https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/301/1897-04-01-The-Author-7-11.pdf 2682f25f5b1bd373103b62986c1160c9 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 The Author Description An account of the resource A digitised run of the Society of Authors' monthly periodical, The Author, 1890–1914, made available together for the first time. Currently users can browse issues and <a href="https://historysoa.com/items/browse?search=&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bjoiner%5D=and&advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Index&collection=&type=&tags=&exhibit=&date_search_term=&submit_search=Search+For+Items&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) 1897-04-01 Volume 7 Issue 11 Pages Page range in volume 273–300 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18970401 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin Ube Hutbor* (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. V0L.VII.—N0.11.] APRIL i, 1897. [Price Sixpence. CONT PADS Notices, &C 273 From the Committee 27s Lkor&ry Property— 1. An Agreement 276 . 2. Copyright in New Zealand 277 3. Damages for the loss of a MS 277 4. Infringement of Copyright 278 6. The Nineteenth Congress of the International Literary and Artistic Association at Monaco 279 The Book Trade of Germany 280 Corrections 280 New York Letter. By Norman Hapgood 281 ENTS. PAH Notes from Elsewhere. By B. H. Sherard 283 Notes and News. By the Editor 285 Some Volumes of Verse 287 Editor and Contributor. By Bartle Teeling 288 "Stories Wanted" 289 Correspondence.—1. The Subjunctive Mood; Its Present Day Use. 2. Paying for Publication. 3. Viktor Bydberg. 4. The House where Byron was Born. 5. Corruption of the Language ...291 Literature In the Periodicals 295 Book Talk S96 Obituary 298 The Books of the Month 299 PUBLICATIONS OF THE SOCIETY. 1. The Annual Report. That for January 1896 can be had on application to the Secretary. 2. The Author. A Monthly Journal devoted especially to the protection and maintenance of Literary Property. Issued to all Members, 6*. 6d. per annum. Back numbers are offered at the following prices: Vol. I., ios. 6d. (Bound); Vols. II., III., and IV., 8s. 6d. each (Bound); Vol. V., 6s. 6d. (Unbound). 3. Literature and the Pension List. By W. Morris Colles, Barrister-at-Law. (Henry GUaisher, 95, Strand, W.C.) 3*. 4. The History Of the Societe des Q-ens de Lettres. By S. Squire Sprioge, late Secretary to the Society, is. 5. The Cost of Production. In this work specimens are given of the most important forms of type, size of page, Ac, with estimates showing what it costs to produce the more common kinds of books. Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C. 2s. 6d. 6. The Various Methods Of Publication. By S. Squire Sprigge. 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. 3*. 7. Copyright Law Reform. An Exposition of Lord MonkswelPs Copyright Bill now before Parlia- ment. With Extracts from the Report of the Commission of 1878, and an Appendix containing the Berne Convention and the American Copyright Bill. By J. M. Lely. Eyre and Spottiswoode. is. 6d. 8. The Society of Authors. A. Record of its Action from its Foundation. By Walter Besant (Chairman of Committee, 1888—1892). is. 9. The Contract of Publication in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland. By Ernst Lunge, J.U.D. 2s. 6d.''~ ## p. 272 (#328) ############################################ 11 AD VER TISEMENTS. ^t)e J5octefp of Jluf^ors (gttcorpor ateb). Sib Edwin Arnold, K.C.I.E., C.S.I. A ipred Austin. J. M. Babbie A. W. X Beckett. P. E. Beddabd, F.B.S. ROBERT BATSMAN. Sib Henry Bergne, K.C.M.G. Sib Walter Besant. Augustine Bibbbll, M.P. Rev. Pbop. Bonnet, F.B.S. Bight Hon. Jakes Bbtce, M.P. Bight Hon. Lord Bubqhclebe, P.C Hall Caine. Egebton Castle, F.S.A. P. W. Clatden. Edward Clodd. W. Morris Colles. Hon. John Collieb. Sib W. Mabtin Conway. F. Marion Crawford. PRESIDENT. GEORGE IMIIEIEaiEIDITIH: COUNCIL. The Earl of Desabt. Austin Dobson. A. Conan Dotle, M.D A. W. Duboubg. Prof. Michael Fosteb, F.B.S. Bichabd Gabnett, C.B., LL.D. Edmund Gosse. H. Bideb Haggabd. Thomas Hardt. Anthony Hope Hawkins. Jebome K. Jebome. Budyabd Kipling. Pbop. E. Bay Lankesteb, F.B.S. W. E. H. Lecky. J. M. Lely. Mbs. E. Lynn Linton. Bev. W. J. Loftie, F.SA. Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Mus.D. Pbof. J. M. D. Meiklejohn. Herman C. Mebivalb. Bet. C. H. Middleton-Wake. Sib Lewis Mobbis. Henby Norman. Miss E. A. Ormebod. J. C. Parkinson. Right Hon. Lobd Pibbbioht. Sib Frederick Pollock, Babt., LL.D. Walteb Hebbieb Pollock. W. Baptists Scoones. Miss Floba L. Shaw. G. B. Sims. S. Squire Spbigge. J. J. Stevenson. Pbof. Jas. Sully. William Moy Thomas. H. D. Tbaill, D.C.L. Mrs. Humphby Ward. Miss Charlotte M. Yonge. Hon. Counsel — E. M. Undebdown, Q.C. A W. a Beckett. Sib Walteb Besant. Egerton Castle. W. Mobbis Colles. COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT Chairman—H. Bideb Haggard. Hon. John Collier. Sib W. Martin Conway. Anthony Hope Hawkins. J. M. Lely. Solicitors- ( Messrs. Field, Boscoe, and Co., Lincoln's Inn Fields. I G. Herbert Thbing, B.A., 4, Portugal-street, W.C. Sib A. C. Mackenzie, Mus.D. Henby Norman. S. Squire Spbigge. Secretary—G. Herbert Thbing, B.A. OFFICES: 4, Pobtugal Stbeet, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C. IP. WATT <3c SON, LITERARY AGENTS, Formerly of 2, PATERNOSTER SQUARE, Have now removed to HASTINGS HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, LONDON, W.C. WINDSOR HOUSE PRINTING WORKS, IBIE^IELA-IMI'S BTJILTJIlTa-S, ZE.O. Offiees of "The Field," "The Queen," "The Law Times," &e. Mr. HOEACE COX, Printer to the Authors' Society, takes the opportunity of informing Authors that, having a very large Office, and an extensive Plant of Type of every description, he is in a position to EXECUTE any FEINTING they may entrust to his care. ESTIMATES FORWARDED, AND REASONABLE CHARGES WILL BE FOUND. ## p. 273 (#329) ############################################ TZhc Hutbor* (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. VII.—No. u.] APRIL i, 1897. [Price Sixpence. For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the Authors alone are responsible. None of the papers or para- graphs must be taken as expressing the collective opinions of the Committee unless they are officially signed by G. Herbert Thring, Sec. THE Secretary of the Society begs to give notice that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post, and requests that all members not receiving an answer to important communications within two days will write to him without delay. All remittances should be crossed Union Bank of London, Chancery-lane, or be sent by registered letter only. Communications and letters are invited by the Editor on all subjects connected with literature, bnt on no other sub- jects whatever. Articles which cannot be accepted are returned if stamps for the purpose accompany the MSS. GENERAL MEMORANDA. EOE some years it has been the practice to insert, in every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices,&c, for the guidance of the reader. It has been objected as regards these warnings that the tricks or frauds against which they are directed cannot all be guarded againBt, for obvious reasons. It is, however, well that they should be borne in mind, and if any publisher refuses a clause of precaution he simply reveals his true character, and should be left to carry on his business in his own way. Let us, however, draw up a few of the rules to be observed in an agreement. There are three methods of dealing with literary property:— I. That of selling it outright. This iB in some respects the most satisfactory, if a proper price can be obtained. But the transaction should be managed by a competent agent. II. A profit-sharing agreement. In this case the following rules should be attended to: (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements VOL. VII. in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. (3.) Not to allow a special charge for " office expenses," unless the same allowance is made to the author. (4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental rights. (5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights. (6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher. As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or doctor! (7.) To stamp the agreement. III. The royalty system. In this syBtem, which has opened the door to a most amazing amount of overreaching and trading on the author's ignorance, it is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. It is now possible for an author to ascertain approximately and very nearly the truth. From time to time the very important figures connected with royalties are published in The Author. Readers can also work out the figures themselves from the "Cost of Production." Let no one, not even the youngest writer, sign a royalty agreement without finding out what it gives the publisher as well as himself. It has been objected that these precautions presuppose a great success for the book, and that very few books indeed attain to this great success. That is quite true: but there is always this uncertainty of literary property that, although the works of a great many authors carry with them no risk at all, and although of a great many it is known within a few copies what will be their minimum circulation, it is not known what will be their maximum. Therefore every author, for every book, should arrange on the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. The four points which the Society has always demanded from the outset are:— (1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement means. (2.) The inspection of those account books which belong to the author. We are advised that this is a right, in the nature of a common law right, which cannot be denied or withheld. (3.) That there shall be no secret profits. (4.) That nothing shall be charged which has not been actually paid—for instance, that there shall be no charge for advertisements in the publisher's own organs and none tor exchanged advertisements; and that all discounts shall be duly entered. If these points are carefully looked after, the author may rest pretty well assured that he is in right hands. At the same time he will do well to send his agreement to the secretory before he signs it. F F 2 ## p. 274 (#330) ############################################ 274 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. |/>VERY member has a right to ask for and to reeeire l*J advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the condnct 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 Com- mittee will obtain for him Counsel's opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher's agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not Bcruple to use the Society first—our solicitors are continually engaged upon such questions for us. 3. Send to the office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. This is in order to ascertain what has been the nature of your agree- ments, 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 infor- mation thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. If the examination of your previous business trans- actions by the Secretary proves unfavourable, you should take advice as to a change of publishers. 5. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 6. The Society is acquainted with the methods, and—in the case of fraudulent houses—the tricks of every publish- ing firm in the country. 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 yon are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen- dence of the writer. 8. Send to the Editor of The Author notes of everything important to literature that you may hear or meet with. 9. The committee have now arranged for the reception of members' agreements and their preservation in a fireproof safe. The agreements will, of course, be regarded as con- fidential documents to be read only by the Secretary, who will keep the key of tho safe. The Society now offers:—(1) To read and advise upon agreements and publishers. (2) To stamp agreements in readiness for a possible action upon them. (3) To keep agreements. (4) To enforce payments due according to agreements. THE AUTHORS' SYNDICATE. ~V|~ EMBERS are informed: J_TJ_ j . That the Authors' Syndicate takes charge of the business of members of tho Society. That it submits MSS. to publishers and editors, concludes agree- ments, examines, passes, and collects accounts, and, gene- rally, relieves members of the trouble of managing business details. 2. That the terms upon which its services can be secured will be forwarded upon detailed application. 3. That the Authors' Syndicate works only for those members of the Society whose work possesses a market value. 4. That the Syndicate can only undertake any negotiations whatever on the distinct understanding that those negotia- tions are placed exclusively in its hands, and that ail communications relating thereto are referred to it. 5. That clients can only be seen by the Director by appointment, and that, when possible, at least two days' notice should be given. 6. That every attempt is made to deal with all communi- cations promptly. That stamps should, in all cases, be sent to defray postage. 7. That the Authors' Syndicate does not invite MSS. without previous correspondence; does not hold itself responsible for MSS. forwarded without notice; and that in all cases MSS. must be accompanied by stamps to defray postage. 8. That the Syndicate undertakes arrangements for lectures by some of the leading members of the Society; that it has a "Transfer Department" for tho sale and purchase of journals and periodicals; and that a " Register of Wants and Wanted" is open. Members are invited to communicate their requirements to the Manager. 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. THE 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 Seoretary the modest 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. The Editor is always glad to receive short papers and communications on all subjects connected 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 each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to tho Editor any points connected with their work whioh 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 without 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 mnst also be distinctly under- stood that the Society does not, under any circumstances, undertake the publication of MSS. The Authors' Club is now open in its new premises, at 3, Whitehall-court, Charing Ctosb. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, Ac. 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, if still unpaid, or a banker's order, it will greatly assist the Secretary, and savo him tho trouble of sending out a reminder. Members are most earnestly entreated to attend to the following warning. It is a most foolish and may be a most disastrous thing to enter into an agreement binding for a term of years. Let them ask themselves if they would givo a solicitor tho collection of their rents for five years to come, whatever his conduct, whether he was honest ## p. 275 (#331) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 275 or dishonest? Of course they would not. Why then hesitate for a moment when they are asked to sign them- selves into literary bondage for three or five years? 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 Jtg 4«. 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 bo elastic a thing that nothing more exact can be arrived at. Some remarks have been made upon the amount charged in the " Cost of Production" for advertising. Of course, we have not included any Bums which may be charged for inserting advertisements 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. FROM THE COMMITTEE. AMEETING of the Council and Shareholders of the Society was held in the Japan Room of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, 20, Hanover-square, on the 3rd March at four o'clock. Mr. H. Rider Haggard took the chair. The report and balance-sheet of the Society for the past year were laid before the meeting, and after some discussion were adopted. General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting of the Incor- porated Society of Authors was held on the 3rd March at 4.30 p.m. at the rooms of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, 20, Hanover- square, W. Mr. H. Rider Haggard presided. Amongst those present were the following: Sir Walter Besant, Mr. H. M. Lely, Mr. W. Morris Colles, Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins, Mr. A. W. a Beckett, Mr. J. J. Stevenson, Miss Challice, Mr. Mackenzie Bell, Mr. Bram Stoker, Mr. Basil Field, Lady Colin Campbell, Mr. F. Gribble, Mr. J. Louis, and many other members of the Society. The Chairman, before commenting on the report, read the following statement: "Since the report was drafted, Mr. Hall Caine, whose great services in Canada the Society has already acknow- ledged, has informed the Committee that he had been in communication with the Colonial Office and the Dominion Government on the subject of Canadian copyright. The Committee, not being at present in possession of detailed information as to Mr. Caine's action, were unable to make any statement in regard thereto." He then proceeded to take the salient points in the report, and said the Society had lost during the past year tlirough death several old members and strong supporters, among them being Miss Mathilde Blind, Sir J. A. Crowe, Sir J. Eric Ericksen, Professor Middleton, Mr. George du Maurier, and Sir B. W. Richard- son. During the year there had been a far- reaching alteration made in the constitution of the Society. Last year, at the annual meeting, the matter of the admission of ladies to the Council was discussed, and he had to inform members that, in pursuance of an arrangement then made, five ladies had consented to be elected members of the Council, and it was believed that this movement would tend to the advantage of the Society, as it was wished that the Society should be as representative as possible of both sexes. The finances for the year, he was glad to say, were on the whole very satisfactory. They had now an income of over ,£1200 a year, and a capital account of ^£595, of which J6450 was left the Society by legacy. Considering what their resources had been in past years, he thought they had every reason to congratulate themselves. During the year 208 new members had been elected, and the cases which had been dealt with in the offices of the Society numbered no fewer than no, which was a large increase on the number for the previous year. Out of a member- ship of about 1200 no fewer than between 800 and 900 members had been in communication with the secretary for advice, which really showed that the Society had been a great boon and assistance to the large majority of its members. Last year it was suggested that the Committee was not sufficiently representative, and therefore the Committee had taken steps, according to a resolution passed at the general meeting, to obtain the opinions of members, and to get committee- men nominated from the members to meet a sub- committee and discuss the matter. So little did the members appear to be dissatisfied with the management, that no one was nominated to represent the body of members, so that it appeared that there was a good deal of excite- ment without any real foundation of complaint. During the year the matter of the copyright laws had been considered in conjunction with others interested, and the subject was still being pressed on. He thought that what they all needed was more esprit de corps, for it was only when such a spirit animated them that they could do any- thing real for the great profession of authorship. It was because the Society did its best to promote unity of aim that it was entitled to the support of every author in the kingdom. Some people thought that the profession of authorship was a ## p. 276 (#332) ############################################ 276 THE AUTHOR. most remunerative one—as remunerative as that of an Arctic explorer, for instance—(laughter)— but it was a fact that a large proportion of authors were by no means rich. It was to help those who were not strong enough to help them- selves that the Society aimed, and, in fact, the Society was the only one that had seriously taken up the difficulties which beset the profession of authorship. They were not a warlike Society, and they did not exist to promote quarrels and war between publishers and authors. They existed, it was true, to obtain the rights of authors, and that they considered it their duty to do; but they wished to attain that end by esta- blishing those rights upon a firm and fixed basis. At the conclusion of the Chairman's address there was a discussion on various matters relat- ing to the interests of the Society. Mr. Perry Coste, in the course of the discussion, thought the Society might be more representative of the general profession, and suggested that the society should be divided into different branches or faculties with that object in view. The Chairman said the Committee did its best to embrace the several sections of literature, and had just established a sub-committee in relation to music, the drama, and art. Replying to a question as to whether journa- lism could not be more represented, Sir Walter Besant said that the Institute of Journalists well looked after that particular branch. More- over, the Authors' Society did not wish to act in rivalry or hostility to the Institute. A long discussion arose out of a proposition to issue a list of the members of the Society, and it transpired that a great number of authors would not allow their names to be published, some even joining only on the understanding that their names should not be published. The Chairman said he could not quite under- stand the reason, but he suggested that some were afraid that publishers would not take their work; but he did not think there was the slightest ground for that suspicion. Finally the following motion proposed by Mr. Percy Ames and seconded by Mr. J. Louis was passed: "The Committee are requested to take the sense of the members of the Society as to the publication of a list of the Society." A vote of thanks was then proposed to the Chairman by Mr. Anthony Hope Hawkins, and seconded by Sir Walter Besant. The proceedings then terminated. The Committee have decided to form three affiliated sub-committees to deal with questions relating to art, music, aud the drama. The Art Sub-Committee, which is already formed, will consist of the Hon. John Collier (chairman), Sir W. Martin Conway, and Mr. M. H. Spielmann. Mr. C. Villiers Stanford has consented to take the chair of the Musical Sub-Committee. Mr. J. L. Molloy has also consented to join. No other member has as yet been appointed. The Sub-Committee on questions relating to the Drama will consist of Mr. Henry Arthur Jones (chairman) and Mr. A. W. a Beckett. The other places are still vacant. Or. Herbert Thring, Secretary. LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—An Agreement. THE publisher concerned returns to the attack, aud again very carefully avoids the real points. These are that, by the terms of the agreement, the publisher may make his edition as large as he pleases; that the author has to guarantee so much money; that after nine months the whole edition becomes the publisher's property. No talk can get away from these hard facts. "In the Rejoinder, marked III. in The Aut/ior for March, concerning ' An Agreement,' the writer sets out by saying that ' the price of the book in question has nothing to do with the case '; 'the actual treatment of the book in question has nothing to do with the case.' If this is so, it seems scarcely needful to have raised these points in dealing with the agreement, or brought them forward as objectionable. "The contention of your writer, now that it has been shown that the book in question has been well and liberally treated, and that the author has beeu done justice to, seems to be rather that the agreement is theoretically faulty, and that this is of more importance than the treatment the author has received. This, truly, is putting the letter before the spirit. "I contend that, however perfect an agreement may be, there are always people who will break through it, if they are dishonest and set them- selves to do so. The satisfactory publication of a book depends more on the good feeling and honesty of purpose of both author and pubUsher, than on the most elaborate and carefully drawn- out agreement. Let me put a case which has only recently occurred in illustration of this. I agreed, four years ago, with an author that he should write a book of a given length, on a given subject. The agreement was definite and unmistakable. ## p. 277 (#333) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. The author drew the payment at the outset, and promised to deliver the MS. by a given date. When the date for the delivery of the MS. arrived he stated that he could not possibly carry out his agreement, and offered to substitute another book on a totally different and quite unsuitable sub- ject, for the one bargained for. This offer was declined, and the author was invited to return the fee he had received. After numerous applications for repayment, at intervals during the four years that followed, the matter was put into the solici- tors' hands, and finally the Lord Mayor's Court recovered the fee. Here is a case of fraud with a perfect agreement, which may well be cited in comparison with a fair and liberal carrying out of an imperfect one. "The Publisher Concerned." II.—Copyright in New Zealand. The New Zealand Photographers' Copyright Act has just come into force in that colony. The Act divides photographs into three classes—(i) Photographs of natural scenery, &c, taken by any person at his own expense and for his own pleasure or profit; (2) Portraits of individuals or groups; (3) Photographs taken to order or for trade purposes. Full copyright protection for five years is granted the photographer in the first class, provided the word "protected," name of photographer, and date of taking, appear as part of the original plate and on each print. In class 2 the person photographed is declared to be the owner of the copyright, and not the photo- grapher. A sitter can therefore absolutely prevent any New Zealand photographer including his or her photograph in any series of notorious criminals or professional beauties he may be issti- ing, though nowadays it is much more likely that the beauty would feel flattered at the know- ledge that her features were considered so super- excellent. In any case the owner of a really first-class " photographic" face—which does not necessarily mean the most beautiful face—will be able to exact a royalty should ever a demand spring up for it. In the case of the third class, the copyright is declared to vest in the person who employs the photographer to do the work. Penalties are provided for reproducing or publish- ing any portrait or photograph without the con- sent in writing of the original owner, which should provide a new source of income for the criminal classes in blackmailing the cheap illus- trateds. However, some reproductions of photo- graphs which are to be seen from time to time under the guise of "illustrations," frequently suggest the idea that their perpetrators should come under the law of libel; but the New Zealand public man will now have an easy means of redress when he discovers himself represented in a public print as two blots and a fly track. The only thing is that it might be a nice legal point as to whether such misrepresentations were "reproductions" or " publications" of the original photographs to which they bear such very distant likeness.—Evening Mail, Sydney. III.—-Damages for the Loss of a MS. (Before Mr. Justice Grantham, without a Jury.) Kelly v. Clarke. In this case the plaintiff claimed damages for breach of a contract of bailment. The defendant did not admit the value of the article bailed, and counterclaimed for rent due. Mr. Clavell Salter appeared for the plaintiff; and Mr. Yelverton for the defendant. The plaintiff, a solicitor's conveyancing clerk, was the author of a book on conveyancing forms, called "Kelly's Conveyancing Draughtsman." This was published by Messrs Butterworth, and a second edition was brought out in 1881. The Conveyancing Act was passed soon after, and the plaintiff set about the third editiou, which took him about twelve months. Id November, 1885, he was going into the country and deposited the manuscript for this third edition, in a brown-paper parcel, at the Chancery-laue Safe Deposit, which then belonged to the defendant Colonel Clarke, and got a receipt for it and paid a deposit of 7s 6d. In March, 1896, the plaintiff was approached by Messrs. Butterworth as to the third edition of his book, aud went to the Chancery-lane Deposit, and saw the manager and asked for the parcel, and also asked what rent he owed. The manager referred him to Col. Clark. The plainiiff, on depositing the manuscript, gave his father's address as his; two demands for rent at 2 5.5. per annum were sent to him at that address on Sept. 27, 1890, and on March 12, 1891, but these were never received by him. In 1894 the present com- pany took over the business of the Chancery-laue Deposit from Col. Clarke; they had at the pre- sent time nothing to do with Clarke. Clarke eventually removed this brown paper parcel, amongst other things, from the strong room at Chancery-lane. The plaintiff put his loss at 100 guineas; two other witnesses put it at 75 guineas. Mr. Yelverton contended that, though no doubt his client had received a brown paper parcel, yet there was no reasonable evidence that this parcel contained this valuable manuscript. Only the plaintiff had given evidence of it. The parcel had been mislaid somehow. The defendant was entitled to rent. It was contended by Mr. Salter, in opening the ## p. 278 (#334) ############################################ 278 THE AUTHOR. ease, that the defendant could not claim rent, because he had not kept his contract to safely keep and deliver this parcel. In the course of the case, Mr. Sykes said he had been instructed on behalf of the present Chancery-lane Deposit Company, to say that they had no concern in this deposit at all, and were not concerned in this litigation, but that they were quite ready to assist the court in any way in their power. Mr. Justice Grantham, in giving judgment, said he should assess the damages for the loss of this work at 75 guineas. There was evidence that the defendant had the book up to 1894; he should, therefore, give him rent at the rate of 25*. a year. There would be judgment for the plaintiff for the 75 guineas, less nine years' rent at 2 5*. a year. Mr. Yelvertou asked the learned judge to sepa- rate the claim and counterclaim, and give the defendant judgment on the counterclaim. This was refused. Judgment was given for the plaintiff for ,£67 io«., with costs of the trial and general costs, the defendant to have the costs of the counter- claim.— Times, March 16. IV.—Infringement of Copyright. 1. (Before Mr. Justice Homer.) BROOKS V. RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY. This was a motion by the plaintiff, the well known fine art publisher, of 171, Strand, London, for an interim injunction restraining the defen- dants from printing and selling, &c, any copies of a publication called the Child's Companion containing a certain woodcut. The plaintiff com- plained that the woodcut was an infringement of a picture by G. A. Holmes entitled " Can't you Talk ?" the copyright of which was sold to his firm in 1875, and of which he was now the registered proprietor, or an infringement of the design or engraving of such picture. The picture, as appeared from an engraving produced, was a composition of a collie dog and a child on a stone floor, with the background of a wall with a door on the left, out of which a cat was looking. Above the dog was a table, on which was a tub with a spoon or a pestle in it. The plaintiff stated that about Fell. 14, 1897, his attention was called to the defendants' publication of the woodcut in question, and that the woodcut reproduced exactly almost the whole of the details of the picture— the collie dog, both in attitude, expression and position, the wall, the table, tub, and spoon being exact copies of what appeared in the copy- right work, whilst the position of the door and cat were the same, although some slight altera- tions in detail were made in the door and the attitude of the cat. The only differences between the picture and the woodcut were that in the woodcut the figure of the child had been removed and in its place two cats and a tortoise had been inserted, while the background and foreground had been increased and some new details intro- duced. The Child's Comvanion was a monthly periodical, and the woodcut in question appeared in the November issue of 1896 as an illustration to a tale entitled'• A Strange Visitor." In the woodcut the tortoise was the principal object on the floor, bein g somewhat large for a tortoise, and the attention of all the other four animals was riveted on the tortoise, the cats glaring at it with expressions of terror or astonishment. The expression of the dog in both woodcut and picture was one of calm and fixed attention. Th- defen- dants stated that they had purchased the block from which the woodcut was taken some five years ago from a man whom they had lost sight of. It was agreed that the motion should be treated as the trial of the action. The defendants had on the plaintiff's complaint at once with- drawn the publication. The plaintiff waived any claim for damages. Mr. Neville, Q.C., and Mr. E. Knowles Corrie appeared for the plaintiff. Mr. Levett, Q.C., and Mr. Scrutton, for the defendants, submitted that the dog was the only detail common to the picture and woodcut, and that both depended for their meaning or pictorial idea on other details, and that these details and the meaning had very little in common. The idea created by the picture was not that con- veyed by the woodcut, and the production of the woodcut was not within the Copyright Acts, the object of which was to prevent any interference with either the artist's reputation or the com- mercial value of his work (Hanfaengl v. Empire Palace, L. R., 1894, Ch., 109; per Lord Justice Lopes, p. 131). Mr. Justice Romer said that he thought the woodcut was an infringement of the plaintiff's copyright. The principal part, or one of the principal parts, of the copyright picture was the figure of the dog with a particularly sagacious or benevolent appearance. That appearance, together with the form and attitude of the dog, had been copied, and the defendants' dog was a repro- duction of the plaintiff's dog. Other portions of the plaintiff's picture had also been reproduced by the defendants. It was not only the dog which was taken, but also the feeling and artistic character of the plaintiff's work. They had taken the design whilst substituting cats and a tortoise for the child in the original. Wherever one found ## p. 279 (#335) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 279 a direct copy of a substantial portion of a copy- right work, that substantial portion constituted an infringement if it was a copy in an ordinary sense. For instance, if a person were to take an historical picture and take out of it the principal figure and reproduce that figure without the other surroundings, that would be an infringement. The present case was a stronger case, because the defendants had not only taken the principal figure of a dog, but had copied as well the senti- ment of the picture. By a society like the defen- dants what had been done had been done inad- vertently. They offered an undertaking in the terms of the application. This he accepted. The defendants muwt pay the costs.— Tlie Times. n. (Before Mr. Justice Kekewich, on March 18.) SMITH V. THE NEW PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED AND MESSRS. CHATTO AND WINDUS. This was an action brought by the plaintiff, Mr. William Thomas Smith, the registered author and proprietor of the copyright in a certain original painting called "They Forged the Last Link with their Lives," an Arctic picture, against the defendants, the New Publishing Company Limited, the owners, and Messrs. Chatto and Windus, the publishers, of a monthly publication known as the Idler, and the plaintiff claimed an injunction to restrain the defendants, their agents, and servants, from infringing the plaintiff's copyright by publishing a representation of the said original painting, "They Forged the Last Link with their lives," in the Idler; he also asked for delivery up of all copies, blocks, photo- graphs, &c, and damages. The plaintiff alleged that on March 12, 1896, he wrote to the art editor of the Idler, expressing a wish to do work for them, and inclosing a photograph of the above-mentioned painting to the art editor as a specimen, and that the defendants without his consent published a copy of the picture in the May number of the Idler. The defendants denied that the plaintiff had any copyright in the painting until registration on May 18, 1896. It was also contended on their behalf that the plaintiff by sending the photo- graph, in accordance with the practice of the trade, implied that he consented to its publica- tion in the Idler. Mr. Willis Bund and Mr. J. W. Baines appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. Eenshaw, Q.C., and Mr. D. M. Kerley for the defendants. Mr. Justice Kekewich said that he did not consider that the sending of the photograph of the painting to the art editor was an invitation to publish a representation of it, though the art editor honestly thought so. A wrong had been VOL. VII. done, and he should award the plaintiff a substantial sum as damages — namely, .£25. There would also be an order for delivery up to him of the books containing the pictures, also the blocks, negatives, photographs, &c., and the defendants would have to pay the costs of the action. V.—The Nineteenth Congress of the Inter- national Literary and Artistic Associa- tion at Monaco. In accordance with the resolution passed at the last Congress at Berne, the nineteenth Congress of the International Literary and Artistic Associa- tion will be held at Monaco from April 17 to 24. The following is the Ust of subjects placed upon the programme, together with the names of the members who will present reports on the several subjects: 1. On the distinction between the author's pecuniary and moral rights. Consequences of this distinction.—M. Jules Lermina. 2. On the public domain paying a perpetual royalty.—M. E. Mack. 3. On the contract with publisher.—M. E. Pouillet. 4. On the reproduction of political articles.— M. A. Osterrieth. 5. On the proprietorship of news.—M. A. Bataille. 6. On rights in historical documents.—M. Marbeau. 7. Desiderata of musical composers.—M. V. Souchon. 8. Desiderata of Architects.—M. C. Lucas. 9. Desiderata of photographers.—M. A. Tail- lefer. 10. On the proprietorship of the autograph,— M. Or. Harmand. 11. On the definition of type.—M. Davanne. 12. Project of a law respecting literary pro- perty.—M. Ot. Maillard. 13. On legislative work and the currents of public opinion in different countries.—M. Alcide Darras. 14. On the organisation of national committees for the study of the present situation in countries outside the Union, and the organisation of a pro- paganda with a view to the extension of the Union. —M. L. Poinsard. 15. On the creation of legal offices in foreign countries.—M. L. Layus. 16. On opportunities to be afforded the public of becoming acquainted with the existence of author's exclusive rights.—M. E. Rothlisberger. 17. On the suppression of the "caution" judicatum solvi.—M. de Glermont. (See The Author, Nov. 1896, p. 133.) G G ## p. 280 (#336) ############################################ 280 THE AUTHOR. THE BOOK TRADE OF GERMANY. THE United States Consul at Breslau has prepared an interesting report on the condition and methods of the book trade in Germany, which is published in the last issue of Consular reports by the Department of State in Washington. The Consul says even in this changing age the organisation of the German book trade remains in principle what it has long been. The two main prin- ciples which make the trade as flourishing as it is are the fixed selling price and the right of the retailer to return unsold books. The first, combined with very long credits, is the solid basis of the existence of the small retail house, and has favoured the establishment of retailers every- where. There is in Germany one bookseller for every 5000 inhabitants, and the consequence of retail shops being found everywhere is that the German publisher spends little in advertising, for he sends out all his novelties on sale according to a system established with the retail trade, or special wishes of the retailers, which he leams by means of his inexpensive circulars. In no other trade is there so close an understanding cultivated as between the German bookseller and his educated customers. The retailer circulates all his new books amongst likely buyers, and they become better known than through advertise- ments. The retailer pays for all the books bought during the year at the Easter Fair of the following year. The discounts vary according to the class of book, from 25 per cent, on the selling price on scientific books to 40 and even 50 per cent, on juvenile literature, besides which eleven copies are sent for ten, or thirteen for a dozen. The enormous number of scientific books pub- lished in Germany, including pamphlets, can only be explained by the existence of the intelligent retailers all over the country. The legal organi- sation of the trade is the Verein in Leipsic, con- sisting of 2685 members, which lays down regula- tions for the members of the trade amongst themselves, and for them in their dealings with the public. Thus the maintenance of the selling price (5 per cent, being allowed for cash, periodi- cals excepted) is rigidly insisted on, and if the rule is broken it is adjudged by the Verein that publishers shall not supply the offender, or that they shall give him no credit or discount. Con- nected with this institution is a sort of publishers' and booksellers' clearing-house in Leipsic, by which the ordering by retailers and the keeping of accouni s between them and the publishers are facilitated and simplified, and the processes of ordering, packing, despatching, and paying are greatly cheapened. The system, which is a very old one, is described in detail by the Consul. It appears designed to prevent a great variety of petty expenditure, and to it, coupled with the fixed selling price and the long credit, he attri- butes the success of the trade in Germany.—■ Times, March 18. CORRECTIONS. THE power to correct proofs must certainly remain with the author. Otherwise there would be no sense in letting him have proofs. But, again, he cannot expect a free hand, or he might burden the book with a charge for corrections which would leave nothing over. The subject was treated in ZVte Author, vol. 4, p. 283. The information is repeated, because after three years there must be many members of our Society who have forgotten the very im- portant figures there presented. It is common for agreements of the profit- sharing kind (which so seldom lead to any profits) to contain a clause granting the author per- mission to correct to the extent of so much per sheet: "ten shillings, fifteen shillings, twenty shillings," as the case may be. It is never explained to the author what this allowance means, when the proofs are placed in his hands. Nor, should he begin to exceed the allowance, is he warned of his liabilities. We shall probably have to return to the danger of these liabilities next month by quoting a case in illustration. Now, what does this allowance of ios., or whatever it may be, per sheet, mean to the author? A printer charges " corrections " by the time they take. He charges at the rate of ia 2d. or 1*. id. an hour. How can an author correct work and time? In this way— 1. The substitution of one word for another takes about three or four minutes—say three minutes and a half. Therefore seventeen words can be changed in an hour, representing i*. 3d. So that an allowance of 20s. per sheet means the change of 272 words in a sheet, or seventeen words a page. 2. If, instead of a word, the author changes a phrase, making the line run over, causing the type to be shifted, perhaps, for a whole page to follow, then a single correction may cause an hour's work. The author must take great care not to correct in this careless manner. Let him be studious not to disturb the lines. A safe rule is to have duplicate proofs, and to enter the corrections on both proofs. In case of dispute the duplicate proof can be referred to. The best plan is to typewrite the whole, aud to treat the type-written copy as a first proof cor- rected for press. ## p. 281 (#337) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. NEW YORK LETTER. New York, March 16th, 1897. WIDE public interest has been attracted by a crusade, started a couple of weeks ago, against the two newspapers having the largest circulation in the United States. Some club or library led off by passing a resolution that the World and the Journal should not be kept on file in the reading-room, and the idea spread with remarkable rapidity until, in less than a fortnight, almost every important club in this city, besides libraries and other associations here and in the surrounding towns, have taken similar action, while on Saturday Yale started the move- ment among the colleges. It is a purely moral protest against the exploiting of indecency and sensationalism by flagrant pictures and lurid descriptions in the two papers which reach the largest number of the common people. A little earlier a Bill was introduced into the Legislature at Albany, by Mr. Ellsworth, making the publication of a picture of a person without his consent a ground for damages; a measure which was caused by some particularly heartless " illustrations," and some particularly vile ones. The result was rather unexpected. It might well have been anticipated that these papers would only rejoice in the notoriety they got from the Legislature and the clubs, and in the consequent increase of circula- tion j but they have apparently become frightened, for Sunday's editions of both of them were much less objectionable than usual, and the World has amused the community by coming out in support of the Ellsworth Bill. Probably it was the adver- tisers who called the halt. It might please more subscribers to raise as much protest as possible, but the big advertisers who support the news- papers—especially the 1 cent sheets, of which the selling price does not pay for the paper alone —know that they would be unfavourably affected by the disgust of decent men, emphasised by the scores of protests made within two weeks from the pulpit, from the clubs, the libraries, and the colleges. It was the advertisers who stopped the same papers from talking about the bad business outlook a short time ago. The publishers' advertisements are a rather interesting thing to watch, and if one has the knowledge necessary to make a few corrections in first conclusions, they give an excellent indication of the nature of the public which reads the various papers. During 1896 the Evening Post, which has the best book-reviews published in the country, printed 172,819 agate lines of publishers' advertisements, or 596 columns, which was 71 per cent, more than ap|>eared in any other daily newspaper in the United States in the same year, VOL. VII, and 25 per cent, more than was printed in all other New York evening papers together. The Sun, which comes second, has excellent book- reviews of its own limited kind, those on Sunday being mere abstracts, and those on week days elaborately jocose. It had in the neigh- bourhood of 100,000 lines, but it is to be remembered that neither it nor any of the other papers is so strict in price as the Post, which never offers the "special inducements" which are made to a considerable extent by all other principal papers here, with the possible exception of the Tribune. The Tribune, the most respectable organ of the Republican party, which is read by the better class of business men, published some- thing like 85,000 lines; the Times in the neighbourhood of 50,000; and not one of the sensational papers, although their circulations are many times as high, published anything worth mentioning in comparison with these amounts. The Evening Post broke the record for one day on Dec. 12 with forty-six and three-quarter columns of publishers' advertisements. The extent to which advertising is carried by the publishers has one drawback, as I believe, although there is a decided difference of opinion about the amount of effect which it has on the reviews. Certainly the papers which have the most publishers' advertisements are the strictest in their literary standards, but some which are desirous of gaining a reputation for literary excellence are made very gentle in handling all books, especially, perhaps, those of the largest publishers. The importance of publishers' advertisements as part of the business of American newspapers, also leads some of them into the temptation to review altogether too many books, which helps to lower the quality of the criticisms. It seems as if a number of the leading papers are afraid to throw any book into the waste-basket without at least a few lines of meaningless praise. Books of essays continue, it seems to me, to be the most interesting and the most significant class of books published just now. Even though ouc of them is the publication of an English house, the author of it is of so much importance in this country that it may not be improper to say something about it here. "The Will to Live," by Professor William James, is the work of a man who comes very close to being the most brilliant essayist we have; whose literary qualities are perhaps as distinguished as his philosophical powers. The papers which make up this volume deal with the border land of philosophy, most of them with almost prac- tical problems upon which philosophy throws light, especially with a defence of religion g a 2 ## p. 282 (#338) ############################################ 282 THE AUTHOR. against the too exaggerated claims of some scientific or pseudo-scientific critics, somewhat in the spirit of Mr. Balfour's books. The vigour and readiness of their style make them very noticeable from the purely literary point of view, and the author's powers of expression accounts for a large part of the deep influence which he had at Harvard University, especially among the abler students. The current joke about the two brothers is that Henry is too much of a psycho- logist to be a satisfactory novelist, and William too much of a literary man to be a satisfactory psychologist, is of course not intended to be taken seriously, but in suggesting the high degree of Professor James's literary power it carries a truth. Anyone who followed the reviews of his "Psychology" must have noticed that the most eminent philosophical authors were tempted to put special emphasis on the literary qualities of the book. I will quote only Mr. Bryce, who said in the Speaker, "In it metaphysics have again condescended to speak the language of polite letters, and learning has been wise enough to take wit for her companion." The influence which Professor James has at Harvard would be hard to overstate. It begets the love of miscellaneous experience which we are beginning to look upon as one thing that is shaping itself as part of the still unformed American character, and of which Walt Whitman is the prophet, but it is all tempered with the care of the scholar and the basis of calmness of the man of high social and artistic culture. Harper and Brothers have just arranged to bring out in their series of American essayists a volume of the work of a man who was not known in the literary world three years ago, and has now already stepped into a prominent place. Pro- fessor H. T. Peck, of Columbia College, the editor of the American Bookman, whose essays this volume is to contain, expects to have them ready for publication in the fall. The following sub- jects, which have already been treated in the Bookman, will show to some extent the trend of his thought: William Dean Howells, The Evolu- tion of a Mystic (Huysmans), The Migration of Popular Sons, The New Child and its Picture Books, American Feeling towards England, Presi- dent Cleveland (April Bookman). Other papers still to be written and appear in the volume are A great National Newspaper, George Moore, Marcel Prevost.The Progress of Fonetik Befawnn, and some few others. In this series a volume by T. W. Higginson has just been issued, and one by Mark Twain is in type. The latter will be much more generally know as an essayist after this volume has been published, as his critical work haw thus far appeared only in magazines. Professor George R. Carpenter has an interest- ing problem on his hands. He has been com- missioned to edit a volume of American prose, not including living authors. The first decision which he has made is that not more than thirty or thirty-five ought to appear in it, and the ques- tion of admission and exclusion is going to lead to a more systematic attempt to place some of our authors as regards their permanent literary im- portance than has yet been made. To take oni instance, few prose writers have been of more influence in New England than Margaret Fuller, and many would give her a prominent place in such a volume, yet Mr. Brander Matthews, whose recent volume on American literature has gone through five editions of 10,000 each, and who is, of course, one of the first authorities on American literature, would as certainly exclude her on the ground that she yvas only a personality and a journalist, which is true enough, although perhaps not conclusive; for the personality which affected such a large number of the leading New England thinkers of her day runs all through the half- dozen volumes of her work, which still have enough circulation to show that the influence is still at work. Morover, if representativeness counts for much, it would be difficult to find any- body in whom the transcendental spirit appears in more energetic and it might be said in cruder form; certainly no writer was ever more American or more New England than she. A score of questions like this will arise, including that of the place to be given to the Federalist writers, of course the most notable single group of authors we have ever had. Some of them, by the way, are treated popu- larly in an excellent volume just published by Thomas Y. Crowell iind Co., consisting of essays by Professor William P. Trent, called " Southern Statesmen of the Old Regime," including Wash- ington, Jefferson, Randolph, Calhoun, Stevens. Toombs, and Jefferson Davis. His judgment is that Jefferson is the most influential of all our statesmen, the one having the largest and most philosophical understanding. His point of view towards Jefferson Davis is particularly interesting, because it keeps a fair balance between the igno- rant Northern condemnation, and the equally ignorant Southern laudation and sentiment. He calls him: "An able and versatile man, a fairly typical representative of his people and their cause, a good man with thoroughly pure intentions;, a gentleman, and a wonderfully gallant soldier ^ a wonderfully misunderstood and ofttimes slandeifed and ill-treated man, and finally a statesman who, though he made many grave errors, was a failure not so much from his own lack of ability to govern as through the inherent weakness of the cause he ## p. 283 (#339) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 283 represented." Professor Trent is a little need- lessly controversial, but he has information and sanity enough to make this book on some of our most interesting men a valuable contribution. Frank A. Munsey has asked some of our leading writers of fiction to contribute to his magazine papers on their own favourite novelist. Mr. Howells will lead, but he refuses to be bound by the subject, and will treat several men. Mr. Matthews will come second, and discuss Thackeray, selecting as his favourite book one of the least known, which, perhaps, it would be unfair to mention yet; and Mr. Howells happens to agree with him in thinking that this little-read book is Thackeray's best. Last month I spoke of Mr. Jaccaci's going to McClure's. Frank N. Doubleday, who, as pub- lisher, has had much to do with the building-up of Charles Scribner's Sons' business, has also gone to the same firm, which, in the fall, will begin the publication of books, and probably soon carry it on on a large scale. Mr. McClure has just engaged Stephen Crane to go to Greece to report the war—if there is any —for McClure's Magazine, and if there is not, to describe the situation. Mr. Crane had started for Cuba for the Journal, but was unable to get further than Florida. The idea that imagination and literary power is needed to report important public events is growing, and Mr. Crane's work in fiction is, of course, just the kind which makes this experiment a promising one. Norman Hapgood. NOTES PROM ELSEWHERE. St. Ives, Cornwall. ISEE that the Authors' message to the King of the Creeks has been ridiculed in certain quarters. The King of the Greeks is the true friend of literary folks, and, were it on this ground alone, has a claim on our sympathy and admiration. I wish I had a fraction of the twenty drachmae pieces which in his time he has bestowed upon needy homines de lettres in Paris. I knew one poor old fellow—a ruined Polish nobleman who used to sit in the Cafe de la Paix writing pamphlets—who counted on the King for a regular source of income. He was certain of his twenty francs every time H.M. came to Paris, and when desiring anything particularly which he could not afford at the time, would put it off " till King George comes." This old Polish nobleman—since dead of star- vation—had a method of his own of placing his literary wares, which consisted of four-page pamphlets, marked " price one franc." He used to send copies by unfranked letter-post to all the princes and potentates under the sun, with the words " I am starving" (which was strictly true) written on a piece of letter-paper. He sent away hundreds of these missives every month, to digni- taries as diverse as the Pope of Rome and the Emperor of China. Once when I pointed out to him that his letters could certainly never reach the kings and emperors to whom he addressed them, he answered: "Well, supposing the letter only falls into the hands of the man who sweeps down the Emperor's front steps, he is sure to be a marquis at least, and a marquis is quite as good for my purpose as the patron." A new French novelist of whom I am hearing much good spoken is M. Emile Pouvillon. His latest novel is called "L'Image." M. Armaud Silvestre, who is certainly one of our best literary critics, speaks of him as follows: "'L'Iniage' ne saurait qu'augmenter la renoinmce si legitiniement conquise par cet ecrivain, d'une saveur meridionale si intense dans une formule du francais le plus noble et le plus pur. La personalitc littcraire de Pouvillon et sa reelle originalitc sont dans l'intiinitc du detail toujours merveilleusement decrit, et dans la subtilite d'une psychologie toujours ingenieuse." M. Pouvillon has been writing for some years, apparently without succeeding in " imposing his literary per- sonality," an injustice of circumstances to which I am glad to call attention. Speaking of new books and new editions, I would recommend anyone who delights in humour and would be interested to read about life in a French barracks, to invest in Georges Courte- line's " Vie de Caserne," published by the Edition Nationale, with illustrations by Dupray. It is a splendid book, diverting in the extreme; a typographical and artistic triumph. Courteline is a writer who, although he has suffered bitterly from life, always writes of life in its pleasantest aspects. As such he is particularly appreciated by those of us who, finding life indeed cruel and sad, wish in our diversions to forget this circumstance awhile. Why is it, by the way, that whilst the men who write cheerfully about life are usually the men who have suffered, the pessimists almost in- variably are men who, by their tastes and in- stincts, draw a maximum of enjoyment — sensual in the main—out of the existence which they so persistently decry? For my part, I have made up my mind to put sugar in my tea in the future. No more bitter draughts for me of my own composition. Life forces enough of those down one's throat. Squeers was quite right when he insisted that ## p. 284 (#340) ############################################ 284- THE AUTHOR. "cheerfulness and good spirits must be kept up." One can get all the gloomy ■ exposure that one requires of the baseness and egotism of mankind without reading the pessimists of fiction and fact. Only the other day I came across an instance of these qualities, which exceeds anything that Maupassant ever imagined. Some years ago a German vessel was wrecked on the coast of Cornwall. The crew were all saved, but for many days the ship's cook, who had been nearly drowned in the surf as he was being dragged ashore, lay between life and death in a cottage by the sea, to which he had been earned for dead after the wreck. The man who kept the cottage attended to him night and day with the greatest kindness, providing him with the diet, stimulants, and restoratives which had been ordered by the doctor. When he was asked for his bill he made out a list of charges, which barely covered his out-of-pocket expenses, amount- ing in all to ^£5. When the captain saw the total he grew very angry, and at first refused to pay it, remarking, "This is a bad job for me. It would have been very much better for me if the fellow had been drowned." "And he meant it too," said the cottager, who told me this story one beautiful morning last week As we stood in an idyllic garden in one of the fairest scenes in England. Again, only yesterday, I heard that some fisher- men whose boat was run into and sunk by a foreign barque, refused to take refuge on this vessel, and remained in the water for hours until they were picked up by another lugger of the fishing fleet, because they feared that the foreigners might murder them in order to get rid of the witnesses who could testify .against them in a claim for compensation by the owner of the fishing smack. I defy any professional pessimist to invent two human documents more sad than these. Readers of The Author who possess French dictionaries should write in, in their proper places, the following words: Incuriosite (want of curiosity), UnicitS (oneness), Papillonnage (butterflying, flirtation), Febrilite (a state of feverishness), Inentamee (not broken in upon), Mondial (a variation of mondain). At least, such readers as read Bourget, in whose novel "L'Idylie tragiq ue," the above neologisms, amongst others, are to be met with. If not of the Academy, these words are at least of the Academician, Bourget to wit, and such is Bourget's influence that already they pass as current coin. It is a pity we have no coiner of wrords of some autho- rity in England, for there are many words lacking in our tongue. One word, for instance, is wanting to describe those men of letters whose work consists in embroidering on tissues of reported fact, and who cannot be described purely and simply as novelists, for that terra implies imagination and invention. It is just possible that, for want of buildings, the two annual Salons will not be held in Paris either next year or in 1899, the Palace de l'lndustrie and the Pavilion des Arts Libcraux, in which respectively the Salon des Champs- Elysces and the Salon du Champ de Mars have been held, having to come down in view of the Exhibition of 1900. This prospect is most cheer- ing to those newspaper correspondents whose routine duty it is to describe these exhibitions and to criticise the pictures. I have "done" the Salons for more than ten years, and have come to look forward with holy horror to May ("May month" we say in Cornwall). The fatigue of inspecting so many thousand canvases is no light one. Headache is a certain perquisite; the monotony of art, whose development is so lamentably slow, is depressing in the extreme; and the obligation under which one labours of writing only of "arrived" painters, the public in general earing nothing for new men, is revolt- ing to one's sense of justice. We shall all be very glad of a rest. It is proposed, by the way, that in future the Salons shall only be held triennially, but it is too much to hope to see that carried into effect. In speaking of St. Ives from a literary point of view last month, I was guilty of several omissions. To begin with, I ought to have mentioned that there is an old lady here who knew Charles Kingsley as a boy, and can talk for hours about him. I should also have referred to Mr. Herbert Thomas, editor of the Camborne Post, who is the author of many striking ballads on Cornish men and matters. We have also here Dr. Havelock Ellis—at this moment he is writing in a log- cabin adjacent to the one in which I am writing —who has realised an ideal literary life. I ought, further, to have referred to Mr. H. D. Lowry, the novelist. Since I have been in Cornwall my appreciation of his work has greatly increased, and I look confidently to his future. He has a splendid field, and is an excellent workman. I hope that next month I shall be able, as a variation, to write a letter on German literary matters, having it in mind to ship to Hamburg, and thence south to see the spring on the Bavarian Highlands, taking Berlin and Munich on the way. Robert H. Shebabd. ## p. 285 (#341) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 285 NOTES AND NEWS. ALETTER from Sir John Lubbock points out that the opening sentences of his speech at the dinner are omitted in the report. This omission is very much to be lamented. The printers maintain that they left out nothing of the "copy" placed in their hands. The MS. was sent by the secretary as he received it from the reporters to the printing office. We can only offer our apologies to our distinguished chairman. I call very serious attention to the extract from the Times of March 18th, on the book trade in Germany. Compare it with our own: 1. In Germany books are sent out on sale or return. 2. Here they are not. Every book remaining on a bookseller's shelves is a failure and loss. 3. The discounts vary from 25 per cent, on the selling price of scientific books, to 40 or 50 per cent, on juvenile literature, besides which eleven copies are sent as ten, or thirteen as twelve, with 5 per cent, for cash. 4. Here the 4*. 6d. book is sold in single copies at 4«. or 4*. 2d. a copy, with a discount which reduces it to about 3*-. 90?., and thirteen as twelve. Publishers sell for less to distributing agencies at about 38. 5*/., making their average as near as possible 3*. 6d. The booksellers cannot, as a rule, afford to order twelve copies of the same book, or twelve copies of books published by the same publisher. 5. In Germany there is one bookseller to 5000 people. 6. Here the booksellers have declined by, it is said, 70 per cent. 7. In Germany a fixed price is the rule. 8. Here a fixed discount of 25 per cent, to the public is the rule, in towns at least. 9. In Germany the bookseller's shop is the place of resort of all the educated classes. There are exposed to view the whole of the new books at all likely to appeal to general readers. 10. Here no one in the country can see the new books at all; they are not exhibited—in other words, they are not published. It is certainly not publication, in any sense of the word, to print a book, advertise it, and order a traveller to mention it. The public want to see the books. Except in a very few shops the new books are not ordered, or exhibited, or offered, nor do the people go to the bookseller's shop to see them. In a word, the English system has killed 70 jjer cent, of the English booksellers; it is rapidly killing the remainder. In the interests of our property caunot the Society take steps to save the man who sells — the man without whom literature could not exist? The following is au extract from the New York Critic. The honour of this invention for trading on the folly and the vanity of people is, however, our owu. It is now some three years since the method was brought to light, and duly honoured in the pages of The Author :— "The literary aspirant would seem to be the victim of more than one scheme. One of my readers sends me a letter which he has received from the publisher of a periodical. A reader of this column would naturally be too intelligent a person to be the victim of a wily publisher; but there are those who might easily fall into his toils. This is the circular letter that my correspondent received: In reply to your answer to advt. of 'Author,' in Sunday's Herald, would say the plans are about perfected for the issuance of a new magazine of stories, entitled ■ , and to whose columns we cordially invite you to contribute. We offer the following proposition: We will print your story (if accepted) on condition that the same is offered as a free contribution to our columns, and that, in addition thereto, you are willing to purchase, and pay for on delivery, at least 200 copies of magazine, at the rate of 5 cents a copy, or we will mail them from this office to any addresses you may furnish. This will bring your name as a magazine writer direct to the attention of your friends, together with the opportunity of submitting to publica- tions of a more pretentious character already published contributions of which you are the author. Thus, yon see, we offer you an opportunity for placing yourself prominently in the field as a recognised writer of fiction, which will eventually yield returns of a satisfactory pecuniary character. We have our own printing plant and presses, and you are respectfully requested to advise us at your earliest conve- nience whether or not you desire to place your manuscript (under the above conditions) in the hands of our reader for approval or rejection. The magazine will enter the field as a competitor of The Black Cat and similar publications, but will be of a purely literary character, the space devoted to the insertion of advertising matter being very limited. "The generosity of this offer will no doubt appeal to a large audience, for there are those who would rather see themselves in print without pay than not see themselves in print at all. Against the expense of 200 copies at 5 cents each they would not protest, for what is 200 times 5 cents against the glory of being an author r But you may be sure of one thing— that they would not send a copy of the paper to anyone who, they had reason to think, had received one of these circulars." Does poetry pay? I find a contribution to the literature of this subject in au American paper. "Ballad the Bard," a poet from Iowa, who is, I ## p. 286 (#342) ############################################ 286 THE AUTHOR. suppose, known to all the world excejjt myself, is announced as being about to appear at a certain theatre: he will recite his own poems first, and will rub them in, or lecture upon them, afterwards. I think the line ought to be drawn after the recitation. Certainly in this country poets do not as a rule dare to ask people to listen while they recite their verses. But to expect them, in addition, to listen to a lecture upon them—No : it would be too much, much too much. However, that is what "Ballad the Bard" is doing at this moment. The paragraph goes on to say that the poet has written 44,678 lines of verse. "But," it is added, "even production on this enormous scale has never paid him well, and he has to carry on a farm to make a living." Is there any " proper" length that can be laid down for a story? The length which is accept- able to editors first, and suits book form next, is the " proper " length. A contributor to this issue thinks that, for a first effort, the length should not exceed 30,000 words: and he finds a good many published works of that length. On the other hand, the short stories, for which there is now so large a demand, are not allowed to exceed 4000 words in the weekly magazines which want them. I think that a young writer should not tie himself down to any fixed length in planning and constructing his story, but should consider nothing but the natural development of the plot and the dramatic situations which it allows. When he comes to offer his work for publication he can then alter, correct, or add in order to bring it within the limits wanted. If we consider the reader, a length of only 30,000 words is much too limited, if the story is good. In that case, indeed, one cannot have too much of it. Dickens carried on his novels to something like 400,000 words, and nobody complained: but perhaps the public would resent such a demand upon their attention from his successors. The three-volume novel, which critics continually likened, with as much originality as truth, unto the bed of Procrustes, actually varied from 90,000 words to 250,000 words. The present popular six-shilling novel varies from 60,000 to 200,000 words. I think that the little booklet of 30,000 words has had its day. At all events, let us hope so. To sit down to a really admirable story—one remembers several excellent stories which appeared in that form—and to see it thrown away on a little thing that could be read in an hour, was a terrible waste : all the more when the story, as happened in the case of one writer at least, was full of gocd things, epigrams—un- expected "strokes," as the old writers called them. The following letter received by an editor has come into my hands. It requires no comment: anything that could be said is obvious:— Dkab Sir,—This morning I had the pleasure of reading a notice of my little book of" . . ," taken from last Tuesday's . It is qnite a flattering review; and very comforting to a man who is starving. The kind-hearted reviewer says he envies me my temperament, but I feel sure he would not have envied me my lot during the last few months—it has literally been a time of starvation for me. Briefly, here is my history. I began to work in the minfs before attaining my ninth birthday. At an early age—in my nineteenth year—I married, and later developed a taste for literature, mainly reading. At twenty-two I left the pits to work in a boiler-factory, and presently I began to scribble verses in my spare time. After a while I tried my hands at prose, and by the time I was twenty-four or five one or two of my contributions were accepted for a London periodical, that in which Stevenson's "Treasure Island" first appeared. I made steady progress, taking infinate pains to make my work readable. I had everything to learn, and spelling was fearfully difficult, but ere long I had the satisfaction of receiving a few shillings nearly every week for some little story, article, or a set of verses. During 1895 I nearly made a living by journalistic work, earning an average of a little over £1 per week. My work appered in various publications, and I worked very hard in the hope of doing better, but my health failed. However, I continued to do my best, bnt my prose work was not very successful. I wrote one novel, which brought me in a munificent (?) £16 1 os. The" . . "are a selection of some eighty pieces from several hundred which have been previously published —mostly in ... At present, though able to do good work, I can hardly get a story, an article or a set of verses accepted. I have received a letter from a member of the Society in which he shows a strong jealousy of publishers' readers. I have persuaded him to withdraw the letter, and 1 only refer to it in order to call attention to the fact that such prejudice exists. The writer says that readers are all authors: that they are jealous of all other authors: and that their jealousy will not allow them to give an unbiassed judgment. Perhaps this prejudice may exist in other minds. There- fore, let us consider the facts. First of all, pub- bshers' advisers are not all authors: many of them are, it is true. I know certain firms where no book is accepted until one of the partners himself has read it. Next, we must always remember that publishers are men of business. They publish books in order to make money, like any other men of business. There are no senti- mental considerations at all about them. If, therefore, this man of business discovers that the reader whom he pays for advising him as to the pecuniary value of a work has begun to advise him in accordance with private spite and malice, he would very soon make short work of that reader. But, it may be urged, a reader may strongly advise against a work, thinking that he ## p. 287 (#343) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 287 is doing this honestly, and deceived by his own prejudices. When that work was produced else- where successfully, confidence in that reader would certainly be lowered or altogether lost. It is true that readers make mistakes: who does not? It is true that every publisher can point to excellent work being rejected. It is also true that many MSS. lie on the border line: it is unlikely that they will succeed, and a reader hesi- tates to recommend his firm to a probable loss. They go elsewhere. For some reason they have a run. One must not blame a reader for hesitation over an uncertain MS. In a word, I do not believe that authors as a rule have any cause of com- plaint against readers; while there are readers who possess a sort of instinct which tells them whether a MS. will succeed or not. I believe it is the fact that the late Mr. George Bentley, who at one time published nothing that he had not read, never made a mistake in his estimate of a book. Walter Besant. SOME VOLUMES OF VERSE. WE have before us several volumes of verse by writers chiefly new. As is the custom of The Author, which, for obvious reasons, cannot criticise the works of the members of the Society, we will allow every one of these young poets to recite a poem of his or her own making. The first is a book (Elliot Stock) called " Meetings and Partings, with other Verses and Translations," by E. C. Ricketts (Cornelia Wallace), author of "Flowers: A Fantasy," and " Mountain Monarchs." The following is a translation of Sully Prud- homme's lines, beginning "Vous qui m'aiderez dans mon agonie ": Ye who will aid me in my dying hour. Utter no word. To speed my flight sweet strains alone have power; Let such be heard. Music can sooth, enchant, and loosen ties To things below. Speak not, I pray you, but in kinder wise, Ah! lull my woe. 1 tire of words—vain words that only tend Truth to conceal: Better are sounds I need not comprehend, Their voice I feel. My soul shall plunge in melody's full streams Till her last breath; Then float from soft delirium to dreams, From dreams to death. The second book before us is "The History of a Soul," by Kathleen Bebenna (Digby, Long). It is dedicated to Philip Bourke Marston, " whose wondrous life hath been revealed to her whchn I call Idriss." The soul passes from one existence to another. The soul is none other than Philip Bourke Mar- ston, whose history, revealed to " Idriss," has been versified by Kathleen Behenna. At its first per- fect birth, the soul was known as Heliobas; next as Rameses II.; thirdly, as Homer; fourthly, as Mithradates VI.; then followed a period in Hell; afterwards it became Omar I., Caliph of Persia; after this, Geoffrey L'Estrange of France; lastly as Philip Bourke Marston. It will be seen that this was a soul singularly favoured, and with very long intervals between the incarna- tions. Let us take a passage from the sojourn in Hell: Within this deep and vast expanse of night, Where no sun sheds its glorious beaming light; No light of moon, or aught but faint pale star— The circling earth which shineth from afar. To this I fell from my soul's perfect birth Far lower then than mortals of the earth: And there I met far sadder sights, I ween, Than even Dante's eye hath ever seen. O God of Love, how great Thou art in might! "Leaves in the Wind," by Anthony C. Deane (Elliot Stock) is a little volume of a lighter kind. Here is an example, called "Yuletide Reflec- tions ": Bright in many coloured binding, Here they lie a goodly row! Now we may rejoice at finding Tales of ice and misletoe. How the wise lived " ever after "; How the fool his folly saw, Scenes of honest mirth and laughter, Such as Dickens loved to draw. What? You think so? How belated Is your knowledge, if you look For romances antiquated In a modern "Christmas book "! Bather hail the newer fashion, Pitiably the hero's died, And tho heroine's hopeless passion Ends, of course, in suicide. Genial writers of the present, Always we reoeive from you, Tales designedly unpleasant— Men that don't and maids that do. Gloomy screeds with gloomy morals, Dirty scenes of dirty slums, Stories of domestic quarrels, You provide, when Christmas comes. Though sincere in your persuasion That the world's an idle show, Could you not—for this occasion— Let your pessimism go '< Though your dullful view encumbers Every modern novel's theme, "Tell us not in "—Christmas—-numbers Life is but an empty dream "! ## p. 288 (#344) ############################################ 288 THE AUTHOR. 14 Poems of a Naturalist" (Chiswick Press) by Marcus S. C Rickards. Here is a short poem called " Life on the Wane ": My friends are like the flowers That grace the sunny hours: Death is the blight whose shade Doth mar them till they fade. Ah! what a bevy did adorn The plot where one dies every morn. My heart is like a field Of trees with golden yield: Death is the gale whose force Doth Btrip, without remorse, The fruit of each arboreal type That should have smiled till fully ripe. My life is but the gloom That silvery stars illume: Yet, Bwift as hurrying clouds, Death one by one enshrouds: And soon—how soon! I shall be left 'Mid darkness, of their light bereft. But courage! coming spring Steals back on flowery wing, Fresh summer bids the root Breed new maturing fruit. And never midnight held dark sway That issued not in golden day. ■>•<——■ EDITOR AND CONTRIBUTOR. AS the question of the responsibility of editors in the matter of unsolicited manuscripts is at present being warmly discussed in literary circles, will you allow me space in your columns for the following remarks: Some time ago I sent my first contribution to a magazine of the highest standing, and received from the editor a very courteous acknowledge- ment, and a cheque for twenty guineas. Since then I have contributed articles to another high-class magaziue, and as I am not personally acquainted with the editor or any member of the staff of any magazine in England, I may, without presumption, conclude that my contributions are published on their merits and have a certain marketable value. On the 16th of November last I sent an article to a high-priced magazine (which for the moment I prefer not to name, as possibly the editor may, after reading this, consider that he owes me an an explanation either through your columns or otherwise). My manuscript was registered, my name and address were written most legibly on it, and postage stamps were enclosed for its return in case of rejection. It is now more thaji three months since I sent that article, and as it con- tained information which was then new, but is now no longer new, my article has deteriorated in value. Since I sent it I have written three times to the editor (not bellicose or threatening, but polite and courteous letters) and have even enclosed a stamped addressed envelope, but cannot get him either to return my MS. or to say if he intends to accept it. As I live out of England, I have never seen a copy of his magazine, and therefore do not know what are his rules as to unsolicited manuscripts; but I have always considered that the office of a magazine was an open market for literary contri- bution, and that an author could with as much confidence send his literary goods to the editor, as a farmer could send his horse unsolicited to Mr. Tattersall's stables, without fear of its being appropriated or destroyed. The editor of that magazine has not only kept or destroyed my article, which I at least consider of value, but he has also kept the $\d. in postage stamps which I sent him ; and if he has received 1500 MSS. within the year (as the editor of the Windsor has), and if each author has sent him the same amount in postage stamps that I have sent, he has realised from this source alone the goodly sum of =£28 2*. 6d. One of the correspondents of the Bookman (which has opened its columns to a discussion on the question of unsolicited manuscripts) com- pares a magazine article sent to an editor to a sample of goods sent by a tradesman. This is incorrect. If a few paragraphs of the article, or an entire article which had already been published by the same author, were sent, it would be a sample of his style, but the article itself is no more a sample than is the horse sent to Mr. Tattersall's a sample of the horses the farmer may have on his farm. It is a marketable article to be bought, or to be returned to its owner, who has not only consigned his goods, in all con- fidence, to a registered dealer in literary goods, but has paid for the return of those goods if found unsuitable to the requirements of that par- ticular dealer; and the article sent should be returned quickly, before the opportune moment for its appearance in another magazine should have passed. The editor is no more justified in holding it until "out of season" than would a seed merchant, whose store might be too full, be justified in accepting from a confiding nursery gardener seeds in the spring and returning thein in the winter when the season for their sale had passed. If be were himself too busy to return at once the surplus goods, he should employ a sufficient number of hands to do so, otherwise his establishment is badly and dishonestly con- ducted; and it would be well if he bore in mind that, though now he is very flourishing, his stores ## p. 289 (#345) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 289 may some day be empty, and he may be very glad to receive unsolicited goods. But will the badly treated gardener send them in? As to the legal question of the responsibility of editors I am not qualified to offer an opinion; but if a horse dealer were to paint on his gate that he would not be responsible for unsolicited horses, and if that dealer were to appropriate or destroy any one of those horses, especially if sufficient money were sent with it to defray the expenses of its return, would any Judge in England hold him blameless? A few months ago I received a parcel from England, and a French custom-house incorrectly charged duty on it. I reclaimed the amount. The custom-house official to whom I wrote replied (his letter was unstamped, and I had to pay double postage), acknowledging that the charge was wrongfully made, but stating that it was contrary to the rules to refund the money. Doubtless it was contrary to his rules, but what right has anyone to make unto himself rules which are not in accordance with the rules of equity 'i I do not know what are the rules of the magazine to which I sent my last article, but I consider that the editor has acted even worse than that custom-house official, for, while he kept only the wrongfully charged duty, the editor has kept or destroyed my goods, and appropriated my money. Let him be charged by any twelve of his peers, and if they are honest English gentlemen as well as magazine editors, he will not be acquitted. March, 1897. Bartle Teeling. "STORIES WANTED." [all eights reserved.] IHAVE just concluded the painful experience of reading through (professionally) a few dozen of the effusions which are attracted by an advertisement to the above effect. I think, although I am no notable critic, that I might almost be in a position to render service to beginners by pointing out their faults. Let me say at once that I also am a lieginner, although a beginner of some years now, and one who has arrived at being able to live on his work. I "read " with no cut-and-dried didacticism, but conscientiously, sympathetically, and with rever- ence. That reverence is tempered with the scepti- cism of the war-worn who has learnt to translate "genius" by " oof." Priino, then, regretfully I urge it, do not let the contempt of the heaven-born drive you to overlooking paltry mechanical details in sublime reliance on the genius of the whole. A reader is, in one form or another, always paid for his work; an editor, if he reads, pays himself iu time. It is not unfair to say that, as a rule, short stories are put out for judgment at so much the dozen. Now, in all forms of work, you come sooner or later to give as little as you can for your money; and the most conscientious critic is liable to weariness and to shirking, and to saying to himself as he chucks the manuscript aside, " After all, what matter if I pass over one good thing in a dozen F No one will ever know, and / get paid just the same." Therefore, my fellow-novice, don't give him the chance of rejecting you perfunctorily by exact- ing too much from his mental concentration; let the form at least l>c perfect, so that, if there is a soul within, it may shine out by itself. Hiding your light under a bushel may be an excellent motto in morality; but hiding your talent under a napkin of illegible manuscript is decidedly injudicious for success. Some critics, too, hate you of malice prepense, and dub your careless- ness snobbery. To carry out this first counsel observe these elementary rules. Punctuate ; punctuate properlv, make a study of punctuation and of paragraphs. Half a good style depends on the judicious choice of stops, the psychological beginning of a new paragraph. Never, if you can help it, have a whole page of your MS. unbroken; it appalls the reader even in typo. And, ladies especially—with apology—l>e more generous with theeommas; do not despise the useful semi-colon; and come down royally with full stops. Once grasp the impor- tance of the colon and stop, and you will have made the first step towards the deletion of that persistent, that maddening, that irrefugible And. Taboo "and"; turn round on " and"; shun as you would the plague that irrepressible "and." "And" damns more stories than even bad writing ; sixteen "ands" in one paragraph, without so much as a comma between them, is the limit at which the reader's hair turns grey and his furniture is demolished. Next, as to writing. Here and there a man has a legible and characteristic hand, which permits his meaning to be grasped by the usual cursory glance down the page; but women — never. Ladies may form their letters perfectly legibly, although I have rarely come across one who differentiates her u's and n's; but almost invari- ably thev fill up all the white of the virgin sheet with tlreir largeness, or their flourishes, or their bold t's and lengthened y's, until the weary eye sees nothing but an indecipherable mass of hieroglyphics. Writing does not consist in well- ## p. 290 (#346) ############################################ 290 THE AUTHOR. formed letters; that is the mere rudiment of the art. Good writing should allow an equal distri- bution of the black and the white by distinct spaces between each word, and distinct " leads" between each line; if your y above inns into your 1 below, the effect is ruined. Therefore I advise all ladies whose ambition soars beyond certain family and Christian publications at 5*. or 1 os. a thousand, to get their things typed. If they are making a business, or at least a permanent pleasure, of writing, they would do well to invest in a typer of their own. I know well the appalling expense of the thing; I know well the beautiful faith in one's own caligraphy, and have never used one myself. But that is because I have managed to make a start without one, and at the beginning wrote a minute and careful hand; nor are all of us built with the necessary objeetive- ness and patience to convey our thoughts by machine. None the less I think it a useful in- vestment in more ways than one—you cannot see the glaring faults of your style and punctuation in manuscript; and, after all, the "latest im- provements" are not necessary to you who have time to fill—there is a most handy, if slow, little machine at ,£3 3*., the price of typing about a dozen tales. Resume, then—get your stuff typed. Another elementary precaution .is in the way you put up your MS. Do not, unless you go to the expense of having your type bound in book form (and then it must be thick), do not fasten it down the side ; fasten it at the corner only. If you write a small, neat hand, use lined sermon- paper of half foolscap size; if a large, sprawling hand, used unlined foolscap with a ruled margin. In all cases, in my opinion, the facility of reading is greatly increased by a piece of cardboard at the back—but the back only; your critic loves his easy chair and pipe, and unstiffened dinisy is difficult to hold straight in one hand. To say write on one side of the paper only is, I think, unnecessary; no one makes the other mistake now. For a long MS., tape is better than a paper fastener; but do not fix up much more than 100 pages together, or it becomes unwieldy. Finally, in the case of a long story divided in several lots of MS., do for your own sake prefix each with a blank page marked with title, number of lot, and name, or if in many separate chapters jot down the title in the corner, and on the first title- page make a note of how many lots there are in^ all; otherwise in a trayful of MSS. scattered over the floor you are very apt to have a part mis- laid, or interrupt you» critic's reading, r The last, and almost most important, item to lie considered in your format is the length. What is the good of sending up a story of 7000 or Sooo words? Do you ever come across such a one in the popular journals at which you are pre- sumably aiming? A beginner should endeavour to keep himself—or herself—between 2000 and 4000 words; four columns of Tit-Bits, for instance, is about 3000 words; four pages of the Strand makes about 3700. And as it is the hardest thing possible to write a genuine story in less than 5000 words, the beginner would do very well, even if he or she has been beginning for many years, to break off "right now," and devote some months to the arduous but splendid exercise of concentration. It teaches you many things, things as yet undreamt of in your philosophy. For apart from helping you to slough your article of subjectiveness and verbosity, you learn in the process that your chosen calling is not after all the easiest one in the world which any " genius " can put his hand to from the word Go. On the contrary, it is almost as hard in its technicalities as painting; and that, and that only, is why after all it pays so excellently well. Do you think a man can fix his tariff at ,£5, £10, £20 a thousand words through mere luck, favour, or logrolling? And yet this means, for the laziest and least ambitious, a comfortable bachelor income of, say, £400 a year: twenty tales, only four months work to the slowest, placed in the hands of your agent, and the tariff autocratically fixed! Of course, there are, as there always have been, and in every trade, a few brains endowed with that rapid power of cram called genius, or favoured with an exceptional environment, supported by an exceptional popu- larity or tact, which gives them the first offer and a fictitious momentum when it is profited by; but rest assured that the rule is, as with paintiij0^ as with music—work, work, and hard work! If your discursiveness cannot be bound—and I, 'iff not us, suffer from that complaint, and have not mastered the lucrative short story yet—then cast yourself despairingly into the wordy, hopeless novel. It will take you at least five times as many years to draw from it the pay you could get with the same work out of short stories, but it is a more magnificent prize when you "get there"; and of course, if you desire that mere paltrjf. phantom called Fame, a well-bound novel is Jlftiething to display to your friends. You should fix as your limits for the novel from 50,000 to 70,000 words, but there is a wide market nowadays in the i*. 6</. "libraries" for^ short stories expanded to from 30,900 to 50,000 words. If you are about to make a new attempt, without suocjss yet to guide you, start in on a 30,000 tale: if you cannot reduce it to 3000 you can " easily" expand it to 30,000. And for the f>.i. novel, do not yet unlock the flood- ## p. 291 (#347) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 291 gates of six figures; remember that the longer it is the more it costs to print, and that you must be a very big man before many publishers will set up your 150,000—and pay you for it. In a subsequent article I shall offer some comments on the substance of one's work: the relative importance of dialogue, plot, description, and moralisings, and the vitalness of the opening chapter. It is a matter which I shall approach with extreme diffidence. M . CORRESPONDENCE. I. — The Subjunctive Mood: Its Present Day Use. 1. IN Dr. Sweet's "New English Grammar," Part I., p. 193, I find: "The subjunctive is very little used, even in the educated form of spoken English, and in vulgar speech it disappears entirely." The question as to the use of the subjunctive mood lias been much complicated by the pre- valent superstition that certain forms of expres- sion are, for some mysterious reason, to be authoritatively considered as "correct," without any hint or definition as to what the controlling authority really is. The truth is that many English people judge their own language by a Latin standard. Latin is a dead language, in the sense that it is now immutable, and its laws of syntax admit of no further alteration. It therefore affords no guide whatever for the usages of a living language such as English, which gives proofs of its vitality by its ceaseless changes in vocabulary, in usage, and even in syntax. Historically, the verb to wear is weak, and the past tense was, for a long time, icered (as it used to be spelt); but such a usage is dead and buried, and the expression "he u eared a hat on his head" would now be ridicu- lous. In like manner, the use of the subjunctive mood is fast dying, and will soon cease, except in cases where the author wishes to call attention to the form of his sentence; as, for example, for the purpose of emphasis. That is, practically, the sole use of it at present. It is in place when- ever we are quoting, or imitating, or suggesting the style of writers of a previous period; but when we are really using the language of the present day it is much better to let it alone, unless there is a strong reason for being em- phatic. Yet there is no objection to such a sen- tence as the following: "If it were not for the guarantee of Europe, we should have little hope of security." For the fact is that, in this case, the whole phrase "if it were not" is what has happily been denominated a "petrified" phrase, a form which, from long custom, has become familiar to us, and does not strike us as un- usual. The true rule for pronunciation is this: be careful to pronounce words like the majority of your educated neighbours, if you wish to avoid being laughed at; and remember that pronuncia- tion is subject to frequent changes. And the true rule for syntax is like unto it: construct sentences like those commonly used by the most approved authors of the present day, if you wish to be intelligible; but in this case some archaisms are permitted, amongst which such petrified phrases as "if it be" and "it' it were " may be included, because they are still in occasional use, even in the spoken language. But, except in such phrases, there is really no point in pretend- ing that the subjunctive mood is alive. The sen- tence "Whether she possesses the means of realising it or not" is thoroughly sanctioned by the daily usage of the best speakers, and the forcible change (for such it really is) of possesses to possess can only be justified by the wish to impart emphasis or solemnity to the supposition, which is effected, to a certain degree, by the inversion of the sentence, i.e., by introducing the supposition at the beginning of it. To utter such a sentence as " 1 will give her a new hat, whether she want one or not," would surely be somewhat ridiculous, though it is quite "correct" in the dialect of East Anglia. Walter W. Skeat. 11. If I were able and willing (which I am not) to publish a complete grammar dealing with all points of English diction, there certainly would be a chapter in it dealing with the subjunctive case. So that the use of the subjunctive is not a case of certainty or doubt—there is no doubt at all in the above sentence. Yet there is a factor which prevents one using the form " if I was able and willing." To determine the use of the sub- junctive in modern English we have, I think, only to examine closely several such sentences, and analyse the mental feelings which give rise to them. The sentence quoted from the Times: "If Greece is incapable and unfitted to undertake the task," in reality expresses quite a different feeling or idea from " If Greece be incapable and unfittec%to undertake the task," and this, again, is different from " If Greece were incapable." A close consideration of the varying under- lying ideas, which I have had to make in ## p. 292 (#348) ############################################ 292 THE AUTHOR. endeavouring pictorially to explain the subjunc- tives of French, German, and modern Greek, has, 1 think, given a clue which your correspon- dent Howard Collins may possibly find reasonable and useful. It is dependent upon the shaq) distinction between objective and subjective expressions; the first express outward facts, and the second inward thoughts about outward facts—for instance, "Greece is a country on the Mediterranean," and "J think that Greeks are a brave nation." Now, although a sharp distinction may be drawn between sentences of the first class, such as "an engine draws a train," and the second, "I hope my moaning is dear," as being the one an expression of outward perception and the other of inward feeling, yet, nevertheless, any expression of outward or objective fact may be made inward or subjective by the alteration of its terms, such as "I hope that the engine is .strong enough," or "If the engine were strong enough the train would go 100 miles an hour." This being so, there is still a third point to notice, namely, that any future event is proble- matical by its very nature, and "the engine will draw the train" only provided many jwssible things—if the boiler does not burst, if the line is clear, if the driver turns on steam, if it is strong enough to do so. Out of these possibili- ties I may choose to mention one—the question of strength—but this does not al'er the statement to any but a simple " future indicative "—and " If the engine it strong enough it will draw the train" is in reality better expressed thus: the engine will draw the train (if it is strong enough, if the driver turns on steam, if, &c., &c.)—a pure future indicative with one condition given (gif=if) or mentioned. But now, on the other hand, I am at perfect liberty in my imagination to imagiue impro- babilities or even impossibilities, and then I ought to, and in most cases must, employ a sub- junctive: "If the engine tcere powerful enough (and if the road trere true) the train might go at 150 or even 200 miles an hour;" or, again, "if Greece were incapable," &c. Further, I myself may not be sure, yet still put iuv hypotheses, and then I should say, "That engine is powerful, but not sufficiently so—at least, 1 think not"; "If it be (which I doubt) sufficiently strong it will move that train,"—or "If Greece be incapable and unfitted, then we must arrange in other fashion for the government of Crete." . In both cases" if it be" expresses an hypttthesis, "if it is" a condition. In a word, the rule seems to lie: if the state- ment it that of a future objective fact with conditions attached, use the simple tense, but if the statement be (as it may well be) a subjective hypothetical case, or if it were (as in certain circumstances I can imagine it might be) a purely hypothetical case, then employ the sub- junctive. I have incorporated the instances of the use in the argument the better to illustrate the rules, which if they are true, as I think they are, may prove of use to those in doubt on similar occasions. In many cases, however, the difference in idea is so slight that the desire for directness of diction overcomes the desire for grammatical accuracy. Howard Swan. 4, Arundel-street, Strand. in. From Mr. Howard Collins's article on "The Subjunctive Mood," Ac., in the last issue of The Author, I gather: 1. That it is becoming an increasing practice with the writers of the present time to use the indicative mood where the subjunctive would be more proper, or, at least, more elegant. 2. That such a practice was almost unknown amongst good writers a hundred years ago, and ljefore that—by which I understand during the eighteenth century. 3. That the subjunctive mood has for some years been gradually dying out. Now, with regard to the first and third of these statements, I am not in a position to offer positive evidence, which would, indeed, entail no small amount of labour; but my general impression is altogether the other way. If Mr. Collins will take a dip almost anywhere amongst the second- rate novels of the last twenty years—more espe- cially in those by ladies—T think he will find that the tendency is quite the reverse; that not only is the subjunctive mood very much used, but not unfrequently very much abused also. I am convinced that there are, and have been, plenty of writers who, finding this matter a little perplexing, and not having the patience to get to the bottom of it, have contented themselves with the simple and convenient rule that, whenever doubt, possibility, or contingency are implied—and more especially whenever a sentence begins with the word if—the subjunctive should be used in till cases. This, however, I do not think justifiable, aud so far from regarding a sentence like those quoted by Mr. Collins from the Times as the sign of a slovenly style, it is to me evidence that the writer has scholarly instincts, and has thought it worth his while to study the language which is the vehicle of his ideas. ## p. 293 (#349) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 293 As to the assertion that this use of the indica- tive is a thing of recent usage, and was compara- tively rare in the last century, I think that is easily disposed of. I have not time to go fully into the matter, but I subjoin a few examples, which I fancy sufficiently bear me out, and which T found on a very brief inspection of the books quoted. "Spectator," No. 8. "If we are rightly informed, the rules that are observed in this new society," Ac. "Spectator," No. 262. "If he has not the pomp of a numerous train, and of professors of service to him, he has every day he lives," Ac. "Spectator," No. 340.—" Whether such or any other are true causes, all men have a yearning curiosity," &c. "Citizen of the World," Let. 74—" K he trans- gresses the common forms of breeding, mistakes even a teapot for a tobacco box, it is said," &c. "The Present State of Polite Learning," Chap. 12.—" If, then, there ever comes a time when taste is so far depraved," &c. "Rasselas," Chap. 27.—" If he gratifies one he will offend another," <fcc. Thus the classics of the last century. Take a few from the writers at the beginning of this, to which Mr. Collins specially refers. "But if that is the case you must write to your mother, to beg that you may stay a little longer."—"Pride and Prejudice," Chap. 37. "Have a care, my Lord Colambro; if she sets her heart upon you forLadv Isabel, she has you," &c.—" The Absentee," Chap. 6. "My lords, if it is your pleasure to gang on wi' this matter," &c.—" Heart of Midlothian," Chap. 23- . . Later still, in the thirties, we find Coleridge, whom I think we may regard as a purist in lan- guage, adding his authority to the same practice. "If men are neither the one nor the other, but a mere aggregation of individual bipeds," &c.— "Table Talk" ("Citizens and Christians," Mav 3, 1832). I can quite sympathise with Mr. Collins's desire for a practical rule in this matter, and if he care to follow the one that has guided me through life, and which I learned before I was in my teens, it is entirely at his service. At the same time I am far from asserting that it is generally accepted by the authorities, or that its authenticity is unimpeachable. "Sentences that imply contingency and futurity require the subjunctive mood; as,' If he be alone, give him the letter.' When contingency and futurity are not both implied, the indicative ought to be used; as, ' If he speaks as he thinks, he may safely be trusted.'" This is the tenth rule of syntax in "The Principles of English Grammar," by William Lennie. W. Braunston Jones. Laphroing, Islay, N.B., March 17, 1897. IV. Allow me to say, in reply to the letter of your correspondent F. Howard Collins, in the March number of The Author, that the simplest and most easily remembered rule governing the use of the subjunctive mood is this :— Only when there is a concurrence of contingency and futurity should the verb be in the subjunctive mood. When there is either contingency without futurity, or futurity without contingency, the verb should be in the indicative mood. The one exception to this rule occurs in the use of the imperfect tense of the verb to be, when ocr language is intended to denote contingency merely. The verb should then be in the subjunc- tive mood. See my work, "Learned Men's English: The Grammarians," Part 2, p. 8. George Washington Moon, Hon. F.R.S.L. II.—Paying for Publication. Similar to " L. M. N.," I have often wondered why authors are advised never to pay for publica- tion if they care to run the risk and have the means to do so. Of course, they must do it with their eyes open, but there may be results more precious to them than the receipt of a cheque from a publisher, or even the satisfaction of personal vanity. I know there are authors who will frankly reply that people with means to try experiments usually belong to the dilettanti class, and had better be kept out of the ring of established purveyors of good literature. Even if the writing be good, there is a bar sinister in the case of those who do not follow literature as their profession or mingle much with the literary coteries of the day. Again, the pub- lisher may reply, that if a writer simply has in view the presentation of copies to private friends and others, or, in the case of a very small sale of his book, the handing over of the remainder of an edition to public libraries, it might as well have been printed for private circulation only. Thus far the literary critic and the publisher. But is it not an established fact that publication casts a halo over a book, foreign to it when issuing merely from a printer's office, and has not the quixotic author every right to make vise of this advantage if able to do so? If his work is well done, it may be the means of at least giving pleasure to those who frequent public libraries, though the well-known critic may pass by on the ## p. 294 (#350) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. other side, and the publisher may shrug his shoulders and think the presuming author a fool for his pains. However, as a rule, I believe original work eventually stands or falls on its merits. But what I would like to know is this: Many readers are still left who, in spit* of increased inter- course with foreign lands, care to read a good foreign work in translation. Why do we come across people who openly acknowledge that it is more the matter contained than the manner of doing it with which they are concerned, and must not the one be irrevocably bound up with the other? Ida L. Benecke. i 8, Canfield-gardens. III.—Viktor Rydberg. Mr. Hermann's article on Viktor (not "Vil- stor") Rydberg, is a record for misprints, although, as Swedish words are as frequently misspelt in it as English, this is probably due to your correspondent's handwriting. Your readers may be interested to know that there is the strongest resemblance between Ryd- berg's "Den Sista Athenaren" and the late Charles Kingsley's "Hypatia." In both tales the scene is laid in a provincial seat of learning at the close of Paganism; in bot h the heroine is a Pagan maiden, whose beauty and intelligence make her a formidable foe to Christianity, to which she nevertheless leans at the last; she is murdered under circumstances of great atrocity by Christian priests; and, in both, the Roman governor is a Laodicean, and the villain a priest named Peter. Yet the resemblance is probably accidental, for the Swedish work, which shows far deeper know- ledge of the history and manners of the period than the English, was the later by a few years; and in none of his other works (so far as I know) does Rydberg show any acquaintance with current English fiction. The resemblance was turned to good account by the gentleman who adapted "Hypatia" for the stage a few years ago; for the characters of the Jew and his daughters, who appear in the play but not in the novel, seem to be taken straight from Rydberg's book. I do not think any of our critics noticed the source of the drama- tist's inspiration at the time. F. Legge. IV.—The House where Btron was Born, i. Referring to my previous communication on the subject of Lord Byron's birthplace, it may interest readers of The Author to learn that a gentleman, more fortunate than myself, has succeeded in obtaining a reply from the owners of No. 24, Holies-street. They state that a tablet is "in preparation, and would soon be placed in its proper position." Is it too much to hope that this memento may be affixed by April 19 next, which is the anniversary of the illustrious poet's decease at Missolonghi? Of course, the inscription should make it perfectly clear to this and future generations that the site only of the house is indicated. C. Authors' Club, S.W. March 18. 1897. 11. "C." remarks in The Author of March, that the lar^e firm of haberdashers who carry on their business in 24, Holies-street, have promised to put up an inscription of some kind, but have not done so. I have been assured that Mr. Lewis is only waiting to decide upon a suitable memorial, to put one up to the late poet. Caroline Creyke. V.—Corruption of the Language. "Back of" instead of "behind " ; unnecessary. "Around" instead of "round "; adverb used as a preposition. Present subjunctive for conditional: "He stipulated that I pay him interest." TJngram- matical. The above are mostly Americanisms. Accusative for nominative: "The man whom I know wrote this." Sometimes in British jour- nalism. The full phrase, "The man who, as I know, wrote," shows at once where the mistak e comes in. "Monetary " for " pecuniary." Ditto. Mone- tary is properly used of coinage or currency. Motieta, a surname of Juno, in whose temple the Romans struck money; thence a Mint. I met with this in a tale by Mark Twain; not as a bit of dialect, but put into the mouth of an educated man. Neuter verba used transitively: "Nothing shall swerve me." Uncalled for use of substantive as a verb, e.g., "he loaned me," instead of "he lent me," &c. (The word " to advocate" is a case of the kind; it has been adopted generally, but it met a real want, unlike the case just cited, for which there is no such justification. "Loan " is, of course, a substantive, of which the corresponding verb is "to lend.") The above are only noted as a few instances of gratuitous corruption of the language of Shakes- ## p. 295 (#351) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 295 pere and Addison, of Washington Irving and Hacaulay. The practice is not to be confounded with the changes exacted by new needs and uses. These no man can oppose, but wanton corruption can be checked by unceasing vigilance on the part of good and influential authors. Brussels, Aug., 1896. H. G. Keene. LITERATURE IN THE PERIODICALS. The Publishers' Association and the Discount Question. Bookseller for March. Publishers' Circular for March 20. The Contributor as Editor. Frederic M. Bird. Lvppincott's for March. Methods of Literary Work. John Dennis. Leisure Hour for April. Winter in Scottish Poetrt. Florence MacCunn. Oood Words for March. What is a Realist? Arthur Morrison. New Review for March. Gibbon. Leslie Stephen. Natiottal Review for March. Thackeray's Philosophy. Macmillan's Magazine for March. The Story op Cressida. Macmillan's Magazine for March. Picturesquene8b in History. The Bishop of London. Cornhill Magazine for March. Walter Pater. Stanley Addleshaw. Gentleman's Magazine for March. The Pronunciation of Greek in England. J. Gennadins. Contemporary Review for March. Benedict Spinoza. W. B. Wallace. Humanitarian for March. Wilkie Collins. Academy for March 20. Notable Reviews. Of several books under heading of "The Short Story: How Not to Write It." Daily Chronicle for March 20. Of Vol. III. of Henley and Henderson's Centenary Edition of " Burns." Athenseum for March 6. The suggestion of the Publishers' Association that an effort should be made by the retail trade to revert to the 2d. in the is. discount finds favour with the Bookseller, which agrees that this would mean a distinct improvement on the existing arrangements. But the Bookseller is not sanguine enough to hope that the proposal will be unanimously accepted, even by discount booksellers, unless the publishers are prepared to take adequate means to impose it. This latter condition, in our contemporary's opinion, is vital. Meanwhile the organ of the booksellers is glad that the Publishers' Association has relinquished its non possumus attitude towards the grievances of the retail trade. The result of the circular issued by the Asso- ciated Booksellers to their members regarding the suggested reform is said by the Publishers' Circular to be as follows: Country Lond. Total Number of Booksellers written to respecting the proposed change ... 509 66 575 Number who agreed to proposal 483 49 532 Number who declined 7 2 9 Number who did not answer 19 15 34 Mr. Arthur Morrison asks " What is a realist?" because Dr. Traill and other critics have said he is of the mysterious fraternity. But Mr. Morrison has never called himself a realist, nor put forth any of his work as realism. He appeals for the absolutely untrammelled liberty of the artist. Being a simple writer of talcs who takes whatever means lie to his hand to present life as he sees it, he declines the label of the schoolmen and the sophisters. Constable was called a realist, he says, and Corot too; but who calls these painters realists now. The so-called "realist" is the man who discards the conventions of the schools, and presents his matter in individual terms of art. For a while the schoolmen abuse him as a realist; and in twenty years' time, if his work have life in it, he becomes a classic. Mr. Morrison explains the christening of the realist thus: A man of independent talent, with the courage of his own vision, interprets what he sees in fresh terms, giving to things a new reality and an immediate presence. They of the schools appear with dulled eyes from amid the heap of precedents and prescriptions that compass them about, and, distracted at seeing a thing sanctioned by neither precedent nor prescription, dub the man realist, and rail against him for that he fits none of their pigeon holes. The following amusing extract from a letter from Wilkie Collins to one of his editors, is pub- lished for the first time in the Academy of March 20. A suggestion seems to have been made by the editor to the novelist as to the advisability of the latter deleting a common expletive, and this is the reply: The " damns " (two " damns " only, observe, in the whole story) mark the characters at very important places in the narrative. The " compromise " which you suggest is simply what they would not say. I know of no instances of a writer with any respect for his art or for himself who has ever made the concession which your friends ask of me. My story is not addressed to young people exclusively—it is addressed to readers in general. I do not accept young people as the ultimate court of appeal in English literature. Mr. Turlington (the character in the story in question) must talk like Mr. Turlington—even though the terrible conse- quence may be that a boy or two may cry " damn" in imita- tion of him. I refer your friends to Scott and Dickens— writers considered immaculate in the matter of propriety. They will find "damn" where "damn " ought to be in the pages of both those masters. In short, I am damned if I take out " damn!" An interesting collection of the methods of great literary workers is given by Mr. John Dennis. Wordsworth's study was in the open air; he never wrote down as he composed, but ## p. 296 (#352) ############################################ 296 THE AUTHOR. composed walking, riding, or in bed, and wrote down after. Southey worked with a clerk-like regularity; but, Milton, Gray, and Coleridge had to wait for their inspiration. De Quincey was amazingly unmethodical; Charles Lamb did not write with ease, and acknowledged himself " an author by fits"; while the poet Campbell was a prodigious procrastinator, who often ran away into the country from his work at the time when, as an editor, he was most wanted in London. Sir Walter Scott confessed to a capricious kind of indolence, which very often inclined him to ex- change the task of the day for something he was not obliged to do at the moment, or, perhaps, not at all. Stevenson, unlike his great master, Scott, worked slowly, and toiled over his sentences; and we know that Carlyle, when at Ashestiel, rose at five, seated himself at his desk at six, and, by the time the family had assembled, had done enough to " break the neck of the day's work." Anthony Trollope was so business-like as to write the same number of lines on each page. Pope used to call a servant from her bed four times in oue night to supply him with ink and paper, lest he should lose a thought. BOOK TALK. WE regret to announce that the hope held out quite recently by a correspondent in this journal, that English readers of German will soon be provided with a thoroughly reliable German-English Dictionary, by Dr. Daniel Sanders, will not be fulfilled, that distinguished lexicographer having died on the nth ult., in his seventy-seventh year, in the midst of his arduous work. The loss to Teutonic philology is almost irreparable, but let us hope that the publishers of Muret's excellent "Encyklopadisches Worterbuch der Deutschen und Englischen Sprache," the first part of which has just been completed, will be able to secure for the second part the services of a German scholar who is fully conversant with English, both theoretically and practically. Mr. Wilfrid Ward is in sight of the end of his long-expected work, the "Life of Cardinal Wiseman," and the publication will take place shortly. Mr. Fitzgerald Molloy has just completed a story entitled "A Devil's Hand,'' which will run in serial form. Mrs. Riddell is the author of " Did He Deserve It ?" a story which Messrs. Downey will publish shortly. Mr. J. C. Snaith, who is a Nottingham young man still under twenty years of age, has written a second novel, which is to be published by Messrs. Innes. It is a romance of the Prince Charlie rebellion, called "Fierce Heart, the Soldier." Mr. Snaith's first book, " Mrs. Dorothy Marvin," appeared about two years ago. Mr. Ricardo Stephens has written a novel called "Mr. Peters," which Messrs. Bliss, Sands, and Co. are to publish before Easter. The biographer of the late Professor Drummond will in all probability be the Rev. Dr. Stalker, of Glasgow, who is also of the Free Church denomi- nation. Mr. Kipling's short story," "Slaves of the Lamp" is to appear in Cosmopolis for April and May. Mr. Henry Ochiltree, author of "Redburn," has written a story called " Out of Her Shroud," which Messrs. Black have in hand for publi- cation. A novel by Mr. Christie Murray, entitled " A Rogue's Conscience," will be published by Messrs. Downey in a few days. Mr. Murray is issuing a cheap edition of the "Life and Letters of Princess Alice," in view of the Queen's Record Reign celebrations. Princess Christian, who edited the work, has now revised it, and added the last letter written by Princess Alice. The " Memoirs of Hawthorne," which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly from the pen of his daughter, Mrs. Lathrop, are to be published in book form. They deal with Hawthorne's life in Salem, Lennox, and Concord, his consulate at Liverpool, and the years of travel in France and Italy. Dr. J. C. Wills has written a novel called "His Dead Past." It will be published shortly by Messrs. Chatto and Windus. This firm also announces " Rie's Diary," a volume of a gossipy character by Miss Anne Coates. The seventh, or supplementary, volume of Professor Skeat's edition of Chaucer's Works will shortly be ready. It will be entitled " Chaucerian and Other Pieces," and will contain a selection of twenty-nine pieces that have been at various times printed in the chief editions of "Chaucer's Works." It is remarkable that the number of authors represented in this selection can hardly be less than sixteen, of whom no less than nine are known by name, viz., Usk, Gower, Hoccleve, Scogan, Lvdgate, Ros, Henrvson, Clanvowe, and Walton. ## p. 297 (#353) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. The bound volume of the Critic for July- December, 1896, contains the record of 2815 new books published during that period, and reviews of 1635 of the more important—among them being Mrs. Humphry Ward's "Sir George Tressady," Eudyard Kipling's "Seven Seas," Barrie's "Margaret Ogilvy" and "Sentimental Tommy," Shorter's "Emily Bronte and Her Circle," the first volume of Professor Sloane's "Life of Napoleon," and Dr. Hirsch's " Genius and Degeneration," to mention but a few. Added to this are a number of essays and sketches— among them Mr. Zangwill's papers on literary criticism, an account of the sesquicentennial of Princeton, with portraits of the receivers of honorary degrees-; Mr. Gerald Stanley Lee's account of Ian Maclaren as a lecturer, and records of the dramatic, artistic, and musical happenings of the period covered. Biographical sketches and estimates are given of the work of the writers who have died—Harriet Beecher Stowe, George du Maurier, William Morris, and others. Mr. H. G. Wells's new serial, " The War of the Worlds," will begin in the April number of Pearson's Magazine. It is a story describing the invasion of the earth by the inhabitants of Mars, the war they made against men, and the terrible destruction, chiefly in England, caused by this war. The story culminates in an account of London silent and deserted save for the Martians. Dr. Edward Eggleston's history of life in the United States during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries will be published in this country at the same time as in America, and the first volume may be looked for within the next few days. "Naples in the Nineties," by Mr. Neville Rolfe; "Through Finland in a Cart," by Mrs. Alec Tweedie; "A Handbook on Christian Rome," by two writers whose names will be known by their initials OLly; and a volume by Mr. F. C. Burnand, called " Zig-Zag Guide to the Coast of Kent," with illustrations by Mr. Phil May, are announced by Messrs. A. and C. Black for early publication. "The death of Professor Drummond," remarks the Academy, "calls to mind the warfare that waged between the booksellers on the publication of ' The Ascent of Man.' Professor Drummond had great faith in the net system, and the book was issued at ys. 6d. net. Though the majority of booksellers sold it at the net price, there were exceptions. A large firm of London booksellers, for instance, declared that they did not recognise the right of the publishers to dictate terms, and sold the book at 7*. A large number of book- sellers refused to stock the book at all, and, in the trade, the comparative small sale of 22,000 which the 'Ascent of Man' has attained is generally attributed to this fact. This seems to show that, at least with high-priced books likely to have a large sale, the net system does not answer." Mr. J. W. Hales states that enough money has been subscribed for the Goldsmith memorial in the village church of Ferney, and a design for the window h-is been approved. A Goldsmith window is also to be erected in St. Saviour's, South wark. A grant of .£150 has been made by the Trea- sury out of the Royal Bounty Fund to Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Brush, the two surviving daughters of William Carleton, the Irish novelist. Professor Skeat has given notice that no more publications will be issued by the English Dialect Society. The roll of the society's books amounts to eighty, several of which have only recently been published by Mr. Frowde. Now that the "English Dialect Dictionary " is well started, the object for which the society was originally estab- lished is practically attained, says Professor Skeat. "Since the society was first founded in June, 1823, up to the close of 1896," he continues, "work has been accomplished of which we have all some reason to be proud, notwithstanding many shortcomings and occasional errors." It is hoped that members of the society will now transfer their subscriptions to Professor Wright for the purposes of the Dictionary. The Bishop of Durham has placed with Messrs. Macmillan, for publication, a work entitled "Christian Aspects of Life." Mr. John S. Farmer has in preparation a series of privately printed reprints of scarce books and unique MSS., which will bo issued by Messrs. Gibbings and Co. The first of the series, to appear immediately, will be Goddard's " Satiry- call Dialogue," of which only one copy is known to exist. Goddard flourished in the early part of the seventeenth century, belonged to the Middle Temple, and was extremely caustic in his satire on women. He published three books, which Dr. Furnival prepared in 1878 for republication, but they were never issued. His notes and material have been placed at the disposal of the present editor. A "Chinese Biographical Dictionary," com- piled by Mr. Herbert A. Giles, late English Consul at Ningpo, will shortly be published by Mr. Bernard Quaritch. Two volumes of Mrs. Oliphant's history of the Blackwoods are finished. They deal with the first William Blackwood and his son John. ## p. 298 (#354) ############################################ 298 THE AUTHOR. Sir Herbert Maxwell is publishing, through Mr. Arnold, a book of sketches of nature, entitled "Memories of the Months." There is about to be issued by Messrs. Putnam's a seventh edition, re-written and with new material, of a manual of suggestions. for beginners in literature, entitled "Authors and Publishers." It contains, together with general hints for authors, a description of publishing methods and arrangements; directions for pre- paring MSS. for the press; explanations upon book manufacturing; the text of the United States Copyright Law; and information regarding international copyright. Mr. Arthur Pearson is starting about the middle of May a daily newspaper to be called the Daily American. It will, of course, cater specially for American readers in London. Mayfair is the title chosen for a new literary and artistic weekly, edited by Mrs. Roy Devereux, which is about to appear. The Reformer, a new monthly political and religious journal, will be on the lines of Mr. Bradlaugh's National Reformer, and will have among its contributors Dr. Moncure D. Conway, Mrs. Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner, Mr. Edward Carpenter, and Mr. H. S. Salt. Mr. James Nieol Dunn, editor of Black and White, has been appointed editor of the Morning Post. Tolstoy's " Ivan the Terrible" has been drama- tised by Dr. Arnold Eilvart, of the Croydon Brotherhood. The original autograph manuscript of Keats's "Endymion" was sold at Sotheby's on the ioth ult. for £695. It consists of 181 leaves, all but one in the handwriting of the poet. At the same sale the au'ograph MS. of "Lamia" sold for £305. Mrs. Hays Hammond is writing an account, from a personal point of view, of the occurrences in Johannesburg during the disquietude of fifteen months ago, during which her husband, who is an American mining engineer, played a not unimportant part. Professor James, of the chair of pyschology in Harvard University, ispublishing, throughMessrs. Longman's, a volume of essays entitled "The Will to Believe." The author is brother to Mr. Henry James. Dr. Murray's stupendous new English Diction- ary has been brought to the end of the first five letters of the alphabet. The number of words which this involves is no less than 89,591, of which 62,254 are main words, 10,156 special com- binations explained under main words, and 13,181 subordinate words. From an analysis of the main words we gather that 47,786 are in current use, 15,952 are obsolete, and 2516 are alien. Mrs. Campbell Praed has written a story called "Nulnia," which will be published by Messrs. Chatto and Windus shortly. The next volume in the Book Lover's Library, published by Mr. Elliot Stock, will be " The New Novels of Charles Dickens: A Bibliographv and Sketch," by Mr. F. G. Kitten. Miss Hannah Lynch has written a new novel entitled " Jinny Blake," which Messrs. Dent have in the press. Mr. Joseph Hatton's new novel, " The Dagger and the Cross," will be forthcoming early this month. "The Romance of Isabel, Lady Burton: The True Story of Her Life," told in part by herself and in part by Mr. W. H. Wilkins, will be issued in two volumes by Messrs. Hutchinson. OBITUARY. PROFESSOR HENRY DRUMMOND died on the 11 th ult., at Tunbridge Wells, after a long illness. He was born at Stirling forty-six years ago, and studied at Edinburgh University with R. L. Stevenson and John Watson, afterwards proceeding to Tubingen. In 1883 was published his first book, " Natural Law in the Spiritual World," which attracted great attention among theologians and scientific men. The book sold very largely, having gone through twenty-nine editions, and was translated into several languages. "The Ascent of Man," pub- lished in 1894, was most critically received. It consisted of the Lowell Lectures which Professor Drummond delivered in America, and the object of the work was to show how the greatest factor of evolution had been overlooked iu almost all contemporary scientific thought—this factor being the "struggle for love," as a corollary to the struggle for life, or, in other words, the "struggle for the life of others." More than 20,000 copies of this work have been sold, but the most popular of Professor Drummond's books is the non- controversial pamphlet "The Greatest Thing in the World," of which 300,000 copies have circu- lated. Of " Pax Vobiscum," also a shilling booklet, 130,000 copies have been disposed of. In 1877 Professor Drummond was appointed lecturer in science at the Free Church College in Glasgow, ## p. 299 (#355) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 299 and in 1884 was raised to the rank of professor. He accompanied Sir Archibald Geikie on a geological expedition to the Rocky Mountains, as well as to Africa, and had also visited Australia, China, and Japan. His African travels resulted in the popular account entitled "Tropical Africa." Mr. Henry Blackburn died on the 9th ult., at Bordighera, while returning from Rome, where he had been wintering. He originated and edited the well-known publication "Academy Notes," and many other guides to picture galleries during recent years. His best-known work is probably the " Memoir of Randolph Caldecott," published in 1889, which enjoyed a considerable success. Prior to this caine various books of continental travel, such as " Picluresque Normandy," "Art in the Mountains: the Story of the Passion Play," "Artists and Arabs," "Summer Life in the Pyrenees," "Travelling in Spain," "Breton Folk," and "The Harz Mountains." The last book published by Mr. Blackburn was " The Art of Illustration." The Rev. Robert Hunter, LL.D., the distin- guished lexicographer, died at his residence in Epping Forest, aged seventy-four. While residing in Edinburgh he wrote a school " History of India" and a "History of the Missions of the Free Church." During the years 1864-66 he was resi- dent tutor in the Theological College, Queen's- square, London, and on his retirement from that position he began the great work of his life, " The Encyclopaedic Dictionary." Seventeen years later the work reached completion and was published by Messrs. Cassell.—He had since written a " Bible Student's Manual." Dr. E. Cobham Brewer, author of the widely- known "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable," died on the 6th ult., at the residence of his sou-in-law, Edwinstowe Vicarage, Notts, aged eighty-seven. Previous to this work, which has gone into twenty- five editions, Dr. Brewer published in 1850 a "Guide to Science." Other works which subsequently came from his pen included a "Political, Social, and Literary History of Germanv," " The Smaller History of Germany," "The "Reader's Handbook," "The Historic Note-Book," "Theology in Science," a "Dic- tionary of Miracles," and many other educational books. Mr. Wilton Jones, the well-known London play- wright, was for many years on the staff of the Vorkshire Post, and wrote a large number of pantomimes, and several dramas. "The Cruel City," a successful Surrey drama, was written by Mr. Jones in conjunction with his wife (Miss Gertrude Warden). Mr. Jones, who was in the prime of life, died from heart mischief on the 1 st March. Abroad, the deaths occurred of Alexander Petrovitch Milukov, the veteran Russian his- torical and literary authority; and the poet Friedrich Emil Rittershaus. THE BOQES OP THE MONTH. [February 24 to March 23—207 Books.] Adye, F. The Queen of the Moor. 6/- Macmillan- Ameriean Text-Book of Prosthetic Dentistry. 26/- Hlrschtleld A. M. O. T. C. M. The Marriage Question. 1/- Sinipkin. Andrews, W. England in the Days of Old. 7/6. Andrews. Anonymous. The Descendant; a Novel. 6/- Osgood Anonymous. The Unknown God. 2/6. net. Redway. Anstey, F. Puppets at Large. 5-'- Bradbury. Arber, E. The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers. 6;- Ward and Downey. Atherton. G. Patience Sparhawk and Her Times. 4,0. Lane. Bailey, M. B. A New Industry. 7 6. Simpkin. Balfour, F. H. Unthinkables. Bentloy. Baring-Gould, S. Guavaa The Tinner. 6/- Methuen. Barnes. M. 8. Studies in Historical Method. 2/6. Isbister. Barrere, A., and Leland, C. G. A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon, and Cant. 15/- Bell. Baseley, Mrs. The Dowager's Secret. 1/- Sinipkin. Boers, II. A. Initial Studies in American Letters. Gj. Gay and Bird. Bell, Mrs. (trans, and editor). Memoirs of Baron Lejeune. 24/- Longmaus. Belloc, Bessie H. A Passing World. 6/- Ward and Downey. Benocke, E. The Cross Beneath the King and other Poems. 2/6. Benham, Wm. Winchester Cathedral. 1/- net. Isbister. Boardman, Emery. Winning Whist. 2/6. Bliss. Boissier, G. Cicero and His Friends. 5/. Innes. Boyle, Robert. The Lectures. Vol I. 6/- Frowdc. Bremncr, C. Education of Girls and Women in Great Britain. 4 6. Sonnenschein. Bright, Dr. J. F. Joseph II. [Foreign Statesmen.] 2,6. Macmillan, Bright, Dr. J. F. Maria Theresa. [Foreign Statesmen ] '2 (J. Macmillan. Bruce. Corinna. All in All. 6/- Hurst and Blackett. Bullock, Shan F. King o' Hushes. 1/6. Ward, Lock. Bund, J. W. W. The Celtic Church of Wales. 12/6 net. Nutt. Burdett, H. C. Burdetfs Official Intelligence for 1897. 50/- Spottlswoode. Caird, E. Individualism and Socialism. Glasgow : Mackhose. Carrel, F. The Adventuros of John Johns. 6/- Bliss. Castle, E. J. Shakespeare, Bacon, Jonson, and Greeno: A Study. Sampson Low. Cecil, Hugh M. Pseudo-Philosophy at the End of the Nineteenth Century. I. An Irrationality Trio: Kidd, Drummond, Balfour. 10/- University Press. Chaffers, Wm. Marks and Monograms on European and Oriental Pottery and Porcelain, eighth edition, materially augmented; ed. by F. Litchfield. 42/- Gibbings. Chapman, E. U. Marriage Questions in Modern Fiction. 3/6. Lane. Chesney, A. G. Historical Records of the Maltese Corps of the British Army. Clowes. Chetwynd-Stapylton, H. E. The Stapletons of Yorkshire. U.- Longman. Chevrillon, Andre. Romantic India, (trans, by W. Marchant). Heinemann. Cholmondeley, Mary. A Devotee. 3/6. Arnold. Clark, C. My Yarns of Sea-Foam and Gold Dust. 6 - Digby. Clarke. I. The Episode of Alethea. 6- Innes. Clere, M. E. C. Sworn Allies. 6/- Hurst and Blackett. Cobban, J. M. Wilt Thou Have this Woman? 6/- Methuen. Cocks, A. H. The Church Bells of Buckinghamshire. SI/- net to subscribers. Jarrold. Constable. H. S. Equality. 1 - Liberty Review. Cooper, E. H. Mr. Illako of Newmarket. 3 Heinemann. Cornford, L. Cope. The Master-Boggara. 4/6 net. Lane. Craig, G. C Federal Defence of Australasia. 5/- Clowes. Crapper, E. H. Practical Electrical Measurements. 2/6. Whittaker. Crockett, S. B. Lad's Love. 6/- Bliss. Crooke, W. The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India. 21/- net. Constable. Carzon, Right Hon. G. N. The Pamirs and the Source of the Oxus. 6/- net. Stanford. Cust. A. P. P. York Minster. 1/-net. Isbister. ## p. 300 (#356) ############################################ 3°° THE AUTHOR. Outhell, E. E. Sweet Irish Eyes. 3/6. Skefflngton. Danson, J. T. Our Commerce In War, and How to Protect It. Blades. Dawson, A. J. In the Bight of Benin. Lawrence. DaWBOn, Sir J. W. Belles of Primeval Life. «/- Hodder and Stoughton. Devlin, F. Municipal Beform in the United States. 4/- Putnam Dewar, George A. B. The Book of the Dry Fly. Lawrence Diehl, A. M. A Last Throw. «/- Digby. Dolman, T. C. Dr. Nansen. The Man and His Work. 1/- S.P.C.K. Dowson, E. The Pierrot of a Minute. 7/6 net. Smithers. Dumlllo, Alice. On the Gogmagogs. 1/- Unwin. Eller. Ingatherings. 3/6. Andrews. Erekine, P. J. Lady Cycling. Scott. Essays in Liberalism. By Six Oxford Men. 3/6. Cassell. Farrar, Dean. Westminster Abbey. 1/- net. IsbiBter. Fea, Allan. The Flight of the King (Charles II.). 21/- net. Lane. Ferguson, V. Munro. Life Again. Love Again. 6/- Hurst. FinFayson, J. Life and Works of Dr. Bobert Watt. 3/6, Smith, Elder. Forster. J. From Grub to Butterfly. 6/- Ward and Downey. Foster, Bev. Edgar. A Dead Man's Thoughts. 3/6. Boxburghe Pres. Freeman, G. M. The Law and Practice of Compensation. 28/- Land Agtmt't Record. Gerard, D. Angela's Lover. \j- Constable. Gerard, Dorothea. A Spotless Reputation. 6/- Blackwood. Gladstone Bight Hon. W. E. The Eastern Crisis. 6d. Murray. Gough, General Sir C, and Innes, A. D. The Sikhs and the Sikh Wars 16/- Innes. Grant, James. The Romance of War. 6/- Bliss. Green, Anna Katharina. That Affair Next Door. 6/- Putnam. Green. S. G. Jennifred, and other Verses. 67- Stock. Oroesbeck, T. , The Incas. 10/- Putnam. Hake, A. E. Irish Finance, an Un-Royal Commission, and—A Lady. 1/- Watts. Hall, B. Fish Tails and Some True Ones. 6/- Arnold. Bamerton. P. G. The Mount; narrative of a Visit to the Site of a Gaulish City on Mont Beuvray. 3/6 Se ley. Hardy. Thomas. The Well-Beloved. 6/- Osgood. Harraden.B. Hilda Strafford and the Remittance Man. 3/6. Blackwood. Hartwright, H. The Story of the House of Lancaster. 9/- Stock. Hay, Col. John. Pike Country Ballads, 4c. Edited by H. Morley. Boutledge. Beaton, A. Beauty and Art. 6/- Heinemaun. Henham, E. G. God, Man, and the Devil. A Novel. 3/6. Skefflngton. Hitehens. B. Flames. 6/- Heinemann. Hillis, Newell D. A Man's Value to Society. 8/- Oltphant. Holland, Cllve. A Writer of Fiction. 276. Constable. Hope, Andree. Ivan Alexandrovitch. A Siberian Romance. 3/6. Unwin. Houtnm-Schlinder, General A. Eastern Persian Irak. 5/- Murray. Howe, Herbert A. A Stndyof the Sky. 6/- Macmillan Hughes, A. Practical Bints on District Nursing. 1/- Scientific Press. Humphreys, A. L. The Private Library. Hatchards. Uungerford, Mrs. Lovice. A Novel. 6 - Chatto. Hurtou, W. The Doomed Ship. 3/6. Andrews. Hulton, F B. Mechanical Engineering of Power Plant. 22, 6 Chapman. Button, W. H. The Church of the Sixth Century. 6/- Longman. Imperialist. CecilRhodes: Biographyand Appreciation. 7/6. Chapman. Innes, Lieut-Gen. McLeod. The Sepoy Revolt. 8/- Innes. Jaccaci, A. F. On the Trail of Don Quixote, Lawrence. Jokai, Maurus. 'Midst the Wild Carpathians. 8/- Jarrold. Judson, H. P. Europe in the lath Century. 6/- Gay and Bird. Judson, H.P. The Growth of the American Nation. 6/- Gay and Bird. Kenealy, Arabella. Belinda's Beaux, and other Stories, 6/- Bliss. 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Husband and Wife [Law], 1/- Saxon. Young, John, jun. Scotch Cameos. 1/- Gardner. ## p. 300 (#357) ############################################ AD VER TISEMENTS. iii RECENT VERSE. LYRICS. By Dr. J. A. GOODCHILD. Cloth lettered, price 5s. NOETH COUNTRY BALLADS. By HENRY TODD , Price 5s. TALES IN VERSE. By Dr. J. A. GOODCHILD. Cloth lettered, price 5s. SONGS OP THE CASCADES. By ERL VIKING. Fcap. 8vo., cloth boards, 8s. 6d. SONGS OP THE PINEWOODS. By ARTHUR CAMP- BELL. Price 3s. fid. THE FAIREST OP THE ANGELS, and Other Verse. By MARY COLBOBNE-VEEL. Fcap. 8vo., cloth boards, 3s. 6d. 14 Some of the shorter lyrics are much above the average, being clear in thought and musical in expression. The merits of the collec- tion are considerable."—The Bookman, THE WANDERER IN THE LAND OP CYBI, and other Poems (1886-93). By CLIFFORD BROOKS. Fcap. 8vo., cloth boards, 3s. 6d. POEMS. By THOMAS BARLOW. Crown 8vo., bevelled boards, gilt edges, price 5s. POEMS. By LEWIS BROCKMAN. Crown 8vo., cloth boards, 5s. "The ballads are full of the spirit and directness of style proper to the ballad."—Saturday Review. "Mr. Brockman is a writer of good poetic mettle, and no doubt the reading world will hear more of him yet."—Glasgow Herald. 41 The graceful smoothness of Mr. Lewis Brockman's poems."— Daily Telegraph. "He is decidedly inventive, and often highly imaginative. . . . The element of originality pervades the book. . . . His long poem, * Ronald's Cross,1 is well sustained . . . it is like the plaint of the 1 Mariner/ and it holds us."—Queen. "A reader who values cultured sentiments and flawless versifica- tion will find much to admire."—Scotsman. London: Horace Cox, Windsor House, Bream's Buildings. E.C. Now ready, price 2s. 6d., cloth. A FLYING VISIT TO THI AMERICAN CONTINENT. WITH NOTES BY THE WAY. By F. DALE PAWLE. London: Horace Cox, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C. Now ready, demy 8vo., cloth boards, price 10s. 6d. IN NEW SOUTH AFRICA. Travels in the Transvaal and Rhodesia. With Map and Twenty-six Illustration!. By H. LINCOLN TANGYE. CONTENTS. Introductory. PART L Chapter I.—The Land of Gold and tho Way there. ,, II.—Across Desert and Veldt. „ III.—Johannesburg tho Golden. IV.—A Transvaal Coach Journey. V.—Natal: the South African Garden. ,, VI.—Ostracised In Africa. Home with the Swallows. PABT n —BAMBLES IN BHODESIA. Chaptib I.—Eendragt Maakt Magt. II.—Into the Country of Lobengula. „ UI.—The Trail of War. IV.—Goldmlning, Ancient and Modern. V.—Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. ,, VI.—To Northern Mashonaland. „ VIL— Primitive Art. The Misadventures of a Wagon. Index. London: Horack Cox. Windsor House, Bream's-buildfngs, S.C. Pocket Size, price 6d.; by poBt, 6Jd. THE LAWS OF GOLF, As Adopted by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Special Bules for Medal Play. Etiquette of Golf. Winners of the Golfing Championship. Winners and Bunners-up for the Amateur Championship. London : Horace Cox, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C. Demy 8vo., with Map and Illustrations, price 10s. 6d. AN AUSTRALIAN IN CHINA: Being the Narrative of a Quiet Journey Acros China to British Burma. By G. E. MORRISON M.B.C.M:. Edin., F.R.G.S. 11 Mr. Morrison is an Australian doctor who has achieved probabl the most remarkable journey through the Flowery Land eve attempted by a Christian. ... He was entirely unarmed and unaccompanied, save for the coolies who carried his baggage. Such a journey—three thousand miles in length—could not fail to present many curious customs and as many curious people. But it is owing entirely to Dr. Morrison's graphic manner of description, and his acutely keen observation, that his travels are such a reality to the reader. This portly volume is one of the most interesting books of travel of the many published this year. It is frank, original, and quite ungarnished by adventitious colouring."—-.ST. James's Budget. 11 One of the most interesting books of travel we remember to have read."—European Mail. "A very lively book of travel. . . . HiB account of the walk of 1500 mites from Chungking to Burma, over the remotest districts of Western China, is full of interest."—The Timet. "Dr. Morrison writes crisply, sensibly, humorously, and with an engaging frankness. . . . There is not a page he has written that is not worth the perusal of the student of China and the Chinese."— The Scotsman. "By far tho most interesting and entertaining narrative of travel in the Flowery Land that has appeared for several years."—The World. London: Ho rack Cox, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C. In demy 8vo., price 128. net, by post 12s. 6d. Six Months in a Syrian Monastery. Being the Record of a Visit to the Headquarters of the Syrian Church in Mesopotamia, with some account of the Yazidis, or Devil Worshippers of Mosul, and El Jilwah, their Sacred Book. By OSWALD H. PARRY, B.A. (Of Magdalen College, Oxford.) Illustrated by the Author. With a Prefatory Note by the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Durham. 11 The author of this handsome volume presents 1 a detailed study of a relic of history pursued off the track of general research;1 he has sought to give, and has succeeded in giving, 'a picture of quiet life in a country much abused, and among a people that command less than their share of ordinary interest.' • Westward the tide of Empire takes its way,1 sang a prophetic divine of the olden days, and no lesB certainly, as Mr. Parry points out, does the ebb of travel retain towards the East. ... As a volume descriptive of life and travel among a distant people, his work is well worth reading, but for those persons who are more particularly concerned with the old Syrian Church, or in the solution of the problem indicated above, it Is one of quite unique attraction. A pathetic interest attaches to the account of tho Yazidis included in this volume for it contains part of their sacred writings, the original manuscript of which was In the hands of Professor Robertson Smith for translation at the time of his death."—Publishers' Circular. London: Horacb Oox, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C. ## p. 300 (#358) ############################################ IV AD VEli TISEMENTS. LOWEST PRICES IN LONDON. Authors' MSS. correctly and. neatly oopied Carbon Duplicates LEGAL AND GENERAL COPYING lOOO words. at lOd. per at 2d. „ at Id. per folio. We have a skilled and teell educated staff of operators. Give us a trial, and compare our icork and prices with those of other offices. LARGE ORDERS ESTIMATED FOR. Note our address— THE ECLIPSE TYPEWRITING AND SHORTHAND OFFICES, 28, FENCHURCH STREET, LONDON, E.C. THE TEMPLE TYPEWRITING OFFICE. S 5 5 TYPEWRITING EXCEPTIONALLY ACCURATE. Moderate prices. Duplicates of Circulars by the latest $ ^ -L process. J J OPINIONS OP CLIENTS— Distixquished Author:—"The most beautiful typing I 1 ^ work was very well and clearly done." PROVINCIAL EDITOR:—" Many thanks for the! proceBS. have ever seen." Lady of Title"The 3 spotless neatness and beautiful accuracy." J MISS GENTRY, ELDON CHAMBERS, 30, FLEET STREET, E.C. ~; Typewritiso by Clbroymak'b Daughter. E. M. The West Kensington Typewriting Agency, 13, Wolverton Gardens, Hammersmith, W. (Established 1893.) Authors' MSS. carefully and promptly copied. Usual Terms. Legal and General Copying. Typewritten Circulars by Copying Process. Authors' References. TYPEWRITING ACCURATELY and promptly executed, postage paid, please give trial. MISS RAINES, 11, FALCONER CHAMBERS, SCARBOROUGH. Now ready. Second Edition, Revised anil Enlarged. Crown 8vo., limp cloth, 2s. Gd. net; postage, 3d. extra. THE PRINCIPLES OF CHESS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE. james y:m:ason. CONTENTS. — 1. Elements of Chess. 2. General Principles. 3. Combination. 4. Exposition of Master Play Complete. London: HORACE Cox, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C. HE KNIGHTS and KINGS of CHESS. By the Rev. G. A. MACDONNELL, B.A. With Portrait and 17 Illustra- tions. Crown Svo., cloth boards, price 2s. (id. net. London: HORACE Cox, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C. IS. GILL, TYPE-WHITING OFFICE, 35, LUDGATE HILL, E.C. (ESTABLISHED 1883.) S=~«3 Authors' MSS. carefully copied from Is. per 1000 words. Duplicate copies third price. Skilled typiBts sent out by hour, day, or week. French MSS. accurately copied, or typewritten English translations supplied. References kindly permitted to Sir Walter Besant; also to Messrs. A. P. Watt and Son, Literary Agents, Hastings House, Norfolk-street, Strand, W.C. THE AUTHOR'S HAIRLESS PAPER-PAD. (The Leadenhall Press Ltd.), f50, Leadenhall Street, London, E.C. Contains hairless paper, over which the pen slips with perfect freedom. Sixpence each: 5s. per dozen, ruled or plain. Crown 8vo., cloth boards, price 6s. HATHERSAGE: A Tale of North Derbyshire. BY CHARLES EDMUND HALL, Author of " An Ancient Ancestor," Ac. London: Horace Cox, Windsor Houso, Bream's-buildings. E.G. Published every Friday morning: price, without Reports, 3d.; with Reports, Is. THE LAW TIMES, the Journal of the Law and the Lawyers, which has now been established for over half a century, supplies to the Profession a complete Record of the Progress of Legal Reforms, and of all matters affecting the Legal Profession. The Reports of the Law Times are now recognised as the most complete and efficient series published. Offices: Windsor House. Bream's-buildings, E.C. Printed and Published by Horace Cox, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, London, E.C. 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, Vol. 07 Issue 11 (April 1897) Subject The topic of the resource The Author, Vol. 07 Issue 11 (April 1897) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049239455" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049239455</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1897-04-01-The-Author-7-11 publications The Author