case clearly and forcibly, as well as pleasantly. What we call “slating ”—a Briticism—is, for the most part, a brutal, useless, degrading, and degraded kind of criticism. The true critic—to quote from the book—“ is no more an executioner than he is an assassin; he is rather a seer sent out to spy out the land, and most useful when he comes back bringing a good report and bearing a full muster of grapes.” The great critics do not go out of their way to deride and expose an impostor. Nor is it. worth the while of a critic to slate an unfortunate man merely because he is popular and has a wide circulation. Must, then, humbugs and vulgar writers thrive? Certainly, for their little day. Must we not expose the impostor and point out vulgarity and keep up the standard of literature ? Certainly, but accordmg to the laws of good manners and with courtliness — not with a bludgeon, or a flail, or a quarter-staff. M. Edouard Scherer, Mr. Matthews says, once handled M. Emile Zola without the gloves—with what result? ‘ Since Scherer fell foul of him, M. Zola has written the strongest novel, Germinal (one of the most popular tales of this century) ; and his rankest story La Terre, one of the most offensive fictions in all the history of literature.” The author speaks of certain praises bestowed upon certain writers in c-rtain papers as hopelessly un- critical. Very true; but every paper must have its reviews, and how many critics have we? The difficulty of getting a book well reviewed is too great for any editor to encounter quite success- fully. I would suggest that Mr. George Suints- bury’s suggestion be adopted, and that the young critic should pass an examination, and obtain a certificate or a degree. Q.C. might thus mean  THE AUTHOR. Qualified Critic as well as Queen’s Counsel; or C.C.—Competent Critic—as well as County Councillor. Mr. Matthews gives ‘“ Twelve Good Rules for Reviews,” and these are so good and so simple that I wish every editor in this realm or empire would have them printed and given to every critic with every book he hands him for review. I. Form an honest opinion. Il. Express it honestly. IfI. Don’t review a book which you cannot take seriously. IV. Don’t review a book with which you are out of sym- pathy. That is to say, put yourself in the author’s place, and try to see his work from his point of view, which is sure to be a coign of vantage. V. Stick to the text. Review the book before you, and not the book some other author might have written ; obiter dicta are as valueless from the critic as from the judge. Don’t go off on a tangent. And also don’t go round in a circle. Say what you have to say, and stop. Don’t go on writing about and about the subject, and merely weaving garlands of flowers of rhetoric. VI. Beware of the Sham Sample, as Charles Reade called it. Make sure that the specimen bricks you select for quotation do not give a false impression of the facade, and not only of the elevation merely, but of the perspective also, and of the ground-plan. VII. In reviewing a biography or a history, criticise the book before you, and don’t write a parallel essay, for which the volume you have in hand serves only as a peg. VIII. In reviewing a work of fiction, don’t give away the plot. In the eyes of the novelist this is the unpardonable sin. And,as it discounts the pleasure of the reader also, it is almost equally unkind to him. IX. Don’t try to prove every successful author a plagiarist. It may be that many a successful author has been a pla- giarist, but no author ever succeeded because of his plagiary. X. Don’t break a butterfly on a wheel. worth much, it is not worth reviewing. XI. Don’t review a book as an east wind would review an apple-tree—so it was once said Douglas Jerrold was wont todo. Of what profit to anyone is mere bitterness and vexation of spirit ? XII. Remember that the critic’s duty is to the reader mainly, and that it is to guide him not only to what is good, but to what is best. Three parts of what is contemporary must be temporary only. If a book is not In another part of this paper will be found a poem written by Mr. John Saunders. The names of certain powerful and dramatic novels —such as “ Abel Drake’s Wife,’—and others, will be remembered by everyone in connec- tion with ths name. But there are not many surviving writers, or readers, who remem- ber Mr. John Saunders’s work in the Forties. Mr, Saunders has published a new story written for the Leisure Hour last year, and has now another completed. He came up to London more than sixty years ago. After a_ brief experience of the boards, he settled down to a lite of letters, which he has ever since continued. He has been dramatist, essayist, historian, and 375 novelist by turns. He has done everything well, and he is still vigorous and ready for new and strong work. Many of us possess Charles Knight’s book on “ London.” It was in six volumes, and contained 150 chapters, each chapter ona different subject. Mr. Saunders contributed a half—75 chapters—to that work. Let us wish him many more years of life and good work. SS The use of the word “ middleman” or “ agent’”’ applied to a publisher seems to have been received with scant favour. Let us therefore distinguish. When the publisher buys the work of the author, he is certainly not a middleman—he is the pur- chaser of an estate. When he engages the services of an author to perform a certain piece of work, he is not a middleman—-he is an employer. When he accepts articles for his magazine he is not a middleman—he is again the purchaser of a pro- perty, or the limited use of a property. When he publish: sa book on commission he is distinctly an agent or middleman. When he publishes a book on some kind of royalty, either to himself or to the author: or on some share of the profits; he may be regarded either as a partner or part venturer ; or as an agent. poe I strongly recommend our readers to study the document called “ A Confession,” which has been quoted from a country paper. They will find curious and ample corroboration of what we have maintained so strongly in the teeth of every kind of denial. Our ‘“ Cost of Production” is indi- rectly confirmed, and the hints and suggestions are precisely those which we have advised for the last four years. Note, especially, what is said about advertisements and agents. Note also what is said about solicitors. Ordinary solicitors —indeed all solicitors except a very few—know nothing whatever about literary property. Like the rest of the world—like authors themselves— they have to learn what it means. aa A society has been started called the ‘‘ Brother- hood of Poets.’”” The prospectus now before me speaks with some bitterness of the contempt with which the minor poet is too often regarded. This is quite true, and it is a very remark- able thing—one not quite easily explained. Why should a minor poet be spoken of with contempt ¢ We do not despise the minor preacher; the minoc traveller holds up his head; the minor essayist looks about him cheerfully and even proudly ; the minor novelist is trampled upon, but, on the whole, does not feel himself an object  4 4 i | ie of contempt; for the minor poet especially is reserved ridicule and contempt. Why? Is it be- cause only the best poetry is tolerable to the most cultivated class ? But this is a very small class. The great mass of mankind are not cultivated. But they also despise the small poet. Perhaps there is a feeling of incongruity between their endeavours and their performance which seems ridiculous. The comic man who fails to make us laugh is ridiculous ; so is the tragic man who can- not compel tears ; so is the poet who would fain, as this prospectus says, make men better and nobler, and cannot influence them one whit. Granting the fact, and denying the justice of the fact, the “ Brotherhood ” is organised with the general intention of cultivating the muse. Why not? A poet cannot be made, but he may be encouraged, taught, put in the way of good models; in fact, there may be a school of poetry. Whether any great poet will ever come out of such a school, I know not. Perhaps not. But its students will most certainly learn what the best poetry should be; the taste for, and reverence of, good poetry will most certainly be imereased and stimulated, and a great many people will be encouraged to pursue the most delightful recreation in the world—the writing of verse—the compelling of thought to fall imto the order of metre and rhyme—the fitting of noble words to what should be noble thought—this certainly will be a great gain. If the world chooses to laugh at the spectacle of this Brotherhood of young poets, let them. The laugh will not continue long, and the Brotherhood may. Perhaps, too, some of the recognised living poets will join the Brotherhood as an encouragement. a A new business has been started, that of a “Literary Revision” Office. This office undertakes to revise MSS, with a view to correcting gram- matical error; to find out accuracies, anachro- nisms, wrong references, &c., in MSS.; or to rewrite a MS. from beginning to end. Nothing is said about terms, except that they are “ moderate.” One might ask certain questions as (1) How if a MS. on being read, is proved to be free from any grammatical errors? (2) How do we know the competence of the readers? It is hardly enough to tell the world that the work is to be done by “Anglophil” and “ qualified experts.” To begin with, an expert is an expert, but what is a “ qualified’? expert? Here at the very threshold we stumble grammatically. A ‘qualified ” expert? A “ qualified” professional man generally means one who has passed examina- tions and taken degrees. But how is an English THE AUTHOR. grammarian ‘ qualified?’’ Then in the matter of anachronisms and inaccuracies. Why are we to trust the “ qualified” experts? How do we know that they are historical students of such experience as to make them quick to detect such things as, say, a fork in the reign of Henry VII ? Again, as to the rewriting of books. Who is to assure the author (?) that his MS. will be improved by the process? How can we be sure that the “ qualified expert,” who will be put on to the job is a master of style? If he is, one would ask, cruelly, why be has not made his own mark in literature for himself? However, there is the Office and these are the things it proposes. We give the Institution a free advertisement. And if any reader feels that his grammar is a weak point, or that his style creeps, or that his history is rusty, let him apply to the Society, and ask further particulars, especially with regard to the “ qualification” of the experts. The following alphabet of the Disappointed Author is sent by one who says that if it may help in dissuading only one from entering on literature as a means of livelihood, he will gladly see it in the Anthor. So here it is—the O and the X a little shaky :— A was the Author, who-turned down his collars ; B was the Bookman, who trousered the dollars. C was the Critic, impartial and ealm ; D were his Drops of omniscient balm. E Expectation of early reviews : F for their Flutter who slily peruse. G for the Guerdon of agony past ; H for the Hope that is sinking at last. J for the Joke of the careless condoler ; K for the Kiss of the only consoler. L for the Limbo of copies unsold ; M for the Mystery—Who took the gold ? N for the Number assigned to the Press ; O the returns—and they could not be less. P Periodical balance of cash ; Q for its Quaint unmethodical hash. R for the Ruin that neighbourly stared ; S for Suspicion the critics were squared. T for Tranquillity, banished of late ; U for Unrest—in the crown of the pate. V for the Venom distilled in the mind ; X for the infinite fancies unkind. Y for the Yesterdays wasted and run; Z for the Zenith— but that is all done. A correspondent writes :— “ Apropos of the present controversy in the Athenxum, it has occurred to me that there is a point of view from which Messrs. Heinemann, Tnnes, and Co., might be ruled out of order. “The Authors’ Society came into existence to make known to its members various things, ignor- — ance of which means loss to them. In effect  THE AUTHOR. there were practices of trade which flourished on this ignorance ; practices then known to a few, now known widely, which need not be charac- terised. In opposition, it is now proposed to form a Publishers’ Union. But why? There are no malpractices on the part of authors to be made known, to be resisted, to form a razson @étre. Itis not suggested that there are such. Then why the proposed league? Unless it is to devise new methods of . . .!” What has been said in the Athenwum may be repeated here. Since a body of men cannot unite for openly avowed dishonourable purposes, such a union would comprise only the honourable houses. Since, too, we have never advocated or demanded anything more than honesty and justice—these simple and elementary things— we should only rejoice at such an union. A secret union is one which honourable men would not join, and which would have to be fought with such weapons as are at our command. The Atheneum has abandoned the practice of reviewing novels ina batch. Hach novel is now presented with a separate notice. This conces- sion will give great satisfaction to many readers as well as writers. Water BEsant. THE EMPTY PURSE. By Greorcxe Merepirnx. Macmillan and Co. 1892. FFN\HOUGH, within the last few years Mr. | George Meredith’s achievements in fiction have been so widely recognised, it is only a very short time ago that many or his most ardent admirers began to know him as a poet of rare power and distinctive originality. It was, of course, a long time before the far-seeing reviewer discovered Mr. Meredith as a novelist at all. But there was always a certain number of people who appreciated the author of ‘‘ Richard Feverel” —delightful, selfish, esoteric, esthetic people, ever wishing to keep the good things of this world to themselves; and, just as these, were the few who recognised that one day he would take his true place among the first novelists of England. There were also a few (smaller, perhaps, in number) who had the good fortune to know ‘Modern Love,” and acknowledged the author’s high poetic gifts. The first critical and appropriate tribute to his genius—the first, that is to say, from anyone qualified to speak on such matters— came, we believe, from Mr. Swinburne, just as the a7 same magnificent capacity for appreciation with which Rossetti was endowed, enabled him to delight inthe ‘‘ Shaving of Shagpat ” now one of Mr. Meredith’s most popular works. A mar- vellous House of Poetry it must have been when the three poets lived under the same roof. Since then ‘“‘ Modern Love” has been happily reprinted ; and the name of George Meredith, with that of William Blake, Michael Angelo Dante Rossetti, and Victor Hugo, stands as a splendid contradic- tion to that well-nigh exploded canon “ that a man cannot excel in two arts;” for the art of poetry is as distinct from fiction as it is from painting. In this short notice it is impossible to give any adequate idea of even so small a volume as Mr. Meredith’s latest poems. There is far too much thought behind the language to be discussed in half a column, and dismissed with a few adjec- tives. Besides, two of the longerand perhaps the finest poems, the “ Empty Purse” and “ Youth in Memory,” do not bear quotation. They are too concentrated and too synthetic to allow of detachment. One can only say that they are steeped in that thought pec ‘uliar to this author, and are of Meredith Meredithian. Many modern poets, indifferent to matter, pay, it is thought, undue attention to form, and very elaborate form indeed; it will therefore rejoice the more old fashioned to learn that Mr. Meredith is still on the side of the angels. It requires the ethical genius of Browning or Mr. Meredith to bring a Salvation lass within the limited capacities of poetic art In “Jump to Glory Jane,” this has certainly been done, and the poem is perhaps the literary feat-of the volume. Though Mr. Meredith possesses that essentially modern quality, the feeling for Nature (the absence of which is regarded almost as a crime), he has made us realise that in modern poetry we have had more thanenough and are well-nigh nause- ated with commonplace observations and atmo- spheric phenomena, the physical condition of the earth’s surface, and the attractions of young ladies whose names are disguised like unto a classical or music hall nomenclature. For such practically forms the substance subject-matter of three- fourths of our modern poetry. ‘The Empty Purse,” not differing from Mr. Meredith’s other works, comes, therefore, not only as an intel- lectual pleasure, but as a mental relief. F.  a eee POs SELES NT FEUILLETON. I. A Writer or STORIES. F ND Vm sure I wouldn’t say go, Miss, I A wouldn’t, indeed ; but, with my husband ill and five children to keep, if I could get someone to take the room as could pay regular, it would make a deal of difference to me.” “Yes, I know, Mrs. Smith; you have been very patient. I—TI will move out this evening.”’ “Oh, no, Miss; I don’t mean as sudden-like as that—just if you could make your arrange- ments to go when I hear of anyone else.” “Thank you,’ Mary Allen said; “I think I can make my arrangements to-day.” Sbe closed the door of her room when her landlady had passed out, and, sitting down, she reviewed the story of her life. When she had begun to write she had been ambitious, and she had intended to succeed. Poor girl! Nay, her ambition had soared higher still, for she had intended to deserve success. Again, let us say: Poor girl! This would-be successful writer of stories had had before her as beacon-lights the words: Local Colour, Atmo- sphere, and—Heaven help her!—Style. Doubt- less, they are good words all; but this girl was not the possessor of a competence. She dreamt of writing for Art’s sake, and she had to write to live. She began, of course, as young beginners do; she sent her stories—crammed with those good intentions concerning Local Colour, Atmosphere, and Style, and, also with youthful ignorance of the technique of her art—to the best magazines open to receive fiction. One’s pity for their editors would be supreme, but that superlative emotion must be reserved for some of those who persecute them. The manuscripts were rejected and rejected again; until they were dog’s eared and soiled; until they were rewritten and again despatched ; until others were written to take their places, and went forth in their stead. And, alas! they, too, came back. ‘hen she declined to the magazines of the second rank; and, subsequently, to those still lower down the scale; until, at last, she reached the weekly publication issued at the price of one penny, and then sometimes her tales were ac- cepted — sometimes at long intervals—and paid for. Nay, not always; it was the Family Cup- board, 1 believe, which accepted one of her stories, published it without attaching her name thereto, and paid her not at all. Happy the day when the Weekly Want, with its fixed scale of half-a-guinea a column, and its honourable habit THE AUTHOR. of payment on publication, gave shelter to one of her offspring. It happened but seldom, And of other papers, wherein her work some- times appeared, what shall I say ? and what of their sliding scale of payment?’ Possibly better nothing. Let us hope the scale had descended to its zero when a woman who was writing to live —still more, when a woman who was writing for art’s sake, was offered, and was driven to accept, five shillings for two thousand words, carefull wrought over, laboriously planned, delicately polished, till the whole satisfied her fastidions sense of style. Better had she sat stitching from morn ull night with other women, oppressed of the sweater. Better, far better, had she bought a broom and swept a crossing. “Tt’s simply a matt r of supply and demand, Miss Allen,” said the editor who proffered the five shillings, when she ventured to remonstrate. “We can get plenty of this sort of thing, and we can’t afford to pay you any more.” “Youcan afford to pay Mr. X. for the serial you are running just now,” Mary was bold enough to suggest ; she knew it was unwise to annoy an editor who would pay anything, but she doubted if her boots would hold together another week if they remained unmended. The editor smiled at her pityingly. “That sells the paper,” he responded, curtly. ‘Do you imagine this does P” with a contemptuous flick at her manuscript. “There is more careful work in that,” said Mary, driven to desperation by the thought of boots, “ than Mr. X. has put into his story, big man as he is. His is written anyhow; every paragraph contains a violation of style.” “ Oh, style be hanged,” said the editor. “‘ What do the public care about style? Take my advice and chuck over all that tommyrot.” There was not much style in his conversation ; but there is little in that of the average modern, and he was an excellent husband and father, besides being a capital man of business, “ Chuck it over; pile up your incident, start with a mystery, and be dramatic ; I don’t say- but you might make your way then. We can offer no more than five shillings for this, Miss Allen; you can take it or leave it.” And Mary took it. His advice she could not take ; she must live for Art. There are some men who must do this, and there are a few—a very few —women, of whom Mary was one. She must live for Art, or if she might not, then for Art she must die. By this time—I know not, but it may be— had she gone back to those editors whose lives she had erstwhile helped to burden, she might have met with recognition and encouragement;  THE for hard practice had been perfecting her in the details of her craft. It might have been so, but she had tried so often she had grown to think it hopeless. Everything was hopeless; the penny papers could not afford to take her highly finished pictures; and to fling together crude reds and blues and yellows, such as their public loves to have dashed in its face, was to her an impossibility. The end had come, and she sat in her room and faced it. She could not pay for a roof to shelter her; she no longer possessed even what would purchase a loaf of bread to keep life in her. For Art she might not live, therefore for Art she must die. When dusk began to gather she went down- stairs, and knocked at her landlady’s door. “T am going now, Mrs. Smith,” she said. “Goodbye, and thank you. I have left my things ; they will not bring much—not as much as I owe you, I’m afraid.” “ Oh, Miss,” broke in the landlady, “I didn’t mean that! and you'll want them wherever you go.” “T shall not want them where I am going,” said Mary, calmly. ‘“ 4nd if a letter should come for me, will you open it? Perhaps there might be a postal order—will you take it ?” “Oh, Miss,” the landlady began again, and paused, as the postman’s knock was heard. A small bundle by book-post for Miss Allen. Mary held it in her hand and looked at it, as she stood by the fire. “There will be no letter or postal order,” she said. “I am sorry.’ And she dropped the bundle into the flames. ‘‘ Goodbye,” she added quickly ; then, turning, walked to the door, and out into the closing darkness. The landlady looked after her uneasily. “I don’t like it,” she said. ‘I don’t like it. But there, with Joe and the children, what was I to do? I did it for the best. Please God, I haven’t turned a decent girl on the streets.” There was a mist in the air, not thick enough to be designated fog by a Londoner ; but damp, clinging, chilling to the bone. The sireets had not reached the period of slush; they were still only slimy,and on the wood pavement the horses slipped and sometimes fell. Mary walked on; not hurriedly, there was no reason for haste: her goal would await her. She looked about as she went, vaguely and quite calmly; there was no more reason for anxiety than haste: she had got to the end. She would never write again; but, as she went along, she was noting and describing her surroundings ; she was even studying her own emotion, or lack of it; and once she drew her brows with slight annoy- AUTHOR. 349 ance when she found she had embarked on an awkward and ill-balanced sentence. Why not? If aweman, whose motive power has been her- self, her own fair exterior, can spend her last moments “laying herself out’ in pale blue draperies, or whatever she may ¢ nsider her most becoming setting—as has teen done, why wonder if a woman, whose soul has been given to Art, should go quietly to death, her thoughts still penetrated and consumed by what has been the passion of her life? If the history of last thoughts could be written, how might not a con- ventional world, believing in the salvation of ‘“‘an editying end,” be amazed and shocked. Mary wandered on, always moving towards her goal, though not by the most direct ways. She was half-unconsciously putting in the Local Colour and the Atmosphere around that central figure of her story, the girl who was going to her death, and she turned along the Strand; she would paint in the noisy traffic, the surging humanity to be found here. She went not im any haste, and looked about her. Possibly for this reason there happened what had never happened to her before—for a girl who looks quietly respectable, and keeps her eyes in front of her, as though she knew her business and were going about it, can, strangely often go unmolested, in London—a man touched her on the arm, and offered her—life. Can you wonder if a girl who wants to live, if a girl who has the strong animal joy in life, the stronger animal fear of death—and the river is so cold, so black, so terrible a last refuge down there in the dark--can you wonder if she some- times lives P But this girl did not want to live ; life had no more to offer her; life without art was death. I suppose it is strange for a man—even if of the common vermin—to have eyes that have said farewell to life, that have looked full at death, and are going to meet it, turned on his. This man moved in recoil even before there fell from the girl’s lips tne words quietly spoken: “ You have made a mistake.” And it required the restorative tonic of raw brandy to make him again feel attractions in his nightly haunts. The incident roused Mary ; she left the Strand, and turned down towards the embankment. She had been startled out of her abstraction, and the half-mechanical working of her mind. But, as she came in sight of the river, the old habit re-asserted itself, and the word-painting began anew. The dark span of a bridge, faintly out- lined with spots of lamplight, the flickering yellow gleams upon the dusky water flowing between misty banks, with here and there a dim  THE ao° suggestion of barge and boat upon it, were noted with the careful manner of long use. Nearer the scattered sickly light fell upon the broad, slimily glistening embankment she was approaching. It had to be crossed to reach the end. She paused on the kerb to let a waggon roll by, and then, her eyes still dreamily fixed on what lay beyond, and her mind moulding a sentence to its perfect form, she stepped into the road. A carriage, with rapidly driven horses, was drawing near; the girl went on unheeding, then stumbled on the slippery road and fell. The coachman shouted and made a futile effort to bring the horses to a sudden stand; but the carriage had passed on full ten yards before he pulled them on their haunches; and looked back at a motionless figure, which had never uttered a cry, lying in the road. A small crowd took form in the dusk, evolving itself out of what a moment before had seemed almost deserted space, rapidly as London crowds can. That it should contain the ubiquitous doctor and policeman was a matter of course. “Dead,” said the doctor, as he rose from bending over the woman. “No clue to identity,” added the policeman, examining a handkerchief marked “M. A.” he had taken from the pocket, which did not even contain “twopence halfpenny in bronze,” to be described by the also ubiquitous reporter. “A shop girl,” suggested the doctor. ‘‘ Not smart enough,” said the policeman. ‘Perhaps a servant,” hazarded an onlooker. “Too shabby,” responded the policeman. And it did not occur to anyone that she was a writer of stories. E. N. Leteu Fry. EL My Criric on toe HeEArrs. When I first heard of the Society of Authors, whose object is clearly to blend the “ wisdom of the serpent’? with the “harmlessness of the dove,” it reminded me of a certain happy incident, which occurred in my literary life, a few years ago. In a cosy little house, situated in that cheerful country on the outskirts of social Bohemia, we sat round the fire, one winter evening, a homely party of three. My critic filled his pipe. (He was not my critic then. That was the night on which he first entered upon his duties in that capacity.) He filled his pipe, and proposed that I should tell a story, while he smoked, and his wife, with fairy fingers, conjured into existence wonderful little garments for the sleeping babies upstairs. AUTHOR. I had been disheartened lately. My fairy tales had been returned to me. They were too fanciful, too imaginative—always too something ! I did not respond immediately to the request, but my knitting needles flew a little faster, for a minute or so, then subsided into my lap, while I told my story : “Once upon a time there was an old fairy called Fancy, and she had a hundred million grandchildren, She christened them all after her name, and sent them out into the wide world to seek their fortunes; but they could not find them.” I paused and resumed my knitting There was silence for a few minutes, not broken, but enhanced by the snoring of the Bohemian dog, the purring of the Bohemian cat, the click of knitting needles, and the flickering of the fire, Then my critic spoke: ‘Once upon a time there was an old wizard called Fact, and he had a great many grandsons, He christened them all after his own name, and sent them out into the wide world to seek their fortunes. Now certain of these, in the course of their wanderings, met some very pretty but for- lorn little princesses of the name of Fancy. So they married them, and they all made their fortunes immediately.” It was thus that the valuable institution of a Critic on the Hearth first came into existence, He undertook to criticise and verify my Facts, leaving me to perform the wedding ceremony with the poor little wandering Fancies, if I would submit my stories to his criticism. So I put on a moral skin, which I happened to have by me, as thick as that of any rhinoceros, and I read and showed him story after story, while he patiently considered and _ criticised, always to my very great benefit. The help which this has been, and still is, for critic continues to chirp occasionally, is beyond my calculation. I still have in my pos-ession an old cracked post-card, in my critic’s handwriting, containing the following satire on an expression he found in one of my stories, describing a man with “ sorrow- ful eyebrows.” ‘Yes, quite so,” runs the post-card, “and thus we find in ‘ Verity’s Characteristics of the British Monarchs’ that not only was Charles I. noted for his sorrowful eyebrows, but William I. for his patient nose. Richard II. for his singularly truthful neck. Elizabeth for her haughty teeth. Anne for her ill-tempered knees, &e.”” . In this way I know I have been preserved from thrusting many an absurd expression, many a half-fledged fact before the public, and I cannot help thinking that authors would often be spared  THE AUTHOR. a a smarting blow from that envenomed weapon the critic’s pen, if they would only keep a Critic on the Hearth to “smite them friendly and reprove them.” Such criticism is, as somebody once observed all criticism should be, not an “extinguisher’’ to put out the struggling spark, but a “pair of snuffers,” freemg it from all extraneous matter to make it burn and shine more brightly. SETT. MR. HAWLEY SMART. FTNHE late Mr. Bale Smart, Like many another prolific novelist, was not always at his best. But whereas it is usual for the public to disagree about the comparative merits of an author’s different works—not only to dis- agree among themselves, but to disagree very directly with critical opinion—in Mr. Hawley Smart’s case his best novel, according to his ceritics—the one, that is, to which he had obviously devoted the most care in structure and present- ment—has attained to by far the greatest popularity. ‘‘ Breezie Langton ” is a more finely conceived story than many of Whyte Melville’s —the author’s model—and in our opinion will hold its own with a goodly proportion of modern novels of the simpler and more popular style. It is, however, as an exclusively sporting novelist that Mr. Hawley Smart is best known, and in this limited field he has produced the best novel of its sort that has ever been written. ‘‘ Bound to Win” is an excellent story, and deals with the technicalities of racing and the mysterious intricacies of betting in a manner that makes these rather sordid subjects not only highly interesting (mystery might have done that for them), but perfectly intelligible. This book has received two very high compliments. Mr. Burnand re-wrote it for Punch, and ‘* What’s the Odds? or, the Dumb Jockey of Teddington,” is one of Mr. Burnand’s best parodies, and many people have since imitated it seriously, and have all failed to achieve any success. Of Mr. Hawley Smart’s other novels, ‘‘ Broken Bonds” is a very good example of the straightforward, rattling, sensational story, and contains an example of an escape from Portland Prison, that may he placed alongside of the remarkable evasions of MM. Le Duc de Beaufort and Le Comte de Monte Cristo. Without claiming for Mr. Hawley Smart any very exalted position in contemporary letters, we see that we have lost in him the author of at least one good book, the inventor of a not un- popular school of novel, and the teller of very many wholesome readable stories. : LABOUR'S SUNDAY. Come toil-bowed Artisan, walk forth with me, And taste the blessings thou may’st still enjoy, It is the Sabbath—hallow it—be free ! Let not thy labours all thy soul destroy. There’s something yet to live for: the fresh breeze That makes the dull blood rush along the veins ; The countless tiny spirits of the trees Hymning their gladness in more gladdening strains : Th’ eternal changes of the glorious sky, All glorious! Whether floating now in gold, Where thousand islets on its bosom lie, Each like a dream of Paradise of old. Or when hot-headed Lightning darting by Its slow-winged Herald Thunder flashes round Its sheets of flame upon the murky sky, Its blazing glimpses of the depths profound! Are these not blessings even unto thee ? Untaxed too, thank God, untaxable! Then forth, and let thy better parent see Thou art not thankless, thou dost love them well. For Nature is a parent. She can teach If thou with guileless heart will strive to learn Diviner duties than most churches preach ; She will not make thee but a living Urn To hold the ashes of the purest aims; Th’ impassioned yearnings for unworldly bliss ; The God-like faith that partial good disclaims ; The Love that greets the wide world with its kiss. Behold now Nature’s Church—yon airy downs ! With murmurous sea, at giddy depths below ; Scenes of sublimity, that God’s hand crowns, And gently guides us, whither we should go. No verger’s itching palm appeareth here ; Vho, back to Choir, and open-handed greets The well dressed stranger. Then with brazen leer Directs the half-clad to the Pauper seats. Thing with a soul scarce breeches pocket high! Thou sayest right, we have no business there. Our lives have other aims than Vanity, Enough for us to sweat to make it’s gear. Patience! We bide our time. So come along. Lo, how our spirits mount, just like these hills ! We gaze toward the future, and our song Glowing with rapture every hope fulfils. Take warning Despots, shades of mental night ! See, daylight ‘ake man’s fast awaking mind ; Eternal day to know no future blight ; Nor leave of all your realms a wreck behind. Then shall man’s soul feel truly a New Birth: Nor longer grope all darkling through his life ; But walk erect, a demi-god of Earth, And claim his parentage from Love not Strife. No longer then shall man’s presumptuous speech Make God the creature of his idle dreams ; Or guiltier far, most impiously preach As ’twere from God, his selfish, wicked schemes. No longer then shall man dare say to man ‘I must be rich, and thou be ever poor; The idle lord, the hungry Artizan Are God’s decrees, so thou must still endure.” Saith Christ, Come unto me all ye that labour, All heavy laden, I will give you rest— Immortal blessings of Divinest savour To draw the poor, maimed, blind, unto My breast.  332 THE And Christians then shall understand Christ’s creed, Not one of names, or sects, or colour—clime ; Not one to hang men, or to make them bleed, For being famished—nurtured into crime. Oh, for a second holier Holy War, To drive these Christian Pagans from the shrine! These *‘ godly” men, who most God’s sweet world mar; Who, soulless, prate to Souls of things Divine. But Hope laughs out. The wilderness looks green. The seeds of human weal are budding fast ; By Martyrs sown, blood watered, they have been, And lo—the gladdening harvest waits at last. JOHN SAUNDERS. THE OUTPUT OF 1892. TJ NXE following is a classified ‘‘ Return of books for 1892,” furnished by the Publishers’ Circular. It is a little thing to look at, but it involves an enormous amount of work. We owe a great debt of gratitude to this journal for this annual return. While we acknowledge the debt, might we suggest a little change in the classi- fication? It is to put together all the scientific books, not to place them with the books on Art, to take away Year Books altogether, and to sub-divide the Miscellaneous, separating the pamphlets. 1891. 1892. Divisions. Rae New New New Books. | Editions.! Books. Editions. Theology, Sermons, | Biblical, &6).2.,... 3. o20 | 107) 528 145 Educational, Classical, | and Philological ...... o8% 1-107 | 579 | lo Juvenile Works and | | Vales 2 348 | 99 292 | 53 Novels, Tales, and other | Fiction................. | 896 | 320 | 1147 | 390 Law, Jurisprudence, &e. 61 | 48 36 29 Political and Social | | Econonomy, Trade | | and Commerce......... | 105 | 3i 151 24 Arts, Sciences, and | | | Illustrated Works ..| 85 | 31 | 147 62 Voyages, Travels, Geo- | | | graphical Research... | 203 | 68 | 250 |} 86 History, Biography, &c. | 328 | 85 | 293 75 Poetry and the Drama | 146 | 55 | 185 42 Year-Books and Serials | | | in Volumes ............ |, 810 | 6 | 360 13 Medicine, Surgery, &.| 120 | 55 | 127 50 Belles-Lettres, Essays, | Monographs, &c....... | 131 | 123 107 | 32 Miscellaneous, includ- | | | | ing Pamphlets, not | | | Sermons... 589 | 142 713 223 4429 | 1277 4915 1339 | 4429 | | 4915 | 5706 6254 AUTHOR. Let us consider this return. Figures may be made to mean anything. As they stand they seem to show an enormous activity in one or two directions. We, therefore, will inquire what this activity means. There is a grand total of 6254 ‘books ” published during the year. But we note, first, that 373 of these are Year Books, which are, as Charles Lamb says, not books at all. Deducting these there are 5881 books. Again, there are 936 miscellaneous, including pamphlets, “ not sermons,” These, again, are not books. Deduc- ting these, we have 4945 books. There are 694 educational books which concern colleges and schools. Remain 4251 books. There are 345 books for children. Deduct these, remain 3906 books. Law, Jurisprudence, Political Economy, Trade, Medicine, &¢.—in fact, scientific and technical books 416. Deducting these, again, there remain 3496 books for the general reader, including Novels, Arts, Illustrated Works, Voyages and ‘Travels, History, Biography, Poetry, Belles Lettres, Monographs, and the Drama. Some of these, say 200, are by Americans. Remain 3290 books as the total in general literature, including all the above general divisions in a year. Since 601 are new editions, we have 2689 new books in general literature for the year 1891. Is that a very great amount for an Empire numbering sixty millions who read English under the British flag? Why, in ten year’s time—so fast does the habit of reading grow, so widely does it extend—we shall have an output of five times that amount. Let us not take the parochial view of literature generated by Mines a too exclusive contemplation of London. The ~ empire is not all London. Literature goes beyond — Wimbledon. There are readers outside the clubs. But there are 1147 new novels. Terrible! Terrible! And how many have most of us us read during the year? Twenty at the most. For my own part I certainly did not read twenty new novels in the year 1892. Who reads, then, all the rest ? Well, there are a good many which are never read by any mortal man. Published at their authors’ expense, they fall flat and die before they are born. Mostly they cannot be said to be published at all, being vilely printed on villainous paper, about a hundred copies printed, which even the remainder-man refuses to buy. Others, again, well printed, at the author's” expense, in an edition of 350, have a few copies” taken by Mudie, and the rest sold to the remainder-man. They go to seaside circulatin libraries, where they are gradually read to pieces [tis a pity that such trash should go to the sea- side? True! But, after all, does it greatl matter what is read by idle girls at the seasid between talks about dress and flirtations? Wha  THE We must turn to the new In 1891 there were 320 new editions of novels; in 1892, 390, an ay er rage of 355 a year, of new editions. This includes what remains of all the fiction in English, or translated into English, since fiction began in this nation. Suppose we deduct roo for dead authors. There remain 255 living novelists whose works are good enough for a new edition. And that very nearly corre esponds with what we made out in a previous number of the Author. Surely there is room in this vast empire for 255 novelists of some repute! We do not claim for them that all the world shall wish to read them all. They deal with different worlds—the world of sport, the world of fashion, the world of war, the world of letters, the world of sc ive he novelist gets the clientele which suits himself and his own special knowledge. There need be no outcries of horror over this immense and dread- fuloutput. Nor need we be in the least disturbed because a great many thousand people tried last year to capture the pub vic with works of fiction. ‘And why? Because it is understood that money may be made iv that way. In these times there is a frantic rush in ever y direction where money is to be made. Out of those who tried, 1147 succeeded far as to get printed, either at their own expense or not. How many succeeded in getting a single penny by their venture? Perhaps 400, counting the smaller works of fiction issued by the religious societies, for which they pay such tiny sums, and make such mighty profits, and set so Christian an example in mercy, charity, and justice to their lay brethren. about the rest? editions to answer that question. >< CORRESPONDENCE. SS i On Many Tunes. ETURNING to England, after an absence extending over several months, I found a pile of Authors awaiting me. I read the whole number through at a sitting, and send you a few brief reflections caused by them. The first impression I derived was that the writers in our journal seem, in nine cases out of ten, or ninety-nine, perhaps, out of a hundred, to be directing their attention only or mainly to novels. I should like to know what proportion novels, long or short, bear to the total literary output of the day. Secondly, I noticed the continual presence of the following idea, or something like it. Litera- AUTHOR. 335 ture is a matter of supply and demand, like any other commodity. The reading public consists largely of people of a mean sort who like trash. There are a number of estimable people very capable of producing trash, and this product of theirs has a value more or less high. It is a chief part of the work of the Society of Authors to help them to get the true value for this commo- dity. I confess that this portion of the Society’s activities seems to me of little importance. The question of reviewing has aroused a good deal of discussion in our pages; it has been treated almost wh olly f ‘rom the novelist’s and espe- cially trash-writer’s point of view. To “slate” one piece of trash when the bulk of the stuffis passed over in silence must seem hard to the writer who depends for his living on that kind of product. But to writers of any other kind of book except novels the knowledge that there are rods in pickle is most helpful. Bad history, bad science, mac- curate observation, slip-shod description of little- visited countries, and other the like failures and shortcomings, are not negative faults—they are active poisons. A reviewer of a bad book of that kind has to try and stop the sale of the book, and if possible, to make it difficult for the writer to find a publisher to disseminate his future poisons through the world. I find that a good review in a prominent journal is considered a great help to the selling of a book. I find also that gratitude to a publisher is considered to indicate meanness in an author. I am the author of about a dozen volumes, whose history is briefly as follows. It affects my attitude towards the points in question. I wrote the first volume at college. It was a kind of a guide-book of a rather scientific sort. I paid a cheque on account of cost of produc- tion, and sales paid the rest. I got some of my money back, but, by an oversight, the book was sold just at cost price. A few years later, the half-crown volume was selling for a guinea second-hand (I afterwards found out that there were still ninety copies of the book in the hands of a French bookseller), so I published the thing again at ten shillings, and lett the monstrous price to do all the advertising the volume ever got. I sent it out freely for review, and all the reviewers held up holy hands of horror at the price, as I hoped—lI printed the price on the title-page for that reason—and the book sold excellently. ‘ I wrote two books in succession on historical matters. They were full of research, and each involved some months’ travel on the Continent. They were printed at a publisher’s expense. The first, printed ten years ago, has sold about ten copies a year ever since; I was paid £25 for it.  334 THE The second, kindly taken by the same publisher, went off a little better, and still goes on selling at the annual rate of a dozen copies. I got £25 for that book, too. Both books were reviewed at great length inthe Zimes, Saturday (whole page) : Atheneim (two long articles in consecutive weeks), Academy, Spectator, New York Nation, and the rest. If reviewing would sell unpopular, though not uninteresting, and not unreadable books, these would have sold. In both cases the publisher thought he was issuing a volume that would attain a fair popularity. In both cases he lost heavily. One popular book I did once attempt to write, and found no difficultv in selling the copyright of it toa publisher. He issued it with plenty of charming illustrations; it was praised beyond its merits in all manner of papers. It was a dead failure. The same publishers issued another book of mine about six years ago on the _half-profits system, they paying all costs. It also was excel- lently reviewed in France and Germany, as well as England and America. Ruskin, | remember, bought a noticeable fraction of the edition, had the books bound in a costly fashion, and gave them away right and left. The book continues to sell slowly, but not more than 600 copies have gone off yet. My other volumes tell the same story. On most of them publishers have lost money. The only profitable ones are those that deal with the same subject as the first mentioned, and I have always kept them in my own hands, I ask, then, are favourable reviews so powerful, and is gratitude towards a publisher so mean a sentiment ? In conclusion, let me add that for years I had to live by my pen, and I hope I should have preterred to starve rather than to supply any demand for ‘trash.’ I was hungry often enough, and those hungry hours of strug- gling youth are amongst my pleasantést remi- niscences. Cc. P. G, Answers to the Above. 1. Novels form nearly one-fourth of the literary output—see our paper (p. 332) on “The Output of 1892.” But “C. P. G.” need not be alarmed at their figures. He will not have to read them all. 2. Literature has its business side. “CO. P. G.” mixes up, as usual, the business side with the literary side. They are quite distinct. On the business side is the demand, the popularity, there- fore the commercial value of a book; on the other side is its literary or artistic value. The two are incommensurable ; when they exist AUTHOR. together, as sometimes they do, it speaks well for the national taste. 3. It is the first duty of the Society to define and maintain the property created by the book, it “C. P. G.” has no feeling of the importance of this duty he had better present his next book to his publisher. Then both sides will be happy. If he is not superior to the common desire to have his own property for himself, he would do well not to sneer at those who are working to protect hig preperty for him. 4. Gratitude to a publisher is nowhere in the Author taught to be meanness. One might ag well say that the Author teaches that gratitude to friends is meanness. What is mean, and degrad- ing, and deplorable, is the attitude of the literary man, hat in hand, humbly begging for another guinea, and crying out with admiration when another comes. Again, if ‘‘C. P. G.” prefers the attitude,let him by all means assume it. But we shall continue to think it mean. 5. The personal experiences are too vague to be of any use. For instance, take the two books on historical matters. They had, presumably, a first run of some hundreds—perhaps not miny—with ten years more at a dozen copies each year. One knows not the price or the size of the volame—_ but this does not look like a “ heavy loss” Did “C. P. G.” audit the accounts ? We are, then, to understand that a publisher, for year after year, brought out books by ‘‘C. P. G.”— on which he lost every year. This isnot takinga risk; itis incurring a certain loss. If the thing is a fact, there must have been some special reason —a business reason—for the continued loss : there must have been something in the subject, or in the name and position of the author. wise the thing cannot be. One has only to con- sider the point from the common-sense point 0 view. A few such continued losses and where will the income of the man of business be ? As to reviewing, no one in the Author has suggested that there should be no reviewing. What is maintained is, that the old bludgeon style of. ‘ slating”’ a writer is degrading to criti- cism and to the men who practise it. But we refer “C. P. G.” to Mr. Brander Matthews on this subject (see ‘‘ Notes and News,” p. 324). The time will come, one supposes, when such letters as the above will no longer be possible, But it has not yet arrived. There are evidently some writers still left to whom a publisher isa god of capricious mind, who sits on his money- bags, doles out his gold, produces all the books that nobody wants, and gets rich on his losses. Other- —  districts of Mercia, THE EE: WESSEX. Can your correspondent possibly imagine that the word Wessex has been invented by, and reserved to the sole use of, Mr. Thomas Hardy? Any educated dweller in the district would tell your correspondent that the word is in common vogue among us. We talk of Wessex ways, Wessex speech, Wessex manners. Those of us who are humble students of Anglo-Saxon have taken care to learn the language from books which deal avowedly with the Wessex variant of the tongue; those who delight in tracing great similarities and small distinctions between peoples of different, yet neighbouring, races take a keen interest in the points of contact between the inhabitants of Wessex and those of the boundary Cornwall, &. Are we never again to cill ourselves West Saxons because an author of great renown and power has taken a fancy to the word? Are we to be content with the smaller name-divisions of Berkshire, Dorset- shire, Wiltshire, when the comprehensive word Wessex indicates our imtimate relations, our mutual brotherhood? Perhaps your correspon- dent is living in ignorance of the great race- differences which exist between our peasant populations in the south of England. If this is the case, let him encourage in himself a study which will give him keener joy than almost any other, and will, moreover, enable him to perceive that the name “ Wessex ” is the property of no one man, but is the heritage of the happy people who can trace in themselves the ancient blood of those colonising West Saxons whose traditions still linger in some of our country districts—a race in a large degree unmixed, and uncontami- nated by foreign alliances from Mercia, East Anglia, or any other country. Tuer AutHor oF “ Dark.” [Yes. But the point is not that the author of Dark” used the word Wessex. Anybody can speak of Wessex. Our correspondent knew as well as the author of ‘“‘ Dark” all that 1s meant by Wessex. But can the author of “ Dark” show that anybody, except Thomas Hardy, calls Dorsetshire, South Wessex x; Berkshire, North Wessex; and Hants, Upper Wessex? And this point is not met by the author of “ Dark” at all. The thing is a case of minor morals. But certainly, if, as is suggested, Thomas Hardy invented these sub-divisions, it would be well to acknowledge their origin in adopting them.—Ep. | AUTHOR. So ou Lg. AUTHOR AND EpirTor. The following editorial letter, addressed to me in reply to a remonstrance respecting undue delay in pub lication of a contribution, may be of interest to your readers. I may mention that 1 had eon »d out that in any case there could be no possible reason for postponement of payment pending production : ‘Dear Sir,—Herewith I beg leave to hand you a cheque for your contribution, with the edi tor’s compliments and regrets for the unfortunate delay in the appearance of the poem. He hopes to imsert if im an early number. I should explain that there are, to the editor’s regret, many authors who, lke yourself, have been waiting (and writing) for a period of years for the insertion of their respective articles and stories, but the exigencies of making up each monthly number of the magazine are greater than anyone outside the editor’s office can guess at. To deal with the old materials on hand; to yet keep up to date with new; to select the right variety for each number; to get all (including serials) into the circumscribed number of pages ; to pacify the (justly) impatient authors ; to please the general public taste, &c., are all matters to be considered at one and the same time. Hence the difficulty with the great mass of material already accepted. Slam, we. To this, at all events courteous, explanation I rejoined with a suggestion that if an author were distinctly informed, on the acceptance of a con- tribution, that there might be considerable delay in publication, but that in any case he would be paid within, say, the next six months, the editor’s “ nacifying ” functions would be very considerably lightened. W. iV. Mr. Husert Hass’ Lerrer. He would have the Society undertake to help the unknown author. I fear if they held out the least inducement in that direction they would be swamped with oo And yet, as a would-be novelist, I fee fancy I do—what a boon it would be. But let us think a moment. The Society undertakes to read any work sub- mitted to them; and it seems likely to me that if a work of real excellence in matter and con- struction came before them, the writer would be put in the way of getting it published. Could the Society, judiciously, go farther than it now does? That seems to me an open question. As a writer [am gradually, I hope, getting over the crudeness of first attempts, and slowly learning  336 by repeated failures. I have received the greatest assistance and encouragement from one of the society’s readers, who has seen two of these faulty attempts, and am beginning to see that it is as necessary to serve an apprenticeship to the art of fiction as to any other of the arts. And I believe that if ever I produce anything really good I shall not find it impossible to obtain a publisher. I may, however, not be the fortunate one out of ninety-nine failures, which, I take it, is about the percentage of success in these days of fierce competition. ALAN Oscar. Ve Prompt PAYMENT. Some little time ago one of your correspon- dents drew attention to the hardships incurred by young and struggling authors whose MSS. are only published (and consequently paid for) several months after they have been accepted. Thisis bad enough, but in my opinion still more suffering is caused to journalists by the incon- siderate system pursued by a large number of editors, of paying contributors at irregular inter- vals. Ihave the blessed privilege of writing for some three or four papers, only one of which appears to have any punctual system of payment. Surely contributions ought to be paid for within a month of their appearance, or at any rate upon some fixed date during the followmg month. A man naturally hesitates about dunning his editor, and yet, how, in the name of reason, is he to keep on pacific terms with his butcher and tailor, if his own cheques are constantly overdue ? Why should not all papers follow the example of the St. James’s Gazette, a model of prompt punctual payment, and pay their contributors on the first of each month D. J. VE Tue Lapy or Tire. I wish to break a lance in defence of the scribbling “lady of title,’ upon whom vials of wrath were outpoured in your last number. The aggrieved person, “ E. H.,”’ tells us that he does “ not wish to say a word against titled or wealthy ladies writing upon special subjects with which they are specially acquainted, and being paid for it if they choose; “but,” he asks, “why should they trade upon their name and title to do work which scores of women who write for a living would do equally well, if not better, for half the money they de- Why, indeed, Iecho? but the ques- The particular case cited by Pp? mand tion is, do they ? THE AUTHOR. “E. H.” in favour of his own argument is, I venture to think, very like the proverbial rara avis, and that its blackness, instead of being a merit, is quite the reverse. And it may be noted that the shabby endeavour was not successful, which so far goes to show that “ladies of title” are not pounced upon for the sake of their prefix quite so eagerly as “E. H.” seems to imagine. “ One swallow does not make a summer,’ neither can one black swan turn all the white ones its own colour, and I ask justice for the latter. Does “HE. H.” suppose for one moment that a handle to the name and money in the purse go of neces- sity together? If he does he is vastly mistaken, Speaking upon a “ subject with which I am specially acquainted” I can assure him that to many a “lady of title” the sum offered for and got by honest work is a matter of considerable importance, and that the “sums earned” by her brain and pen are not expended in “ robbing Peter to pay Paul,” but in settlmg such unavoidable items in daily life as butchers’ and bakers’ bills. Farr Pray. << VIL. A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SocrIeEry. Permit me tothoroughly and heartily indorse the valuable suggestion of Mr. Hubert Haes in the January issue: “That the Society form a medium of introduction between author and pub- lisher.” He has ably voiced what has long been my own desire, and, I am sure. that of many struggling authors. E. H. [Has the writer heard of the Authors’ Syndicate ? What else could the Society do, if it were to take up this kind of work? Will “ E. H.” suggest any thing practical ?—Ep.] De “AT THE SIGN OF THE AUTHOR'S HEAD.” \ R. JAMES BAKER, who is a journalist as well as author, has been acting at Sigmaringen as special correspondent for a syndicate of provincial papers, and also with Mr. F. Villiers for Black and White, and an article from his pen on the wedding will also appear in Fashions of To-day for February. Whilst at Sigmaringen the Duke of Edinburgh was pleased to accept from the author, as a wedding gift to Princess Marie, copies of first editions of two of his novels, “ Mark Tillotson ” and “ John Westacott.” The description of the Danube  THE AUTHOR. » scenery in the latter has been so much praised | that it is by no means an inappropriate gift to the 9 Princess, whose future home will be so near the banks of the Danube, and whose wedding was solemnized on its banks. The author had conversa- | tions at Sigmaringen with the Prince of Hohen- » zollern, the Duke of Edinburgh, Tewfik Pasha, &c. In a lecture on “ Novels and Novelists ” during {1 the last month, before the New Court Literary and Debating Society, at the Congregational Chapel, Tollmgton Park, Mr. Joseph Hatton enlightened North Londoners on the ar of novel- # writing, and gave some interesting reminiscences © of Charles Reade and Wilkie Collins, as well as @ many personal items touching the works of i Kipling, Barrie, Black, Besant, and other well- J known authors. Mr. Hatton’s lecture was rather * in the nature of a gossip than a discourse, and it * was interspersed with some capital _ stories. f Touching the oft-recurring question in fiction and / in real life as to what a poor man suddenly 7 becoming rich would do with his mon-y, Mr. 1 Hatton said that recently at a political meeting * near Chatsworth, the princely seat of the Duke 6 of Devonshire, he heard the other side of this = momentous question. Said one poor Derbyshire + fellow to another poorer than himself, *‘ What * would thou do if thou hadst Duke of Devon- shire’s income?” “Nay,” was the reply, we dinnat knoa; but what would Duke o’ Devon- shire do if he’d my income ?”’ Notwithstanding the dicta of Mr. Clement Scott, the novelists appear to be coming to the front as dramatists. ‘lhis is a point gained for Mr. Archer, whose suggestion that novel writers should naturally possess the dramatic faculty was scoffed at, curiously enough, by certain critics who are out of sympathy with Mr. Archer almost as a matter of principle. Mr. Joseph Hatton’s two plays, ‘ John Needham’s Double” and “ The Scarlet Letter” (founded upon the sublime romance of that name), are both running successfully in the United States, the first with Mr. E. 8. Willard, the second with Mr. Richard Mansfield. Mr. J. M. Barrie has only written three pieces for the stage, all three successful, the third beg “The Professors’ Love Story,’ which seems to have made what the American chioniclers call “a phenomenal hit” for both author and actor. Mr. Willard appears to have astunished the critics with the subtlety of his comedy acting in Mr, Barrie’s play. ‘‘ Walker, London,” by Barrie, at Toole’s, is t» have a companion in “ Homburg,” a one act sketch by his contemporary novelist Hatton, who, report says, is likely to be heard of again next season in New York ina dramatisation of his ‘‘ Queen of Bohemia.” a x et IR OD ge At ST Ee: Fe Re SRE OR CL ee Fre ff * ra 337 Two books, by My. R. H. Sherard, will be published in New York early in the sprmg. The tirst of these is entitled “‘Shearers and Shorn,” and deals with American society in the French capital. The second, for which the author has not yet selected a title, is a psychological study. The scene of it is also laid m Paris. Another story, by the same author, entitled “The Disap- pearance of Reginald Westcott,” is at present in course of publication in a serial form in New York. A “Songbook of the Soul,” by Marjory Kinloch (Kegan Paul, Triibner and Co.), stands out from the general run of collected verses by unknown poets. The book consists almost entirely of religious meditations, which seem to us to reach a very high level. They must not, at least, be classed with what we generally expect in religious verses. The writer is a Catholic. Our space does not allow us to quote the verses, but the book is full of promise, and there should be a future for the writer. The “History of a Church Mouse’’ is told by Mrs. Edmunds, and published by Laurence and. Bullen. The church is a Greek Church. The mouse, too, belongs to the Greek Church. It is quite a little book, and a pretty, witty, little book, with surprises in it. The story ought to be popular. “ Out of the Depths,’ by H. Dutton Durrard (Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co.), is a thoughtful little volume of verse which may be commended more for its attempt to express thought than for the music of its lines. But it is a book to be looked into. There should be an English edition of the charming volume of verse called ‘The Winter Hour, and other Poems,’ by Robert Underwood Johnson, the late secretary to the International Copyright League. Certainly the contention of many Americans that their minor poets are superior to our own, seems to be not without ground. “The Queen’s English (?) Up to Date,” by “ Anglophil” (Literary Revision Office, 342. Strand, price 2s.), has reached its second edition. As an exposition of prevailing errors in language and literature, it has attracted considerable atten- tion, and it may be safely consulted. ‘“‘Love’s Minstrel,” by H. C. Daniel (W. W. Morgan and Son, Hermes-hill, Pentonville Road). From the appearance of this book, it would seem to be intended for private circulation. The poems are young and immature. It would be a pity to subject them to public criticism; but there is distinct promise in them.  338 “ Pearla,” by Harrie Whyte, and other Tales. Published by J. W. Arrowsmith, of Bristol. Written for girls, by a girl, apparently. The stories are too slight to warrant any conclusion as to the author’s possible powers. “Basil the Iconoclast,’ by Mrs. Frederick Prideaux, author of ‘ Claudia,” ‘The Nine Days’ Queen,” “ Philip Molesworth,” &c. (David Nutt). This is a drama of modern Russia, that country where all the new dramas and stories seem to be laid. It is in three acts: the first in St. Peters- burg, the second in South Russia, and the third in a District Town. There is great power in this tragedy. It could not be acted without cutting out immense portions of the dialogue. It is therefore essentially a chamber drama. A new novel, entitled “A Born Player,’ by May West, is being published by Messrs. Mac- millan and Co. in England and America. It will also be taken for Messrs. Macmillan’s Colonial Library, which circulates in India and the British Colonies. A novel by Mr. Archer P. Crouch, author of “On a Surf-bound Coast,’ and ‘“ Glimpses of Feverland,” will shortly be published by Messrs. W. H. Allen and Co. It is called “ Captain Enderis, First West African Regiment.” “Weeds,” a story in seven chapters, by K. McK., recently published by J. W. Arrowsmith, of Bristol, is by Mr. Jerome K. Jerome. Miss Beatrice Whitby has recently issued (Hurst and Blackett) the followmg:—‘‘ One Reason Why,” new edition, 3s. 6d.; “ Part of the Property,” new edition, 3s. 6d.; “In the Suntime of Her Youth,” three vols. Mr. George Allen announces for Feb. 1 a new and cheap edition of Mr. Augustus Hare’s “Walks in Rome,” in handy form, similar to Baedeker’s Guides. The “Life of Lady Waterford,” by Mr. Hare, now in preparation, will contain, amongst other illustrations four steel engravings, two of them from the portraits of Lady Waterford, by Mr. G. F. Watts and Sir John Leslie. Mr. Allen is at present unable to say whether the book will contain any of Lady Waterford’s own drawings. A new edition of Miss Mary Rowsell’s “ Petro- nella’ has been issued. (Skeffington and Co.) This is the story which has been dramatised under the title of ‘‘ White Roses.” There will be presented at the Globe Theatre in February a copyright reading of a new and original five act drama written (in collaboration) by the same author. THE AUTHOR. In the last number of the Author reference was made to the new edition of Mr. Alfred Hayes’ volume of poems entitled “The March of Man and other Poems.” By a printer’s error this appeared as the March of Shem. Among the new books are ‘ Amethyst: the Story of a Beauty,’ by Christabel R. Coleridge, © 2nd edit., 1 vol. (A. D. 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