https://historysoa.com/files/original/5/471/1900-02-01-The-Author-10-9.pdf 600300d21f9892f15fb7399e5f125deb PDF Text Text ������������������������ Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em> Description An account of the resource A digitised run of the Society of Authors' monthly periodical, <em>The Author</em>, 1890<span>–</span>1914, made available together for the first time.<br /><br />Currently users can browse issues and <a href="https://historysoa.com/items/browse?search=&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bjoiner%5D=and&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=51&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&amp;advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Index&amp;collection=&amp;type=&amp;tags=&amp;exhibit=&amp;date_search_term=&amp;submit_search=Search+For+Items&amp;sort_field=Dublin+Core%2CTitle">indices</a> (not available for all volumes). Full text search for all issues, and other additional search functionality, will be added in 2022. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1890–1914 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context The-Author-Issues Publication Date The date of an event (in YYYY, YYYY-MM or YYYY-MM-DD format) 1900-02-01 Volume 10 Issue 9 Pages Page range in volume 185–208 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 19000201 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin The Huthbor. (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vou. X.—No. 9.] For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the Authors alone are responsible. None of the papers or pard- graphs must be taken as expressing the collective opinions of the Committee unless they are officially signed by G. Herbert Thring, Sec. eS HE 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, but on no other sub- jects whatever. Articles which cannot be accepted are returned if stamps for the purpose accompany the MSS. pe GENERAL MEMORANDA. ERE are a few standing rules to be observed in an agreement. There are four methods of dealing with literary property :— I. THAT OF SELLING IT OUTRIGHT. This is in some respects the most satisfactory, if a proper price can be obtained. But the transaction should be managed by a competent agent, or with the advice of the Secretary of the Society. Il. A PROFIT-SHARING AGREEMENT (a bad form of 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 without the strictest investigation. .(2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. Therefore keep control of the advertisements. (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. a Seg bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or octor ! ARY 1, 1900. [Prick SIXPENCE. Til. THE ROYALTY SYSTEM. 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.” IV. A COMMISSION AGREEMENT. The main points are :— (1.) Be careful to obtain a fair cost of production. (2) Keep control of the advertisements. (3.) Keep control of the sale price of the book. GENERAL. All other forms of agreement are combinations of the four above mentioned. Such combinations are generally disastrous to the author. Never sign any agreement without competent advice from the Secretary of the Society. Stamp all agreements with the Inland Revenue stamp. Avoid agreements by letter if possible. The main 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. ect WARNINGS TO DRAMATIC AUTHORS. Lt EVER sign an agreement without submitting it to the Secretary of the Society of Authors or some competent legal authority. 2. Never negotiate for the production of a play with anyone except an established manager. 3. There are three forms of dramatic contract :— (1) SALE OUTRIGHT OF THE PERFORMING RIGHT. This is unsatisfactory. An author who enters into such a contract should stipulate in the con- tract for production of the piece bya certain date and for proper publication of his name on the play-bills. (2) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE PROFIT-SHARING SYSTEM. This method can only be entered into when a fixed sum is agreed per week for cost of produc- tion. It is not a common method. 186 (3) SALE OF PERFORMING RIGHT OR OF A LICENCE TO PERFORM ON THE BASIS OF PERCENTAGES (i.e., royalties) on gross receipts. Royalties vary between 5 and 15 per cent. An author should obtain a percentage on the sliding scale of gross receipts. Should obtain a sum in advance of royalties. A fixed date on or before which the play should be performed. 4. Authors should remember that performing rights can be limited, and are usually limited by town, country, and time. This is most important. 5. Authors should not assign performing rights, but should grant a licence to perform. The legal distinction is of great importance. 6. Authors should remember that performing rights in a play are distinct from literary copyright. A manager holding the performing right or licence to perform cannot print the book of the words. 7. Never send a copy of the play to America unless it is protected by a preliminary performance in the United Kingdom. 8. Never forget that American rights may be exceedingly valuable. They should never be included in English agreements without the author obtaining a substantial consideration. g. Agreements for collaboration should be carefully drawn and executed before collaboration is commenced. Never admit a collaborator when once the actual work of writing the play has begun or after it is finished. 10. An author should remember that production of a play is highly speculative: that he runs a very great risk of delay and a breakdown in the fulfilment of his contract. He should therefore guard himself all the more carefully in the beginning. 11. An author must remember that the dramatic market is exceedingly limited. As these warnings must necessarily be incomplete on account of the wide range of the subject of dramatic con- tracts, those authors desirous of further information are referred to the Secretary of the Society. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. I. VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive advice upon his agreements, his choice of a pub- lisher, or any dispute arising in the conduct of his business or the administration of his property. If the advice sought is such as can be given best by a solici- tor, the member has a right to an opinion from the Society’s solicitors. If the case is such that Counsel’s opinion is desirable, the Committee will obtain for him Counsel’s opinion. All this 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 scruple to use the Society. 3. Send to the Office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note, The information thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. THE AUTHOR. s. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles cf other writers, even if you are reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen- dence of the writer. 6. 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 the 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. 2 et THE READING BRANCH. EMBERS will greatly assist the Society in this i branch of their work by informing young writers of its existence. Their MSS. can be read and treated as a composition is treated by a coach. The Readers are writers of competence and experience. The fee is one guinea, : NOTICES. HE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the Society that, although the paper is sent to them free of charge, the cost of producing it would be a very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. Communications for The Author should be addressed to the Offices of the Society, 4, Portugal-street, Lincoln’s-inn Fields, W.C., and should reach the Editor not later than the 2ist of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. The present location of the Authors’ Club is at 3, White- hall-court, Charing Cross. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, &c. FROM THE COMMITTEE. R. A. HOPE HAWKINS has been elected Chairman of the Society for the year 1900. Mr. Edward Rose has been elected on to the Committee, and it is hoped that Mr. Conan Doyle will join on his return from South Africa, — Mr. Mullett Ellis has informed the Secretary that the following resolutions will be proposed by him at the general meeting of the Society. Notice of such general meeting will be circulated  THE AUTHOR. in due course. The proposer requests that all members desirous of supporting the resolutions will communicate with him direct, at the follow- ing address: T. Munuerr Exuis, Esq., Creek House, Shepperton. (1.) That the exercise of a literary censorship of books by the large trading monopoly, whose main business is that of mere distributors and newsyendors, is not advantageous to letters. (2.) That the system of monopoly which dominates the railway bookstalls throughout the kingdom gives to one firm the power over the output and distribution of popular literature and of political journals, which is damaging to the interests of authors and of the public, (3-) That a copy of the foregoing resolution be sent to the chairman and directors of the various railway companies with a respectful request that on the next available occasion the licences of the railway bookstalls be granted to more than one firm of booksellers, and that the principle of competition in the supply of litera- ture be thus substituted for the existing mono- poly. (a) Because it would be of financial advantage o the shareholders of the railway companies. (6) Because the dominance of one firm over the sale of newspapers and popular literature is a political danger which may even threaten the national liberties, and is damaging to literature. (c) Because the existing system of the monopoly of one trading firm has during many years past been exercised in censorship of authors. (d) Because the sale of books at railway book- stalls has become so enormous that an alteration in the existing system has become a necessity, many valuable works not being now obtainable at the bookstalls, so that if the abuse be not dealt with by the railway companies it will be necessary to seek the intervention of Parliament. G, HT. LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—CounsEL’s OPINION. HE Managing Committee of the Society of Authors have experienced great difficulty in gaining a clear idea of the legal position of members whose books are involved in cases where a receiver for debenture-holders has entered into possession, where a company has gone into liquidation, and where private firms have gone into bankruptcy. As the trouble and annoyance to members is very great, the Society, through its Secretary, usually instructs its solicitor to take the matter up on behalf of its members. 187 In carrying through a matter of this kind the process of the courts necessarily takes many months, and to the authors involved the progress no doubt seems exceedingly slow, and the waiting exceedingly wearisome. To the ordinary creditor, who is not bound by contract, this is not of so much consequence, as he simply brings in his claim and awaits the result. The result is often disappointing—but beyond this he has no further bother. The case of the author, however, who is bound to a company or firm which has come to grief in any of the three ways described above, is totally ditferent. In one case his book may have been produced and royalties have become due to him under his agreement. In another case his book may be in the height of its sale, but owing to the failure of the pub- lishers may be suddenly withdrawn from the market. This, in a great many cases, means the absolute loss of property to the author. Many books are short-lived, and if in the early stages there is a check in the supply, the public will take some other book instead. Experience shows that under such circum- stances it is almost impossible to give renewed life to the work. It is a mistake to think that this applies only to works of fiction; it is equally true of other current literature, like works of travel, biographies, memoirs, &e. Even if the life of a book is not destroyed, as it has been shown may occur, the profits accruing to the author may be stopped for some time. Another case may arise of an author, who is under contract for publication of his book, and his book has not yet been put on the market. Again, there may be the case of an author who has contracted to write a book but has not yet completed the MS. These are some of the difficulties in which authors are placed which are beyond the difficulties of ordinary creditors. The cases of bankruptcy, liquidation, or the appointment of a. receiver for the debenture- ho'ders are, unfortunately for authors, of not infrequent occurrence. As, therefore, the same difficulties are likely to arise in the future, and as the expense of fighting each point in the courts would be more than the Society could afford with- out considerable assistance, the Committee decided to take the best opinion that could be obtained from Counsel on the various questions involved. In answer to two of the questions asked from Counsel, which were as follows :— 1. “ What are the rights of authors in respect of royalties (a4) due or (6) to become due as  188 THE AUTHOR. against (i.) a receiver for debenture-holders ; (ii.) a liquidator or trustee in bankruptcy ; and (iii.) an assign for value?” and 2. “ Whether authors under royalty agreements —who have not assigned their copyrights—can claim that the contracts are determined by a receivership or liquidation, or a cesser of the pub- lisher’s business, so that they can contract with a new publisher,” Counsel makes the following statement :— “The appointment of a receiver for the deben- ture-holders has not in my opinion affected the obligations in any way. The company or its assignees (whether the assignee by way of secu- rity has taken possession by way of receiver or not) stand in no different position as regards performance of the contract. “Tt remains to be considered what would be the result if the company went into liquidation. Tn that case the liquidator would be entitled to a contract of which, if he performs it, he can have the benefit, and which he may if he pleases assign with consent. To perform it means to pay the royalties, not to pay a dividend on the royalties. Tf the author is not minded to come in in the winding-up and prove for future royalties he is not bound to do so, and the liquidator can only have the benefit of the contract if he performs the obligations of the contract. If the liquidator does not pay the royalties at their due dates, the author is, I think, entitled to give him notice that unless he pays within a reasonable time he will treat that as a refusal to perform the contract, and, if the liquidator does not pay, the author may, I think, determine the contract and agree with another publisher. One may test this in this way : Suppose under such circumstances the liquidator brought an action for an injunction to restrain the author from publishing elsewhere, he could not have such an order except upon the terms of complying with the conditions of the contract, that is, paying the royalties in full. “Tf” the publishers mentioned in the case for Counsel’s opinion —“ were a firm and not a cor- poration, the position would be the same, except that in bankruptcy the trustee would have power to disclaim the contract—a power which a liqui- dator does not possess.” From this statement it would appear that Counsel considers that royalty agreements as above are not put an end to by a receivership or liquidation of the publishers, but that a receiver, liquidator, or trustee is bound to pay the royalties in full as well as those due at the date of the failure as any becoming due subsequently if he intends to have the benefit of the contract with the author. Members of the Society must, however, remember that these positions may be varied by express agreement, and they must not too readil deduce that their case comes in line with the opinion. The above remarks refer to those books which have been published, and on which royalties are due. With regard to the question of a contract existing for publication when the book has not yet been published, Counsel states that the fact that the receiver for the debenture-holders has been appointed does not affect the right of the publisher to publish in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and again, in the case where the author is under contract, but has not completed his manuscript, although the publisher cannot compel the author to complete, Counsel thinks that the author would be liable in damages if he refuses to complete. The above points are printed for the serious consideration of the members of the Society; they must, however, always keep in mind the advisability of consulting the Secretary on their agreements (especially with limited companies) before they sign them, and of laying before him a full statement of their cases before they take any action as regards insolvent publishers. G. H. T. II.—Tuer Riext to Correct. Here is a case in which the right to correct and alter a signed article has not only been claimed but exercised; not, it is true, by the editor of a magazine published in London. It is noticed in this place because the editor’s exercise of his so-called right was that test of a theory which in mathematics is called an extreme case. What he did was this :— The article was invited by the editor: it was written to order; it was also written to the length required ; it was signed ; it was accepted ; and it was paid for. editor found himself cramped for room. He therefore boldly cut off the first half of the article and began it in the middle, retaining the writer's — 4 name at the end, in this way making ridiculous nonsense of the whole paper; damaging his own — magazine by inserting nonsense; and inflicting the most cruel injury to the reputation of the — writer. On a mild expostulation, the editor replied that he held the right to make any correc- : tions he pleased and to give or withhold the name — of the contributor. In such a case there is only one thing to be done: viz., to bring an action and to procure an” injunction restraining the sale of the magazine — ‘with the mutilated article. When it was to be inserted the  THE AUTHOR. It cannot be too strongly maintained that when ‘papers are signed the editor has no power to alter a word. He may invite alterations: he may refuse insertion unless alterations are made: he ‘must not make the author say, over his own name, ‘one werd that he does not choose to say. As regards unsigned articles, of course the editor is himself responsible, and will alter and ut them up just as he pleases. The author cannot question that right or complain when it is exercised. There are editors, even in London, who claim the right of correcting and altering signed articles. It is greatly to be desired that a single case should be tried in court, when the alleged right to make an author say what he does not think, and, over his own name, utter opinions which he does not hold, would be finally disallowed, and its monstrous nature exposed. 4 & III—A New AreumMent ¥F Copyright Our valuable German conte vler Feder, in commentin Hungarian Pesti Hirlap, Gag Hungarian critic which put @He 4 national copyright in an entre@ new light. The modern national movement in Hungary has been from -its commencement closely connected with the resuscitation of Magyar asa literary lan- g guage, and one of the results of this cultivation tio of the language is that contemporary Hungarian INTERNATIONAL ‘ excellence. This literature has a distinctively _ Meanwhile, as Austria-Hungary lies outside the 198 Berne Union, the country is flooded with German God books, and pirated translations of German books ; —naturally exercising a definite Germanising ai influence, that fatal denationalising influence ¥ which evoked the revolution of 1848, and has een ever since combated with relentless deter- mination. ‘“ But we have,” says Mr. Téth Bela in the Pesti Hirlap, “this great evil, that German books are much sought after. I am called a ‘Germanophobe.’ I am so respecting certain authors. Not respecting Goethe, Kleist, and Heine. . But there are thousands of people of deplorable taste who admit miserably useless and inferior b-oks into their houses. Why? Because their brains are not Magyar enough to be critical and to say, If these books please the Germans, let them have them, so long as they are kept out of our way,’ and because there are in Germany numerous paper- mills and printing presses for which employment must be found. The juvenile literature VOL. x. ET Oat ASE - literature has rapidly risen to a high standard of . + Hungarian tone, and is splendidly patriotic. | 189 of Germany is weak. And even its best produc- tions are injurious tf they train our young people into foreign ways of feeling and thinking. In how many Hungarian houses have I seen German patriotic works!” To all this our contemporary, Das Recht der Feder, replies with excellent reason: “If Mr. Téth Bela desires to sce the national literature better supported, let him do what he can to per- suade Hungary to cease to be one of the pirate States and to come into the Berne Union.” But the point raised appears to us to be one of even wider and more profound significance. We have here a new argument for international pro- tection. The community which steals its litera- ture from abroad is surrendering its national character to foreign influences. H. C. IV.—Hoitianp anp THE BERNE CONVENTION. The Dutch “League in favour of the Berne Convention ” has presented a petition to the Queen of Holland, urging: “That for a long period the rights of foreigners have been, among all civilised nations, placed on an equality with those of citizens, whilst among ourselves the rights of foreigners can be violated with impunity—with the consequence that Dutch authors have no rights outside their own country ; 4 that the intellectual development of the inhabitants of the Netherlands is prejudiced by the quantity of foreign literature of inferior value with which the country is flooded; and that a legal sanction of International copyright would be advantageous to the national works of an artistic and scientific character, and assist the development of a higher national taste.” V.—PuorocrapH CopyrigHt IN AMERICA. A circuit court judge has decided that photo- graphs of actresses and actors, not being fine art, cannot be copyrighted. The decision, which establishes a precedent that pleases the news- papers and publishers, threatens to damage many flourishing photographic businesses. The Copy- right League bitterly fought the point. The actresses are now preparing a memorial to Wash- ington denouncing Judge Wallace’s assertion that their photographs are too inartistic to copyright, —New York telegram in the Morning Leader, Jan. 15, VI—AgeEnts. With reference to the letter signed “R. K.” which appeared in the January number of The Author, I think that it may be beneficial to the members of the Society to point out some of the T 190 difficulties that arise by employing an agent, and putting absolute and unquestioned trust in his settlement of literary matters, both on the legal and financial sides. In the March number of The Author, 1899, a long and somewhat exhaustive article appeared on this subject. Members of the Society are par- ticularly referred to this article as bearing on the question. It may be as well to point out further that an author’s interest and an agent’s are not, as they should be, always identical. An author will naturally say this cannot be the case, as the larger the price an agent gets for an author’s work, the larger amount will he be paid. Take, however, the following instance as a probable example : An agent has an overwhelming number of MSS. in his hands that he wants to place with certain publishers. This is not unfrequently the case, and from an agent’s business point of view five contracts of £20 each may be better and less difficult transactions than one of £100. Again, he knows that he can place one book in one week and one in the next week which will each bring, say £100 return to the authors— £200 in all; the other terms of the contract being decidedly disadvantageous to the authors concerned. Supposing he took the two weeks to obtain better terms for one author to the neglect of the other, he might only increase that author’s financial returns by £30 or £40. He would thus lose his agency charges on about £60 or £70, as he has spent two weeks in placing the book of one author in a thoroughly satis- factory manner for the author, whereas he might have placed two books in that time unsatis- factorily to the two authors, but satisfactorily as regards himself. This example is put forward, as certain agree- ments have been before the Society of Authors recently—agreements which have been recom- mended by the agent, who had only tried one publisher with the book—agreements which were wholly disadvantageous to the author in that they assigned to the publisher, as stated in the letter of the January issue referred to, a great many of those rights which it is the agent’s duty to place, ‘and in that they also offered to the author a wretched 10 per cent. after the sale of 500 copies, with no increase however large the sales prove to be. It is, further, an open question how far an ordinary agent is capable of drafting an agree- ment full of legal difficulties and technicalities. .[The writer of the above neglects a very im- portant factor in the conduct of an agent’s busi- THE AUTHOR. ness. Itis this. There are many writers whose works hang about on the border line. That is to say, their chance of success, even of so moderate a success as the repayment of the cost, is doubtful, Their chance of proving a decided commercial successis more than doubtful. Every publisher's _, reader knows of such cases: it is his constantly recurring difficulty to form an opinion as to the \ chances of a MS. on this border line. An agent offers such a MS. to several pub- j lishers in succession. It is refused. He then 4 finds a publisher who says: “I doubt whether this book will prove a paying venture. If I do take it, I must have it on my own conditions, not those which you can impose in the case of a popular author.” A case has been brought before me in which such a MS., offered to, and refused by, three or four publishers in succession, was accepted by a publisher exactly on these terms. The agent communicated the offer to the author. He said: “These are the only terms on which your book can be produced. It is for you to accept or to decline.” Observe that had the author refused j these terms his book would not have been pub- lished at all. Now, publication is almost always — the first thing desired. If on fair terms, so much ~ the better: if not, then on any terms. This author at once closed with the terms. The cases quoted above seem to me suspiciously like the one which I have described. Is the writer quite sure that in these cases only one publisher was offered the MS.? If not, then, his 3 argument breaks down. If he is right on this point, his argument depends upon the assumption that an agent’s time is so fully engaged that he cannot spare more than a certain amount foreach book. I do not think that any agent has to : divide his time and to calculate the amount he ~ can afford for each book. For the work of a successful author an agreement is generally arrived at very quickly: the discussions and the disputes rather belong to the work of the less popular writer. But two business men who under- — stand their business do not waste time in trying to “best”? each other. On the other hand, a great part of the agent’s time is required for the acquisition and the maintenance of the condi- tions, varying from day to day, of the publishing trade. He must know, as well as any publishers, the details, such as the cost of production, illus- trations, and the rest; he must know the finan- cial position of every house ; he must know what houses are full and what are open for the pro- duction of more books; in the case of magazines and weeklies he must know when serials are wanted, when the paper is engaged and for how long. The agent, in fact, must acquire and Mga ae  THE AUTHOR. 191 maintain a knowledge of the whole trade such as no single publisher and no single writer can acquire.— ED. | VIl—“Tse Mernop or tHe Future.” I cannot help thinking that, if only one thoroughly successful book was produced on this method, it would soon be very generally adopted. As it is, the writers whose works sell at sight, and whose pockets are always comfortably lined, are indisposed to disturb existing arrangements which they have tested in favour of another to them as yet untried; whilst those who have yet to make their name have often not the means, however mederate the cost, for printing the work themselves, and so will sell their productions for any trifle that may be offered, or accept almost any terms that may be proposed, which do not involve outlay, in preference. Authors, generally, have a wholly illusory idea as to the influence a publisher has on the sale of a’ book. As Sir Walter Besant says, a book would sell just as well published on this system as on any other; and if a few writers of estab- lished position were only to make one experiment, “they would be amazed at the result.” Some time ago, I and two or three friends formed a small limited company on this basis, to work more especially for composers. We after- wards offered the same benefit to a considerable number of authors; yet although we are all, I think, good men and true, without any personal axes to grind, we had no response. It seems cnrious that, though men will subscribe readily to all sorts of wild-cat schemes which promise the most absurd and improbable returns, they will calmly ignore an honest attempt to promote a scheme which may materially benefit them at practically no risk at all. A Memper oF THE SOCIETY. VIII.—Possisixirigs. Here is a book published on the _half-profit system. The accounts, when rendered, were found to agree with some of the figures given in The Author and in “The Pen and the Book.” That is to say, the charges for composition, printing, and paper were those which certain anonymous publishers have declared to be impossible. The returns of sales were given under four distinct prices, averaging exactly what has been ascer- tained to be the average and has been quoted as such in the Society’s papers. The charge for advertising seemed to show that a reasonable amount of discretion had been bestowed upon this branch of expenditure. vou. X. oe The question is, what opening for fraud does such an account leave? Observe that none of the rapacious “ grabs” advocated by the committee of the Publishers’ Association were found in this account. It was a simple statement—“ so much money spent: so much money received: here is your share.” The general principle, universally recognised in all affairs of business, is that, if a body of men are left free to cheat with impunity, they will cheat. How bas this man cheated ? Very possibly not at all. Yet he could cheat in several ways. He might have taken discounts— any discount he could get—and omitted to credit the account of the book with them. He might have advertised in his own organ, and charged against the book advertisements which cost him nothing. Or he might have charged exchange advertisements which cost him nothing. And he might have made a false return of the number sold and of the price obtained. Again, he might overstate the numbers sent to the colonies, and understate thosé sold to the English trade. Or he might have had the book printed in Holland at a reduction of some 20 per cent. in English prices, and then charged what looked like a fair English price. The real point is that he might have done any or all of these things with impunity, relying on the fact that so very, very few authors have the moral courage to treat this kind of property as they treat all other kinds, viz., to have the account audited. IX.—Tue Question oF REvIEwS. The question of reviews is one of the most important connected with the healthy condition of contemporary literature which the student of it has to deal with, but one with regard to which the reviewer (I use the word as a collective) has, I fear, little conscience. I am an old author and have published a little of everything, stories, studies, political essays, history, and technical books, their production running over a period of nearly thirty years, and my connection with journalism and reviewing more than forty, my first appearance in print having occurred fifty odd years ago. Needless to say, I have attained to little of that distinction which is the lot of the successful specialist, but I am content with my harvest, and am independent of the publisher and the public, having attained in a tranquil old age to a modest competence, a tolerable callousness to public opinion, and an absolute serenity before the critic. And yet he has always dealt with me kindly, so kindly, indeed, that itis ungrateful for me to carp at his doings. Some of my books rT 2  192 THE AUTHOR. have been very widely noticed, and rarely ill- naturedly, but of fifty notices one has called out, I am disposed to say that by far the largest number showed that the critic had only skimmed the book, or had not read it at all, but taken the notice of one of the leading journals for the basis of his own opinion, and very few indeed showed that the writers were read up in the subject of the book. I have also done a good deal of reviewing and in two or three subjects have qualified myself to criticise a book, so that I am able to judge . whether a given notice is competent or not. It has, therefore been within my experience to have read in leading literary organs criticisms which proved that the critic was absolutely disqualified to say whether the book was accurate in its state- ments or not. Imagine a critic reviewing a history of the reign of Queen Elizabeth of England, and not knowing whether certain battles in the Netherlands had been victories or defeats, or who commanded in them! Yet I have seen in an authoritative journal a review of a book the subject of which I was thoroughly versed in, which review passed unnoticed errors as important as would be the ascribing victory where the event in a certain conflict had been defeat. It was evident that the critic had never read a standard work on the subject treated in the book and had criticised it as he would have criticised a novel, as agreeable reading. French criticism rarely makes such a blunder, while it is very common in England. I know only two journals published in London which seem to me to make a regular practice of assigning their criticism to writers who are specialists in the subject treated by the book. And with a few brilliant exceptions, how superior to the body of English criticism is either the French or the German! Superior too in precisely this respect, that the critic is competent to detect the errors of statement which the book falls into. The subject that “Querist” raises in the January Author is another in which English criticism errs frankly, and it may be confidently anticipated what will be said by certain journals (and the majority of them) of books by certain authors, their “ tried favourites,” and often their personal friends. If our judges were to dismiss their cases as carelessly (to say the least) as our critics do, there would be a large disbenching in England. All this involves not merely the highest interests of our current literature but the exercise of common honesty. Retrrep. THE PENSION FUND. MONG other communications concerning the Pension Fund is one from an associate who seems in difficulties about his own position. It is very simple. Membership has but one condition, that of having written a book. The pensions will be granted to members only, and, I suppose, chiefly to members who have led the life of letters professionally. This correspondent asks whether a certain production of a volume containing stories written by himself, with the addition of a chapter or short story written by another hand, makes him eligible for membership. I should be of opinion that it does. His concluding words are eminently satisfactory. “T hope that the enclosed cheque for a guinea will be an annual donation to the fund, and whether I am right or wrong in my surmise that associates are not eligible, I cannot but sympathise with this splendid scheme.” W. B. A suggestion has been made by Mrs. Tweedie — in forwarding a donation to the Fund, that “ the offer of a pension to any author should be con- sidered an honour, a valued recognition from other writers, and in no wise a charity. The bread of charity is bitter, while that of success is ’ i sweet.” Iam very glad to see the Pension Scheme has — made a good start in securing the support ofa dozen prominent and representative names, for ‘the ‘most part drawn from those whom happy -fate has put beyond need of help. Judging from what one knows of big incomes enjoyed by other — prominent writers, there should, if these have — any feeling of esprit de corps, be substantial additions to the donations which are essential as solid bases of the fund. For the fundamental thing is to create a Capital Account (aided by such proportion of subserip- tions as can be spared from time to time) since subscribers are often fickle, and, in all cases, mortal. The scheme seems well drawn, but perhaps clauses 8 and 10 might be made more stringent in excluding cases where an author already has a Civil List pension, or has by reckless living made “ducks and drakes” of large earnings through many years. Savile Club, Jan. 19. Epwarp CLopD. We have to thank Literature for giving to the public a fair and a truthful presentation of the case for a Pension Fund as an auxiliary to this  THE AUTHOR. 193 Society. Other papers have mentioned the scheme, some in the careless and casual manner of the modern writer of paragraphs who has no time to read what he criticises, some with the downright and deliberate misrepresentation of facts which certain writers for the press always practice with regard to this Society. So long as they can be answered these misrepresentations have proved of the greatest advantage to the Society, which has never asked for more than a dispassionate statement of its aims and work. Sometimes, however, the papers in which these attacks appear escape notice. The Pension Scheme in one paper was represented as intended for the whole of the literary craft, of whom more than half certainly do not, as yet, belong to the Society. They stand apart while they reap the substantial benefits of its work. The Fund will be used for members only. This is an example of the journalist too hurried to read. In another paper the scheme is represented as the work of certain literary men whose whole desire is to advertise themselves! And yet we ask why the Profession of Letters is still, by many, held in contempt. To advertise themselves! It is a costly advertisement. But what a courteous and well-bred criticism! and how profoundly true! Literature calls attention to the “Guild of Literature and of Art,” started by Charles Dickens and Lord Lytton in 1851, and quotes from a letter written by the former to the latter :— I do devontly believe that this plan carried will entirely change the status of the literary man in England, and make a revolution in his position, which no Government, no power on earth but his own, could effect. I have implicit confidence in the scheme—so splendidly begun—if we carry it out with a steadfast energy. I have a strong conviction that we hold in our hands the peace and honour of men of letters for centuries to come, and that you are destined to be their best and most enduring benefactor. The Guild proved a complete failure. The sum of about £1500 was raised, in addition to a similar amount spent in building two or three houses at Stevenage. Now, nobody wanted to live at Stevenage. The new scheme differs entirely from the old. It does not include the whole of literature; it is simply a scheme for the benefit of our own members; it will not offer almshouses, or anything of the kind; it will be supported by members of the Society, all of whom are actual members of the literary craft; and it will not appeal to the public for assistance. ee PARIS NOTES. 5, rue Chomel. HE happy initiative given by the successful inauguration of the “Université popu- laire’”’ (mentioned in “ Paris Notes” for December) has already borne fruit. On the heights of the nineteenth arrondissement, a some- what similar institution termed ‘“ Fondation universitaire de Belleville” has recently been established. Its premises are a long, low bungalow situated at the end of a wide court-yard bordered with trees, and its aim is to educate and elevate the working man, and to organise a systematic contact and union between workman and student. At the present moment upwards of eighty-five workmen, 101 students, and sixty honorary members are inscribed on the “ Fonda- ’s” registers; but though the last-named tion’s adherents include several opulent and well-known Parisians, honorary members are rigorously excluded from the working committee, which is entirely composed of young men. Sub-com- mittees, in which the workmen are earnestly invited to participate, have also been formed. to aid the head administration in expending or economising the revenues of the new foundation —to wit, 3500 francs per year. The students who are members of the association voluntarily offer themselves in turn as residents on the foundation. This devotion to “le devoir social” is admirable, since it practically amounts to a gratuitous exile of one, two, or three months from all accustomed haunts and recreations. The appeal issued to the workmen of Belleville by these generally-reputed fiery young Hotspurs is worthy of being quoted. Roughly translated, it runs as follows :— «- ° | here are in our association neither masters, chiefs, nor patrons. We do not come to justify a hierarchy, inculcate ideas, impose dogmas. Our property is collective; we are voluntarily equals. “ We are not sectarians. We admit all sincere and thoughtful opinions. We only exclude those who pretend to have the monopoly of truth and admit no contradiction. “We come to propose to you to work recipro- cally at our common education At the same time that we mutually develop our intelli- gence we shall learn to know and love each other. « . , Let us establish a new and fertile alliance. In uniting our efforts thus, in working to develop our minds and enlarge our hearts, we shall efface little by little the artificial separation of classes; we shall diminish their passing hostility ; we shall prepare a more peaceful, a more fraternal, a better epoch--whose dawn we shall soon see illuminating the horizon!” 194 We regret that space will not permit the inser- tion of the entire article. Suffice it to state that this loyal appeal has been warmly responded to ; and that, not only at Belleville, but also in several other thickly-populated districts of Paris—notably at Grenelle, the Ternes, and in the Latin Quarter —similar institutions are now in process of forma- tion—a good omen for the commencement of the new century and the inauguration of the Great Exhibition ! Tur CHaucHarp Prize. M. Marcel Prévost, president of the Socicté des Gens de Lettres, has presented to M. Chauchard, on behalf of the committee of the society he represents, a golden ‘plaquette” exquisitely wrought by Daniel Dupuis, bearing the inscrip- tion: “A.M. Chauchard, du Comité de la Sucicté -des Gens de Lettres, 1900.’ By this gift the committee endeavoured to express their gratitude for the munificent literary prizes and donations placed at their disposal by the well-known philan- thropist. This year M. Paul Alexis has won the signal distinction of being unanimously elected by the judges as the recipient of the Grand Prix Chauchard of 3000 frances. M. Alexis has been described as an excellent type of ‘une bonne téte grisonnante de bicheur myope.” His name was first brought before the public in 1879 by a curious little one-act play, entitled “Celles qu’on n’épouse pas,” which was personally recommended by Dumas ji/s to the manager of the Gymnase Theatre. ‘La Fin de Lucie Pellegrin,” followed by “Le Besoin d’Aimer,” “ L’Education amour- euse,” ‘Ta Comtesse,” &c., established his talent as a novelist; while “Monsieur Betsy,” “‘La Provinciale,’ and two plays taken from the Goncourts’ works, respectively entitled ‘“ Les Fréres Zemganno” and “Charles Demailly,” consolidated his reputation as a dramatist. He will shortly read ‘“‘Chantenac””—a new play in four acts — to the committee of the Comédie Frangaise; while a five-act study of political ambition, entitled ‘‘ Vallobra,” has already been accepted and placed on the programme of the Antoine theatre. While awaiting its representa- tion, the author is engaged in writing a novel drawn from the last-named drama, thus reversing the usual precedent. That he entertains no mis- givings respecting the success of the proceeding may be seen by the fact that he has announced his intention of dedicating this novel to M. Victorien Sardou, master of the dramatic craft. Its title is not yet known. M. Lavepan’s Reception. The brilliant oration in memory-of-his prede- cessor pronounced by M. Henri Lavedan on the occasion of his public reception at the Académie THE AUTHOR. Francaise, was hardly appreciated by the old friends and comrades of Henri Meilhac. In par- ticular, the allusion to the talented author of “ Frou- frou”’ as a personage who would have been the “sous-Dumas des petites sous-baronnes d’ Ange” — contained that grain of truth which rendered such a parallel exceedingly wounding. ‘I wish that Lavedan may have (as late as possible) a suc- cessor as witty as himself, but more just towards the work of his life, and more respectful towards the dead,’ wrote M. Louis Ganderax, after hearing this so-called eulogy. The response of the Marquis Costa de Beauregard threw oil on the troubled waters; though it would be difficult to assert that its recipient was more content with the finely satirical appreciation given by the Marquis of his own work than had been the case with the friends of Henri Meilhac during the previous oration. ‘‘Give us a little human life, instead of manufacturing for us so much Parisian life,” said M. Costa de Beauregard, at one period of his discourse. “Since wit and intelligence have been given you without stint, you should have other things to recount of life than the amuse- ments of little, vicious creatures, or the rancid amours of dotards whose souls are rotten.” MM. Francois Coppée and Victorien Sardou were the official godfathers of M. Henri Lavedan, who has also been invested with the digrity of chan- cellor, owing to his having been the last Acade- mician received before the nomination of the new office-bearers for the first trimestre of the year 1900. The reception of M. Paul Deschanel by M. Sully Prudhomme, and the double election of the successors to the two vacant fauteuils (formerly occupied by Edouard Pailleron and Victor Cherbuliez) are expected to take place— the first, during the first week in February, and the second, towards the end of March. OFFICE-BEARERS FOR 1900. The five Academies which compose the Institut de France have appointed the following members as office-bearers during the year 1900: M. Alfred Normand, delegate of the Academy des beaux- arts, has been nominated President ; MM. Gaston Boissier, delegate of the Académie Frangaise ; de Barthélemy, delegate of the Académie des inscrip- tions et belles-lettres ; Maurice Lévy, delegate of the Académie des science; and Germain, delegate of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques, have accepted the office of vice-presidents. M. Gustave Larroumet, permanent secretary of the Académie des beaux-arts, has added to his numerous duties by undertaking the office of secretary-general to the Institut; while MM. Rousse, Halévy, Gaston Boissier, Ravaisson- Mollien, Delisle, Wallon, Darboux, Bornet,  THE Bertrand, Berthelot, Jules Thomas, Daumet, Tarroumet, Levasseur, Aucoc, and Georges Picot, form the Central Administrative Committee charged with the administration of the common funds and properties of the five Academies com- posing the above-mentioned institution. The duc de La Trémiille has recently been elected a free member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, which ranks second to the Académie francaise. This nobleman is not only the heir of one of the most ancient and famous names in France, but is also the author of a series of learned tomes on the La Trémiille during five centuries. He has likewise edited the interesting “ Souvenirs de la Princesse de Tarente,” which is, perhaps, his most popular work. THREE MonvUMENTS. MM. Barrias, Saint Marceaux, and Bartholomé are to be congratulated on the success of their latest efforts, and on the highly artistic and appre- ciative manner in which they have respectively acquitted themselves of the task confided them. M. Barrias’ magnificent monument of Victor Hugo has been placed in the Galérie des Machines, previous to occupying a central position in the Great Exhibition. It represents the famous writer pensively reflecting on a wave-beaten rock, surrounded by four emblematical figures repre- senting the Muses of Epic, Dramatic, Lyric, and Satirical poetry. The statue of the central figure is in “bronze mat,” the rock is in granite, and the four emblematical figures are in “ bronze doré.” It is completely finished, minus the in- laying process, which will commence next week. M. Saint Marceaux’s work is not so far advanced, though its final effect can be easily judged from the completed cast, wrought by the great sculptor with conscientious care. It portrays Dumas ils as the confidant of Woman, surrounded by a group of feminine admirers, to whom he is repre- sented as in the act of listening. A shower of camellia blossoms—in remembrance of his cele- brated work—surrounds the name of the writer, engraven on the marble plinth. This monument —whose height is three and a half metres, and whose cube is not less than twelve metres—is being cut from a single block of marble. M. Bartholomé’s smaller and more unpretentious funeral monument has already been placed on the tomb of Henri Meilhac. It depicts a partially- veiled feminine figure, whose hand half conceals her mournful features, in the act of laying a wreath on the dead man’s tomb. On this wreath is engraven a single word—Amitié : the offering of the loyal friends and comrades who had known and loved the gifted, melancholy, warm-hearted Henri Meilhac. AUTHOR. 195 Unconscious PLAGIARISM. Unconscious plagiarism, like influenza, seems in the air just now. Five well-known dramatic authors, namely, MM. René Maizeroy, Romain Rolland, Georges Feydeau, Pierre Decourcelle, and M. Bisson, have made public their grievances on this score during the last two months. In a most courteously-worded open letter, M. Maizeroy declares himself heartbroken at discovering that M. Francis de Croisset has superseded his design of drawing a three-act play from a novel written by himself; to which M. de Croisset politely responds that he shall have much pleasure in applauding the projected play, since only a Breton cousinship exists between his own play and the personages introduced in M. Maizeroy’s novel. M. Rolland contents himself with acquainting the public of the analogy existing between his latest play (accepted two months ago by the Gymnase Theatre) and_ the historical drama entitled “‘L’Affaire des Poisons,’ on which M. Victorien Sardou is now engaged. M. Feydeau announces the fact that MM. Cottens and Char- vay’s recently-performed operetta is an almost exact reproduction of the plot and several inci- dents in the play he has had on hand for several months, as may be seen by referring to the columns of a back number of the Figaro ; while M. Decourcelle has solved a somewhat similar problem on his own account in a highly satisfac- tory and private manner. M. Bisson, the witty author of “Le Contréleur des Wagons-Lits,” responded to the charge of plagiarism by suing his accuser; which proceeding furnished much amusing copy, but led to no appreciable results save the judicial rehabilitation of the plaintiff. An INTERESTING CASE. The action for 3000 francs damages brought by M. Brunetitre (Revue des deux Mondes) against M. Yves Guyot (Le Siécle) was extremely interesting. The point at issue was the right of M. Guyot to publish the private letters addressed him by M. Brunetiére without the writer’s permission. In its previous judgment on the publication of the correspondence of Georges Sand, the First Civil Chamber had declared “the right of publishing letters manifestly rests in the hands of the writer himself.’ According to M. Brunetiére, the true question that the present tribunal was called on to decide was this: “Author of prose or verse, have I over my property as writer the absolute and imprescriptible right that the peasant possesses over the fruit of his labour, or the workman over his salary?” We are glad to state that judgment was given in M. Brunetiére’s favour; or at least. the defendant was ordered. to pay 500 francs damages to the plaintiff, in 196 addition to inserting the judgment in five news- papers, the choice of which was left to the plaintiff. The judges, however, declared themselves incom- petent to decide regarding the destruction of the confiscated pamphlets demanded by M. Brune- tigre. Among interesting publications of the month will be found the following: “La Demeure enchantée,” by M. Eugene Vernon; “ Union d’imes,” by M. Jean d’Hstray; ‘‘Une Tache d’encre,” by M. René Bazin; “Nos Peintres du siécle,” by M. Jules Breton ; ‘‘ Basile et Sophia,”’ by M. Paul Adam; “De Lesseps intime,’ by M. Th. Batbedat ; “Trois ans 4 la Cour de Perse,” by docteur Feuvruer, ancient physician to the Shah of Persia; ‘‘ Les Eléments d’une Renais- sance Francaise,” by M. Saint Georges de Bouhe- lier; “L’Image de la Femme,” by M. Armand Dayot, inspecteur des beaux-arts ; and ‘‘ Versailles et les deux Trianons,” by M. Marcel Lambert. DarracorTe Scort. P.S.—M. Armand Colin has written to inform me that the complete series of ‘‘ Portraits intimes ” can now be obtained at his publishing house, 5, rue de Mezieres, Paris. —D. S. LT AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE. OSSIBLY it was not until picked troops were sent from each of the Austral pro- vinces to South Africa that the European mind thoroughly realised what a substantial body of troops—some 100,000 in number—can be raised locally for the defence of Australia; and it is certain that until Australian writers send the best of their work to London their brothers over the water will fail to realise the development which is taking place in Australian literature. That literature, I take it, does not comprise merely such books as are written by native-born writers, but may be defined as the entire litera- ture for which Australia is in some way or other responsible. And in Australia I include Maori- land, that wonderland of the southern hemi- sphere, which may or may not become subse- quently a part of federated Australia. Upon the foundation laid by Lindsay Gordon, Marcus Clarke, and Henry Kendall—are not their acts, and all that they did, written in every encyclopedia of names ?—upon a foundation laid in penury and suicide there is arising a striking edifice. : From the time of these great prodromt, whose crying in the wilderness brought them for reward but Dead Sea apples, Francis Adams, with his “Songs of the Army of the Night”; Judge THE AUTHOR. Maning, with his “Old New Zealand”; and Brunton Stephens, Parkes, and Grey, tide us over to the present decade. It is with the writers of the last ten years that I wish to deal. SuccressruLt Poets. The nineties have been rich in Austral poets. Victor Daley and Roderick Quinn—and the greater of these is Daley—may be taken to repre- sent the subjective school, which stretches out after the infinite, and deals with the joys and sorrows of the universe. Let those who doubt Daley’s right to universality read his book, “ At Dawn and Dusk” (Sydney: Angus and Robert- son). They will be charmed, if I mistake not, with the land he wafts them to—the land of lovely dreams. Will H. Ogilvie, in “Fair Girls and Grey Horses”; Henry Lawson, in “ When the World was Wide”; “Banjo” Paterson, m “The Man from Snowy River”; Barcroft Boake, in “ Where the Dead Men Lie”—that’s where he lies, poor fellow; and Arthur Adams, in a book of Maori- land verses just published, are all objective in their intention—“ bush-bards,” every one of them, who have sung of the back-blocks and the Never- never country, and have crystallised the poetic atmosphere of our life. There is still one notable name to mention—that of E. J. Brady, who, in “The Ways of Many Waters,” has sung of the lovable, if sacrilegious, sailor-man, and has struck a universal note. Perhaps the strangest thing about this Austra- lian poetry is that it sells phenomenally. ‘ The Man from Snowy River” went through four editions before it was published in London, and upwards of 15,000 copies of the book have been sold; ‘When the World was Wide” has gone through at least seven editions; and Ogilvie’s “Fair Girls and Grey Horses,” which was pub- lished a few months ago, immediately went into a second edition. Novetists—Known and UNKNOWN. We now come to the novelists, who are many; and we will present the ladies first. Mary Gaunt has written “ Dave’s Sweetheart,” and thereby established a reputation; Louise Mack has pub- lished “Teens,” a book which was popular from the start; Ethel Turner’s ‘“ Seven Little Austra- lians,” like the celebrated baking-powder, should find a place in every English home. These novels, and others by the same writers, have sold by thousands. But, apparently, we entirely lack women poets; there are no sweet Sapphos of the Austral shore. a : English people know Louis Becke and his delightful book, “By Reef and Palm.” He THE AUTHOL. writes of the Pacific, but it was in Sydney that his work first appeared, in the pages of the Bulletin. We claim him for our own. Guy Boothby and Fergus Hume are also well known in England, as, too, are Marriott Watson, Rolf Boldrewood, and Farjeon — Australians all, I do most solemnly asseverate. Hornung and Warung you likewise know, but which of you has heard of Albert Dorrington, Ernest Favenc, Alexander Montgomery, or A. H. Davis? And yet I am wrong in my “prospect,” if this last batch of writers do not ‘pan out”—to use Australian phraseology at the risk of shocking you—more literary gold than have any four of those who have “ gone to London.” The only way to test this assertion is by reading Dorrington’s “Bush Tanquery,” and “Castro’s Last Sacra- ment ” collections; Favene’s “ Last of Six, and Other Stories”; Montgomery’s “Five Skull Island,” and “Sword of Sin”; and Davis’s remarkable book, “ On our Selection,’—if they are to be had in London. In drama we have not been conspicuous, but the work of Haddon Chambers is admittedly of a high order, whilst Fergus Hume has been known to produce two plays in one year. Resident in Australia is Bernard Espinasse, who has recently dramatised “The Three Musketeers” for Mr. George Rignold. The great authority on the Queensland blacks is Walter Roth, whose work is of the highest value, and Spence and Gillen have fairly exhausted the subject of the natives of Central Australia. White’s magnum opus on the Maori race will remain the standard authority for all time, and it isto be regretted that a prudish Government suppressed some volumes of the work. Henry Lawson’s ADVICE TO WRITERS. If an Australian of average intelligence were asked to name his country’s greatest writer, the chances are a hundred to one that he would promptly answer “Henry Lawson.” And yet the work of this persona grata is not big or pre- tentious—a book of tales, ‘‘ When the Billy Boils,” and a book of poems, ‘When the World was Wide,” comprise his output. But he has drawn so faithfully and so sympathetically the main features of our life; he possesses such a whim- sical humour, as well as the rare gift of touching the heart; he has voiced so exactly the poetic feeling which the back-blocks have created in the national mind, that every Australian is ready to do him homage. And yet mark what he says in telling his experiences of the last ten years whilst “pursuing literature in Australia.” “ My advice to any young Australian writer whose talents - have been admitted would be to go steerage, stow 197 away, swim, and seek London, Yankeeland, or Timbuctoo, rather than stay in Australia till his genius has turned to gall, or beer. Or failing this—and still in the interests of human nature and literature—let him study elementary anatomy, especially such as applies to the cranium, and then shoot himself carefully with the aid of a looking- glass.” Lindsay Gordon shot himself and Barcroft Boake took his own life. Therefore there would indeed seem to be something disastrous in the pursuit of literature in Australia ; that words such as I have quoted should come from our most notable author is a fact which substantiates this fear. Two Great DIFFICULTIES. Our difficulties are two-fold. First, there is no prospect of the aspiring writer being able to tide over the first lean years of apprenticeship by con- tributing as a free-lance journalist to the vast, but apparently impecunious, Austral Press. Not more than six or eight of our journals pay for contributions, the Austral proprietor feeling that he has done his duty if he has paid the members of his permanent staff. The second difficulty is in finding good publishers. To publish locally means application to one of three or four firms, none of which can do the best that is possible for the book. Toapply to London publishers, unless the fame of the writer has gone before him, is like casting bread upon the waters—it is sure to return after many, very many, days. And even if a writer has been heard of in London, to find there the publisher who wants his particular kind of work is like looking for the proverbial needle in a hayrick. The Sydney Bulletin, that unique journal which draws its contributions from the writers of a continent and the isles beyond —and_ pays for every line it prints — has done much for Australian literature by introducing to the world such men as Becke, Boake, Dorrington, Daley, Dyson, Favenc, Lawson, Montgomery, Ogilvie, Paterson, Quinn, Arthur Adams, Davis, and other writers too many to mention, and now it has entered upon a publishing scheme, whereby writers who have made their mark in its pages may gain a permanent footing in the Austral book-world. But the Bulletin Publishing Com- pany, though the books it publishes meet with a warm welcome, moves of necessity too slowly to keep pace with the output, and whilst it is considering MSS., authors are in jeopardy of dying through starvation and despair, or else are tempted to study anatomy in the way which Lawson directs. But there should be help in the Authors’ Society, though, so far as I am aware, none 198 of the writers I have referred to as living in Australia belong to the Society. If after making their mark here they were to use the advice of the Society’s Secretary and Committee, and were to employ agents recommended by the Society, there should be no necessity for them to dream of a Timbuctoo, or to contemplate suicide by means of a cheap Belgian pistol. Nelson, Maoriland. ALFRED GRACE. Specs NOVELISTS AND THE WAR FUND. \ {| AY I suggest that fiction writers as a body might do something towards the War Fund, in having some of their wares collected into a book and offered to the public for sale? Itake it that short stories would be most available, and of course all writers, however willing they might be, could not be represented. The contents of such a book would have to be arranged by an editor. But certainly it would have a large sale; and I make no doubt that any one of the three best publishers would bring it out free of charge, and so a considerable sum would be raised for a very desirable object. C. J. Curciirre Hyne. NOTES AND NEWS. INVITE our members to consider Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne’s suggestion published above, If the suggestion is carried out it will be necessary to appoint an editor, to arrange the length of the volume, its illustrations if it is to be illustrated : its price, the time of publication, and the selection of the writers. There are many other points for consideration. If the book is to consist of short stories what length is to be adopted? ‘Perhaps not more than twelve pages, say, of the Cornhill Magazine type and size, v.e., about 5000 or 6000 words. TI agree with Mr. Cutcliffe Hyne that it might command a very large sale. If it is to appear in June, which would seem the most promising to me, it should be undertaken at once. Who are “the three best” publishers? The distinction is delicate. I should, myself, begin in making such a selection by taking out as a preliminary all those names which were appended to the “ Draft Agreements.” Some time ago I received a letter from one who stated that he had been in the employ of a certain publisher for four years. He gave me a few THE AUTHOR. details as to the management of that firm’s business. I did not publish the letter because I could not vouch for the truth of his statements. It is enough to say that they were well nigh incredible. I give an extract, together with the advice which he offers. The latter, at any rate, is sound. He says: “ Lhad to make out authors’ accounts. Say that 2000 were printed. I accounted to the author for them just as I liked, to make the numbers fit, without a single. voucher, and no record whatever kept of the sales. Certainly I had the subscription sheet, but even this is, and can be, cooked. My accounts deducted 10 per cent. for the retail bookseller. No one, except the shipping houses, got more than 5 per cent. As for discounts allowed by paper-makers, binders, block-makers, printers, they ranged from 5 per cent. to 15 per cent. The author was not told of these discounts at all. As for advertisements, the less said the better. What authors must do is to examine and audit all these accounts: not for the past half year only, but where they have been running some time, especially those of books which have had a good sale. I should like to assist in the examination, and it would be an eye- opener.” I repeat that I cannot vouch for the truth of the statements. The thing, however, is quite possible in the absence of anaudit. It may be thought that the writer is vindictive: but his advice remains. There should be an audit of every account. Ina royalty account how do we know that a true return has been made? What is to prevent the suppression of hundreds—in the case of a very large circulation, thousands? Now, it is invi- dious for any one writer to take the lead in a new departure that will be welcomed with the fiercest resentment. Also, it would be expensive to go to a firm of accountants for every special case. Combined action is necessary. The only way is for a certain number of the more important writers to agree that their accounts shall always be audited without consideration of any firm or any private friendships or any amount of confidence, and to retain for the purpose some young accountant whose fees will be much iower than those of the established firms. A method to be followed in every case must be decided. Here is one point which shows the necessity of an audit. I have once, and only once, seen an account which set forth the number of “ overs.” The matter has been more than once mentioned in these columns, and there have been indignant letters in other papers—anonymous, of course —from publishers declaring that there never were  THE AUTHOR. any “overs” to speak of: or, if there were, that they were wanted to make up deficiencies. Very well. At the Publishers’ Congress, where a good many interesting things came out, it was publicly stated and not denied that “overs” added 2 per cent. to the number. So that in an edition of 3000 there would be sixty “overs.” By what right —by what law of common honesty—does a pub- lisher take over to himself those sixty “ overs” ? The main points to be secured in framing such a league for the audit of accounts are these :— t. The audit must be managed without giving any trouble to the author. 2. If the publisher remonstrates with the author or threatens a withdrawal of his counten- ance, the author must send the letter to the Secretary and decline personal correspondence in the matter. 3. If the publisher refuses to show his accounts the Society must take the matter into court with- out expense totheauthor. One case will be quite enough. 4. The expense of audit must be moderate. [have always assumed as a thing absolutely necessary to the trade of publishing that pub- lishers were always ready to read MSS. If they refuse even toread MSS. how can they conduct their business? Therefore the experience of a corre- spondent is amazing. He says that he offered to submit the MS. of a work since published to many firms reputed to be of good standing. Some of them would not even allow him to send it. They were “full up”: they were “too full now”: they could not look at it “at present” : “No, thanks.” That the work had already appeared in a serial form was a bar: “no use after serial form.” (This is, of course, rubbish: most of the successful novels appear first in serial form, and it has long been demonstrated that the first appearance, which is read by scraps and generally only in part, stimulates the demand for volume form). They could “take up nothing new just yet”: they did not “see their way to avail themselves of the offer’: they were not “ san- guine of being able to undertake”: “the supply of fiction was in excess of the demand.” Others, again, accepted the offer of the MS. and sent back a typewritten form of regret that “after careful consideration they were compelled to decline the work.” In some cases there was proof that the parcel had never been opened! One firm, a big firm, crowned all by stating that their “‘yeader’s report was not encouraging enough for them to, &c.” And this, although the MS. 199 had never been sent to them at all, but was only offered if the firm would consent to read it! One can understand the rejection of a MS. on the ground that it might not prove a commercial success: but the refusal even to read MSS. where out of a hundred offered one may prove a gold mine is unintelligible except on the ground that recent losses or partial failures put a stop to further enterprise. This in fact has now happened. Writers will do well to consider the situation. It is not a time for the mediocre artist: he must for the moment sit quiet and wait for a more favourable opportunity. Nor is it a favourable moment for those who write “ appreciations” or “ studies”’ or literary essays. Above all it is not a time when anyone should give up work that affords him a livelihood in order to live by his pen. For the leaders in the literary craft there will be little, if any, loss. But the demand for inferior work of all kinds will be for a long time very far below the supply. The death of the Rev. Dr. James Martineau removes one of the oldest friends of the Society. He became a member very soon after the Society was formed, and remained a member until a few years ago when his literary work was done. It was the countenance and the support of a few such men as Martineau, to whom must be added certain names which the reader will find for himself on our Council, which strengthened and encouraged our Committee in the early days when derision and contempt were attempted as lethal weapons. It was because the Society began and has ever since carried on a struggle for the independence of the author, and has set up safe- guards, especially in the shape of exposure, against rapacity and secret profits, that such men were found to support us. The “ Draft Agreements” issued by the committee of the Publishers’ Association first revealed to an astonished world the need of such a Society as our own, and the solid reasons for the many warnings, which had previously been found so hard to believe, against claims and practices which we knew to be so common. Great should be the gratitude of all our members for the support of such men as James Martineau. Another late member, R. D. Blackmore, has been taken from us in this most gloomy month. He withdrew from membership when he ceased to write about three years ago. It is greatly to be hoped that, in the interests of the literary- calling, the history of his novels ; the extent of 200 their circulation; the management of his pro- perty, which partly belongs to the days before the work of the Society—may be revealed to the world. There have been few novels indeed during the latter half of this century which have had so wide a popularity as “Lorna Doone.” He wrote in all sixteen novels and two or three volumes of verse. Water Besant. ee THE MORAL RIGHTS OF AUTHORS.* IGNOR FOA, the editor of our Italian con- temporary, J Diritti d’Autore, has republished in a convenient form his contributions to that periodical on the new and interesting question of the author's “ Moral Rights.” Attention was first directed to these rights by Jules Lermina, whose name is so familiar to all students of copyright law, at the Berne Congress in 1896. The nature and extent of these rights have been subsequently discussed, more or less fully, at the con- gresses of the “ Association Litteraire et Artistique Internationale” at Monaco (1897), Turin (1898), and lastly, this autumn at Heidel- burg, where a special commission, appointed in 1898 to examine the subject, presented a report of their investigations. An exact and entirely satisfactory definition of these rights has hardly yet been propounded ; and in consequence of this it is at present impossible to formulate the conclusions that may be legitimately drawn from these rights. Signor Foa freely admits all this, and modestly offers his contribution to the discussion only as a step in the direction of a desideratum, with the just remark that, “if the path of knowledge is always a difficult one to pursue, it is at least an impor- tant point to have made a start in the right direction.” Unfortunately, it is impossible to agree with Signor Foa’s opinion that “in all civilised States the material-rights of an author are sufficienty protected.” These rights will not be sufficiently protected until they are protected universally and in perpetuity. At present by far the larger part— though not the more intellectual part—of Europe remains still outside the Berne Convention, whilst perpetual copyright seems to be regarded as a purely Utopian notion. Under these circum- stances the suggestion of legal recognition of the far less tangible moral rights (at which Signor Foa hints) is surely premature. * Ferruccio Foa. Il Diritto Morale dell’ Autore sulle Opere dell’ ingegno. Milano: Tipografia del Riformatorio Patronato. 1899. 4to. THE AUTHOR. On the other hand, striking evidence of the real existence of moral rights and of a general sense of their importance is produced. It is pointed out that they have been used, and are still used, as an argument for robbing authors of all other rights. The author is said (mostly by people who cannot sell their copy) to debase his literary productions by demanding a material price for them, because, forsooth, if they have any value at all, they have a value of a kind not to be expressed in pounds, shillings, and pence. This clearly implies that the author has a right to something beyond material advantages. His right to material advantages—to some material advan- tages—is now in many countries a legally estab- lished fact. And that is in accordance with natural right. “Literary and artistic work,” says Signor Foa, “is a manifestation of human industry, and as such merits the protection of the law.” ‘But the admission of this first right does not destroy the other right to something beyond material advantages. And this further right is, in effect, the moral right of the author which has been recently the subject of so much discus- sion. In what does this moral right consist? The author gives the public something that emanates “from his brain, from his own soul, from his own personality; and he, at the same time, assumes responsibility to the public for it.” The pubhe has a right to look critically upon what is offered, and to accept it or not, to accept it as a part of spiritual patrimony of the nation. But the author also has a right to demand that the work for which he makes himself responsible shall be examined by the public “as he produced it in its integrity.” Hence Signor Foa cdneludes that the founda- tion of the author's moral rights is the intangi- bility of intellectual productions. That is pretty generally admitted by all who have studied the question; though the logical consequences of the principle (a far-reaching one, it must be confessed) have proved a Itttle alarming to some of its supporters. Attempts to give the idea legal expression, or to penetrate much more deeply into the subject, have not hitherto led to much result. Two consequences may, however, be mentioned. The author is supreme judge of what works of his shall be published (here it is impossible to forget that Virgil desired that the Alneid should not be published) ; and the unpublished works of an author cannot be seized by his creditors: “Le droit morale doit rester dans la domaine morale, et n’étre point sujet aux spéculations financitres.” In reply to the question which has been asked whether the author’s moral right is @  THE AUTHOR. “personal right” in the legal sense, Signor Foa points out that “personal right” has in law really more than one meaning. He is disposed to think that it is not a personal right. Indeed, intangibility appears to be all that can be said to be at present completely agreed upon. Evidently this intangibility should be also per- petual. But here ideals and realities prove incompatible. The intangibility of a scientific work, which is to continue to be of value, is inconceivable. And in consequence of differ- ences of taste and manner, the same rule applies, in a different way, to drama. Here considera- tions of mala fides and of “alteration merely for the sake of gain” will demand scrutiny. ‘“ Who is to be the guardian of the rights,’ and “ Who is to be guarantee for permissible alterations,” are further inevitable questions, which do not exhaust all the problems presented by intangi- bility. But Signor Foa insists with reason upon the injury done to public taste, and the insult offered public intelligence, in addition to the wrong done the author by such hideous travesties of great works as are only too common. He quotes as an examplea horrible and ear-torturing performance of “ Don Giovanni” in a theatre of marionettes; but similar abuses of artistic pro- ductions of all kinds are, unhappily, familiar to everyone. They prove also that the author's moral rights represent something that is, at least intellectually, very real. Only a few of the bear- ings of those rights have been hitherto explored ; but as a lucid summary of all that has been hitherto done, and a just appreciation of the ‘results, Signor Foa’s work may be recommended to all interested in the question. ee CORRESPONDENCE. I.—A DuiseraceruL TRICK. SENT the opening chapters of a novel to a publishing house which acts as agents for simultaneous publication of tales. I received a polite note with the returned MS. saying the novel was too local for their require- ments, but they would be glad to see short stories from my pen. I sent two, which were accepted at once. Some time later I had a note from them requesting me to submit others. I sent three, and had two returned as “ unsuitable.” The following year I again got a note asking for MS. I sent one tale and had it returned as unsuitable very soon. Again I got a request for MS., but did not send any. Six months later came another note to 20! the same effect, and I sent off four short tales. In a fortnight the four were returned as unsuitable. I then wrote expressing surprise, as the rejected tales were quite ‘on the lines” of those which had been approved, &c. I received no answer. I chanced to show one of these rejected tales to a friend, and she said, before reading two pages: ‘ You have published this.” “No,” I answered. But she affirmed she had read it, and to my surprise told me all the story. It was evolved in a somewhat uncommon way, and founded upon a personal experience, and I felt sure there could be no accidental resemblance. I find that other writers have had a like experi- ence. They have seen their tales in print, slightly altered and with different titles, yet these tales had come back to them as unsuitable. The run of chances is against the author ever finding this out; but when he does, what help is there for him ? And how is it done? Does the agent keep a staff of nimble typewriters who cook and copy MS. before it is returned to the author as “ unsuit- able” ? ALGOUS. [It is quite obvious that an editor who would stoop to a trick of this kind should be exposed. The thing cannot be common, Can the charge be proved? If so, will our correspondent be so good as to furnish the Secretary with the name of the paper referred to, and will he further persuade those “other writers”? who have had a similar experience to forward their names and the history of their experiences ?—Ep,] TI—Tue Haur-Crown Critic. The suggestion of “Budding Fictionist” that the readers of the Society of Authors shall, in certain cases, supply criticisms of stories of 5000 words for 2s. 6d., seems hard upon the Society’s readers. Whatsoever the length of the story may be the reader has to form a definite opinion concerning it, and to embody his opinion in a report. If the report is to be of any use to the author the reader will certainly have to expend upon it an amount of time and labour worth considerably more than 2s. 6d. The report at ‘“ Budding Fictionist’s” own price of “three halfpence a line” would be limited to twenty lines. But is the reader, whilst the new story is being written, to remember all the essential facts regarding the ten others previously sent him? If he does not do this, he may find some difficulty in justly estimating the relative values of the earlier and later productions. And if he does, well, such an effort of memory would be cheap at 2s. 6d. An Otp Member. 202 TIL—On Tryina Moret THan ONE EpIror. A recent correspondent says that if I “ had had a little editorial experience of the enormous quantity of articles some editors have to look at . . .. [I] would hardly expect a prompt answer, except in the case of the rejection of the article from sheer want of literary interest.” But the prodigious number of MSS. submitted, though it precludes the possibility of prompt answers to contributors, does not justify editors in retaining MSS. for two, three, or six months. My work consists of short stories, and it has been quite a usual thing for editors to retain my MSS. for the periods I have named before rejecting them. At the present moment I have a story out which has been in the hands of a magazine editor since July last. No answer has been vouchsafed to a letter of mine asking whether the MS. had any chance of acceptance, and that letter was written about three months ago. That is the only letter I have written to this editor, for I make it a rule never to write a letter when sending a MS. No one could possibly accuse me of exasperating editors by giving them unnecessary trouble. As I have very little hope that this particular piece of work will meet with acceptance in that quarter, I have sent out copies elsewhere. Surely no one would say that I have acted discourteously ? That there is no necessity for keeping MSS. so long is proved by the usage of the best magazines and the most courteous editors. In my case the decision of the Cornhill has been generally given inside of a month, and only once has been delayed so long as a month and four days. With Chambers’s Journal the outside limit I have found to be twenty days; with Zongman’s, ten days ; Cassell’s, twenty days; the Royal usually inside a month, once (only) a month and five days. And, be it noted, I’ve reason to believe that every- thing I’ve sent to these journals has been not merely “looked at,” but really read. The fact seems to be that some editors keep the work of unknown authors beside them as a stop-gap in case of the failure of contributors they usually depend upon. This is proved by what “An Editor” says in the National Review for Aug. 1896. ‘There are, he says, three reasons for the retention of MSS., and “the third is that articles are sometimes retained because, in holiday time, when good write1s are lazy, it may be neces- sary to use matter of slightly inferior quality.” T’ve no especial objection to my work being held over for six months in this way, provided it is recognised that I am at liberty to try and find another market for it in the meantime. I have recognised the possibility indicated by “M,C. A.” that a story sent to two magazines THE AUTHOR. may be accepted by the one which pays least. But then, ‘a bird in the hand’s worth two in the bush.” Moreover, many of the _ best-paying magazines are among those which deal most promptly with contributions. Perry Barr. 3 IV.—No Proor Sent. In Feb., 1893, an article of mine appeared in a certain magazine, the MS. having been sent some months previously, but no notice was taken of two letters of inquiry sent, nor was any intima- tion given that the article would appear at all. My first knowledge of the publication was from the railway bookstall, and the article was un- signed, which was opposed to my wishes had I been consulted at all. In this case there was no notification of any kind whatever, and so far as T was concerned, the MS. might have been in the waste-paper basket, but I was paid five guineas later on, at the rate of about half-a-guinea a page. G. R. V. V.—WRITING FOR THE MaGaziInus. My attention has been called to the letter in your December issue signed “ Magazine Struggler.” The writer asks what I think a “ fairly successful ” contributor to magazines alone could make in the course of a year. Well, no definite, or even approximate, estimate can be given; but I do not hesitate to say that from magazines alone a “fairly successful” writer might hope to make, say, from £150 to £200 ina year. But when I talk of magazines, I never include such heavy things as the Contemporary, the Nineteenth Century, the Fortnightly, the National, or the Westminster. These are reviews, and between a review and a magazine there is a great gulf fixed. No sane man would hope to make an income, or any appreciable portion of an income out of work for these publications, so that I think the elabo- rate analysis of their contents which appeared in last month’s Author was wasted time. Nor do I advise anyone to hope for much from the popular magazines ; it would be folly for a beginner to rely on magazines alone as a field of action. My advice, based on personal experience, is: Write for the general and scrappy Press to keep the pot boiling, and peg away with signed magazine articles for your credit’s sake. Yet I do not advise anyone to attempt the task of making a reputation through the magazines ; the speediest means to that end is a good book. Make a supreme effort with a book, and, even if that is only moderately successful, you will find the doors of the magazines and popular weeklies swing open to your touch. After all is said that may be on this subject, it must be admitted that  THE no two men’s experiences coincide; each must begin at the beginning, though the knowledge of another struggler’s experience may serve one to avert pitfalls. An Eprror (Author of “ How to Write for the Press”’). VL.—A New Move or FLEEctrne. I write to inform you of an apparently new way of mulcting authors for advertisements. In my last account from an eminent publishing firm there was a charge of two guineas for advertise- ments. I wrote asking for particulars and the names of the papers advertised in. The answer was that the advertisements were not in news- papers, but in “ our Catalogues and Lists,” and two catalogues, for June and Sept. 1899, were sent me with my work mentioned. I then asked if their charge was an annual or quarterly one, and also if this charge was customary in the trade and if they charged all the authors in their list similarly. To this I got no reply. If they do make such a charge they make a handsome income out of their catalogues. If these are issued quarterly as appears, and if a guinea a notice is charged for each quarter’s insertion, this realises from the 178 names on the list a very large sum for producing the publisher's own catalogue. In other words, the authors are asked to pay for the firm’s own advertisements. Is this practice at all customary? For, if not, and they have singled me out as a solitary victim, thinking I would quietly acquiesce in it, it seems an excessively mean thing for such an eminent firm to do. T inclose the name of the firm, as I should like to know if other authors dealing with the firm have been fleeced in the same way. GoLpEN FLEECE. [If other readers have been served with similar accounts, will they kindly forward their cases, with copies of the accounts and the names of the publishers? It is evident (1) that the publisher has no right to charge for advertisements in hisown organ any more than he has a right to charge for the use of his bookshelves ; and (2) that, if such a right was to exist, it would include the right to charge what he pleased : to advertise a book as often as he pleased and in the most expensive manner possible, without the least regard to the interests of the book—in other words, to make of the practice a means of sweeping everything into his own pocket. Observe that the “ Draft Agree- ments ”—Equitable—preserve a suggestive silence on the subject.—Eb. | — AUTHOR. 203 VIL—A Memper’s Exprriences. An account of my experiences as a writer may be useful to other writers aud to the Society of Authors. I think that even the Society does not always see the difficulties of authors. The advice which the Society gives is exellent, as a general rule; but it cannot, of course, meet all cases. In my case, before I became a member, I signed a publisher’s agreement which I now find is con- demned by the Society. And yet it was the best thing I could do. When I was a boy, I had to get my living at a rather early age. I gave most of my spare time to study, and taught myself Latin and Greek enough for matriculation. I have striven all my life to get the best English books I could. Need forced me into journalism, and here I found no difficulty. I began at the top. I found at once that, without introduction, the best London newspapers would print and pay for descrip- tive articles if only they were supplied with what they wanted. But journalism is cramping and bad, because the journals have their various political and other biases, whilst reporterism is no better than book-keeping, for the most part. I entered upon literature, and here my enormous difficulties began. ‘The fact is, I tried in all my writing as well as 1 could to tell the truth. My first book may be described as an attempt in a story to tell the truth absolutely about a certain aspect of social and political affairs. Nobody would publish it at first, but I deter- mined to get it out somehow. I then knew nothing of the Society’s advice. I got the story printed by a friend, who undertook to share risks and profits and te publish. Small diffi- culties kept arising while the book was printing, and I had to overcome all these, and indeed throughout I was always urging matters forward, so that although the book was carefully written, the trouble of writing it was as nothing to my trouble in getting it out. Business changes pre- vented a proper publication and reviewing. Three reviews indeed appeared, all highly favourable. One was lengthy, and in a leading London news- ' paper. But there was no proper publication or advertisement. By my own exertions I at last placed the printed book with a commission pub- lisher of standing, but by this time it had ceased to be topical. It happened that I lost no money over it, but much time and labour. All that if gained was encouragement—if I wanted that— from the critics. My next manuscripts went the regular round. I corresponded with many publishers and inter- viewed some. Often my work was on the verge of publication. Sometimes two or even three 204 THE AUTHOR. readers were consulted by the publishers over a single book of mine. I found an unbusinesslike tone prevailing in the trade—or perhaps it was only too businesslike. I fear this tone is fostered by the manner of other authors. The publishers seemed to assume that they were conferring a favour on a new author by “giving him a chance” if they should publish his book. In some cases I told them to regard the matter purely as one of business, and in one instance I felt bound to resent the prevalent tone by con- descension of manner on my own part. If MSS. were delayed I wrote shortly for their return. (It is curious that in journalism there is never this tone. If an editor of a newspaper wants a con- tribution he will take it promptly enough, and if not he will send it back, usually with equal promptness.) After infinite trouble I got my second book published on a royalty agreement, with a clause by which I allowed the publisher the refusal of my next two books. This also was before I joined the Society. But I had my eyes open. I never expected really to get any royalty, and as for the clause, it could be satisfied with much less trouble than it takes to get a book published. My object was merely to storm the kopjes of Literature at all costs. There was no other way. If Ihad had money to buy types I would have printed the book myself, and placed it with a commission publisher. As it was, I lost no money over it, and gained some reviews in the best journals. Some of the notices are brief and - contemptuous. Most of. them are fairly long, - and more favourable than I expected. If the . majority of the critics are right, then I have produced a good book. But I have no money by it, nor am I disappointed at not getting what I did not expect under present conditions. Well, now that I am in the Society I feel bound to take their advice in future. The point is that I felt obliged to storm the kopjes in the way I have described rather than accomplish nothing. I have earned hundreds of pounds by journalism, but not a penny by literature; and one cause of this seems to be (if it is not immodest to say so) the false atmosphere of the whole publishing business. The critics, gene- rally, are all right; and there is always a public for a man who has anything to say. The com- mission system ought to be the system of the future. VIIIL.—A Cry From THE DEPTHS, In reply to Mr. Julian Croskey’s remarks in The Author of December, addressed from Ottawa, I think it will be admitted that in order to sell a book or anything else in this world you must first create a demand for it, and this demand, as faras novels are concerned, is only secured with money, social interest, and influential friends on the Press. How is a demand to be created without advertisement of some kind ? With regard to young and talented authors who are poor, and consequently without these social advantages, or who are not in touch with powerful monopolists running commercial fiction in endless journals, it is evident that the struggle for fame, the desire for recognition, will ever befool them, even as they will ever pursue it. Behind all their efforts will be heard the laugh of Mephistopheles. Who can dispute the brutal logic of facts and figures? The dark powers that thwart and destroy are always merciless to the poor and gifted, especially if they add honesty to their other misfortunes. Mr. Croskey’s own experiences and confession are a case in point. Whether a book is good or bad, it must be “worked up” in some way in order to succeed. Everything lies in management and—paragraphs. Wealthy plagiarists who employ “ghosts” and translate freely from foreign sources can always command a certain market. England is the paradise of the charlatan. Then, what are the efforts worth of the young and talented struggler for bread and fame, pitted against obstructive trickery of all kinds and a glut of fiction exceeding the demand? What are his chances with an amiable, if indifferent, public nourished on cleverly conducted magazines, . each with its own staffi—a public ready to enjoy . the crude and characterless fiction—the hackneyed, if illustrated, commonplace offered for their mental pabulum, provided its purveyors thrust it carefully before them and are esteemed persons of wealth and respectability, actuated by the saintliest motives, the purest Christian aims. Is it not kind to warn the literary aspirant, should he be needy, of the often useless and cruel conflicts—the pathetic disillusion attending a career so often ending in broken health and even suicide, For the more imagination and insight, the keener the suffering. To starve in a garret on £50 a year—to elevate the soul and destroy the body to produce a masterpiece which few may read and still fewer understand, may be heroic, but hardly wise, considering the shortness of life and that time is our worst enemy. Are there not nobler and healthier outlets for a man’s energy? Mr. Croskey has proved that there are. ANNABEL GRAY.  THE BOOK AND PLAY TALK. HE new book by Sir William Charley, J3 Q.C., D.C.L., on the House of Lords was published on Jan. 27. It is called “‘Mend- ing’ and ‘ Ending’” (Simpkin, Marshall and Co., price 2s. 6d.), and is a “Reply to Mr. Andrew Reid’s ‘House of Lords Question.’” It deals with every possible suggestion for “ ending” or “mending” the Upper House. It is now nearly five years since Sir William published his “ His- torical Vindication of the House of Lords,” a book which has been much studied. Among the books in preparation at the Claren- don Press may be mentioned the following :— “Celtic Folklore; Welsh and Manx,” by John Rhys, M.A.; “A Translation into Modern English of King Alfred’s O. E. Version of Boethius,” by W. J. Ledgefield, M.A. ; «The Complete Works of John Gower,” edited from the MSS., with introductions, notes, and glos- saries, by G. C. Macaulay, M.A., vols. 2 and 3 (English works) ; “‘ The Canon of Chaucer,” by W. W. Skeat, Litt. D.; ‘“Dryden’s Critical Essays,” edited by W. P. Ker, M.A.; “ Plays and Poems of Robert Greene,’ edited by J. Churton Collins, M.A.; “The Works of Thomas Kyd,” edited by F. S. Boas, M.A.; “‘Milton’s Poetical Works,” edited by H. C. Beeching, M.A. (demy 8vo., with facsimiles ; and in miniature) ; “ Asser’s Life of Alfred,” edited by W. H. Stevenson, M.A.; “Voyages of the Elizabethan Seamen,” edited by EH. J. Payne, M.A., series 2; “The Alfred Jewel,’ by John Earle, M.A. (small quarto, with illustrations). Messrs. Everitt and Co. have published a new book by Captain M. Horace Hayes, R.F.C.V.S., entitled “Among Horses in Russia,” price 10s. 6d. The book is beautifully illustrated with many striking photographs. A new novel, by “ Perrington Priman,”’ “The Girl at Riverfield Manor,” is being published this month by Messrs. F. V. White and Co. Messrs. Hutchinson and Co. have published a book entitled “She Stands Alone, the Story of Pilate’s Wife,” by Mark Ashton. The story is realistically written. Messrs. Mitchell and Hughes are about to issue, in demy quarto, “The Records of the Corrie Family,” in two parts, by Jessie E. Corrie, author of “ The Genealogical Table of the Houses of Gordon, Corrie, and Goldie” (published last year). Mr. M. H. Spielmann has prepared, from special knowledge and with the consent of Mr. Ruskin’s family, a work entitled “John Ruskin : a Sketch of his Life, his Work, and his Opinions, with Personal Reminiscences.” It will contain a AUTHOR. 205 paper by Mr. Ruskin called “The Black Arts,” which is not to be found in his collected works. The book will be published shortly by Messrs. Cassell. Mr. W. W. Skeat has written a minute study of the folk-lore, ceremonial observances, and magic of the Malay Peninsula, a country where Moham- medanism only superficially overlays a mass of aboriginal beliefs and customs. This will be published shortly by Messrs. Macmillan, under the title “Malay Religion.” A biography of Lord Monboddo, the famous Scotch judge, has been written by Professor Knight, of St. Andrews, in whose hands have been placed family manuscripts and letters which have never been published. The book will appear shortly from Mr. Murray. Mr. Archibald Colquhoun’s new volume of travel, “Overland to China,” will be published this month by Messrs. Harper. It describes Siberia, Mongolia, Manchuria, the Upper Yangtse, and southern and south-western China. Mr. Stanley Weyman’s novel, “ Sophia,” will be published shortly by Messrs. Longmans. A novel by Dr. St. George Mivart, F.R.S., entitled “Castle and Manor,” will be published shortly by Messrs. Sands and Co. Mrs. Meynell’s volume on Ruskin in the Modern English Writers series, published by Messrs. Blackwood, will be ready shortly. Mr. F. G. Kitton has written a book on “ The Minor Writings of Charles Dickens,” which will be published shortly by Mr. Elliot Stock as a volume in the Book Lover’s Library. “The Morals of Suicide,’’ is the title of a book by the Rev. J. Gurnhill, which Messrs. Long- mans will publish. The author writes from the point of view of a Christian Socialist. Tf the war has been bad for books, the season is evidently deemed sufficiently propitious for periodicals. The demand for the illustrated weeklies containing pictures of the war operations has been enormous. And now three new Ssix- penny weeklies have appeared—the King, the Sphere, and the Spear, Another new journal which may be expected soon is the TZribune, whose editor will be Mr. Lathbury, who resigned the editorship of the Guardian a short time ago. “The Story of the Life of Dr. Pusey,” which is to appear shortly from Messrs. Longmans, is an independent work, written by the author of “ Gharles Lowder” at the request of Dr. Pusey’s daughter, in order to provide for readers who cannot possess the four-volume life. - Dr. Birkbeck Hill is engaged upon an edition of Gibbon’s “ Autobiography.” The biography of the late Coventry Patmore will be published, it is hoped, next month. 206 “ Commerce and Christianity,” by Mr. G. F. Millin, is a book in which the author analyses methods and principles and draws lessons from the result. It will be published shortly by Messrs. Swan Sonnenschein and Co. Six books of last year have been “ crowned” by the Academy in recognition of their promise, sincerity, and thoroughness in literary art. Each author accordingly receives a present of twenty- five guineas. The following is the list :— Poetry: Mr. W. B. Years, for “The Wind Among the Reeds.” Fiction: “Zack” (Miss Gwendoline Keats), for “On Trial.” Biography: Mr. Hinarrz Bexxoc, for “Danton: a Study.” History: Mr. G. M. TREVELYAN, for “‘ England in the Age of Wycliffe.” Translation: Mrs. GARNETT for her translation of the novels of Turgenieff. Miscellaneous: Rev. H. G. Granam, for “The Social Life of Scotland in the Highteenth Century.” Mr. Bloundelle-Burton is bringing out through Messrs. Pearson a new novel called “The Sea- farers.” Dr. Nansen is issuing through Messrs. Long- mans, in five or six volumes, a full account of the scientific results of his Polar expedition of 1893- 1896. The work is to be published only in English, The first volume will appear shortly ; the second, which will contain the charts, soon afterwards ; and the whole work is expected to be complete in about two years. Admiral Sir Wilham Kennedy has written a new work entitled “A Life on the Ocean Wave,” which will be published shortly by Messrs. Blackwood. Mr. W. H.D. Rouse is issuing through Messrs. Dent a small volume of translations of Greek oems. The Irish Literary Society offers prizes of fifty and twenty guineas for essays on the Sieges of Derry and Limerick. A committee of the society will first select what they consider the best twenty essays sent in, and these will then be submitted to Mr. Lecky and Lord Russell of Killowen for final decision. Novels by Mr. Allen Upward (“The Accused Princess’’) and Mr. Clive Holland (‘ Marcelle of the Latin Quarter”) will be published by Messrs. Pearson. Miss Edna Lyall’s first play, ‘In Spite of All,” will be produced on Monday afternoon, Feb. 5, by Mr. Ben Greet, who has just begun a short season at the Comedy. It is a romantic piece, laid in the stirring times of the Royalists and Roundheads. The re-constructed St. James’s has been opened with Mr. Anthony Hope’s “ Rupert of Hentzau.” THE AUTHOR. _ Mr. Wyndham (who is to produce “ Cyrano de Bergerac” in a provincial theatre in a few days) will revive “ Dandy Dick” at the Criterion on the 8th inst. Mr. Martin Harvey has acquired the rights in the one-act play, “The White Lily,” by Alphonse Daudet, which, on its production in France, was called ‘“‘ The White Carnation.” Mr. Arthur Shirley and Mr. Sutton Vane have founded a play on the widely-circulated American book by Mr. Charles Sheldon, called “In His Steps; or, What Would Jesus Do?” The piece has been produced in the provinces, and it will be presented to a London audience at the Adelphi, on the 5th inst., under the title “ The Better Life.” The Adelphi will afterwards pass into the man- agement of Mr. Robert Taber, who will open it on March 10 with a new romantic play, entitled “Bonnie Dundee,” by Mr. Lawrence Irving and Mr. Tom Heslewood. Miss Lena Ashwell will be the leading lady. Mr. Barry Pain has finished a play. Sir Henry Irving is prolonging his tour in the United States by a few weeks, owing to the success he is meeting with. Mr. Hare leaves the Globe on Feb. 3 with “The Gay Lord Quex,” which he is taking to the provinces. He will then begin a tour in America with this play, and may not be in London again before June next year. Mr. Wilson Barrett will be seen in “ The Swashbuckler,” by Mr. Louis Parker, which is now being rehearsed for production. Miss Kate Rorke tak-s Mr. Pinero’s early play, “The Squire,” on tour, beginning at Kennington on the 26th inst. Mr. Ben Webster will play the character of the lover. “The Kendals,” an account of the career of the two well-known personalities, by Mr. Edgar Pemberton, is one of the forthcoming books on Messrs. Pearson’s list. OBITUARY. R. RUSKIN “faded away in a peaceful sleep” at Coniston on Jan. 20, and was buried there five days later. Dr. JAMES Marrrnzau died on Jan. 11 at the great age of ninety-five. Mr. R D. Buackmorg, the novelist, died on Jan. 20, aged 75. On Jan. 1 the death occurred of the Rev. WurrweLt Exwin (eighty- four), rector of Booton, Norfolk, who succeeded Lockhart as editor of the Quarterly Review, and held the post for sixteen years. We much regret also to have to record the death of Mz. WiL1aM  c Gq Ry See ety ce eee ee aa THE AUTHOR. Epwarps Trresuck, the well-known novelist, who died from pneumonia in his native city of Liverpool on the 22nd ult. In addition to this roll, the obituary of the past month includes Canon R. W. Drxon, who was a distinguished Oxford man, and wrote a history of the Church of England, which 1s a recognised authority ; the Rev. Henry Furneavx, sometime Fellow of Corpus Christi, Oxford, and editor of “ Tacitus ” and other classics; and Mr. G. W. SrEEVENS, the distinguished special correspondent of the Daily Mail, who died of enteric fever on the 15th ult. in Ladysmith, where he was represent- ing his journal with the beleaguered troops. BOOKS AND REVIEWS. (In these columns notes on books are given from reviews which carry weight, and are not, so far as can be learned, logrollers.) Tar Untrep Krnepom, by Goldwin Smith (Macmillan, 15s. net), is in two volumes, which, says Literature, with all their defects, “‘ are a trae history of England, no jumble of miscellaneous facts, but an edifice reared with skilful hand.” The Daily Chronicle says Mr. Goldwin Smith “ has not lost the pictureequeness of his style,” and that he is in these volumes historical and expository rather than contro- versial or speculative. The Daily News calls it “a work which Englishmen all the world over will read with enthu- siastic delight, with fresh admiration for the achievements of their ancestors, and with a confidence in the future never more essential than at this solemn time.” FINLAND AND THE Tsars, by Joseph R. Fisher (Arnold, 128. 6d.), is, says Literature, ‘ a clear and succinct historical sketch of the relations between Russia and her dependency during the last ninety years.” Mr. Fisher, says the Daily Chronicle, “has prepared what may be called the case of Finland with most scrupulous thoroughness; and whatever holes the Russian Pre:s may attempt to pick in his argu- ments, it is difficult for an Englishman to discover any flaw.” Henry Irvine, by Charles Hiatt (Bell, 5s. net), is a study of the famous actor, and contains between seventy and eighty illustrations. ‘‘ All who have been Sir Henry Irving’s admirers in the past,” says Literature, and “ all who look forward to his future successes, will wish to possess Mr. Hiatt?s excellent little work.” The book will be read, says the Daily Telegraph, “with universal interest.” : In Cap AnD Bexus, by Owen Seaman (Lane, 3s. 6d.) is “a sheaf of topical and satirical verse that can hardly fail to please,” says the Spectator. The verses were con- tributed particularly to Punch, to whose “table” Mr. Seaman “ has conferred fresh lustre and distinction.” The Daily News describes the book as “ uniformly entertaining,” the Daily Telegraph says it is as “ excellent and delight- ful in every respect as‘ The Battle of the Bays’”; and the Daily Chronicle calls Mr. Seaman “‘ more than a mere parodist or writer of comic jingles, however ingenious.” “He is what we may call a critic of mannerism, and a very keen critic to boot.” Sport anp Lire In WESTERN AMERICA AND BRITISH Conumsra, by W. A. Baillie-Grohman (Cox, 158.), contains, says the Daily Chronicle, “so complete a denunciation of 207 the reckless waste of big game, so scathing a criticism of the game laws of both the Union and Dominion,” “ that everyone interested and without bias must follow the author with sympathy, at any rate.” “Itis the work of a mau who knows what he is writing about,” says Literature. “Though the portion of the book which deals with the scientific aspect of sport is without doubt the most valuable, the general reader, who cares little about the measurement of antlers, will probably find the intimate and personal recollections of the writer more to his taste.” Mrs. Baillie- Grohman adds a chapter on the problems of Chinese and other domestic service in Western America. Nores oN Sport AND TRAVEL, by George Henry Kingsley, with a memoir by his daughter Mary H. Kingsley (Macmillan, Ss. 6d.), is described by the Daily Chronicle as containing “ genial papers of ‘The Doctor’s’” which it is “good to read,’ and which are “roaming in their subjects as the man himself”: sharks and chamois, gun- practice and flying-fish, Lisbon snipe and American oysters. &e. “In short, the book is delightful, sparkling with humour without a thought of malice.” “It can be said without flattery,” says the Daily News, “that a book of reminiscences by one of the Kingsley brothers, with a memoir of the author by his daughter of West African renown, cannot be otherwise than delightful.” From Kinc Orry To QueEN VicroriA, by Edward Callow (Elliot Stock), is a short history of the Isle of Man, the annals of which “are so full of battle, murder, and sudden death that,” says Literature, ‘it is marvellous they should have been used in fiction to so comparatively small an extent. It certainly is a highly exciting story which Mr. Callow has to tell,” and “the whole volume is so full of curiosities that it makes excellent reading, despite its defects of literary form.” How ENGLAND SAVED Evrop#, by W. H. Fitchett, is to be in six volumes, of which two have appeared (Smith, Elder, and Co., 6s. per volume), and is the story of the Great War (1793-1815.) The Daily Chronicle says, that while “Mr. Fitchett’s pages are not burdened with research and fresh results,” he “tells his stirring story in such a very picturesque manner as to impress his readers with a sense of the pleasure that is derived from absolute novelty.” “ Disearding absolutely the point of view of the analytical historian, Mr. Fitchett,” says the Daily Telegraph, “ pre- sents us witha series of vigorous and moving pictures of the Homeric conflicts which have made of those days, perhaps, the most exciting period in all history.” James Hacx Tuxs, by Sir Edward Fry (Macmillan, 7s. 6d.), is an “admirable biography” of one whose sole object in Ireland was toimprove the material and industrial condition of the country; and, “if the recent history of Ireland is of importance,” says Literature, “this is just one of the books that should be read in connection with it.” “We may say,’ says the Spectator, ‘ that the new social politics of Ireland, if it can be said to have had any distinct author, is due in a pre-eminent degree to the Quaker banker of Hitchin,” of whom this book, done “ with judgment and zkill,” gives a “very simple, quiet story.” Curonictes or Aunt Mrnervy ANN, by Joel Chandler Harris (Dent, 4s. 6d.), is laid in Georgia in the early days of emancipation jast after the war, and gives us, says Literature, ‘a gallery of character sketches, in black and white, that will bear comparison with the author’s best work.” Tue DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGuIsH Novet, by Wilbur L. Cross (Macmillan, 6s), is both a history anda criticism of English fiction. The Guardian concludes its notice by saying :—‘‘ As the whole of this very useful little book shows, novelists great and small are always feeling their way, and he who finds it is the one who has some- THE thing so important to say that (in his hands) the way becomes insignificant, and, being no longer much attended to, falls into decay, while new forgers of imitative fiction occupy themselves in devising new forms to mask their defect either of substance or originality.” SUNNINGWELL, by F. Warre Cornish (Constable, 6s.), is “ gordially recommended,” by the Daily Telegraph as an “extremely clever book.” It ‘‘isby no means astory, being quite inorganic and totally devoid of plot.” The whole interest centres in the Rev. Philip More, Canon of Sunning- well, who “may be aptly defined as a benevolent oppor- tunist, intensely introspective, but thoroughly open-minded.” “‘Itis a book for the ‘ mugwump,’” says the Spectator, “ to ase the term in its best sense.” Among the characters isa pretty young woman who has one unprosperous and one prosperous love affair.” The Daily News refers to the “ charming Canon,” and says this “is the kind of volume that—almost unconsciously—impresses the reader with a comfortable and soothing sense of leisure.” EXxpPLoraTIo EvaNGELica, by Percy Gardner (Black, 158.), is a “powerful book,” says Literature, whose real importance is “that it raises for Christian theology the question, What is the ‘sufficient foundation’ of Christian faith?” In some respects it is “the most noteworthy theological work that has appeared since the publication of ‘Lux Mundi.’” Parson Kur, by A. E. W. Mason and Andrew Lang (Longmans, 6s.),'a novel about the Jacobites, is, says the Daily Telegraph, “ a perfectly homogeneous work, throughout which the literary touch of either writer is indistinguishable from that of the other.” The period is 1719 and onwards for a few years; the central figure and evil genius of the plot is the unhistorical Lady Oxford. ‘‘ Mr. Andrew Lang knows all that is to be known about the Jacobites,” says the Daily Chronicle. “Mr. Mason tells a story delight- fully.” ‘Distinctly the book is a success.” “The two joint heroes, both Jacobite Irish outlaws hailing from the County Kildare, are excellent company,” says the Spectator, which pronounces “ Parson Kelly” to be “a book of more than common merit.” OnE QuEEN TRIUMPHANT, by Frank Mathew (Lane, 6s.), is “‘a very spirited and ingenious novel,” says the Spectator. It is a historical romance of Queen Elizabeth’s time, and ‘whether Mr. Mathew’s estimate of his characters be historically sound or not, the great point is that they are real to him, and his enthusiasm and interest in them can hardly fail to infect his readers.” The Guardian says the book will add to Mr. Mathew’s reputation. ‘‘The merit of his work is that his imagination permits him to see, and his skill makes his readers see with him, the great Queen and those around her as if with the eyes of the flesh.” Siz Parrick tHe Puppock, by L. B. Walford (Pearson, 6s.), ‘is another of the long list of pleasant and wholesome stories,” says the Daily Telegraph, “that we owe to Mrs. Walford’s pen. The scene is laid in Scotland. Sir Patrick is a simple-souled, plain-featured, middle-aged man with a heart of gold.” ‘Everybody of whom Mrs. Walford tells one,” says the Daily Chronicle, “is racy, outspoken, fearless; not afraid of being thought a little too racy, too outspoken, or too fearless either.”’ Tue Wuite Dove, by William J. Locke (Lane, 6s.), is a “clever and interesting novel,” says the Spectator, in which the réle of hero is entrusted to a distinguished bacteriologist. The plot is “exceedingly painful”; the heroine is “admirably drawn” ; the blameless bacteriologist “is rather an aggravating person”; “ but the charlatan is drawn from the quick—a brilliant, exuberant, histrionic rascal, just lacking the resolution and ruthlessness to be a successful knave.” 208 AUTHOR. HeERonFORD, by S. R. Keightley (Pearson, 6s.), ie, in the words of the Daily Telegraph, “ a plain-sailing, old-fashioned story of the type that was so current in novel-reading circles from seventy to eighty years ago.” By his power of creating a romantic atmosphere,” saysthe Daily Chronicle, “Mr. Keightley compels our interest in his very first pater ; his other literary qualities enable him to hold it to the end.” OvursipE THE Rapius, by W. Pett Ridge (Hodder and Stoughton, 6s.), contains short stories of the metropolitan suburbs, and is “singularly entertaining,” says the Daily Telegraph; “from its first page to its last it is delightful reading.” My Lapy Frivot, by Rosa N. Carey (Hutchinson, 6s.) is described by Literature as “a simple romance told without affectation,” and belonging “ to the class of romance which will always find grateful readers.” Tu PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER Psycuic STORIES, edited by A. Goodrich Freer (Hurst and Blackett, 6s.) contains tales which, says Literature, “are strange rather than horrible. They deal with second sight, telepathy, crystal gazing, and the projection of thoughts into visible appearances.” ‘‘ No one interested in psychical research should overlook this book; and it has a distinct general interest as a foretaste of the ghost story of the future.” The Daily News says the seven stories possess both “point” and style, “and are decidedly to be recommended.” Sue WaLKs In Buauty, by Katherine Tynan (Smith, Elder, and Co., 6s.), will be hailed with enthusiasm by the sentimental reader, says the Spectator, as “an artistic revival of the formula” used by the late authoress of ‘Molly Bawn.” “The clever reader will say, ‘ What a silly book!’ but will not lay it down until it is finished.” The Daily News calls it “ very charming and very picturesque,” and ‘‘a pretty, wholesome, and genial study of the best kind of Irish country life.” A Kiss For A Kinapom, by Bernard Hamilton (Hurst and Blackett, 6s.), is “throughout readable and often exciting,” says the Spectator. The author “introduces an innovation into the fashionable realm of mock royalty. An American millionaire, by name Julius Ceesar Jones, has a fancy for presenting his ‘best girl’ with a real, genuine crown, and this is the story of how, with the aid of a British baronet, he sets about seizing the government of a small republic in Italy.” There is bloodshed and “plenty of ingenuity,” says the Guardian; “the situations are good and exciting, and the book thoroughly entertaining.” Bearrick v’Estx, by Julia Cartwright (Dent, 15s), ‘* might perhaps,” says the Daily Chronicle, “ be styled with more aptness, ‘The Story of the Rise and Fall of Lodovico Sforza’ ” Miss Cartwright deals adequately “ with the art of Milan, with its literature and learning, as well as with its politics and social life.” This story of the Life of Beatrice d’Este and of her husband Lodovico Sforza’s rule over Milan, says the Daily Telegraph, “is distinguished by its charm and the vividness of its presentment.” “THE AUTHOR.” SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENTS. 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