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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) 1897-05-01 Volume 7 Issue 12 Pages Page range in volume 301–336 Ngram Date Version of the date in YYYYMMDD format for use by the Ngram plugin 18970501 Ngram Text Version of the text with no HTML formatting for use by the Ngram plugin XI b e Hutbor* (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. VII.—No. 12.] MAY 1, 1897. [Price Sixpence. CONTENTS. PASl Notices, Ac 301 The Management of The Author 303 Literary Property— 1. Secret Proats 307 S The Meaning of Koyalties 311 3. Copyright in Photographs 311 4. Copyright Legislation in America 312 ?». An Example from Aberdeen 313 6. An Author's Protest 314 The Society as Publishers. By Thomas W. D. Lisle 314 New York Letter. By Norman Hapgood 315 Notes from Elsewhere. By R. H. Sherard 317 Notes and News. By the Editor 319 A Wholly Imaginary Dialogue 320 A French View 321 The NoTels of J. H. Pearce. By Sir George Douglas 32 > New Poetry 324 Book Tit'es: a Proposal. By P. Howard Collins 324 Literature in the Periodicals 325 Correspondence —1. The Subjunctive Mood: its Present Day Use. 2. Episcopal Stylo. 3. Corruptions of the Langmgc. 4. Stories Wanted. 5. The Casual Contributor. 6. The House where Byron was Bom. 7. A Biography of Joseph Strott. 8 The Length of the Short Story. 9. Wanted a Strike. 10. Aa American Publisher's Account. 11. A Register of Title*. 12. A Self Examination Paper for Candid Critics. 13. Stories riot Wanted 14. Who should be Publishers' Beaders? 3->7 Book Talk S3 > A Belgian Literary Competition 334 Obituary 334 The Books of the Month 335 PUBLICATIONS OP THE SOCIETY. 1. The Annual Report. That for January 1897 can be had on application to the Secretary. 2. The Author. A Monthly Journal devoted especially to the protection and maintenance of Literary Tropei-ty. Issued to all Members, 6s. 6d. per annum. Back numbers are offered at the following prices: Vol. I., ios. 6d. (Bound); Vols. II., III., and IV., 8s. 6d. each (Bound); Vol. V., 6s. 6d. (Unbound). 3. Literature and the Pension List. By W. Mokeis Colles, Barrister-at-Law. (Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C.) 3*. 4. The History of the Societe des Gens de Lettres. By S. Squire Spriqge, late Secretary tc- the Society, is. 5. The Cost of Production. In this work specimens are given of the most important forms of type, size of page, &c, with estimates showing what it costs to produce the more common kinds of books. Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C. 2s. 6d. 6. The Various Methods of Publication. By S. Squire Sprigge. In this work, compiled from the papers in the Society's offices, the various forms of agreements proposed by Publishers to Authors are examined, and their meaning carefully explained, with an account of the various kinds of fraud which have been made possible by the different clauses in their agresments. Henry Glaisher, 95, Strand, W.C. 3*. 7. Copyright Law Reform. An Exposition of Lord Monkswell's Copyright Bill now before Parlia- ment. With Extracts from the Report of the Commission of 1878, and an Appendix containing the Berne Convention and the American Copyright Bill. By J. M. Lely. Eyre and Spottiswoode. is. 6d. 8. The Society of Authors. A Record of its Action from its Foundation. By Walter Besant (Chairman of Committee, 1888—1892). is. 9. The Contract of Publication in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland. By Ernst Lunge, J.U.D. 2.?. 6<1.  ## p. 300 (#360) ############################################ 11 AD VER TISEMENTS. Iflje goriefp of Jluffjors (gncorporafeb). Sib Edwin Arnold, K.C.I.E., C.S.I. Alfred Austin. J. M. Barbie. A. W. X Beckett. Robert Bateman. F. E. Beddard, F.R.S. Sir Henry Bergne, K.C.M.G. Sir Walter Besant. Augustine Birhell, M.P. Rev. Prof. Bonnet, P.B.S. Bight Hon. James Brtce, M.P. Right Hon. Lord Burohclere, P.C Hall Caine. Egerton Castle, P.S.A. P. W. Clatden. Edward Clodd. W. Morris Colles. Hon. John Collier. Sir W. Martin Convvat. F. Marion Crawford. PRESIDENT. GEOBGE MEBEDITH. COUNCIL. The Earl of Desart. Austin Dobson. A. Conan Doyle, M.D. A. W. Duboubg. Prof. Michael Foster, F.R.S. D. W. Fheshfield. Richard Garnett, C.B., LL.D. Edmund Gosse. H. Rider Haggard. Thomas Hardy. Anthony Hope Hawkins. Jerome K. Jerome. Rudtard Kipling. Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S. W. E. H. Lecky. J. M. Lely. Mrs. E. Lynn Linton. Rev. W. J. Loftie, F.S.A. Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Mas.Doc. Prof. J. M. D. Meiklejohn. Hon. Counsel — E. M. Underdown Herman C. Merivale. Rev. C. H. Middleton-Wake. Sir Lewis Morris. Henry Norman. Miss E. A. Ormerod. J. C. Parkinson. Right Hon. Lord Pirbright, F.R.S. Sir Frederick Pollock, Bart., LL.D. Walter Herries Pollock. W. Baptists Scoones. Miss Flora L. Shaw. G. R. Sims. S. Squire Spriooe. J. J. Stevenson. Francis Storr. Prof. Jas. Sully. William Moy Thomas. H. D. Traill, D.C.L. Mrs. Humphry Ward. Miss Charlotte M. Yonqe. Q.C. COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT. A W. X Beckett. Sir Walter Besant. Egerton Castle, F.SA. W. Morris Colles. Chairman—H. Rider Haggard. Sir W. Martin Conway. D. W. Freshfield. Anthony Hope Hawkins. J. M. Lely. SUB Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Mua.Poe. Henry Norman. Francis Storr, COMMITTEES. MUSIC. C. Villiers Stanford, Mua.D. (Chairman) Jacques Blumenthal. J. L. Molloy. ( Field, Roscoe, and Co., Lincoln's Inn Fields. ^ G. Herbert Thring, B.A., 4, Portugal-street. Secretary—G. Herbert Turing, B.A. OFFICES: 4, Portugal Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C. ART. Hon. John Collier (Chairman) Sir W. Martin Conway. M. H. Spielmann. Solicitors DRAMA. Henry Arthur Jones (Chairman). A. W. X Beckett. Edward Rose. IP. "W"^.TT &c SO INT, LITERARY AGENTS, Formerly of 2, PATERNOSTER SQUARE, Have now removed to HASTINGS HOUSE, NORFOLK STREET, STRAND, LONDON. AV.C. WINDSOR HOUSE PRINTING WORKS, BREAM'S BUILDINGS, E.G. Offices of ''The Field,'' "The Queen." "The Law Times," &e. Mr. HORACE COX. Printer to the Authors' Society, takes the opportunity of informing Authors that, having a very large Office, and an extensive Plant of Type of every description, he is in a position to EXECUTE any PRINTING tht-y may entruat lo his care. ESTIMATES FORWARDED, AND REASONABLE CHARGES WILL. BE FOUND.  ## p. 301 (#361) ############################################ XT b e H u t b o t\ (The Organ of the Incorporated Society of Authors. Monthly.) CONDUCTED BY WALTER BESANT. Vol. VII.—No. 12.] MAY i, 1897. [Price Sixpence. For the Opinions expressed in papers that are signed or initialled the Authors alone are responsible. None of the papers or para- graphs must be taken as expressing the collective opinions of the Committee unless tliey are officially signed by G. Herbert Thring, Sec. THE Secretary of the Society begs to give notice that all remittances are acknowledged by return of post, and requests that all members not receiving an answer to important communications within two days will write to him without delay. All remittances should be crossed Union Bank 0/ London, Chancery-lane, or bo 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. GENERAL MEMORANDA. EOR some years it has been the practice to insert, in every number of The Author, certain " General Con- siderations," Warnings, Notices, Ac, for the guidance of the reader. It has been objected as regards these warnings that the tricks or frauds against which they are directed cannot all be guarded against, for obvious reasons. It is, however, well that thoy should be borne in mind, and if any publisher refuses a clause of precaution he simply reveals his true character, and should be left to oarry on his business in bis own way. Let us, however, draw up a few of the rules to be observed in an agreement. There are three methods of dealing with literary property:— I. That of Belling 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. II. A profit-sharing agreement. In this case the following rules should be attended to: (1.) Not to sign any agreement in which the cost of pro- duction forms a part. (2.) Not to give the publisher the power of putting the profits into his own pocket by charging for advertisements VOL. VII. in his own organs: or by charging exchange advertise- ments. (3.) Not to allow a special charge for " office expenses," unless the same allowance is made to the author. (4.) Not to give up American, Colonial, or Continental rights. (5.) Not to give up serial or translation rights. (6.) Not to bind yourself for future work to any publisher. As well bind yourself for the future to any one solicitor or doctor! (7.) To stamp the agreement. III. The royalty system. In this system, which has opened the door to a most amazing amount of overreaching and trading on the author's ignorance, it is above all things necessary to know what the proposed royalty means to both sides. It is now possible for an author to ascertain approximately and very nearly the truth. From time to time the very important figures connected with royalties are published in The Author. Readers can also work out the figures themselves from the "Costof Production." Let no one, not even the youngest writer, sign a royalty agreement without finding out what it gives the publisher as well as himself. It has been objected that these precautions presuppose a great success for the book, and that very few books indeed attain to this great success. That is quite true: but there is always this uncertainty of literary property that, although the works of a great many authors carry with them no risk at all, and although of a great many it is known within a few copies what will be their minimum circulation, it is not known what will be their maximum. Therefore every author, for every book, should arrange on the chance of a success which will not, probably, come at all; but which may come. The four points which the Society has always demanded from the outset are :— (1.) That both sides shall know what an agreement means. (2.) The inspection of those account books which belong to the author. We are advised that this is a right, in the nature of a common law right, which cannot be denied or withheld. (3.) That there shall be no secret profits. (4.) That nothing shall bo charged which has not been actually paid—for instance, that there shall be no charge for advertisements in the publisher's own organs and none for exchanged advertisements; and that all discounts shall be duly entered. If these points are carefully looked after, the author may rest pretty well assured that he is in right hands. At the same time he will do well to send his agreement to the secretary before he signs it. H H 2  ## p. 302 (#362) ############################################ 3°2 THE AUTHOR. HOW TO USE THE SOCIETY. i. li\VERY member has a right to ask for and to receive t'J 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 solicitor, the member has a right to an opinion from the Society's solicitors. If the case is such that Counsel's opinion is desirable, the Com- mittee will obtain for him Counsel's opinion. All this without any cost to the member. 2. Remember that questions connected with copyright and publisher's agreements do not generally fall within the experience of ordinary solicitors. Therefore, do not scruple to use the Society first—our solicitors are continually engaged upon such questions for ns. 3. Send to the office copies of past agreements and past accounts with the loan of the books represented. This is in order to ascertain what has been the nature of your agree- ments, and the results to author and publisher respectively so far. The Secretary will always be glad to have any agreements, new or old, for inspection and note. The infor- mation thus obtained may prove invaluable. 4. If the examination of your previous business trans- actions by the Secretary proves unfavourable, you should take advice as to a change of publishers. 5. Before signing any agreement whatever, send the pro- posed document to the Society for examination. 6. The Society is acquainted with the methods, and—in the case of fraudulent houses—the tricks of every publish- ing firm in the country. 7. Remember always that in belonging to the Society you are fighting the battles of other writers, even if you are reaping no benefit to yourself, and that you are advancing the best interests of literature in promoting the indepen- dence of the writer. 8. Send to the Editor of The Author notes of everything important to literature that yon may hear or meet with. 9. The committee have now arranged for the reception of members' agreements and their preservation in a fireproof Bafe. 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 Bafe. The Society now offers:—(1) To read and advise upon agreements and publishers. (2) To stamp agreements in readiness for a possible action upon them. (3) To keep agreements. (4) To enforce payments due according to agreements. THE AUTHORS' SYNDICATE. MEMBERS are informed: I. That the Authors' Syndicate takes charge of the business of members of the Society. That it submits KSS. to publishers and editors, concludes agree- ments, examines, passes, and collects accounts, and, gene- rally, relieves members of the trouble of managing business details. 2. That the terms upon which its services can be secured will be forwarded upon detailed application. 3. That the Authors' Syndicate works only for those members of the Society whose work possesses a market value. 4. That the Syndicate can only undertake any negotiations whatever on the distinct understanding that those negotia- tions are placed exclusively in its hands, and that all communications relating thereto are referred to it. 5. That clients can only be seen by the Director by appointment, and that, when possible, at least two days' notice should be given. 6. That every attempt is made to deal with all communi- cations promptly. That stamps should, in all cases, be sent to defray postage. 7. That the Authors' Syndicate does not invite MSS. without previous correspondence; does not hold itself responsible for MSS. forwarded without notice; and that in all cases MSS. must be accompanied by stamps to defray postage. 8. That the Syndicate undertakes arrangements for lectures by some of the leading members of the Society; that it has a "Transfer Department" for the sale and purchase of journals and periodicals; and that a " Register of Wants and Wanted" is open. Members are invited to communicate their requirements to the Manager. There is an Honorary Advisory Committee, whose services will be called upon in any case of dispute or difficulty. It is perhaps necessary to state that the members of the Advisory Committee have no pecuniary interest whatever in the Syndicate. NOTICES. THE Editor of The Author begs to remind members of the Society that, although the paper is sent to them free of charge, the cost of producing it would be a very heavy charge on the resources of the Society if a great many members did not forward to the Secretary the modest 6s. 6d. subscription for the year. The Editor is always glad to receive short papers and communications on all subjects connected with literature from members and others. Nothing can do more good to the Society than to make The Author complete, attractive, and interesting. Will those who are willing to aid in this work send their names and the special subjects on which they are willing to write? Communications for The Author should reach the Editor not later than the 21st of each month. All persons engaged in literary work of any kind, whether members of the Society or not, are invited to communicate to the Editor any points connected with their work which it would be advisable in the general interest to publish. Members and others who wish their MSS. read are requested not to send them to the Office without previously communicating with the Secretary. The utmost practicable despatch is aimed at, and MSS. are read in the order in which they are received. It must also be distinctly under- stood that the Society does not, under any circumstances, undertake the publication of MSS. The Authors' Club is now open in its new premises, at 3, Whitehall-court, Charing Ctosb. Address the Secretary for information, rules of admission, Ac. Will members take the trouble to ascertain whether they have paid their subscriptions for the year P If they will do this, and remit the amount, if still unpaid, or a banker's order, it will greatly assist the Secretary, and save him the trouble of sending out a reminder. Members are most earnestly entreated to attend to the following warning. It is a most foolish and may be a most disastrous thing to enter into an agreement binding for a term of years. Let them ask themselves if they would give a solicitor the collection of their rents for five years to come, whatever his conduct, whether he was honest  ## p. 303 (#363) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 303 or dishonest? 0£ course they would not. Why then hesitate for s moment when they are asked to sign them- selves into literary bondage for three or five years? Those who possess the "Cost of Production" are requested to note that the cost of binding has advanced 15 per cent. This means, for those who do not like the trouble of "doing sums," the addition of three shillings in the pound on this head. In other words, if the cost of binding is set down in our book at eight pounds, to this must now be added twenty-four shillings more, so that it now stands at J89 4*. The figures in our book are as near the exact truth as can be procured; but a printer's, or a binder's, bill is so elastic a thing that nothing more exact can be arrived at. Some remarks have been made upon the amount charged in the " Cost of Production" for advertising. Of oourse, we have not included any sums whioh may be charged for inserting advertisements in the publisher's own magazines, or in other magazines by exchange. As agreements too often go, there is nothing to prevent the publisher from sweeping the whole profits o a book into his own pocket, by inserting any number of advertisements in his own magazines, and by exchanging with others. Some there are who call this a form of fraud; it is not known what those who practise this method of swelling their own profits call it. THE MANAGEMENT OF "THE AUTHOR." I. f~W "^HE following circular, which explains itself, I was sent to the Committee on April 1: "Frognal End, Hampstead, April 1st, 1897. "It is quite clear to me that without the appro- val of the Committee, renewed or expressed from time or time, it must become impossible for me to continue as editor of this paper. It is their paper; it is the organ of the Society; the Committee have therefore, a full right to the control of the journal on general principles. "I therefore take the opportunity of the ap- proaching conclusion of the seventh volume to invite the opinion of the Committee on the subject. "My own view as to the work specially laid down for such a paper is that it must be the absolutely fearless advocate of authors' rights in literary properly. With this object I have kept steadily before me the three great principles of the Society —principles which, I am well aware, must be fought out for a long time before we get them passed into universal practice. "The principles are briefly— (1) The book belongs to the author, and not to the publisher, unless the author cedes it. (2) The author has the right of knowing what any proposed agreement gives to the pub- lisher compared v ith what it gives the author. (3) He has the right to audit any accounts submitted to him. "In support of these principles I have endea- - voured to pour into the pages of The Author all the light that can be obtained upon everything connected with the publishing of books, e.g., the cost of printing; the cost of paper; the meaning of corrections; the cost of binding; the price to the trade; the price to the distributing agencies; the money spent in advertising; the meaning of royalties, &c. All these things have appeared in these pages over and over again. They have drawn me into endless controversies, which I have been left to fight out quite alone. Pub- lishers have denied the truth of the figures even when I had the bills in my hands and was actually copying them. I have had to offer publicly to carry on their printing by myself at the figures given in the paper. Less than a year ago one publisher wrote to the papers giving certain figures as regards the trade which his own firm were actually compelled, in a "secret and confidential" circular to the trade, to disown the very next day! This I at once discovered and denounced. "At the same time I have published almost with every number some proposed agreement, with comments. The publishers concerned have generally met these facts with silence. Of late their defence has been that the facts are stated without names—a suggestion that the facts are inventions. In this respect, however, The Author goes as far as can be expected. It publishes the exact facts, leaving the persons concerned to announce themselves—but their modesty always keeps them in the background—and with the offer that the Secretary is ready to give the names concerned to any members who wish to learn them. "I have made arrangements for a monthly letter from Paris and from New York, chiefly on subjects which concern our own affairs. I have admitted correspondence freely from our own members, thinking it wise, even when grievances are imaginary, to let them be ventilated. There are also columns concerning new books, in which members have the right, which they exercise freely, of inserting announcements of their own books. Criticism I have found necessary to exclude entirely. "The columns on "Literary Property" are devoted to all kinds of questions concerning this great subject. I think we can fairly boast that nothing has ever before been done for literary property compared with what has appeared in The Author. Of ourse I acknowledge most readily that the valuable opinions of Counsel, such as those of Mr. H. H. Cozens-Hardy, Q.C.Mr.  ## p. 304 (#364) ############################################ 3°4 THE AUTHOR. Blake Odgers, Q.C., Mr. James Rolt; certain most useful papers by Sir Frederick Pollock, and other documents, have been presented by the Committee as contributions to the maintenance of literary property. "1 submit to the Committee that it is not enough to print such things as the meaning of agreements, royalties, &c, once for all. They are quickly forgotten; interested persons are always ready to try it on again; the facts must be reprinted over and over again. We are dealing with a set of men brought up in sharp business habits, whose perpetual aim is to get his work from the writer on terms favourable to themselves. What some of us call fraud, and some call trading on ignor- ance, some of these people call sharp business. If The Author has done any good in the past, that good will quickly vanish and be forgotten unless the paper is continued on the old lines, and the figures and facts repeated from time to time. "I submit again, as proof positive that The Author is doing great good, the fact that many persons concerned are continually denouncing the paper, showing that they regard it as a paper of the greatest importance, and that they read it with the greatest jealousy; and are either crying out that its facts are not true, or, if they cannot do that, are scheming and working underhand for its suppression or alteration. "I therefore lay before the Committee this statement, and invite their consideration of the whole question. To my own mind, it is clear that the maintenance of the Society's principles can- not be even attempted unless we have such an outspoken organ carried on quite fearlessly. But I cannot continue any longer to advocate these principles unless I am assured of the approval and the support of the Committee. I have therefore sent round this circular, and I propose to absent myself from the meeting on Monday in order that the Committee may either discuss this question then, or may name another day for the discussion. "Lastly, I beg that this letter may be taken as my resignation of the editorship of The Author, but that I am willing to be re-elected, provided the Committee approve of my conduct, of the paper in the past, and are ready to support me in its conduct for the future on the same lines. Walter Besant." II. The Committee, at their meeting of Monday, April 5, passed the following Resolut:on in reply to this circular: "The Committee < nauimously desire to retain you in the position of editor. Speaking generally, they accept the principle of your three points. They thank you for your efforts on their behalf, and they look forward to a continuance of those efforts in the future. "Whilst recognising fully the responsibility of an editor, and the necessity for freedom in the management of his paper, the Committee, anxious to meet your views in every way possible, yet feel sure that you will not wish them to abdicate all influence over the paper, or to refrain from ex- pressing to you any considerations that may occur to them in regard to the views expressed or the line adopted in what is, and is publicly stated to be, the official organ of the Society of Authors." III. The completion of the seventh volume of The Author may properly be made an occasion for examining into some of the services which it has rendered to the cause which it maintains. This cause is the definition and defence of Literary Property in the interests of those who create it, and those to whom it belongs until they part with it. The class of those to whom this kind of pro- perty is a real and a very important matter has very largely increased of late. On every side we see experts creating most valuable property in their own subjects: writers on education, writers on medicine, law, science, music, art, putting forth books for which there is an ever-increasing public; writers of new travels, new histories, new bio- graphies, widely in demand; writers of plays which may be mines of gold; writers of fiction for which there is an unprecedented demand. To all these writers The Author is addressed. We shall show here why it should be regarded as a paper which it is not only desirable but neces- sary to keep up. Apart from what it has done, the hostility with which it is regarded by certain persons is in itself a guarantee that it is doing a good work. For The Author, like the Society to which it belongs, considers publishers from the one point of view which is dignified and sensible. It speaks of them as so many men of business—a manner of consideration which ought to offend no honest man—liecause they are, and always will be, men whose business it is to make money by producing and selling literature. That is to say, t heir work is to get books that sell, to acquire the control or the administration of such works on favourable terms, whether with the bookseller at one end or with the author at the other end. The Author's Society and The Author have examined into the various agreements by which authors are induced to part with their rights: they have  ## p. 305 (#365) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 3°5 proved what these agreements mean. Not only in the pages of this journal, but also in the book entitled "Methods of Publishing," they have exposed the true meaning of these agreements, and pointed out that in many cases they mean a surrender of almost everything to the pub- lisher. This exposure has met with the most violent animosity; the figures have been denied over and over again in the most impudent manner; attacks of the most venomous kind have been made in the papers; these attacks, however, always answered, continually renewed and answered again, have proved of the greatest value to the Society. Another class which has proved curiously hostile to the Society and its organ is that nume- rous body of literary people who hang about publishers' offices. Some of them are paid for touting for their employers—a dignified occupa- tion indeed for a man of letters; some are paid for doing any kind of work that is wanted; some are occupied in compiling books, which they sell for trifling sums; some are employed in editing and writing introductions for books; some are poets of small demand who are unpractical persons easily deceived into the belief that there is no such thing as literary property; some are readers; some look for the chance of getting an article accepted in the firm's magazine; all are dependents, and in that capacity regard writers who are not dependent with greeu eyes. This large class of literary men regards the objects of the Society with a strange jealousy. One hears, from time to time, what they say, and how they feel on the subject of Literary Property, of which they have themselves obtained so small a share. It is proposed, therefore, to set forth some of the contributions made by The Author towards the maintenance of literary property. Let us take the first volume only. Of what may be called "solid matter in this volume there are papers from Counsel learned in the law on Copyright in Lectures and Sermons: on the proposed American Copyright Law: on the Society's new Copyright Act: on Copyright in Magazine Articles: a valuable paper by Wilkie Collins on American Copyright: and on Canadian Copyright. There are exposures of agreements and "cases" by the dozen, with the figures and the proof of what is meant: other "cases" between editor and author, also by the dozen: the exposure of bogus publishers: the corre- spondence between the Society and the late Mr. W. H. Smith: papers on the Colonial Book Markets and American Piracies : the controversy in full between the Editor and the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge: a statement of what is meant by royalties: analyses of lists of new books: all kinds of proposals for future development: and, what is more than all, a firm, clear view maintained in the face of those who, either for interested motives or from ignorance or from muddleheadedness, were continually then, as they are now, trying to obscure the issues, and to draw a herring across the scent. Various methods of publishing, especially the so-called " Half Profit" system: the "Commis- sion Book ": Literary management of all kinds: the Agent: the hostility to the Agent: law reports of literary cases: Collaboration: Literature and the State: the Civil List: national distinctions for literary men: Literature in the colonies r Accounts and communications of other literary societies in America, France, and Germany. Also the Literature of the Magazines, with hundreds of questions and difficulties which have- sprung up around this important subject, such a£ the length of time which a contributor should allow to the editor before accepting or refusing: before printing and publishing: before paying. In this very important branch the paper has done good service, not only in securing payment—in some cases by threats of law—but also in recalling to certain editors of the lower kind the fact that even to contributors courtesy is due. An impor- tant legal decision was obtained under the chair- manship of Sir Frederick Pollock, in the case of Macdonald v. The National Review, when it was held that to send a contributor the proof of his paper must be considered as acceptance. The Author has exposed many tricks of unscru- pulous publishers. Thus, for instance, the " Half Price " trick. The way is this. A clause in the agreement assigns the author a certain royalty; but "if the price of the book is lowered 10 one- half or under" the royalty shall be half. It seems plausible, and as it will certainly be tried on again—all the tricks are—it is well to repeat the case here. It was a two volume novel published at 21s. The author was to receive a royalty of 15 per cent., i.e., 3*. i$d. a copy. Now the sole buyers of the two volume novel were the libraries. They paid, as a rule, from 9*. to I is. a copy. By lowering the price to 10s. 6d. the publisher lost nothing: but he had to pay the author is. 6-?itd. instead of 3*. i\d. Thus he gained about 1*. 6d. on every copy. The paper has shown up the nature of tricks connected with printer's corrections. It is now possible for the author by keeping his first proofs to test the charge under this head. For instance (vol. 4, p. 234): Corrections are generally charged either at i«. or is. 2d. an hour. This means an hour's work of the compositor. Ho can, as a rule, substitute one word for another in three or  ## p. 306 (#366) ############################################ 3°6 THE AUTHOR. four minutes ; or say, about seventeeu words in an hour. The author has therefore only to count his corrections in order to arrive at an estimate of the charge that can be made on this account. Rut, if he so corrects as to make the line run on and displace perhaps often a page, a larger allow- ance must be made. It is common in agreements to al'ow the author so much for corrections, say, 10*. a sheet. This means 136 words in a sheet. The paper has been enriched by legal opinions upon certain subjects of the highest importance. Thus, Sir Frederick Pollock advanced in his opinion (vol. 4, p. 5) that there should be no mystery in the production of books: tint so ret profits are not admissible: that the author is 1 utitled to full and true accounts, and to be charged only with actual expenditure. These points have been claimed by the Society from the outset: but their advanc ement by a lawyer of the greatest weight and standing was—and is—a great support to the Society. Another most important opinion was that of Mr. H. H. Cozens-Hardy, Q.C., and Mr. J. Rolt. A paper had been prepared on the question of publishers' charges generally. The case was that of a so-called " half profit" system agreement. This paper, with the reply, is so important that it is reproduced here for the benefit of those members who have not seen it, or have for- gotten it. Another point of great importance is that of risk. It is constantly affirmed by those who know nothing of the matter that publishers are always incurring enormous risks in return for which they are entitled to take three-fourths, nine-tenths, or anything that they please, of the profits of a successful book. When this claim is disputed, they raise a cry that the Society denies that pubbshers ever take risk. It is important, therefore, to know what risk means. I put aside such great enterprises as an Encyclo- paedia: a Dictionary of National Biography: and so forth. There are very few of these works: they are published by no more than two or three houses. I speak of general literature. Now, before a work is printed it is sent round among the London trade. The initial risk, therefore, is the difference between the fiist subscription by the London trade and the cost of production. AY hen the book is produced there is another sub- scription which again lowers the risk. As the smaller publishers very, very seldom produce a book by a perfectly unknown hand, it stands to reason that the risk thus ensured amounts to next to nothing, if anything at all. Another point on which light has been poured is the cost of advertising. (See The Author, Nov. 1895, p. 120) :— "Everything that is unknown is enormous. That is why the cost of advertisements generally looms before the imagination as so stupendous. The following table will explain what advertising a book really means. It shows, that is, how much is added to the cost of a book by advertising to the extent of =£5, .£20, &c, up to =£100 for 1000, zooo, up to 40,000 copies. The figures mean pence: Edition. £lO £20 ^30 £50 £80 .£100 d. d. d. d. d. d. d. 1000 45 12 i9i 24 2000 1 ■A 2'i 35 6 91 12 3000 1 f i j 4 6| 8 5000 n is 2 * 2| 3H 4* TT 10,000 a ■I -> s m 'A iff 2i IT a ft 20.000 3 ft 0 ft n '1 40,000 lii ft t»__ ~i 1 ♦ TBB 15 "It will be seen from this table that, while the cost of advertising is very large per copy for small editions, for large editions it may be almost neglected as for single copies. Thus to spend jL'ioo in advertising a book of which no more than 1000 copies are printed or can be sold, adds 2s. to the cost of every volume; so that (see Cost of Production, p. 31) if a book of 20 sheets of 34 lines and 339 words to a page in long primer, without moulding or stereotyping, and allowiug 4sf/. a copy for binding, cost £79, or with corrections about ,£80, i.e., is. y\d. to each copy, an additional 2*. on the production makes such a book published at a loss. Sometimes this price is raised to ys. 6d., or even more, in order to allow for advertising. Sometimes, again, pub- lishers seem perfectly reckless about the money spent in advertising. Thus, an account was some time ago sent to the Society showing that about .£230 had been spent in advertising a book pub- lished at ys. 6d., of which souie 6000 copies had been sold. A detailed account was demanded and furnished. The account appeared to be quite correct, being examined and tested here and there. It seemed as if the publisher had been ransacking the country to find the least eligible of country papers. This, hewever, was an extreme case. On the other hand, when a book reaches, say, 10,000 copies, ,£50 can be spent upon it without adding any more than 1 irf. to the cost of produc- tion, while, with a very large circulation of 40,000 copies ,£200 can be spent, if necessary— but it would not be necessary—without adding more than i^d. to the cost. "It is neecless to say that these figures do not include advertisements which cost nothing, i.e., those of the publishers' circulars, magazines, Ac., nor those which are simple exchanges."  ## p. 307 (#367) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 3°7 As The Author began, so it has gone on. It is a magazine of papers connected with the Administration of Literary Property. There is no other paper which touches the subject, except with the purpose aforesaid of obscuring issues, and making the falsa appear to be the true. The Author is the necessary accompaniment of the Society: were it not for The A uthor nothing could be known of what the Society is doing, or whether it is doing well or ill. It has been objected that the paper is some- times dull. If it does its work, what does that matter? Criticism is excluded l>ecause we cannot very well be criticising each other: consequently nothing is said about the literary position of any new books. Meantime the very angry way in which certain publishers speak of it is the clearest possible proof that it it doing i(s work, and that thoroughly. LITERARY PROPERTY. I.—Secret Profits. (Reprinted from The Author, Vol. IV., p. 394.) I. CASE FOR COUNSEL. THE Incorporated Society of Authors desires to be advised as to the legal position of authors under a certain well-known form of pubUshing agreement, known as the share- profit system, in reference to the charges made by publishers and otherwise, particularly as tested by the manner in which the courts would deal with charges in the publishers' accounts if they were being taken by the court. A case which raises the point on which counsel's opinion is sought is as follows: An author, A. B., enters into an agreement with publishers, C. D. and Co., in the following terms: Copy of Agreement. Memorandum of agreement made this day of between A. B. of the one part and C. D. and Co. of the other part. It is agreed that the said C. D. and Co. shall publish, at their own rule and expense—(title of work); the exclusive right of printing and publishing which shall be vested in the said C. D. and Co., subject to the following conditions, viz., that after deducting from the produce of the sale thereof all the expenses of printing, paper, binding, advertising, discounts to the trade, and other incidental expenses, the profits remaining of every edition that may be printed of the work during the term of legal copyright are to be divided into two equal parts, one part to be paid to the said A. B. and the other to belong to the said C. D. and Co. The books to be accounted for at the trade sale price, 25 as 24, unless it be thought advisable to dispose of copieB, or of the remainder, at a lower price, which is left to the discretion of the said publisher. Acoounts to be made up annually to Midsummer, delivered on or before Oct. 1st, and settled by cash in the ensuing January. VOL. VII. Some time subsequent to the publication of the book, au account in the following terms was sent to the author :—■ Publisher's Account. As rendered to the Author. £ s. d. Composition (17 sheets at £ 1 ios.) 25 10 o Printing ( „ „ 12s.) 10 4 o Paper ( „ „ £1 os.) 17 o o Moulding 4'3 3 Stereotyping 8 8 3 Binding (at £2 $s. per 100 copies) 22 10 o Advertising 41 10 6 Corrections 4 010 Paper Wrappers 1 13 o Postage 1 7 o .£136 16 10 Proceeds of sale of 950 copies at 3». 6d £166 5 o Incidental expenses (5 per cent. deducted) 8 6 3 ■57 18 9 136 16 10 £21 1 11 Alleged half profits iio 10 11 Which shows that, after the sale of the whole of an edition of 1000 copies, profits to the extent of ,£10 10s. lid. were credited by the publishers to the author as his half share. Upon a close investigntion of the account, it was discovered that on all the cost of production—i.e., com- position, printing, paper, moulding, stereotyping, and binding—the pubbshers had added to the actual cott 10 per cent, on each item. This addition had been made secretly, and the author was not in any way informed of what had taken place. The following amended account shows the actual amounts of charges invoiced to the pub- lishers by their printer, paper-maker, binder, and advertising agent in respect of the items before referred to:— Real Cost of Production. £ s. d. Composition (17 sheets at £ 1 7*.) 22 19 o Printing ( „ „ ion. 6d.) 8186 Paper ( „ „ i8». a sheet) 15 6 o Moulding ( „ „ 58. a sheet) 4 5 o Stereotyping ( „ „ 9*. a sheet) 7 13 o Binding at $d. per volume 20 16 8 Advertising 20 o o Corrections 308 Paper Wrappers 1 10 o Postage, &c 016 o jEios 4 10 Proceeds of sale of 950 copies at an average of 3s. 6<f. a copy ... 166 5 0 Less the coat ... 105 4 10 Profit ...£61 0 _• Actual half profits to author on this account ... £30 in 1 I I  ## p. 308 (#368) ############################################ 3o8 THE AUTHOR. With regard to the item of advertisements, it was further found that the publishers, being only able to show vouchers to the amount of £20, the rest of the sum charged was made up of charges for advertisements in the publishers' own maga- zines, for which, of course, they paid nothing, and "exchanges" with other magazines, i.e. adver- tisements in magazines for which the publishers pay nothing, they in their turn inserting gratis in their own magazines similar advertisements for the publishers of the other magazines. It is suggested that the charge for incidental expenses was inde- fensible. The result is that the author was entitled to .£30 io*. id., but the publishers proposed to give only £10 io«. ltd. Nature of relationship between parties to agreement.—Dealing now with several points that arise on this case :— ( I.) The above agreement is what is commonly inown as a share profit agreement, and it is sub- stantially, though there may be minor points of difference, what is offered by all publishers, as a share profit agreement, the share being usually, as here, one half. As to the general position of the parties under such an agreement, it is submitted that although the author is not able to be sued by any outsider in case of default of the publisher, the agreement amounts to a partnership agreement, or joint adventure in the nature of partnership qua the book concerned; or if not to an agreement for partnership or joint adventure, then to an agree- ment making the publisher trustee for the returns due to the author, and, therefore, unable to make any profit out of his trust other than such, if any, as he has expressly stipulated for, and the half share of profits. (II.) Duty of the publisher to account.—The author in the above agreement cedes to the pub- lishers the exclusive right of printing and pub- lishing the book during the legal term of copy- right, and such is the effect of most share- profit agreements. The consideration for this is the publisher paying to the author half profits— i.e., half of the net proceeds of sale of copies after expenses of the publishers have been deducted. It is presumed that whatever be the precise legal relationship of author and publisher under such an agreement as above, the pub- lishers are bound to account fully and exactly to the author, and this appears to involve, as of right, without any express provision in the agreement, (a) production of vouchers for all expenses charged by the publishers, and (6) pro- duction of such books as are usually kept by publishers recording sales; also all records of books received, and the stock in hand, in order to enable the author to check the number of books accounted for as sold. On this point it is believed some publishers would contend that their word is to be accepted as absolute as to number of sales in such cases, but this, it is submitted, is wrong, and that the author has the above right of examining the publishers' books. As regards the vouchers, the production of these seem to be essential. If they are produced they would reveal such a transaction as that disclosed in the before-mentioned accounts with- out the necessity of instituting independent inquiries of printers, binders, &c., from whom it might be difficult for an author to obtain infor- mation. (III.) Right of publisher to charge more than actual expenses.—Several questions arise on the accounts above set out as to the publisher's dis- bursements; and first, there is the addition of 10 per cent, to the actual prices charged him for the several items of work done—printing, binding, &c. It is submitted that this is equally indefen- sible, whether (a) the publisher discloses to the author that he has charged at a higher rate than he himself is charged, there being nothing in the agreement providing for his charging what he likes; or (6) as in the above instance, he conceals this, and so makes a secret profit. The matter appears to be analogous to the transactions which were held to be indefensible in Williamson v. Barbour (9 Ch. Div. 529). The defence of the publishers would probably rest on "custom of trade"; an open and well recognised usage the publisher could not prove, and an infrequent or secret practice it is believed would not constitute a custom. This matter was discussed in a recent case of Eideal v. Kegan Paul and Co., but this was only before the Registrar of the City of London Court. In that case the agreement, a half-profit one, proved that in the accounts "the work shall be debited with all expenses of every kind of or incidental to the publication of each edition of the work, including Mr. George Redway's charges for printing, plates, illustrations, stereotyping, paper, binding, and advertising." Mr. Redway charged more for these things than prices invoiced to him, and the registrar held he could not do so. (IV.) Whether publisher's conduct fraudulent. —Would the court regard the conduct of a pub- lisher who made a secret profit in the manner before stated as fraudulent, so that, e.g., he would be ordered to pay the costs of an action for account if such a fact was brought to light in it? (V.) Discounts.—There is another question which is often mixed up with the question under head No. III., but which is really quite a distinct matter, and apparently moredifficult of decision—■  ## p. 309 (#369) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. that is the question of discounts which a publisher gets allowed him from the printers, binders, paper-makers, &c, he deals with. It is customary for a publisher to obtain six months' credit from a printer. If he pays cash he receives certain discounts. If these discounts are to go into his own pocket, what is there to prevent him from arranging with the printer for a bill off which he is to receive heavy discounts in order to bring the actual cost to the publisher down to ordinary prices, but seriously affecting the state of accounts between author and pub- lisher? It is submitted that any advantages obtained for the quasi partnership by cash pay- ments should be credited to the book. Counsel is referred to the accompanying print of article, "Some Considerations of Publishing," by Sir Frederick Pollock, in which this point is fully discussed. (VI.) Right to charge for advertisements not actually paid for.—A very important point, which is also dealt with in Sir F. Pollock's paper, and which is of dally occurrence on publishers' accounts, is as to the charge for advertisements. As seen in the before-mentioned instance, pub- lishers charge what they call scale prices (being the prices they would charge to outside persons, such as makers of soaps, pills, Ac), for (a) Advertisements inserted in their own magazines, including their own trade lists of books. And (6) advertisements inserted by exchange without payment in other publishers' magazines. In neither case does the publisher pay directly or indirectly anything more than the cost of printing and paper for the pages of advertise- ments, and possibly a mere trifle extra for carriage and binding. It is submitted that beyond these small payments the publisher ought not to charge the author anything in respect of such advertisements. It will no doubt be contended by the pub- lishers who do make these charges that if they did not insert these book advertisements they would be able to advertise so many more soaps and pills; but even if this were the fact (which it probably is not), it is submitted that it forms no legal justification, A strong case exemplifying the evils of this system occurred as follows :— A clergyman named A. gathered many notes about his church, intending to write a history about it. Pressure of other work made it difficult for him to digest and write out his notes, and after some delay he handed everything over to B., who wrote the book out. B. then having full powers, he went to C., a publisher. He said to VOL. VII C, "We want this handsomely printed and bound We ask no remuneration. It can never have a very large sale. We therefore ask you to take it off our hands completely, only reserving the right to take as many copies as A requires at cost price." This proposal was willingly accepted. B. went away for his health, having told A. all about the (verbal) agreement into which he had entered, and explained in particular that under no circum- stances was A. to be called upon to make any money payment. As soon as his back was turned C. sent A. a bill for ,£30 for advertising. It so happened that among C.'s clerks was a young man who was connected with A.'s church, where he had been educated. This clerk seeing A. by chance in C.'s anteroom waiting for an audience, conferred with him on the subject, having only time to say " Do not pay anything without seeing the vouchers." A. took this advice. C. showed him vouchers for .£3 4*., which A. paid under protest. C. promptly cashiered the clerk who had given A. the advice. When B. came home and heard the story he went to C. and said, "You must at once return the =£3 4*. to A. with an apology, as you know perfectly well he owed you neither £30 nor .£3." But this C. would not do. If the publisher is justified in charging for either of the above-mentioned kinds of advertise- ments, the matter must be further considered from other points of view. Counsel will observe what a large door is opened to fraud if the right of charging for advertise- ments which cost nothing or next to nothing be conceded to a publisher. There is nothing to prevent him from putting the whole profits of a book in his own pocket by largely advertising in his own magazines or by exchanges. Further, it has been found by long experience thai a book will only "stand" a certain amount of advertising—i.e., there is a point at which further expenditure does not advance sales, and is only money wasted: also, in the opinion of many experts, the advertising of books in maga- zines is of very little use (because most of the English magazines have a very limited circulation) compared with their advertisement in the great daily papers. (VII.) Moulding and stereotyping. — The accounts above set out contain a charge for moulding, which is rightly charged to the first edition of a book of more than ephemeral interest, because the moulds are taken in case a new edition should be called for. But the stereo- typing need not be executed, and seldom is, until the second edition is wanted. If a pub- lisher charges stereotyping when it is not done, this no doubt will be indefensible. If it is done 1 1 2  ## p. 310 (#370) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. unnecessarily, can lie be made to bear the amount himself? (VIII.) Right to deduct a charge for incidental erpenses.—It will be seen in the above accounts that the publishers have charged "paper wrappers" and "postage," presumably for send- ing copies of the book for review, and have de- ducted 5 per cent, from the proceeds of sale for "incidental expenses"; and publishers justify such a charge by saying that it is to cover the book's share of their general office expenses (rent, wages, Ac). This seems clearly indefensible; the publisher gets half the profits for (i) his risk of loss if there is any risk—very few publishers do, in fact, run risks through the book not paying expenses—this falls entirely on the publisher ; and (2) his position in the publishing trade, for which his offices, his clerks, travellers, &c, are a tine qui! non. The questions on which counsel is asked to advise are as follows: 1. What is the exact relationship between the parties to a share-profit agreement; is it one of partnership, or rather joint adven- ture, or of trusteeship, or what? 2. In any view of the relationship, ought not the publisher to render full accounts, and to give full opportunity of checking them by production of vouchers and books as mentioned above? 3. Is the publisher entitled, under a share-profit agreement, to charge expenses at a higher rate than he himself makes; whether this is disclosed to the author after the con- tract, or is a secret profit made by the publisher? 4. If the answer to the last question is in the negative, would not the existence of such charges, when proved to the court, be a sufficient case for reopening a settled account which contained charges embody- ing such profits? 5. Is the publisher under a share-profit agree- ment entitled to charge the author the full amounts of invoices to him for expenses of the book when he himself only pays such amounts less discounts? 6. Has the publisher the right under a share- profit agreement to charge for advertise- ments (a) inserted in his own magazines or trade lists, and (b) inserted in other publishers' magazines by exchange with- out payment? 7. Can the publisher under a share profit agree- ment charge stereotyping against the first edition where it is not done? 8. Has the publisher under an ordinary share- profit agreement, in the absence of ex- press stipulation, the right to deduct a percentage on books sold for "incidental expenses." 11. counsel's opinion. 1. In our opinion, an agreement such as that set out in the above case creates between the par- ties to it a joint adventure, involving some (but not all) of the incidents of partnership, and con- stitutes a fiduciary relation on the part of the publisher towards the author. 2. Under such an agreement the publisher is, in our opinion, bound, in any view of the relation- ship of the parties, to render proper accounts and to produce all books and documents neces- sary for the proper vouching of the items of such accounts. 3. Under such an agreement the publisher is, in our opinion, only entitled to deduct from the pro- ceeds of sale the actual expenses of printing, paper, &c, and he cannot therefore charge such expenses at a higher rate than he actually pays. It would not, in our opinion, make any difference in this respect whether the publisher, after the execution of the agreement, informed the author that he intended to charge, or had in fact charged, the expenses at such higher rate (unless there were additional circumstances which might evi- dence a waiver or abandonment of rights on the part of the author) or kept the matter secret. 4. If the existence of such charges as those mentioned in the last question were satisfactorily proved, it would, in our opinion, be a sufficient ground for reopening the account in which such charges were contained, even though such account had been settled and approved by the author, assuming, of course, that the account had been so approved by him in ignorance of its containing such charges. 5. This question is one of some difficulty, but, in our opinion, the publisher, under such an agreement, is only entitled to charge for what he actually pays, and therefore cannot charge the full amount of the invoice where he obtains a discount. 6. The publisher is, in our opinion, only en- titled under such an agreement to charge the actual cost of advertisements, whether inserted in his own magazines or trade lists, or those of other publishers. He cannot charge against the author the sum which a stranger would have paid for the insertion of such an advertisement. The actual cost in case (6) would in effect appear to be the actual cost to him of inserting in his own maga- zine an advertisement in exchange for the adver- tisement of the work in question in another publisher's magazine. 7. The publisher is not, in our opinion, entitled  ## p. 311 (#371) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. to charge for work which has not in fact lieen done. 8. The term "incidental expenses" in the above-mentioned agreement is extremely vague and unsatisfac'ory, but, in our opinion, it includes those expenses which, or a portion of which, are incidental to the particular book referred to in the agreement, and does not include a shire of estab- lishment charges generally. Unless, however, the charge for incidental expenses could be shown to be excessive or improper, the publisher would not, in our opinion, I e called upon to furnish a detailed account of the items of which it was made up, and the fact that the amount of such incidental expanses was arrived at by taking a percentage on the returns would not, in our opinion, of itself render the charge improper. Herbert H. Cozens-Hardy. J. Kolt. Lincoln's Inn. Dec. 9, 1893. II.—The Meaning ok Royalties. The following tables were published in the first volume of The Author. They are reproduce; 1 here, because too much publicity c.innot be given to the meaning of royalties. The ordinary six shilling book is taken, as usual, with the number of sheets, &c, as in the "Cost of Production," "I. On the sale of the first 1,000, costing ,£100. Per cent. Roytlly of 6 10 15 30 25 30 £ £ £ £ PuM.her. CO 45 30 15 — Author ... 15 10 45 60 75 *> II. On the sale of the next 3,000, costing ^150. Per cent. 5 10 15 20 •a 30 3' £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Pa' 1 shci 350 285 240 195 150 10.» 60 Author ... 45 90 135 180 225 270 315 III. On the sale of an edition of 10,000, costing £400. Per cent 5 10 15 20 25 30 .r. £ £ £ £ £ £ £ rutlUher 1200 1050 too 750 603 450 Author... 150 800 450 600 750 900 1050 "Since it is more common to meet with a success corresponding with the second than with the first table, let us consider what the figures mean. They speak for themselves, but for those who cannot understand figures let us explain. "' Your publisher, dear Sir or Madam, when he benevolently offers you a £5 pjr cent, royalty, will on a second edition of 3000 copies make £330 to your .£45, i.e., eight times your share. If he gives you 10 percent.—which is common—he will make £285 to your £90, that is, three times your share. If 15 per cent, he will make £240 to your £135, i.e., twice your share. If 20 per cent., £195 to your £180. If 25 per cent. £170 to your ^"225. If £30 per cent., £105 to your £270. Consider this, and refuse the .£10 per cent, with indignation.'" Since the above figures were printed royalties have gone up very generally and enormously; thanks, especially, to the publicity given by The Author. Printing and paper have gone down, so that the table ought to be revised. For the present, howeve •, let it pass. Still, however, trading on ignorance, certain publishers pointed out that these figures made no- allowance for their " office expenses." Never was a more impudent attempt. They have never even offered to consider the "office expenses" of booksellers, on the one hand, whose "office expenses " are from 16 to 20 per cent, on their sales: nor of authors, whose office expenses are, as has been pointed out elsewheiv, just as real. IIT.—Copyright in Photographs. (Before Mr. Justice Col ins, without a Jury, on April 12.) Melville t\ Hulton. This was an action brought by Mr. G. C. Melville, a photographer, carrying on business at Market-street, Manchester, against Messrs. E. Hulton and Co., of Mark-lane, Manchester, the proprietors and printers of a daily pap^r called the Sporting Chronicle, and of two weekly papers respectively called the Athletic Neics and the Sunday Chronicle, for damages for infringement of copyright. The plaintiff, by his statement of claim, said that he was the author and proprietor of a photograph of one Frederick E. Bacon, a well-known athlete, and that the defendants had, without the consent of the plaintiff in writing, colourably imitated or multiplied for sale, and did sell, a large number of copies of the said photo- graph. The publications complained of w re:— (i)In the Sporting Chronicle of Sept. 19 and Oct. 5, 1896 ; and (2) in the Sunday Chronicle of Sept. 20 and Oct. 1896. The defendants said that the plaintiff never was, an.l is not now, the author or proprietor of th? photograph, and that  ## p. 312 (#372) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. the photograph, if made by the plaintiff, was made by him for F. E. Bacon for a good and valuable consideration, and that the copyright was not expressly reserved to the plaintiff by agreement in writing signed at or before the time when the photograph was made. Mr. Pickford, Q.C. and Mr. G. B. Wilkinson appeared for the plaintiff; Mr. McCall, Q.C. and Mr. Bradbury for the defendants. The action was tried at the Liverpool Assizes on March 27 last, when judgment was reserved. Mr. Justice Collins, in giving judgment to-day, said that upon the evidence he was satisfied that the photograph was taken for Mr. Bacon and upon his behalf, and that there was abundant consideration moving from him to the plaintiff. Mr. Bacon was a most distinguished athlete. Each copy of the jmotograph was worth i*. 6d., and although Mr. Bacon made no payment there was abundant consideration given by him. The 1st section of 25 & 26 Vict. c. 68, said that if the photograph was "made or executed for or on behalf or any other person for a good or a valuable consideration, lhe person so . . . making or executing the tame shall not retain the copyright thereof, unless it be expressly reserved to him in writing signed ... by the persons for or on whose behalf the same shall have been so made or executed; . . . but the copyright shall belong to the person for or on whose behalf the same shall have been so made or executed." Mr. Bacon had said that there was no agreement by which he reserved the copyright to the plaintiff. There must, therefore, .be judgment for the defendants. Judgment for defendants. —The Times, April 13. IV.—Copyright Legislation in America. Now that so much interest is taken in the sub- ject of Copyright in the United States of America, it is important that British authors should be made acquainted with any fresh or proposed legislation by which their rights in that country may be affected. On the 3rd March, 1897, sect. 4963 of the Revised Statutes of the United States was amended. The section now stands in th-3 following form, the amendment appearing from the words in italics: "Every person who shall insert or impress snch notice, or words of the same purport, in or upon any book, map, chart, dramatic or musical composition, print, cat, engraving, or photograph, or other article, whether such article be subject to copyright or otheruise, for which he has not obtained a copyright, or thall knowingly issue or sell any article bear- ing a notice of United States copyright which has not been copyrighted in this country, or shall import any book, photo- graph, chromo, or lithograph, or other article bearing such notice of copyright or worls of the same purport, which is not copyrighted in this country, shall be liable to a penalty of 100 do'lars, recoverable one-half for the person who shall sue for such penalty and one-half to the use of the United States; and the importation into the United States of any book, chromo, lithograph, or photograph, or other article bea~ing such notice of copyright, when there is no existing copyright thereon in the United States, is prohibited; and the circuit courts of the United States sitting in equity are hereby authorised to enjoin the issuing, publishing, or selling of any article marked or imported in violation of the United States copyright laws, at the suit of any person complaining of such violation: Provided, that this Act ahall not apply to any importation of or sale of such goods or articles brought into the United States prior to the passage hereof." The notice mentioned in the section is to this effect: "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year , by A. B., in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington." It will be seen at a glance that the amended section is much more stringent than the section as it. origina'ly stood, and introduces new prohi- bitions of a far reaching character. At the present time there is also a Bill before the Hou -e of Representatives to revise the copyright law; it was introduced by Mr. Treloar, and has been referred to the Committee on Patents, and ordered to be printed. It is proposed to deal with and point out the most important amendments and alterations in the law suggested by the Bill. The first eight sections deal with the appoint- ment of a commissioner of copyrights, together with assistants and clerks, for the purpose of performing, under the supervision of the Joint Committee on the Library, all those duties which are now imposed upon the Librarian of Congress. This would appear to be a very desirable alteration, as under the existing system, owing, no doubt, to the onerous duties of the Librarian of Congress, complaints have been made that the business of registering and advising copyrights has been conducted in a loose way. The term of duration of copyright is to be extended from twenty-tight to fifty years from the time of registering the title thereof. This is clearly a step in the right direction. It will be remembered that in the Bill prepared by the Society of Authors, and introduced in the House of Lords by Lord Moukswell in 1890, the pro- posed term was for the life of the author and thirty years after his deith. The author's right of printing, reprinting, pub- lishing, completing, copying, exhibiting, using, leasing, vending, abridging, adapting, dramatising, translating, and publicly exhibiting his work has  ## p. 313 (#373) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 313 been made more comprehensive and clear than it is under the existing statutes. The 12th and 13th sections of the Bill deal with the manner in which copyright is to be obtained, but with regard to a dramatic composition or play the sections are not at all clear, and need amendment. Sect. 12 states " that no person shall be entitled to copyright unless he shall, not later than the day of first publication thereof, deliver at the office of commissioner of copyright, or deposit in the mail within the United States . . . two complete copies of the dramatic composition . . . Provided, that in the case of a dramatic composition or play, the two copies deposited as above may be typewritten." Sect. 13 states, " that in the case of a . . . dramatic composition, the two copies of the same required to be delivered or deposited shall be printed from type set within the United States." It is, therefore, doubtful whether the two copies of the dramatic composition are to be type- written or printed from type set within the United States, a most important difference to authors, and one which should be attended to before the Bill is passed into law. The ifith section subjects any person who sells or offers for sale a pirated literary composition to the same penalties as though he had pirated and printed it. Another proposed alteration of the law is to compel an applicant for copyright to make an affidavit stating in what capacity, whether as author, owner, executor, or how otherwise he claims the right. This alteration is aimed at those unprincipled persons who, having got the control of an author's manuscript, can under the existing law obtain copyright of it in their own name. Other parts of the Bill deal with penalties and damages for infringement, the obtaining of interim injunctions, and legal procedure. The Bill seems to be just and proper, and one which every person who has the welfare of the author and the protection of his rights at heart ought to strive to pass into law. Whether it become law or no, it shows that the American authors are not losing sight of their interests, and what are their interests are now those of the English author. V.—An Example from Aberdeen. "Thoughts for Book Lovers." By Harry S. Lumsden. This little book is worthy of remark for two reasons. First, because it is a second edition of a very interesting and valuable com- pilation. It consists of extracts from the writings of over two hundred authors, living and dead, on various subjects connected with literature and books. Especially, there is a treasury of advice on the subject of novel reading. It is pleasant to find novelists themselves dissuading the world from reading novels—one among them even declaring that he never read a novel at all, which is, indeed, a piteous case. The book is, however, remarkable for another reason: the author keeps all the remaining copies in his own hands; he is his own publisher. Now, why should not this method be more generally adopted? With a certain class of book—one, that is, that will com- mand a certain—but not a very great—circula- tion, the author may make his own arrangements for production: he is not liable for charges for expenses not incurred: he controls the advertise- ments: he can easily send out the books himself: he can have them bound as he wants them. See what he saves by such a method. A publisher would probably send in a bill something like the following: Cost of production:— £ s. d. £ s. d. In reality, say 50 o o In the account 70 o o Advertising:— In reality 5 o o In the account, swelled by charging for his own magazines 25 o o By sales, say 600 at 2.1. 6<7. 75 o o In account (ret down as 13 as 12) 69 4 o Less 5 per een\ for bad debts 390 Less incidental ex- penses, postage, &c 2 10 o Less 15 per cent, publisher's com- mission 10 7 6 So that the account in full would appear as follows: £ s. d. Cost of production 70 o o Advertising 25 o o Bad debts, 5 percent. ... 3 9 o Incidental expenses 2 10 o Publisher's commission... 10 7 6 in 6 6 By sale 600 copies at 2s. 6rf.,at 13 as 12 69 4 o Loss on book 42 2 6 in 6 6  ## p. 314 (#374) ############################################ 3»4 THE AUTHOR. Suppose ho keeps the book in his own hauds. How does the account stand then? £ s. d. Cost of production 50 o o Circulars for distribution 200 Advertising, say 10 o o Postage at 4f/ 10 o o Profit on book 3 o o 75 o o Sale of 600 copies at 2s. 6d 75 o o In common gratitude to Mr. Lumsden for showing the way, I am pleased to assist him by pointing out that his pretty little book can be obtained of him direct, by addressing H. A. Lumsden. 18, Bon Accord-crescent, Aberdeen. VI.—An Author's Protest. Some weeks since I observed among notices of forthcoming books the announcement of a work to be published by Mr. George Redway, on "'Travel and Big Game,' by Percy Selous and H. A. Bryden." I wrote at once to the paper in which I saw the notice to say that I knew nothing of Mr. Percy Selous or of any such work. I see that this book has been sent round to the Press for review, but that its present publisher appears to be Mr. G. Bellairs. The work is now described as "'Travel and Big Game,' by Percy Se!ous, with two chapters by H. A. Bryden." In fairness to myself I ought to explain that the two chapters for which I am thus held respon- sible were written for a news syndicate, with no idea of subsequent publication in book form. I have never been consulted in the matter of the book in question; I am not acquainted with Mr. Percy Selous (his namesake, Mr. F. C. Selous, of South African fame, I know very well); and I have objected, as far as I was able, to the inclusion of the two articles in the present volume. I understand that Mr. George Eedway acquired from the news syndicate I have mentioned the copyright in these two articles. He (or Mr. Bellairs, who now appears as publisher) is j>ro- bably legally within his rights in throwing my articles — notwithstanding my protests — into Mr. Percy Selous's book. But it is surely scarcely fair to an author (by virtue of thus securing a couple of stray articles) to include his name, against his will, with an author of whom he knows nothing, in a work of this kind. My experience is probably a rare one, but it seems to me that here is another instance of the necessity, now more than ever incumbent upon authors, of looking more cloiely after their copy- rights. H. A. Bryden. Constitutional Club, Northumberland- avenue, April 26, 1897. THE SOCIETY AS PUBLISHERS. ENORMOUS as has been the benefit con- ferred upon literature and afforded to the knights of the pen by the Society of Authors — benefits which I think no one can dispute—I am yet some distance from believing that the organisation of the Society is perfect, or from thinking that an association which in its mere childhood and youth has accomplished for literature so much—so very much—cannot in its growing vigorous manhood accomplish still a little more. Probably the hardest tug in an author's life—I mean of the average author's life, for transcendent genius may assert itself from its very youth—is the turning of the corner of the hill which leads from absolute obscurity, an unknown name, to popularity, pay, and a world- wide fame; a passage which I have heard described as—but the simile is not my own—like passing into heaven out of hell. The paying for the publication of the first book is a blunder upon which many generations of unprincipled publishers must from time immemorial have thriven and grown fat—it is a pit into which the tyro with some money in his pocket and literary ambition in his heart, the infant offspring of his imagination in manuscript before him, hungry publishers around him, and an unsympathetic world hard to wrin without, will not unnaturally fall. But to the flowery land and pleasant pastures of fame and popularity—the very haven to which he paid his money to be wafted on wings of gold—he is no nearer than he was before. 'Ihen how is the citizenship of this pleasant country to be won? In the February number of The Author the aspirant is put up to a wrinkle or two, the dreamer is told how he may get his chance; ha must get his work economically printed and bound on— six months credit—easy terms; he must then print a circular describing his work, and offer copies on liberal terms to booksellers on sale or return; he must advertise a little, feeling his way as he goes; he must issue to the trade from his own house—if he can find no better place This is all in theory and in principle excellent advice; it is right as far as it goes; how far it would be practicable or successful, or the reverse, I will not venture to say.  ## p. 315 (#375) ############################################ THE AUTItOk. 3i5 We are informed by those who know that out of every hundred manuscripts submitted to pub- lishers, no more than about three or five are acceptable or accepted; then what becomes of the ninety and five per cent, of intolerable literary matter thrust—inflicted I would say—upon the attention of publishers, this long-suffering race? Book publishing is said to be a good business; and had it not need, to pay for the consideration of 95 per cent, of unprofitable work? Much of it is, and must be—as every editor knows—hopeless; but surely all this 95 per cent, of unsuitable product of brain power cannot be irreclaimable waste: there must still be a certain proportion of good grain in the heaps of rejected rubbish and chaff. Besides, as we all know, much really excellent literary work is " declined with thanks " for no other reason than because it is unbacked by the magic talisman of some well known name. From the correspondence which appears in the pages of The Author, there seems to be a con- sensus of opinion that an additional department of the society is needed—that the Society of Authors, in short, should become publishers themselves; and I cannot help being strongly of opinion that the establishment of such a new de- parture would be the best day's work the Com- mittee of Management ever did. The magic word "connection" is the great secret of modern trade, and the trader who opened his shop and started his business with a connec- tion or clientele of 1300 customers might, if he at all understood his work, consider its success assured; and this, with its 1300 members, would be very much the position that the Society of Authors, starting as publishers for themselves, would be in. I cannot approach, even distantly, the working of such a department here.but obviously many works which the ordinary publisher would reject might be considered on their merits, reported on by competent readers, advised upon, and issued, if need be, upon economical lines. Here, then, would the literary aspirant, without fear of unfair dealing, get his chance, while the same chance by many an older bird would be not less eagerly embraced; it would be a chance, I think, which would be appreciated by all, and the venture would not improbably surpass the most sanguine anticipations of its originators. Of course such an office would have its own peculiar system of business, of advertising (which might be done at trifling cost to each individual author) of circularising the trade, &c., upon which I cannot here pretend to enlarge. Like as the Society itself has grown in usefulness and importance from a .modest beginning, so, as is uow the case with some of our most eminent VOL VII. publishing houses, the fact of a work being issued under its auspices would in itself be a recom- mendation in the eyes of booksellers and the public, and would be quite sufficient guarantee of its worth. Thomas W. D. Lisle. NEW YORK LETTER. New York, April 15. EERDLNAND BRUNETIERE and Mme. Blanc sat at breakfast together one morn- ing recently, and talked about the French critic's well-known opinions on literature as far as they bore on the situation in this country. I asked him why criticism had not made a better start among us, and he ventured as one explana- tion this: "Germany and France are the only two countries where the important books alone are reviewed, and where those are criticised adequately. An Italian was recently making the same complaint about criticism in his country which you make about it here, that books of all sorts, no matter how unimportant, have to be noticed, so there is no distinction, and no excel- lence." There was a little talk about the influ- ence of the business office and the large amount of publishers' advertisements, but both critics were unable to see clearly the workings of those influences, although Mme. Blanc, at least, had thought about the matter considerably. M. Brunetiere gradually became more expansive upon the general subject of literature in a democracy like ours. "I believe that the effect of democracy on literature is going to be very good. Mind you, it is not good yet. I only say it will be some time. Just now your literature is very crude—it descends too much to the level of an unrefined body of readers; but when your public is educated, the literature will be the better for being democratic, for it will escape the side-tracks, the dilettanteism, the mere rhetorical ornament, that usually encumber it where it is the product and the expression of a class. Literature should take subjects of import- ance to the whole nation; it should express broad social conditions, and so touch everybody. If I talk to you about the matters which are of inte- rest to all classes, and you use better words, make stronger sentences, and give more searching views on this common topic, you have already made literature." Mme. Blanc supplemented this by pointing out that we now care too much for the various fads of literature, and spoke especially of the absurd vogue which J. K. Huysmans is now having here. She commented also on the too K K  ## p. 316 (#376) ############################################ 316 THE AUTHOR. great leniency of our critics—a stricture which is certainly deserved. We are safe, in M. Brunetiere's case, from another book as full of mistakes as M. Bourget's, not only because M. Brunetiere sees more clearly the difficulty of understanding a civilisation in a few weeks, but also because his interests are in the really important elements, to which he makes all details subordinate. In contrast with such a point of view may be mentioned a book (a good deal talked about just now) published by the Scribners—"America and the Americans "—which pretends to be written by a Frenchman, and reads as if it were written by a pseudo-cosmopolitan American. It is full of the kind of observations which, as Dr. Johnson said of Boswell's ques- tions, makes a sensible man want to hang himself. The writer finds a man in some Western place who goes to an afternoon function in evening dress; he observes that Americans in their deal- ings with foreigners do not know how to change their tone to meet the differences of social station; he is amused that a woman in Chicago who talked of Plato did not know anything about the works now being produced in Chicago, and thinks it must be pose. In short, the book reminds one of the observations which some Americans bring back from a three months' trip in Europe, com- plaining about the bathing facilities in France, the inadequacy of Continental breakfasts, the indigestibility of tables d'hote, fleas, heating facilities in Italy, the ugliness of the Crystal Palace, or the absurd manifestations of patriotism in the Place de la Concorde. Such an irrelevant series of observations as are found in this book is more irritating than the mistakes of M. Bourget, because he at least founded interesting conclu- sions on his inaccurate premises; but opposed to them both may be put such a serious study of American women as Mme. Blanc has given to her countrymen, teaching them to know that the travelling class is not the class of American women which best deserves understanding. But, after all, far and away the best study of American affairs which has been made in our generation is the "American Commonwealth." Other books are needed to cover much that Mr. Bryce does not touch, but there could scarcely be a better draw- ing of the outlines. Various English papers speak with a sort of amazement of Mr. Charles Dudley Warner's en- deavour to put the world's literature into thirty volumes. The motives which led to the publica- tion of such a venture show at once the omni- presence of the business spirit here, and the desire for culture of many classes of the people, mixed with conditions which make it impossible for them to get it. The book is written for the American business or professional man, who seldom has time to read anything thoroughly, but intends when the opportunity offers to read everything that is really worth while. Letters have been sent by the publishers to a large number of sujh men in all the principal cities, laying out the advantages of the book and in- closing postal cards on which sample sheets may be ordered. The man who mails the return postal card does not get his sample sheets, but he gets a book agent, who has in advance learned all he could about the sender of the postal card, studied his particular case, and prepared himself to turn at once to that part of the encyclopaedic work which will be likely to meet the individual prejudices of his customer. For instance, a Scotchman in New York is told that the article on Blackmore was written by one of our best known literary men, and that the picture which appears in the work is the only photograph ever taken of the novelist. The general perspec- tive of the book is arranged with a very distinct idea of its market. More space is given to English writers than to those in other languages, most of all to Americans, and among them most to those who are now alive. Baudelaire, for instance, is given perhaps 1500 words of extract, where Henry James will have about 20,000. The business skill of the promoters of an adventure like this does not end with the study of any one class; they aim at the scholars as well as the hasty man of affairs, so the volumes are well sprinkled with signed articles by experts, by means of which they prove to the literary man also that the work is one which he "cannot afford to be without." It is an admirable illustration of "business" in literature. The librarian of the Carnegie Library of Phila- delphia has set an excellent example in excluding a lot of books, not on the ground that they were immoral (the usual reason), but that they were intellectually worthless. The less intelligent atti- tude towards literature is well shown by the hard fight with Mr. Dingley to yield no more in his duty on books than he is absolutely compelled to by the protests of everybody in any way interested in education. The librarians of this State have been giving their opinions on the literature of the year. Keturns from 300 of them have been received, giving the fifty books published in 1896 which they deem most valuable to a village library. "Sentimental Tommy" headed the list with 162, and the remainder of the first ten are: 2 (Ward), "Sir George Tressady "; 3 (Parker), " Seats of the Mighty "; 4 (Morse), " Life and Letters of Oliver Wendell Holmes"; 5 (Smith), "Tom Grrogan "; 6 (Skinner), " Myths and Legends of  ## p. 317 (#377) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 317 Our Own Land"; 7 (Barrie), "Margaret Ogilvy"; 8 (Kipling), "Seven Seas"; 9 (Krehbiel), "How to Listen to Music"; 10 (Wiggin), "Marm Lisa." Barrie and Maclaren are the only authors with two books each on the list. The latest manifestation of the taste for the Scotch here is a young woman who reads their books in drawing-rooms to fashionable audiences, and stops to cry at the pathetic places. The Harpers will publish about the 26th of this month a volume by an author who ought to be much better known in England than she is. There seems to be a large element of accident in the formation of foreign reputations by our various writers of fiction—Miss Wilkins, for instance, being well known in England, while Miss Jewett is not, and several writers of stories dealing with the middle West being known to 100 English- men while no one knows anything about Octave Thanet, which is the name taken by Miss Alice French, an Arkansas woman, some of whose stories have a height of dramatic art which makes them stand just below those of Bret Harte, and above any other of those tales of that part of the country with which they could be compared. They are not primarily studies; they are not realistic in the sense of being full of detailed analysis; but they are true to life in a broad way, taking from the existence of the middle West its most dramatic possibilities, and being less docu- ments than artistic productions, full of charm- ing skill, proceeding with apparent simplicity, but always ending successfully in a climax which leaves the reader usually happy. "Pleasant" is the word one finds first for them. Delicate humour, a raciness in the dialogue which is always re- strained, touches of pathos in moderation, no heavy gloom, and the spirit of adventure in greater or less degree, result in a whole that one may praise with fulness. The dialect, which is used infrequently enough to be a subordinate element, is the amusing and easily comprehended slang of the plain man in these States in which her stories are laid. The forthcoming volume, which is called " The Missionary Sheriff," is made up of half a dozen of her latest tales, showing her in her full charm. There are few, very few, present writers who might not be better neglected by those students of our literature who wish to see what are the most interesting literary possibi- lities in American life. Norman Hapoood. NOTES FROM ELSEWHERE. HEBE is a series of undesigned coincidences, or whatever you like to call it, which I think worth noting. A man has recently been arrested in Paris for a very cruel murder, and has confessed his guilt. There can be no doubt what the result of the trial will be, or what end is reserved for him. It appears, now, that twenty-six or twenty-seven years ago this man's father kept an inn in the north of France, near the frontier of Flanders. It was a low inn, frequented by rough people. One day a novel kind of contest was proposed by one of the customers. It was to see who amongst the drinkers could curse and blaspheme the worst. The idea was acclaimed as excellent, and the same evening, the landlord offering no objection, the contest was held in the tap-room. A day or two later—I have the exact names and particulars, but they are immaterial—one of the party of blasphemers was struck with paralysis, and from that day to the day of his death several years later could not articulate a word, could utter nothing but a sound like the grunting of an animal. The innkeeper committed suicide ten years ago, after seeing the following catastrophes in his family. His eldest son took to drink and hanged himself; his daughter went to the bad and died on the streets; a second son was found drowned in a stream at the back of the inn; whilst two other sons, to escape from the sinister influences of their home, ran away, and were not heard of afterwards. We have just seen what became of the last or youngest son; he has qualified for the guillotine. A similar instance of punishment on earth for ill-doing was enacted, so to speak, before my eyes. Some years ago, as I was rambling about in South Brittany, in the neighbourhood of Nantes, I came across the ideal country spot—river, spreading walnut-trees, wooded slopes, thatched cottages, and so on—that I had been looking for all my life. I took rooms at the inn there—a most picturesque hostelry by the side of a weir. It was beautiful. This inn was kept by two sisters, Breton peasants, the wives of two sailors on the French Transatlantic line. Quaint bodies they looked in their white Breton caps, their strangely cut bodices, and their clogs. They were the most sublimely ignorant people I have ever met. I envied them the Nirvana of their minds. They could neither read nor write, they did not know that France was under a Republic, and they had never heard of Monsieur Carnot. They had some pretty children, and were kind to their children,  ## p. 318 (#378) ############################################ 3i8 THE AUTHOR. though in the main they were very avaricious. I remember that I was kept on very short commons, and had to fill up with walnuts and white wine. Their old father lived with them, and was at their charge. They ill-treated him cruelly. "They grudge me every mouthful I eat," said he to me, and told me to notice how "my eldest" watched every spoonful of meatless broth that he ladled into his palsied jaws. One day he clutched me by the arm as I was passing through the yard— for he was usually expected " de se tenir" (to keep himself) in a kind of lumber-shed—and said he was very cold in his inside, and that it would be an act of real goodness on my part to treat him to a cup of hot coffee. I took him into the house, and, as he had advised, ordered the coffee for myself. "Otherwise," said he, "there'll only be one lump of sugar." The poor old fellow enjoyed his coffee immensely. It was a real privation to him to go without it, but his daughters did not allow him any such luxuries, and on the nights when the coffee was decocted, he used to retire to the backyard to be far from the delicious and tantalising odours of the brewage, and the aggravation of hearing his daughter Pauline keep smacking her lips and saying, ' I'm going to have a cup as soon as it's finished.'" He was half starved and miserably clad, and before I left he implored me to send him an old coat against the winter. I did not do so, if I remember; I wanted one badly myself. But this en passant. He used to cough continuously. "It may well be his end that's approaching," Pauline used to say hopefully whenever I remarked on this. He was wanted, he was expected, to die, and though neither of his daughters would have given him a push into the weir to precipitate matters, I do not think that either would have hurried her clogs if he had fallen in. It was a nouvelle by Maupassant which was in action before my eyes, and I spoke to Maupassant about it years later. I felt very sorry for the poor old man, and I used to regret that there should be two women with hearts so unkind, and to wonder whether no retribution would ever befall them. One day, two or three years later, I read in a Paris paper that two sisters, who kept an inn at V , near Nantes—the same women and the same place— had been murdered in their beds by a tramp, who had been attracted by the report of their avarice. As nothing was said of the old father, I presume that their wishes with regard to him had been fulfilled. I have been thinking that a novelist making use of these two stories, which are true in every particular, would get himself rapped over the fingers for making an ill-use of coincidence by ces Messieurs de la critique. I am glad to see that M. Berenger, the Senator —Pere la Pudeur, as they call him in Paris—is making a stand in the Senate against the licence and immorality of the French Press and much of modern French literature, which of late has really passed all limits. I owe Senator Berenger a very bad night, for I got run in and spent a night in the lock-up of the rue des Prouvaires, during the riots which followed on F affaire Nuger, but I owe him no grudge. He is protesting—a very ungrateful task—against the indifference of the Government, whose attitude towards the Press seems to be " Leave us alone, and we will leave you alone." Berenger is by no means the nin- compoop which certain English journalists have represented him to be; he is the author of " la loi Berenger," that humane enactment which preceded our First Offenders Act in England. When a French theatrical manager can engage a couple, who have no other recommendation than being flagrant offenders against the Seventh Command- ment, to appear on his stage, and thousands of pounds are taken at his booking office in conse- quence, it really seems time that someone, anxious about the dignity of his country and its capital, should protest as Berenger has done. Mrs. Emily Crawford made a very true remark in Truth the other day, when she said that Paris is the place for hard work and the home of hard workers. Ay, of the hardest workers in the world. As Daudet once said to me, " All the vital forces of Paris are below the surface. You only see the idlers, the drones. You must not judge of the Parisians by these, any more than you should wonder what makes a big ocean liner go, after looking only at those who dawdle on the promenade deck." Loti has, I see, made good use of his recent stay on the south-east coast of France; and to anyone interested in the curious Basque people, their strange customs and manners and ways of living, I can heartily recommend his last novel. He was for some months in command of a gun- boat, which lay off St. Jean de Luz, on the frontier of the French Basque country, and was constantly on shore. I used frequently to meet him rambling about in the district, and on one occa- sion when I had landed in a Basque village, where not a soul spoke French, he was good enough to interpret for me. In return for his kindness, I feigned to ignore his identity, for there is nobody less a persona grata to Vignaud the naval officer than Loti the Academician. BOBEBT H. ShEBAED. •>•<  ## p. 319 (#379) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 319 NOTES AND NEWS. THE reprinting of the paper called " Secret Profits" is the beginning of several reprints of valuable and important papers which have appeared in the back numbers of The Author. It is not enough to procure counsel's opinion on such an important matter as Secret Profits: it is not enough to publish it in this paper: the opinion is read and forgotten: by those who have joined the Society since the appearance of the paper it has never been seen. The paper has, therefore, been republished, and readers are invited to peruse it in order to ascer- tain what is the opinion of lawyers on practices which we have never ceased to denounce as dis- honourable, and not to be defended by any argu- ments whatever. ni_ Half a dozen correspondents have sent me an advertisement from the Daily News. The adver- tiser wants to find a writer who will compile for him "from the reading-room of the British Museum" a history of California. The history is to consist of 400,000 words, and the honorarium offered is £\o, which, being interpreted, means a penny for every 165 words. It is useless to wax wrathful over this. First of all, the advertiser is clearly a very ignorant person; the right place to find materials for the history of California is not the British Museum, but the Archives and Record Office of the State of California. Then, as to the length; surely, no one who knows anything at all about the history of California would lay down a hard and fast rule about the length to which such a history would run. As for the offer of .£10, it was clearly put down as a large and handsome amount likely to tempt the most prosperous of litterateurs. In a word, the man knew nothing about literary work or about literary pay. Either he thought that a book of 400,000 words could be written in two days, or he thought that literary men are poor scrubs and hacks, who take whatever is offered them. I think that the advertiser probably wants the history for an advertising medium. Soap, pills, hair restorers, mustard, might be well advertised between the leaves of such a history. im I cannot believe that this person reads The Author. Otherwise he might have pleaded that he only followed the example of the venerable and pious Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge. I exposed four years ago the prices paid by this Christian Corporation to the unfor- tunate persons who wrote for them. My figures were not denied. Among them was the case where for a historical book—not a History of California—the enormous sum of .£12 was paid. The author said that if the book was a success he was to have more. The book sold 7000 copies, and no more was given. This noble generosity com- pared favourably with that of the advertiser. A correspondent calls attention to the practice of speaking of an article: a paper: a contribu- tion: a story: a novel: as consisting of so many thousand words: he says it is a mechanical way of treating literature. Why should it be so? For- merly a contributor to a magazine was told that he was to receive so much a page: he was not informed, however, of the length of the page, which may have been 500 words and may have been a thousand. At least we get something that we can understand. As for its being mechanical, literature has its commercial side which it is folly or affectation to ignore. Indeed, the man who affects most to despise it, is the keenest at getting all he can. Fortunately, this view is now recognised by all but a few who consent, in the interest of some publishers, to call attention to the commercial side as sordid and unworthy. Now, I have known a great many literary men and women. I have known some who affect con- tempt for the pecuniary value of their works; these are men—none women, who do not practise these little tricks. I have never known, however, any single literary man or woman who was not anxious to get out of his work all he could—not one, from th<* highest to the lowest, including especially the despiser of filthy lucre. This being so, surely anything which simplifies and helps the business side should be welcomed, and such a method is that of counting the words. As for any difficulty in counting, there should be none. The rule is very simple: to write always on paper of the same size. You thus know with- out counting how many words go to a page, and how many are wanted for the purpose for which you are writing. Indeed, one must know the number of words, otherwise it would be impos- sible to fulfil an engagement. For instance, in the old days—fifteen years ago—I used to write "middles" for the Saturday Review. How could I tell how many pages my article was to contain if I did not know the average number of words in one of those " middles?" Again, I was recently writing a novel for the Illustrated London News. It was necessary, above all things, to know how much space the editor allotted to the novel every Walter Bksant.  ## p. 320 (#380) ############################################ 3 20 THE AUTHOR. A WHOLLY IMAGINAKY DIALOGUE. Scene.—Private office of A., B., and Co., publishers. Dramatis personm.—Messrs. A. and B. and one X., an author. Mb. A. (to his partner).—Ah! this is Mr. X., with whom we have had some correspondence re- specting a book he wishes us to produce Author (sometchat testily).—No; I did not say produce—T said publish. Pubtish—that's what I want you to do. Mr. B.—Quite so. Publish—exactly so. But surely, my dear sir, you are aware that a book must be produced before it can be published. Now, we Author.—Yes, I do know it; that is why I wished to see you. I am going to produce this book myself. I only want you to put it in the hands of the trade—in short, to act as my agents Both Partners (together).—Agents! (Mutual glances of outraged dignity.) Author (mildly).—Yes; why not? Mr. A. (solemnly).—Surely, sir, you are aware that a firm of our standing does not act as agents. We are publishers, sir. We are principals in all our transactions. Author.—Oh, indeed! May I ask why? Mr. A.—Why? (Looks across in an appalled manner at his partner.) Author.—Certainly I ask why. If I produce this book at my own expense, and you merely sell it—nay, not even sell it, but only warehouse it— well, really, I don't see why you aspire to be more than agents. Mr. B. (diplomatically).—Eeally, my good sir, you altogether mistake the situation. When we publish your book, we lend you our Name. You have forgotten that. You have forgotten that our name sells your book. You have forgotten our experience, our influence over the channels of publicity. Our Author (rather warmly).— Your name! I had no idea you were an authority on "Popular Amusements in the Eocene Age." Now I am— at least, I am considered so, which comes to the same thing. However, let us get to business. Shall I make my proposal, or shall I not? Mr. A. (with a gasp).—Oh. Pray proceed. Author.—A short time ago I published a book, "Some Eccentric Adventures with a Dinosaur." You may possibly have heard of it. No? Well, that doesn't matter. It sold well; but it cost a most surprising amount to produce. Since then I have become a member of a society (telegraphic signs of intelligence between the partners), and I have read certain little books (more telegraphing), and, do you know, I have come to the conclusion that an author should attend to the old maxim, "If you want a thing well done—do it yourself." I don't allege motives. Not at all. My commercial friends tell me con- stantly "business is business," and business in these days means "get all you can and never mind the other fellow." Now, I have decided to have no more " publishers "; I am only going to have " agents" Excuse me, I am coming to my offer now. I have here an agreement made with Presser, Platen, and Co. It has been examined and approved in a certain quarter, and I can there- fore trust to it—not to them. In business I am informed one trusts to documents, not to reputa- tions overmuch. In two months' time I shall have in my hands 500 copies ready for the reader. Now, my question is, on what terms will you "publish " these—that is, offer them to the trade through your house? Mr. A. (violently).—Not at Mr. B. (interrupting suavely).—One moment, A. You see, my dear sir, this is a kind of thing we do not as a rule undertake; still, of course, there is in the present case very little risk to u 8 in what Author.—No risk whatever, to you. Mr. B.—Very well; let us say no risk at all, although—hum—you see you do not understand the publishing business as we do. Author (sotto voce).—There is some truth in that; we seem to understand very different things by that term. Mr. B. (continuing).—Now, let us examine the position. You wish us to lend you our name, and to introduce your work to a no doubt—hum- eager public. But, on the other hand, we must have security for our labours. Of course you will transfer the copyright to us. Author (looking for his hat).—Ah! I am afraid we are playing at cross purposes. I will not take up your time any further. Mr. B.—But, my dear sir, that is such a very elementary precaution—surely you can have no objection Author (resuming his seat).—I can see we shan't agree, but I will just argue this matter out with you, as a matter of interest. I will tell you a tale. A friend of mine is a great ironfounder. Amongst other things be makes flat-irons by the ton. Now, flat-irons are not used in tons; they are bought, one at a time, by old women, or, for the matter of that, young women. My friend is a busy man. He doesn't trouble to organise a system of canvassing amongst the actual users, or even amongst the local ironmongers; he just goes to a wholesale firm of warehousemen, and says:  ## p. 321 (#381) ############################################ THE AUTHOk. "Here's ten tons of flat-irons, my name on them —how much for the lot?" ".£50." "Can't take it. Sell them on commission at so much a ton—15 per cent, for you for your trouble in acting as go- between." "Done." Now, in disposing of ten tons of flat-irons to the retailers there is, I am told, considerable scope for business experience and influence, and even reputation. But the middleman does not try to charge my friend the ironfounder for each of these items as if they were something exceptional and rare. All that is understood. These high-sounding phrases are just another name for " wits." And if a ware- houseman or a publisher, or any other middle- man, exercises his wits in selling your manu. factures, he does it to gain a living, and is to be rewarded by a 5, 10, or 15 per cent., according to the case. Now, I offer you the chance of earning a clear 10 per cent, without risk, and you coolly ask me to transfer my copyright to you. I should like to hear my ironfounder friend's remarks if the warehouseman proposed to take over his flat- iron trade mark, and keep it for himself on account of services rendered. Mr. A (turning topartner).—Well, B., if you have time to waste listening to this gentleman's idle tales about ironfounders, and middlemen, and warehousemen, I haven't. Good morning. (Goes out.) Mb. B.—Ah, Mr. X., you must excuse my partner A.; he belongs to the old school. I am aware that changes are taking place—in fact, the trade is not what it was formerly. Things are cut very close nowadays. Author.—They will be cut closer. The time is not very far distant when your profits will be cut down to those of all other trades—a bare margin. Now, shall we talk over my proposal calmly? Mr. B.—I am afraid it is of no use. A. would never consent to such an innovation—no copy- right and a bare 10 per cent. But—(struck with a bright idea)—your difficulties have only just begun. What experience have you of adver- tising f Author.—In most trades advertising is an alarming item, running into large figures. By comparison, the advertising of a book is a paltry matter. In most trades there are advertising specialists—men who make a study of the diffe- rent journals, and advise their clients. Unless publishers mend their ways, there will be adver- tising specialists for book producers, and then the publishers' occupation will be very nearly gone, for most of their so-called experience is summed up in that one mysterious, though trivial, item of expenditure. Mr. B.—Ah! I see you are prejudiced against us. Well, well, we shall manage to scrape along for awhile yet, I daresay. But you haven't told me how you are going to advertise. Author.—Don't be afraid. I have eyes. Where the vultures gather, there also are the carcases. Mr. B. (smiling).—Hum. I am afraid that's a little impertinent. Publishers should not be likened to birds of prey. Author.—My dear Mr. B., I have no prejudice against publishers—personally they are often the most delightful of men. It's their unholy ways I object to—ways that, like all other abuses, have grown up little by little, until those nearest to them think they are natural and wholesome growths. But the newcomers can see, and some of them intend to lance those growths, for they are unsightly and slightly—infectious. No body of men in these days can long main- tain a false position or hope to benefit by a system that the age sees through and despises. For my part, I sympathise with such men as individuals—they are to be pitied; but, all the same, I cry " Haro " upon them, and will continue to do so until they have formed into line with modern work-a-day ideas. Exeunt. N. C. A FRENCH VIEW. THE Figaro, speaking of the everlasting question of author and critic, propounded certain questions, to which it furnishes these replies: "I.—Le critique a-t-il le droit tFecrire des v6ritis, ou ce qu'ilcroit tel, sur les homines et sur les osuvres, mime quand ces viritis sont tris dures, de fond et de forme? "R.—A cela, l'eleve repond qu'on reconnait ce droit au critique dans la theorie, mais qu'on le lui refuse generalement dans la pratique. Un ecrivain, un artiste, un ceuvrier en general, ne redoute qu'une chose, le silence. Comme il soumet ses ouvrages au jugement de la foule et de ceux qui sont a tort ou a raison charges de la representer et de l'informer, il semble vouloir affirmer par lu qu'il accepte d'avance les eloges, mais aussi qu'il se soumettra aux critiques, meme aux blames. "C'est en vain que certains critiques de ce temps, et M. Emile Zola tout le premier, avaient conquis pour le critique le droit de parler ferme et fort. M. Zola, dans Mes Haines, Une Cam- pagne, Nos Auteurs dramatiques, avait donne l'exemple le plus beau et le plus franc; il avait  ## p. 322 (#382) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. monte l'analyse à un diapason dont cornent encore certaines oreilles. D'un beau coup d'épaule, il avait défoncé certaines barrières et ouvert cer- taines voies. Tous les critiques, même ceux qui l'attaquent, doivent lui en être nettement recon- naissants, mais il ne peut s'étonner de voir em- ployer, même par ceux qui l'attaquent, les rudes outils dont il leur enseigna le maniement. '* Mais c'est là le moindre danger à craindre. La bêche et la pioche sont peu à peu redevenues d'un usage beaucoup moins général que le gou- pillon. L'indifférence du public, les progrès de la camaraderie entre œuvriers et critiques, la critique convoitée de plus en plus comme un moyeu de se faire des relations ou des profits, ont ramené un ton d'universelle douceur. "De telle sorte que lorsque paraît un article bien libre et bien franc, ne ménageant point un livre, ou une partition, ou une toile, ou un homme, le lendemain tout le monde se le signale en ces termes: 'Avez-vous lu Véreintement d'un tel?' et l'on ajoute en se chuchotant: 'Savez-vous ce qu'il y a là-dessous?' "II.—Le critique sert-il à quelque chose? "R.—L'élève répond que c'est une question que les critiques se posent euxmêmes parfois, avec plus d'anxiété que les œuvriers. Ils se demandent cela surtout quand ils voient avec quelle difficulté une belle idée triomphe, ou seule- ment une idée juste, avec quelles peines un vrai artiste s'impose, et en revanche combien il est malaisé d'empêcher la foule d'acclamer des sottises. "Toutefois, considérer ce seul point de vue serait éluder la question; et il faut, puisqu'elle est posée, mettre tous les points sur tous les ». "Le critique peut donc être: inutile, dangereux, —ou même utile. Il est évident qu'il est dangereux lorsqu'il profite de sa situation pour encenser exclusivement les gens puissants et pour fustiger ceux qui sont encore faibles ou inconnus. Il est non moins évident qu'il est inutile lorsqu'il se borne à enregistrer les résultats acquis, et à ne parler qu'après la foule pour dire la même chose qu'elle. "Il est encore certain que jamais une critique mal fondée n'a empêché une belle œuvre d'être belle, et n'a jamais pu bien longtemps prolonger l'illusion de beauté qu'elle peut parfois prêter à une platitude. En outre, le critique qui n'est que critique, j'entends celui qui n'est pas capable de faire autre chose (il suffit d'ailleurs qu'il ait l'aptitude et l'intention de faire cette autre chose, si le permet sa destinée), ce critique-là serait un monstrueux parasite, un bernard-Fermite de la littérature, un logeur en garni à perpétuité, un gardien du sérail, qui surveille les femmes des autres, mais ne saurait que faire d'une femme à lui. "Toutefois ce monstre n'existe presque pas, n'a presque jamais existé. Cherchez bien et vous verrez toujours qu'il a accompli à côté ou qu'il aurait pu accomplir une autre tâche, mais que son goût, ou le dévouement à une idée, ou les circon- stances de la vie, l'ont plus visiblement spécialisé dans celle-là. "En revanche, presque tout grand effort litté- raire ou artistique a trouvé à un moment donné un ou plusieurs critiques qui pour sa réussite étaient non seulement utiles, mais encore néces- saires. "III.— Quels rapports devraient exister entre les œuvriers et les critiques? "R.—Aucun. "Aucun, et d'aucune sorte. Us ne devraient pas se connaître. Ils ne devraient jamais être présentés l'un à l'autre. Ils devraient fuir toute présentation avec épouvante. "Ce sont deux métiers séparés, que chacun devrait exercer dans son coin, sans savoir ce qu'en pensera l'autre. "Lorsqu'un homme a fait une œuvre et l'a soumise au public, et qu'un autre a porté sur cette œuvre un jugement motivé, ils doivent se tourner le dos, s'ignorer, et recommencer le lendemain. "Lorsqu'au contraire celui qui a publié une œuvre se fâche contre le critique qui le blâme, il l'outrage; lorsqu'il le remercie, il l'insulte." THE NOVELS OF J. H. PEARCE. IN a recent one of those letters which go entirely counter to mv principles, and which I never fail to read, Mr. È. H. Sherard, writing from St. Ives, remarks that our literature is sadly deficient in pictures of English provincial life, and cites the case of Cornwall in particular. Now, I venture wholly to disagree both with his general remark and its special application. With Mr. Hardy in Wessex, Mr. Walter Raymond in Somerset, Mr. Baring-Gould in Devon, and " Q." in Cornwall (to take only the West of England, and only a few of its writers) all at work with exemplary industry, I fail to see what more Mr. Sherard can want. But since apparently he is not content, I gladly embrace the opportunity of drawing his attention to the Cornish novels of Mr. J. H. Pearce; for I cannot think that if he were acquainted with these, his complaint would have been made. Mr. Pearce is, I take it, a young man—a  ## p. 323 (#383) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 323 beginner one might almost say, for I know of only one book of his dated earlier than 1891, and he has this good point also to favour the idea: that his book of 1893 shows a vast improvement in technique on his earlier works. Why, then, has he written nothing since 1894; or is it possible that some later work of his has eluded my vigilance? Next, it may naturally be asked, what is it that at once arrests attention in his work. I should reply, its unmistakable originality. Nobody, I should suppose, could read half-a-dozen pages of one of his books without feeling—like him or like him not—that here is a man writing of what he knows, from observation, and out of the fullness of his heart. One might label him the Barrie of Cornwall, but I prefer to speak of him as the Cornish Hardy. These labels, convenient in an age which demands condensa- tion, are, however, somewhat apt to mislead. Let me say at once, therefore, that Mr. Pearce is as yet a Hardy only of the period of the " Pair of Blue Eyes." Nay, more, the term must be under- stood to be applied to him only in the restricted sense of implying an intimate and authentic knowledge of a peasantry, and a convincing power of representing its members. In the whole of Mr. Pearce's three novels which are known to me there is only one character (the curate in "Jaco Treloar") who belongs to any but the peasant, fishing, or mining class. Thus his subject is not country-life generally—with its squires and farmers and their wotnenkind, whatever these may be worth — but the country "people" simply and exclusively. And yet, in spite of this vast abstinence—for from the point of view of modern life and culture that is what it amounts to—his books fix and hold one from the beginning. The first of these books which I have been able to procure, dated 1891 (though I see there is an earlier work, "Bernice," mentioned in the title- page), is "Esther Pentreath, the Miller's Daughter." Let me say at once that this is one of the saddest books I have ever read—as sad as the " Malavoglia" of that great writer Giovanni Verga, so sympathetically praised by Mr. Howells in his preface to the English translation. And, indeed, with Verga's peasant-stories Mr. Pearce's work has much in common. In "Esther Pentreath" we feel that much of the sadness is due to the deliberate paganism of the book. (At this point I imagine a reader to exclaim, "But I don't like your pagan heartrending books!" Peace, good reader, and pass on. Tour point of view is a perfectly intelligible one, but I reply that these remarks art! not intended for you, but for others (of whom there are some in the present day) who have learnt to read, as I may put it, with detachment; to love, or at least to give a patient hearing to good literature, even at the expense of their own private and personal predilections. It is possible that I am no more of a pagan or a pessimist than you, but I do say that the pagan and pessimistic novels of Mr. Pearee are well worth reading.) Besides the above, I am ready enough to allow the existence of imperfections in the book—of some lack of picturesqueness, of distinction of style, in particular. Aichel's madness, too—brute madness as it is—is scarcely a sufficiently strong or inte- resting motive to form the basis of a tragedy; and, again, the author, in his curious care for style, has entirely mistaken the nature of the rhythm proper to prose, and has given us whole screeds of anapaestic or dactylic sing-song. But I am not claiming that the book is a master- piece; I merely hold that it is a strikingly original and promising piece of early work. The next and slighter story of "Inconsequent Lives" (surely an unhappy title), I like less. It is a tale of fisher-life, and, though it contains some admir- ably true and lifelike scenes, the author's laud- able desire to get rid of the conventions of the story-teller has carried him too far, though in a right direction. Observe that, to a student of literature, even his errors—his prose-metres and his hatred of convention—are interesting and instructive. Mr. Pearce's masterpiece, so far (but he has it in him to beat this, or I am strangely mistaken), is "Jaco Treloar." Now, even "Jaco Treloar" is not a well-constructed tale. But a tile full of beautiful writing it it, with poetic qualities of fancy and contemplative passion which entitle it to a very exalted rank. In particular, the love-making of the rustic lovers on a night in spring is among the truest and most beautiful things I know. Possibly I might be thought to reinforce what I have said by adding (which is true) that I have myself lived much with "rustics" and fisher-people, and known and loved and admired their characters perhaps more than most educated men have had opportunity to do. But I feel that such an observation would be beside the mark, for the question is almost entirely a literary one. I may quite well have lived with a person all my life, and yet not know whether a portrait of that person is a mere vulgar likeness or a fine work of art. Besides the above books Mr. Pearce has written two little volumes of apologues in the Hans Andersen style, which show plenty of quaint fancy. But it is to his novels that I pin my faith in his future achievements. And now, in an age reputed to be one of log- rolling, as a safeguard to the reader let me state exactly the extent of my knowledge of Mr. Pearce.  ## p. 324 (#384) ############################################ 324 THE AUTHOR. After reading " Jaco Treloar," in the impulsive way which is pardonable perhaps half a dozen times in a life, I wrote to the author expressing my enthusiastic admiration of his work. In due •course I received back a brief, civil, chilling acknowledgment. Evidently Mr. Pearce was not the man to fall into the arms of the first admirer; and, frankly, one thinks more of him for this. Afterwards I tried, through another and much better known Cornish novelist, to ascertain some facts about a writer who has so fascinated my fancy. I completely failed; I could learn nothing, and a mystery, so far as his personality is concerned, Mr. Pearce remains to me to this day. Thus, though my motive in writing about his books may possibly be mistaken, it is assuredly a pure one. George Douglas. NEW POETRY. TWO or three new volumes of verse lie on the table. It has always been the custom in this paper—which is not a Review,nor does it give its readers criticism on new books—to allow new poets ihe opportunity of showing their quality. In other words, they are invited to speak —once—in these pages. From " Jennifred," by Septimus G. Green, we extract the following sonnet:— Lady, since first within jour garden fair For yon long Bince these silver lilies grew, Methinks by right should still belong to you Whate'er of lesson meet to lighten care My muse, by happy chance directed there, From ont their chaliced chambers erstwhile drew, Who but as little bees are wont to do, Seeks still from every flower some nectar rare; That so with honeyed memories' golden store My flowerless age betimes being furnished. May from the bounteous past be hourly led As with celestial manna more and more; Such memories, Lady, in your heart's rich hive Keep long with their Bweet food sweet thoughts alive. The "Huia's Homeland" comes from New Zealand. Here is a bi'. peculiarly Maori:— Acres on acres of low, billy, poor land Is the Manuka's peculiar domain: Acres on acres like heath on the moorland, White with its blossom, like snow on the plaiD. Acres on acres to battle a path through, Growing o'erhead like the tall pampas-grass, Wirily branched with prickly foliage; Woe worth the day when the stranger shall pass! Acres on acres, and acres on acres. Fire hath swept clean through the length of the land: But the Manuka will ne'er be demolished Until old Neptune comes over the strand. Acres on acres like heeth o' the moorland, White with its blossom, like snow on the plain For the fair Bunlighted land of the Maori Is the Manuka's peculiar domain. "Hugo of Avendon" is a drama in four acts, by E. L. M. It is in blank verse. Here is a lovers' scene:— Stella. What lovers' world is this you lead me through? What golden fingers tipped with fairy spells Have touched my lips and trembled on my eyes'? All things were seen, but never seen as now. I dreamed such dreams; but as I bold thy hand, Earth's beauty and the joy of lovingnets Seem all so clear to me. Hugo. Dream on, dear love, there is a lovers' world That you and I upon some silver stream Might float to-vard, and pluck the golden flowers From sunlit waters, while above our heads The bent trees trembling in the breath of eve Ware farewells to their shadows in the brook. Then farewell shadows. Yon and I alone Would clasp our hands, and only think of love. Stella. How strange it seems! and yet you never seemed To me a stranger. All I found in you Was mine by right of some acquaintanceship, Not quite forgotten, and not quite recalled. Oh, Hugo, Hngo, long before our Btars Had joined our hearts, they must have whispered low Some thought of each to each. How Bweet it sounds 1 Before you even knew me jou were mine. Hugo. Ay, love, it must have been, when voices dim Swept through the night to breathe the word alone, They brought some thought of thee; perchance they touched Thy lips when sleeping, (re they came to me, And mingled with their message tender dreams For thy fulfilment, and for thine alone. Lastly, there is the "Water Bailey," a Tale of the Coquet. The Nymph of Coquet says :— Water sprites, that anglers hear When the dusk of night is near, Under Coquet's falls that lie, Calling, ever calling, Wailing sounds of misery To the waters falling, Sing your saddest conga of pain, For all my salmon now are slain. Little elves that lightly sing To the waters murmuring, Where the minnows leap and swim Gaily, ever gnily, Sing no more } our merry hymn Nightly nor daily. Join with me in sounds of woe For all my s-ons are stricken low. BOOK TITLES: A PROPOSAL. IN "Notes and News" on page 248 of The Author, the Editor suggests "that our members should themselves consider and suggest how" best to deal with the question of titles lor new books, so that when an author has once decided upou a title he may not subsequently find that it has bt en previously adopted, and hence be compelled to change it; a very expensive pro- ceeding if the book be printed with the title as a  ## p. 325 (#385) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 325 headline upon each page. In the past few years this question has been so frequently brought before the readers of The Author, that I write to suggest the advisability of the Society taking up the whole matter on a properly systematic basis, and one which would seem to me to be the only possible way of thoroughly combating, and treading under foot, one of the most serious drawbacks to the profession of, more especially, novel writers. The first thing to do is to get a list, as far as possible complete, of all the titles now used. As of more immediate use to the members of the Society let it be first limited to those books which have been published in Great Britain, Ireland, and America, to practically all books in the English language. Now what have we as a foundation for such a list? To name only a few :—" The English Catalogue of Books," 4 vols., 1835-90; 5 vols., 1890-95. The Publisher's Circular, 1838-97 ; the Bookseller, 1858-97; the Bibliographer, 1881-97; the Athenseum, 1832-97; the "Annual American Catalogue," "Shirley's Catalogue" (for Irish books); all secondhand book catalogues (for privately and provincially printed books). To make these books of service for the object in view, each title wants separating, and then the whole to be massed together in alphabetical order, with such cross references as may be necessary, e.g., sub-titles, and so forth. To do this would require two copies of each catalogue being bought —periodicals like the Athenseum might have the titles which were not in these copied by hand —and one volume being taken and cut up so that all the titles on the face of the pages were separated, but complete in themselves. The other volume should then be taken, but cut up so that all the titles on the back of the pages were similarly treated. The next process would be to paste each of these little cuttings on a separate small thin card, such as is now so much used in America for all indexes which are frequently being altered by additions and deductions. Then, after arranging the cards upon which the slips are pasted in alphabetical order, to put them away iu their respective drawers for future refer- ence. To prevent the cards being lost, or dis- arranged, a hole is punched at the foot of each, and through this a stiff wire, which is screwed, or for greater security locked, into the end of each drawer, is passed. The advantage of the cards over pasting the slips in a book is that all additions, no matter how many, are put in exactly their proper place, which is quite impossible where such limited areas as pages are used. The next point to consider is the matter of cost. After purchasing the volumes for cutting up, and the cards and cabinet for keeping the completed work in, the only expenses are the wages of the female clerks employed in the work; and, as this is extremely elementary, young girls direct from school are sufficient, at about js. a week, and two or three of these, in a year or two, would soon get together a very considerable part of the title catalogue. They should commence preferably with the titles of the books last pub- lished, as these would probably be more likely to be copied from there being a certain fashion in the naming of books. If this matter be taken up by the Society—and I certainly think it is a work so invaluable that it ought to be taken up by them—I would suggest that all the published catalogues be purchased first, and kept in the Society's rooms, so that, though the work were not itself complete, search could be made through those, not cut up, for any title which a member might inquire about. There should, in fact, be instituted a " Title Verification Department," at the service of any member wish- ing to know, for instance, if there were any such title used as " Martin Twist" or " Oliver Chuzzle- wit." P. Howard Collins. LITERATURE IN THE PERIODICALS. Thi Prospects of Literature. Temple Bar for April. The Decline op Classical Verse-Writinq. J. B. Bury. Saturday Review for April 10. A German Poet of Revolt. Laurie Magnus. Fort- nightly Review for April. Artists and Authors. X. Y. Z.'s letter in the Daily Chronicle for April 17. The Output of Authors. Pearson's Magazine for April. A Visit to the Novelist op the Creoles. W. K. N. Woman at Home for April. Unwritten Books. Macmillan's Magazine for April. The Stort op Scott's Ruin. Leslie Stephen. Cornhill for April. The Need of Copyright Reform. W. Morris Colles. North American Review. Notable Review. W. B. Yeats's "The Secret Rose," reviewed by George Moore in Daily Chronicle for April 24. Literature has been hit hard by primary educa- tion, will it stand the shock of secondary educa- tion ¥ The writer who puts this question believes that literature to-day runs great risk of being drowned in a rising flood of newspapers, maga- zines, and ephemeral novels. People read too much: injuring their originality by learning almost entirely by the eye, and little by the ear. Newspapers—that is to say, the country Press, for the London Press is too formidable to be criticised —are pure enough, the greater part of their space being absorbed in accounts of teas in dissenting  ## p. 326 (#386) ############################################ 326 THE AUTHOR. chapels. But, as a whole, the writer countenances the view which hits off our newspaper-reading thus: "A clever German writer, describing an English Sunday, says that as you pass in the quiet street in the evening, in house after house you se i the family seated round a table in silence, while the father in the light of the lamp reads aloud. No picture so charming. What is he reading—the Bible? Oh, no; the details of the last murder!" Magazines, again, which have increased enormously in the last thirty years or so, have the effect of giving many people a smat- tering of subjects about which they had better know nothing. But it is the general tone of the novels of our day that the writer deplores most of all. There is no motive with the heroes in these works nowadays except a selfish one. Soul is lacking. In the " Master of liallantrac," in "David Balfour." or in " Catriona," yon just hear the distant stir of the Jacobite risings, but the only Bide yon seem to see is the seamy one. And in such excellent books as "Treasure Island," " King Solomon's Mines," and the " Wreckers," what man can do the heroes dare for love, gain, emulation, or sheer longing for enterprise, bnt as for a cause in the old sense, Dugald Dalgetty himself was an unselfish knight compared with our modern types. I read Buch writers as Stevenson with admi- ration, bnt with a feeliDg of something wanting. Good English, fine writing, splendid form, bnt oh! for some soul! It is with a certain school of French writers that the fundamental responsibility for the remark- able moral degradation in English novels is placed—the school in whose world no woman ever loves her husband, and every wife is the possession of at least two men. The writer's point of view on this matter may be seen from the following passage: The action of men and women is often caused or influenced by certain passions, and I see no reason for not mentioning them where necessary, or for sacrificing probability to save a blush to the cheek of the young person. Bnt where Bensual sins are committed in cold blood, and more it would seem as if from mere curiosity, or from a feeling of unrest, than from lust, I feel revolted in a way I never do at a tale of real passion. ... I prefer the coarseness of Smollett and of Fielding to that. Further, in some of the tales the immorality seems brought in from the tendency of a weak generation to dwell on passions they hardly feel, just as the schoolboy delights to talk of the dirt he cannot yet meddle with. The Bible was not originally written in English, but, says this writer in concluding, about the only bright spot in our literary prospect, menaced as we are by an invasion of half-educated barbarians, is that the Englishman is seldom aware of that fact, and so each generation possesses a standard for our language of inestimable value. Professor Bury puts the claim of classical verse-writing in an urgent form. Classical scholarship i3 getting too scientific: threatens to become a branch of mathematics. The decline of classical verse-writing is due also to the fact that the ideal of workmanship has not been uniformly high. "Take up any book of trans- lations, and you find that in most of the versions the writers are content with a few felicitous turn- ings, and that the rest is inferior, commonplace work." Either there is deliberate neglect, or the word is clung to and the spirit forsaken. There is room, says Professor Bury, for a new school of classical verse-translation, aiming at a more con- sistently high standard ; and it may be maintained that by submitting himself to a training in this craft the scholar will best win his way to the aesthetic apprehension of the poets whom he is interpreting to the world. "X. Y. Z." complains that artists who illustrate novels are very careless in the matter of making the details of their pictures agree with the letter- press. He arrays many gross errors of this kind in a new edition of "Tom Brown's Schooldays." The boys' ties, for example, are those of to-day and not of the early thirties; a soda-water syphon appears in one picture, and in another one of the boys who are teasing " Stumps" is shoot- ing with a catapult, while in point of fact neither syphon nor catapult were in use sixty years ago. Again, in a picture illustrating Tom's breakfast at the end of his first ride to Bugby nearly every detail given in the text is ignored. This sort of thing, remarks "X. T. Z.," is not only a discredit to the artist, but militates against the reputation of both author and pub- lisher. The lover of statistics, if his hobby does not stop short at the literary profession, will doubtless welcome the "interesting confessions of popular writers " in regard to their rate of output, which are given in Pearson s. It appears that Mr. W. L. Alden and Mr. Frankfort Moore each write 4000 words a day; "John Strange Winter" and Mr. Robert Barr from 3000 to 4000; Dr. Conan Doyle from 1500 to 2000; Mr. Max Pemberton and Mr W. LeQueux 1500; Sir Walter Besant 1000; "John Oliver Hobbes" 150. Mr. Hall Caine is content with 6000 words in three or four days; Mr. Crockett writes any number between 800 and 5000; and Mr. H. G. Wells wrote two of his books at the rate of 7000 words a day, but has since given up the practice. Mr. Rider Haggard finds it impossible to give an average, and Mr. Cutcliffe Hine also remarks that his output varies prodigiously. As will be readily imagined, the bent of these "confessions," one and all, is that, although a fairly accurate average may be struck, it is wholly irrelevant to consider writ- ing as a matter of a regulation number of words per day.  ## p. 327 (#387) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 327 In going over the story of Scott's ruin, Mr. Leslie Stephen, who will write on tin; s-ubjeet in the "Dictionary of National Biography," has been led to think that in his recent biography of Lockhart Mr. Lang has been a little too lenient in regard to Lockhavt's explanation of the causes of Scott's financial difficulties. After the publish- ing part of the Ballanty lies' business had been concluded, the printing only remained. Scott made an arrangement in 1822 that he would be personally responsible for the bills due at that time by the firm, which meant ,£30,000. How did this debt of Scott's originate? Lockhart said it was the result of the original debt incurred by the publishing concern, and had been taken over by the printing concern and allowed to accumu- late under Ballantyne's ineffectual management. Ballantyne's trustees, on the other hand, said that that had been completely extinguished, and that the accumulation of the debt of £30,000 was due to Scott's expenditure upon Abbotsford. Mr. Leslie Stephen thinks it is almost clearly probable that Scott, in want of money for purchases of land, might raise it upon the credit of the printing office —a concern which for six years was practically in his own hands. Again, it is hard to imagine how the debt could have been incurred without Scott's know- ledge of it, because he had accepted responsi- bility for it, and he was a keen business man who would not in such matters accept responsibility unduly. Mr. Stephen thinks that the explanation rests upon Scott's belief in the financial stability of Constable. The latter was constantly pressing for more work from Scott's pen, and Scott would naturally think that the publisher was rapidly making a fortune, at the same time as Scott was apparently making his own. He re- garded the Ballantyne unpaid liabilities, therefore, as mere reminiscences of botheration, which would wind up all right in time; and, heedless of them, he went on perfecting his establishment at Abbotsford, and keeping up a social and benevo- lent style of living. Then the crash to Constable came, and Scott v as undeceived. But his subse- quent brilliant achievement of honour, observes Mr. Stephen in conclusion, makes investigation of these matters at this distance of time almost indecent. In the very brief article on the novelist of the Creoles, Mr. George Cable is described as a land- owner, a devout Christian, and from the first an earnest philanthropist, deeply interested in the welfare of his kind. Amongst his recent under- takings has been the encouragement of homeculture clubs. He is not immensely popular with the Creoles, and it is hinted that from their point of view he speaks too plainly of their faults. There is every hope that he will visit England in the autumn, and give readings from his works, as he has done for long in the States. CORRESPONDENCE. I.—Subjunctive Mood: Its Present Day Use. 1. YOU will, I am sure, be pleased to print the following "notes," which have been sent me by a distinguished University corre- spondent, who desires to remain anonymous.— Yours, &c, F. Howard Collins. Notes. The student must not forget that the English language has, for the last eight centuries, been gradually dropping inflections; that it preserves those only that are indispensable; and that the genius of the English people is an avoidance of all self-conscious rules of grammar. It is for this latter reason that the use of the subjunctive mood has been dying out. Another consideration: The student must dis- tinguish between the past and the present use of the subjunctive, and also between the construing (or parsing) of it in Shakspeare, Milton, Jane Austen, &c, and the necessity of employing it at the present day. Jane Austen uses it with till, when, except, &c. I remember an odd instance. Mr. Collins, the proteg6 of Lady Elizabeth de Bourgh, is ready to " perform" weddings, funerals, &c, " whenever it were required." Wordsworth 'is almost as much given to its use: "Creative art, whether the instrument of words she use or pencil." "And, if she trust the stars above, they can be treacherous too." And Tennyson also: "Till Ellen Adair cotne back to me," "Till over thy dark dioulder glow thy silver sister world." In all of the above cases, the indicative might be used, and no loss of meaning or of force result. But in such instances as: "If it tcere done, when 'tis done, it were well it were done quickly," "If I were you I should refuse," or "If these things were true, society could not hold together," only the subjunctive can be used. Again, Tennyson has "See that there be no traitors in your camp." Scott has " Look thou tell me true." From these and other examples I should deduce the rule: When the verb expresses a supposition that is the opposite of fact, the past subjunctive must be used. If it expresses a supposition that may or may not be the fact, then  ## p. 328 (#388) ############################################ 328 THE AUTHOR. the present subjunctive had better be used, though the indicative is not wrong. "If he is in the garden, I will fetch him " is just as good as "If he be." "If thou spare to fling Exealibur, I will arise and slay thee "—so says Tennyson with his fine literary feeling for mood; but no one would now find fault with him if he had said, " If thou spar'st." ii. A collation of the various letters oil the sub- junctive in The Author for April I shows at once the rarity of the occasions where it is necessary, and the difficulty of laying down a positive rule for its use. Mr. Howard Swan's first sentence is an instance that the subjunctive is—if not abso- lutely necessary—at least highly appropriate in a case which involves neither contingency nor futurity. Is it not, to a very great degree, a matter of—so to speak—literary demeanour? When one is hurried, or colloquial, one says : " If I am rightly informed" (Spectator), "If men are neither the one nor the other" (Coleridge), where an ellipse may be understood of "If (it be the case that), &c." But in poetry and in bigh full-dress work iu general, we ought to say—and as a rule do say — " Were it true" or "Should it prove so." The abuse of the subjunctive—which is a different affair—by lady novelists and others is seen in the clause quoted in my letter: "He stipulated that I pay him interest." In paragraph 6 of that letter a phrase is printed as used by Mark Twain, which should come in that which follows: "nothing shall swerve me " is the expression intended. ______ H. G. Keene. II.—Episcopal Style. It is announced in the Gazette that the Arch- bishop of Canterbury is instructed to prepare a Form of Prayer to be used in churches on the occasion of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee; let us hope that the Form to which we shall be expected to say "Amen" will not sin so grievously against the laws of grammar, rhythm, and good sense- as is usually the case with episcopal com- positions. For some months past we in the Diocese of Winchester have suffered from the following collect interpolated in every service:—" In the present time of anxiety (i), O most merciful Lord, from Whom all good counsels and all just works do proceed (2), we pray Thee to provide (3) justice and mercy for the suffering people who are called by Thy Name (4), and to guide in wisdom the councils of the nations (5)." Notes.—1. Why not at all times? 2. An excerpt from the evening collect for peace. 3. "To provide " makes one think of something to eat. 4. What people are called by the Name of God? Presumably the Armenians are meant; but they are called Christians, and the prayer is not addressed to Christ, since it concludes "Through" His Name. 5. Which nations? Swedes and Portuguese? All nations? The ancient collects, which are models of dignified diction, begin usually with an appeal to that particular attribute of the Almighty which we specially desire to invoke, or with a brief specification of our present need; then we ask for some definite gift, and then we name the result which we hope will ensue. Nineteenth century bishops can hardly expect to equal the old examples, but they might call in the assist- ance of literary experts, and so avoid putting forth the jejune and inaccura'e compositions which make the very name of a Form of Prayer less likely to excite devotion than derision. F. Baypord Harrison. III.—Corruptions of the Language. May I be allowed a word of protest against the vulgarism '■ Did you have,'' which is becoming more and more familar to our suffering ears every day ?" To have " is an auxiliary verb, and surely does not require any assistance from "To do," yet most modern speakers and many modern writers seem to be unaware of this grammatical fact. This unhappy combination of two irrecon- cilable verbs is lugged through many tenses; and it reaches its worst phase in " You had it, didn't you," which needs only being transformed into "Didn't you had it," to reveal its hair-raising qualities. It The Author could brand this "Kitchen-English " as it deserves, all true lovers of our sonorous tongue would be thankful. April 13. Vera Campbell. IV.—Stories Wanted. In reference to an article in the April number of The Author bearing the above title, I should be very much obliged if "M." could say where the " most handy" little typewriting machine at Ml 3*. can be obtained, and whether it can be worked by an amateur. D. V. April 20. ___ V.—The Casual Contributor. Your editorial note in the March number of The Author, to the effect that editors are increasingly  ## p. 329 (#389) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 329 in the habit of doing without the casual contri- butor, is suggestive. My theory still is that literary men of reputation, who now have an assured market, had to qualify originally as casual contributors. Some of them now, trading on their signatures, occasionally foist indifferent work upon the public. It is the competition of the person without a signature mainly, who admit- tedly has sometimes the capacity for writing, which prevents them from doing worse and more. Eliminate him, and you have a number of literary "rings," where real merit, dead merit, and no merit at all, would practice together. Why, 'tis a conspiracy of the body's members against the belly! Balbtjs. VI.—The House Where Byhon was Born. Since I last wrote on this subject in the columns of The Author, some unlooked-for developments have taken place. Notably, it has been stated that No. 24, Holies-street was not, after all, the birthplace of Byron, the distinction being claimed for No. 6, which is immediately opposite. If this assertion can be substantiated, it must be of great value, as that would be the original house, whereas No. 24 has been twice razed within the past fifty years. It is a pity the actual spot cannot be indicated beyond dispute. As an alter- native, and with a view to some more artistic record than any mural tablet can afford, it has been suggested that a statue should be erected in the adjacent Cavendish-square. Admirers of the illustrious poet would surely welcome such a step. The chief difficulty to be encountered is that a statue already exists in the metropolis. But it is by no means well placed in its greenery behind Apsley House. I venture to propose that these figures—Lord Byron's faithful hound is also depicted—might he removed to the more appropriate locality indicated. Cecil Clarke. Authors' Club, S.W. April 15. VII.—A Biography op Joseph Strutt. Will you allow me to state through your columns that I am engaged upon a "Life of Joseph Strutt" (1749-1820), author of "Sports and Pastimes " and other well-known antiquarian works, and to ask whether any of your readers possess, or know of the existence of, any of Strutt's letters, or any documents connected with him, and, if so, whether they would allow me to borrow same for purposes of my work? Any letters or documents sent here would be very acceptable, and would be returned as soon as they have been copied. Pryors, Broomfield, Miller Christy. Near Chelmsford. VIII.—The Length of the Short Story. 1. There seems to be a growing tendency, not only in the " popular journals " mentioned by the author of " Stories Wanted," but in the monthly magazines, to limit the length of the short story to 4000, or at most, 5000 words. I would suggest that this tendency, should it become a system—no admittance for more than 5000 words—would seriously injure the art of short story writing, both by preventing many good short stories from being written, and by encouraging superficial and machine-made fiction. I heartily agree with the author of "Stories Wanted" that "it is the hardest thing possible to write a genuine short story in less than 5000 words," though I differ from him in doubting if the beginner will do well to begin at "the hardest thing possible." Con- sider the immense difficulty of compressing into such narrow limits a story the interest of which depends principally on character drawing, or a short story of incident, the characters of which would be something more than mere names. Rudyard Kipling has done both; but where the short story is concerned, what is there that he cannot do P Nevertheless, with the ex- ception of "Beyond the Pale," few of the short stories in which his genius has reached its high-water mark fall within the 5000 words limit. I reckon that "The Man who would be King" runs to at least 13,000 words, "The Drums of the Fore and Aft" to 12,000, "Without Benefit of Clergy" to 8000, "The Courting of Dinah Shadd" to 7500. Two of the best short stories of Richard Harding Davis — "Gallegher" and "Her First Appearance" —run to about 9000 and 11,000 words respec- tively. All these are strictly short stories, not condensed novels. Concentration is a great art, but it may be too dearly bought. Arbitrary compression would be even more injurious to the English short story than the arbitrary extension, consequent on the three-volume system, was to the English novel. Sidney Pickering. 11. I quite agree with the writer of the above letter that to draw a hard and fast rule as to the length of a short story would be fatal. All that is wanted as to length in the  ## p. 330 (#390) ############################################ 33° THE AUTHOR. short story is that tho writer shall not " sprawl." He must be clear in motif and in language; his dialogue must be kept down; he must be dra- matic ; but, as to tying the writer down to length, I think we must protest, if necessary, and con- tinue to protest. It used to be objected against the three-volume novel by the smart young gentle- man who kuew nothing about it, and wanted an illustration, however well known, that the length was Procrustean. The length of the three-volume novel! Why, it varied from 80,000 words to 300,000 words. Just so the short story. I do not know where the short story becomes a long story; certainly there are, as our correspondent rightly says, short stories of 10,000 or 11,000 words which are still short stories. W. B. IX.—Wanted, a Strike. Judging from the Editor's note to my letter of January anent payment by publishers of maga- zines, &c, I fear I must have ill-expressed myself. My contention is, that if everyone determined to write for ready money only, magazine articles would be paid for when accepted. The stores and many tradesmen demand payment on delivery for their goods; why should not writers do the same? Naturally all must join the strike; but if editors are boycotted by the heads of the profession, they must soon give way, and we should not have to give three, four, or five years' credit. Payment upon acceptance should be the rule; but, of course, a fixed pay day per month might be conceded, for obviously wo could not expect cheques to bo sent the moment the MS. is passed. As at present, even pav days vary—end of month, beginning of following month, quarter, and so on. How in the world is one to know until one has written for the particular magazine? X.—An American Publisher's Account. The following account has bei n sent to an English author from an American publishing firm. The author was to receive a fixed percent- age on every copy sold, and nothing was stated in the agreement that copies sold below cost price (whatever this may mean in the American pub- lisher's mind) should have no loyalty paid on them. It is impossible for the author to cheek this account without expending a considerable sum of money, and this would not be worth while. The total liumln?)- of books sold below cost price and given away appears 10 be 228, in addition to 313 given to editors. This makes a total of 541 on which no royalty has been paid. This seems to be an extraordinarily large number. (" ") Cloth edition, price 1 dollar. Published March 20, 1895. Received from binder, 984 copies. Stock, Dec. 31, 1896 307 Sent to editors 160 Sold below cost (no royalty) 12 Sales bearing royalty 505 dols. cents. 505 copies at 10 cents... 50 50 Paper edition, published price 50 cents. Published fall of 1895; royalty 5 per cent. Received from binder, 1504 copies. Stock, Dec. 31, 1896 362 Sent to editors 153 Sold below cost and given away ... 216 Sales bearing royalty 773 dols. cents. 773 copies at 2A cents... 19 33 50 50 Accrued royalty 69 83 XI.—A Begister op Titles. Another example of the trouble caused by having no Register of Titles. Some verses by me, eutitled " Love's Awakening," were published in the July number of the Pall Mall Magazine. In Home Chat of the current week a lady has also used this title for a poem. Now, by special arrangement with the editor of the Pall Mall Magazine, I have the right to use my verses for a song, if I desire to do so. Should this lady publish her verses as a song, my agree- ment is prejudiced, and I have no redress—a new title for musical purposes being excessively hard to find. It is possible that someone may have used this title previously to myself. In that case I can only say that the grtater the number of inadvertent users of a title, the greater the nuisance, and the stronger the argument in favour of registration. Arthur Pilkington Shaw. 17, Sussex-gardens, Hyde Park, W., March 31, 1897. XII.—A Self-Examination Paper for Candid Critics. 1. Have you ever read " Robinson Crusoe" all through! Upon what degree of acquaintance do you base your frequent and affectionate remarks about it? 2. Quote any other passage from Burns but "Wad ye tak' a thocht an' men" and "Could  ## p. 331 (#391) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 331 some power the giftie gie us." Explain the phrase that puzzled Mr. Micawber. Can you honestly say you have any admiration at all for "Tarn o' Shanter "? 3. Do you ever take up the "Vicar of Wake- field" for your own amusement? If not, why not? State on oath if you have ever secretly considered it an over-rated volume. 4. («) Mention by name three characters in any one of Miss Austen's novels. (b) Have you any right to draw comparisons between the modern female novelist and Miss Austen? [Note.—Either (a) or (6) must be taken. If unable to answer the first, the candidate is required to attempt the second.] 5. If requested to give a personal introduction to Mataulay's New Zealander, in which essay would you look for him? And how would you expect to find him occupied? 6. Detect and explain the allusions in a Daily News article. [Half marks obtained on question 6 should be considered a pass in honours.] M. C. V. XIII.—Stories not Wanted. The article by "M." in your last number must prove invaluable to literary tyros 011 account of its invaluable hints and suggestions. However, I must join issues with " M." as to the pecuniary remuneration of accented stories, and the chances of any solid income accruing from them. He coolly mentions ".£400 a year, twenty tales, only four months' work to the slowest." Is this to be taken as a jest or au serieux? I maintain that, with the exception of well- known writer.', who can command their own prices, not even a practised story-writer can hope to realise half, nay even a quarter, of this income; and I challenge the readers of The Author for proofs to contradict my assertion. The literary market is absolutely glutted with short stories in MSS.; there are literary agents who are readv to supply editors with them at so much a lot; and thousands of stories whicli are offered are returned without being read. In my experience the prices for short stories average from ias. to 20*. a thousand words. Magazines pay much higher rates, but un- known writers have to wait one or two years before an accepted story is published and paid for. The fact of an author having had several stori- s accepted in any periodical is no guarantee for the continuance of his work. Let me give a personal instauce of this. I had three stories accepted by the editor of a well-known paper; my fourth one, over which I took the same pains and trouble, was returned with these words: "The editor of the regrets his inability to use 's interesting story, , and herewith returns the same." Au editor of a weekly informed me lately that the stories he uses are contributed by well-known writers, to whom he pays 10s. a thou- sacd words, and that all other MSS. are returned without being read. If the editor of The Author will pardon me for being personal, I must add that, although I have had scores of stories publ:shed in some of our best periodicals, I am not more advanced than the merest tyro longing to see himself in print, as regards being able to secure a small regular income out of my work. I am sure I am most singular or unlucky in this respect. Unless we are particu- larly fortunate, or a heaven-born genius, the pur- suit of literature for a living to me seems an illusion. . i; Lunette. XIV. — Who Should be Publishers' Headers? Considerable dissatisfaction exists in the minds of many persons that authors should be nearly always chosen as publishers' readers. It may be suggested that authors are often cold and prejudiced in their opinion of the works of others, and, moreover, it is clear that rivals can never be looked upon as invari- ably unbiassed judges. They may also favour their personal friends, or reject the works of those whom they dislike, or whose art, taste, and views are opposed to their own ethics ar.d literary standar J. But again, on the other hand, is not a reader's office strictly a commercial one, in which neither sentiment nor prejudice have a voice? He has to decide if certain MSS. have any commercial value. Ouce suspected of private malice or per- sonal jealousy he would be instantly dismissed. Being hard business men, publishers wish to turn their books lo the best account. In all financial matters publishers cannot afford to depend on the jealousies or the caprices of authors whom they invite to rea 1 for them, and who are their trusted literary advisers; they simply seek to make money—it is their sole aim. Then, again, how are publishers to find com- petent readers who ure not themselves literary people? Among one's own circle of friends, do we know any who, not being gensde lettres, would be qualified to decide on t he stories most likely to hit the popular taste? Even academically-trained persons devoted to literature, high-class critics and professors, might be too erudite, scholarly,  ## p. 332 (#392) ############################################ 332 THE AUTHOR. and philosophical to be quite in touch with the best and most attractive points of current light fiction. Annabel Gr.vy. BOOK TALK. MESSES. BLISS, SANDS, and CO. will produce during May a novel entitled "Mallerton," by A. B. Louis. Two volumes of " Johnsonian Miscellanies " by Dr. G. Birkbeck Hill, will be published shortly by the Clarendon Press. They will be uniform with the Boswell issued by the same editor and publishers. Mr. Lang is engaged upon a work on " Modern Mythology," which will be a reply to the ideas advanced by Professor Max Miiller. Mr. Meredith has made arrangements for the publication of a selection of his poems. The volume will be issued shortly by Messrs. Con- stable. Mr. W. E. Norris's novel "Marietta's Mar- riage," will be published by Mr. Heinemann in midsummer. Mr. Clement Shorter is writing a popular review of the books of the present reign, to be called " Sixty Tears of Victorian Literature." Mr. James Bowden is the publisher, and the price has been named at 2.?. The book will be out before the great celebrations next month. Mr. P. G. Stephens is writing a memoir of Mr. Coventry Patmore. Mr. Francis Thompson's volume of "New Poems," shortly to appear, is dedicated to the memory of the late Mr. Coventry Patmore, in the following lines :— Lo, my book thinks to look Time's leaguer down Under the banner of your spread renown -, Or, if these levies of impnissant rhyme Fall to the overthrow of assaulting Time, Yet this one page shall fend oblivious shame, Armed with your crested and prevailing name. The catalogue of the New Gallery this year will contain a poem by Mr. Rudyard Kipiing, written to Mr. Phil Burne-Jones's "picture "The Vampire." The Queen has been pleased to allow the publication of a memorial of the Royal mausoleums at Frogmore, and permission has l>een granted to Mr. J. S. Murray Fisher to complete and publish the work. The title will be "The Monu- ments and Statuary in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, the Royal Mausoleums, Frogmore, the Albert Chapel, Windsor, and the Battenberg Memorial Chapel, Whippingham." There will be between seventy and eighty full-page re- productions in photogravure, and a number of other full-page illustrations in colours. The work will be issued by the Albion Publishing Company in a limited edition dc Ituce, in two volumes. Mr. George W. Bird has written a work of a comprehensive character on Burma—its history, administration, geography, climate, and other heads, entitled '• Wanderings in Burma." The book will be brought out by Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. The author is connected with the Education Department of Burma. A Dew edition of Mr. Austin Dobson's "A Handbook to English Literature," but revised and extended to the present time by Professor W. Hall Griffin, will be published shortly by Messrs. Crosby Lockwood and Son. "Pot-pourri from a Surrey Garden" is the title of a volume by Mrs. 0. W. Earle, which Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co. are about to publish. It consists mainly of notes on garden- ing, but refers also to household management and education. Lady Constance Lytton has con- tributed an appendix. Miss Edith H. Fowler has written a story entitled "The Professor's Children," which Messrs. Longmans will publish. The first number is announced for May of a new magazine devoted to Genealogy and kindred subjects, to be published by Mr. E. Stock, entitled " The Genealogical Magaz ne: a Journal of Family History, Heraldry, and Pedigrees." Among the articles in the inaugural issue is "A New Pedigree of Shakespeare," carried farther back than any hitherto published. The Bronti? Mus um at Haworth was re-opened on the 10th ult. by Mr. Clement K. Shorter, who, in the course of his address, expressed a wish that some one, preferably a Yorkshire man, would write a really artistic biography of the Brontes. The membership of the Bronte Society is now 260. Sir William Martin Conway's book, "The First Crossing of Spitsbergen," ("s," not "z," is the correct spelling, says the author) will be published early this month by Messrs. Dent. Dr. Gregory, Mr. Trevor-Battye, and Mr. Garwood, who accom- panied Sir Martin Conway on the Spitsbergen Expedition, will all contribute to the record of its results. Mr. H. E. Conway, a cousin of the author, and the artist (f the party, will supply the illustrations, eight of whicU wi 1 be coloured plates.  ## p. 333 (#393) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 333 Mr. Miller Christy, Pryors, Bromfield, near Chelmsford, is writing a biography of Joseph Strutt, author of "Sports and Pastimes," and other antiquarian works. He asks any who may possess letters or documents relating to Strutt to be good enough to lend them to him in order that he may take copies for the purpose of his work. A series of popular volumes on historic towns of the medieval period has been projected by Messrs. Dent. The first to appear will be "Perugia," by Miss Symonds (daughter of the late John Addington Symonds), and Miss Duff Gordon. Mrs. Oliphant will contribute the volume on "Siena," and has gone thither to get material for the work. Each book in the series will contain illustrations by an artist living in the locality treated of. Mr. R. H. Sherard has just finished a new novel called " Uncle Christopher's Treasure," on which he has been working for some time past, and is now engaged upon a story dealing with literary life in Loudon and Paris, to which the provisional title of " Lord Zennor's Experiment" has been given. A new romance by John Bloundelle-Burton will shortly be commenced in the columns of the People. The scene is laid in the Palatinate during its second devastation—under Turenne— the principal portion of the action taking place in the heart of the Vosges. Mr. Bloundelle-Burton's other serial romance," Across the Salt Seas," now running in the Navy and Army Illustrated, will not be concluded until lati in the year, when it will be published simultaneously by Methuen and Co., of London, and Stone and Co., of Chicago, in volume form. "Shildrickthe Drummer; or, Loyal and True," by Julia Agnes Fraser, is now being issued by Mr. Macqueen, in three volumes. The book is a romance of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and has received some very favourable reviews. Mr. A. Stauff, of Berlin, is translating Mr. R. H. Sherard's novel " Jacob Niemand" into German, and Mr. Hughes Rebell, of Paris, the writer of the appreciative notice of the author in La Revue de Paris is translating it into French. The rights of serialisation of this story were bought some time after its publication in book form by the Northern Newspaper Syndicate. Mrs. Alec Tweedie's new book, "Through Finland in Carts," will be published by A. and C. Black early in May. It is on much the same lines as a "Winter Jaunt to Norway" by the same writer, but in this case describes a land quite unfamiliar to the British tourist, where adventure is still possible and railway trains are a. novelty. The illustrations represent scenesas far east as Russia, and as far north as the borders of Lapland, some of which are from the author's own brush. Miss Clementina Black proposes to give a course of six lectures at the National Portrait Gallery by permission of the directors. The lectures will be given on Thursdays, to begin on May 6. Tickets for the course, price 30*., may be obtained of Miss Black, 19, South End, Croydon. Antiquaries will be interested to hear of a book on the "Dolmens in Ireland,'' which Messrs. Chapman and Hall are about to publish. The writer is Mr. Copeland Borlase, a son of the Cornwall antiquary, and the book will be large and illustrated. Sir George DougLis is writing a volume on "The Blackwood Group " for Messrs. Oliphant's "Famous Scots" series. Mrs. Bishop has almost completed an account of her recent journeyings in the Far East. The volume, to be published by Mr. Murray, will be entitled " Korea and Her Neighbours." A novel, entitled "Jabez Nutyard -Workman and Dreamer," by Mrs. Edmonds, will be pub- lished during the season by Messrs. Jarrold and Sons. Miss Elizabeth Hodges has contributed a paper for the May number of T/ie Ludyate on " Castle Coch and its Vineyards." By permission of the Marquis of Bute, Miss Hodges has been enabled to see the whole process of making the wine. The paper will be illustrate d by drawings and photo- graphs made for Miss Hodges. The Gentleman s Magazine for May will also contain an article on St. Mary Redcliife, Bristol, bringing out several points not generally known in connection with Chatterton. A third edition of Brigadier-General Hart's "Sanitation and Health" (Clowes) has just appeared. A second edition of his " Reflections on the Art of War" will be produced in about two months. Messrs. Macmillan are adding Mr. James Baker's "The Gleaming Dawn" to their Colonial Library. A new work by Mr. Frank R. Stockton, entitled "A Storyteller's Pack," will be published immediately by Messrs. Cassell and Co. Professor Hugh Bell of St. David's College, Lampeter, will write a volume on "The Age of Tennyson " for Messrs. Bell's series of handbook* to English literature.  ## p. 334 (#394) ############################################ 334 THE AUTHOR. Mr. E. W. Hornung's new work, " My Lord Duke," will be published soon by Messrs. Cassell. Mr. Cedric Chivers has been explaining to an Academy writer the raison d'etre of his literary sample-room at io, Bloomsbury-street, London. It was started in the interests of public libraries as a central source of information for librarians. The publishers, however, who were readily induced to hire shelf-room to exhibit their newest books, insisted on the public being made free of the exhibition, and Mr. Chivers is now entirely in agreement with them on this point. Books are not sold at the Bureau, but people may come !o look at them in perfect freedom, and without incurring the smallest obligation. The bureau is no essential part of Mr. Chivers's business, and it would hurt him in no way to give it up to-morrow. He takes special interest in the theory, however, and wants No. io, Bloomsbury-street to become more and more a house of call for the book- lover. Mr. W. G. Tarbet, a young Scotch writer, has written a story of the Covenanting period, called "Ill-gotten Gold," which Messrs. Cassell are about to issue. Mrs. Deland bas finished a group of five short stories, which will be published under the title "The Wisdom of Fools." Mr. Julien Corbett has nearly finished his Life of Drake, upon which he has been engaged for the last six years. He bas unearthed many new docu- ments in English, Italian, and Spanish, includii.g an important and hitherto unnoticed account of the Armada, compiled by a Florentine writer (Ubaldino), from information supplied by Drake himself. The fourth and last volume of the Life of Pusey will be published in the autumn. Mrs. Edith E. Cuthell, who a few years back, under the pseudonym of " An Idle Exile," pub- lished "In Tent and Bungalow" and "By a Himalayan Lake," has another volume of Indian and soldiering stories ready, to be called "In Camp and Cantonment," and to be published shortly by Messrs. Hurst and Blackett. The " Gleaming Dawn," by Mr. James Baker, has gone into a second edition. It is, as manv readers have learned, an historical novel, especially commended for accuracy in its history; a merit not always found in novels of that kind. A BELGIAN LITERARY COMPETITION. THE Belgian Minister asks us to publish the following notice: "By Royal decree of Dec. 14, 1874, his Majesty the King of the Belgians instituted a prize of 25,ooof. for the encouragement of intellectual studies. The prize of this international competi- tion for the year 1901 will be awarded to the writer submitting the best essay upon the military history of the Belgians from the Koman invasion to our own days. The author must briefly describe the wars of which Belgium was the theatre, and indicate the influence of these wars on the destinies of the country. He must relate the military exploits accomplished out of the country by Belgian troops on foreign service, and describe the methods of recruitiug, the organisa- tion, the rights and duties of the communal militia, as well as the state of the armament and fortifications at various periods. The work must then be completed by a study on the development of the army and the defensive system of Belgium since 1830. "Both manuscripts and printed books may be sent in. A new edition of a printed book can only take part in the competition if it contains alterations and considerable additions made during the period of the competition, viz., in one of the years 1897, 1898, 1899, or 1900. The works may be written in any of the following languages: French, English, German, Italian, or Spanish. "Foreigners who wish to take part in this com- petition should send their works, printed or in manuscript, before Jan. 1, 1901, to the Minister of the Interior and Public Instruction at Brussels. The manuscript obtaining the prize will be pub- lished in the course of the year following the one in which the prize is awarded. The essays will be judged by a jury appointed by the Kiug of the Belgians, and composed of seven members, three Belgians and four of other nationalities."—The Times, April 7. OBITUARY. PROFESSOR THOMAS DICKSON died suddenly at Athens on March 27th, after a forty years' residence there. During that time he held the English chair in the Uni- versity for a long period, besides being the instructor in English of the whole of the Royal Family in succession, by whom he was loved as much as he was respected. An urbane man of exceeding gentleness and calmness, a Liberal and  ## p. 335 (#395) ############################################ THE AUTHOR. 335 a Philhellene, he was always a great favourite with the Greeks. For the last few years he had been Vice-Consul in addition to his other work. His donations to literature are comprised in a most useful handbook of Modern Greek, the first that appeared in this country. He translated several works into Greek, the chief of which was the popular volume of "Roughing it in Crete" by Hilary Skinner, the correspondent of the Daily News who accompanied a Greek vessel running the blockade during the Cretan rising of 1866. This book can still be read with advantage by all who wish to realize what Cretan insurrections have been in the past, and how identical they all are. Mr. Dickson, who was of Scotch parentage, was born in Corfu, and graduated in America. He was seventy years old at the time of his decease. Mr. G. W. Godfrey, who died in London on the 10th ult., began to writ*1 for the stage nearly a quarter of a century ago, and gained a place among playwrights for the power of mordant satire upon society which his work contained. "Queen Mab" (in which Mr. and Mrs. Kendal appeared at the Haymarket), "Vanity Fair," "The Parvenu," "My Milliner's Bill," and (adapted from the French) " Queen's Shilling " were among the plays written by Mr. Godfrey, who, until three years ago, was a clerk in the Admiralty. Kev. Dr. Sparrow Simpson, librarian of St. Paul's, died on March 28. He was an enthusiastic antiquary, and wrote "Gleanings from Old St. Paul's," and a number of other works on the history of St. Paul's and St. Vedast's. Herr Johannes Brahms, the illustrious com- poser, died at Vienna on the 3rd ult. At home, the musical interest lost Dr. George Mursell Garrett, organist at Cambridge University, and composer of the oratorio "The Shunamite," who died on the 9th ult., aged 63; and Mr. Henry Erskine Allon, a young musician who had composed over thirty pieces, including six cantatas, chief among which were "Annie of Lochroyan" and "The Oak of Geismar." Mrs. Julia Davies, probably the last survivor of the intimate friends of Charles Lamb, died at Clif- ton last month at the great age of 94. Her father was Joseph Hume, of Montpellier House, Notting Hill, where Limb, Godwin, and Hazlitt were constant guests. THE BOOKS OF THE MONTH. [March 24 to April 23—218 Books.] Abbott, E.t and Campbell, L. The L:fe and LettcrB of B-rijimin Jowett. 32/- Murray. Akeiman. P. B., and Hurst, N. Trlscomte Stone. 6/- BIibs. Alden, W. L. His Daughter. 2 - Beeman. Alexander, Rupert. Ballyronan. 6/- Digby. Allbu't, T. C. (editor). A System of Medirino-II. 25/-net. Macmillan. Anderacn-Muishead, A. E. M. The History of the Universities Mission to Central Africa. 1S59-189G. U.M.C.A. Anonymous. The House of Dreams. 8/6. Bowden. Anonymom. The Love of an Obsolete Wjman. 2 'i. Con fit able. Asblmrner, W. A Concite Treatise on Mortgages, Pledges, an^ Liens. 25/- Clowes Baden-Powell B. S. S. The M&t.lnld Campaign 1896. 15/- Methuen. Bah am F. P. S Marks Indeb''die^ lo S Matthew. 3/6. Unwin. Bailey, L. H. The Voicing Book. Macmillan. Bannow, W. The Colony of Victoria. 2,6. Simpkin. BatBon, Mrs. S. The Earth Children. x> Hutchinson. Bax, E. Belfort. Outspoken Essays on Social Subjects. 2 6. Beeves, Beerbohm, Max. The Happy Hypocrite. 1;- net. Lane. Bell, G. C. Religious Teiching in Secondary School*. 3 fi. Macmillan. Benedictines of Stinbrook. Gregorian Music. 7/- net. Art and Book Compiny. Benson, E. W. Cyprian: HiB Life, His Times, His Work. 21 - net. Macmillan. Blckerdyke, J. Daughters of Thespts. 6/- 8impkin. Binyon. L. John Crome and John Sill Cotman. 3,6 n?t. Sieley. Black, John. Nanaen and the Frozen North. 1/- Routledge. Bodkin. M. Mc D. White Magic. 6/- Chapman. Borne, Kaehler, and Davis. Cavalry Studiea from Two (treat wan. W. H. Allen. Booth, Charles. Life and Labour of the People in London—IX. 7 <>. Macmillan. Bouldlng, J. W. Fibles and Fancies. 3/6. Jarrold. Bourne, J. P. Contingent Reversions. 3- Liverpool; Lee and Nightingale. Braddon, M. E. Under Love's Rule 6/- Simpkin. Brete, J. de la. Fate's Fetters <tr. by F. Hoper- Dixon). 6/- Digby. Bryce, A H. The Poems of Horace. 3/6. Bell. Burgess, J. Archieological Survey of Western India. Tbaeker. Burgin, O. B. "Old Man's" Marriage 6/- Richards. Cahan, A. YekL 2 6 net. Heinemann. Cafllard, E. M. On the Use of Science to Christians. 1 fi. Nisbet. Carr. Mrs. Comyns. Cottage Folk, fi/- Heinemann. Christian. Susan. A Pot of Honey. 3/6 Unwin. Clarke. M. StorieB of Australia in the Early Days. 3/6. Hutchinson. Clifford, H. In Court and K am pong. 7/6 net. Richards. Colmore, G. Love for a Key. 2/6 net. Heinemann. Compton, A. J. Malays, Game Fowls, and Bantam* in Australia. 2 6. Simpkin. Cool, W. The Dutch In the East ftr. by E. J. Taylor). Kegan Pau\ Couch, A. T. Q. (editor) English Sonnets. 2/- Chapman. CowleSjJ. L. A General Freight and Passenger Post. 3/6. Putnam. Crole, D. Tea: A Text-Book of Tea-Planting and Manufacture. Crosby Lockwood. Curtis, E. His Double Self. 3/6. Jarrold. Custance. Olive, Opals. 3/6 net. Lane. Daly, E. D. The Struggle between the State and the Drunkard, ttd. Dublin: Eason. Dames, E. L. Behind the Stars. 1/6 Unwin, Darby, W. E. International Tribunals. The Peace Society. Darlcy, George. Nepenthe. (Reprint of exhausted poem.) 2/6 net. Mathews. Davenport, C. B. Experimental Morphology—I Of- Macmillan. Davey, R. The Sultan and His Subjects. 24/- Chapman. Davey, R. Wethcrleigh. 3/6. Roxburghe. Davis, Helen. Angus Murray. 6/- Sonnenschetn. Dawe. Carlton. Captain Cattle, 6 - Smith. Elder. Day, Mrs. N. The Dream or Pilate's Wife. 3/6. Roxburghe. Dean. It., and others. The Dahlia. 1/- Macmillan. Dictionary of National Biography—L. RuBsen-Scobell- Smith, Elder. Dougall, L. A Dozen Wat s of Love. 6/- Black. Douglas, C. The Ethics of John Stuart Mill. 6/ net. Blackwood. Douglas, H. The Silver Cross. 3/6. Bell. Eggleston. E. The Beginners of a Nation. 7'6. Longman". Eldridge, R. T. The h>styns i-f Cather Castle. 6/- Digby. Evans, T. J , and Pulien, W. W. F. A Treatise on Practical, Pianer and Solid Geometry :> - Chapmin. Everitt. N. Ferrets. ;J C, Black. Facsimiles from Early Printed Books in the British Museum. The Museum. Farmer. J. E. Essays on French History. 5/- Putnam. Fennell. C ,an<10'Callaf(han. J. P. A Prince of Tyrone. Blackwood. Ferres A. His CouMn the Wallaby. :?'(.;. Simpkin. Fitzpatriek, J. P. The Outspan 3/6. Heinemann. Flowerdi'n, H. In an Ancient Mirror. 2,6. Unwin. Forbes, A. H. Ij Science Guilty. 2 6. Marshall. Freeman, E. A. Sketch b of Travel in Nurmindy and Maine 8 (J.. Macmillan. Friswell, J. H. The Burden of Life. 3/6. Unwin. FulchiT, F. A. Birds of Our Islands. 3,0. Melrose. Gamble, George. A Farrago of Fo'lv. 3/6. Vnwin. Garran, R. 11. The Coming Commonwealth [Australia}. 7 6. Simpkin.  ## p. 336 (#396) ############################################ 336 THE AUTHOR. Gasquet, F. A. The Old EnglUh Bible, and Other Essajs. 12 - net. Nimnio. Geikie. Sir A. The Ancient Yolcanooi of Great Biitiin. 1(0/-net. Macmilhn. George, A. J. Select Puem> of Robert Burns. 3 6. Isbister. Gerard, Dorothea. Angela's Lorer. 1,- Constable. Gissin?. George. The Whirlpool. Lawrence. Glyn, Hon. C. A Dr<ma in Dregs. 6 - Siinpkin. Goltz, Baron. The Conduct of War (tr. by J. T. Dickman). W. H. Allen. Goulaeff, E. E. (tr.) Mj Lire in Christ: Extracts from the Diary of lliytoh Sergieff. CasselL Gould, N. Horse or Blacksmith'.' 2 fi. RoutWdge. Graham, J. A. On th 1 ThreshoU of Three CIjaed Lands. 1 fi. Clark. Grimshaw, B. E. Broken Away 3 6. Lane. Gunn, D. The Story of Lafau IV?. 1 fi. Siinpkin. Gunter, A. C. Don Rabuc »' f K-? West. 2 fi. RoutlciUe. Gunter, E. Outlines c: Mil.ti.ry Liw and Customs of War. 7(1. Clowes. Haebler, K. The Early P.iu-eri of Spain and Portugal [Biblio- graphical Society Monograph.] lfi - Chiswiek PreBH. Hale*vy, L. Abbe" Constantin (tr. by T. Bated at). 3 6 net. Macqueen. Hammond, Mrs. J. H. A Woman's Part in a Revolution. 2/6. Longmans. Hart, Mrs. Ernest. Picturesque Burma 21 - net. Dent. Hasluck, Paul N. Wood Finishing. ];- Casselt. Hatton. Joseph. The Dagger and the Cross. 6- Hutchinson. Hazlilt, W. C. The Confessions of a Collector. Ward and Downey. Herman, Henry. Lady Turpin. 3,6. Ward, Lock. Hiatt, C. Chester: Cathedral and See. 1.6. Bell. Higgin. L. Cousin Jem. 6 - Hurst Hird, D. Is Immortality a Physical Fact? 1/- C. Wilson. Hocking, Joseph. The Birthright. 3 <;. Bowden. Hocking, Silas K. The Blindness of Madge Tyndall. 2 6 Warne. Hogarth, D. G. Philip and Alexander of Macedon. 14 - Murray. ilolt-Butterllll, H. First Principles of Mechanical and Engineering Drawing. 7/6. Chapman. Hort, F. J. A. The Christian Ecclesia. 6 - Macmillan. Housman, Laurence. Gods and their Makers. 3.6. Lano. Howells, W. D. Tho Landlord ut Lion's Head, fi - Edinburgh: Douglas. Hurdis, the late J. L. Bough Notes and Memoranda relating to the Natural History of the Bermudas. 10/6 net. Porter, Jay, P. Tho Water Bailey. 1 - Newcastle: Mawson, Swan, Jefferson, S. An Ode for Victoria Day. 1- Blackie. Jelf, E. A. Where to Find Your Law. Cox. Jephson, Lady. A Canadian Scrap Book. Marshall,Russell. Jcrrold, W. (ed). Bon-Mots of the Eighteenth Century. 2/6 net. Dent. ••John Halifax, Gentleman " (the author oD. The Half-Castc. 2 - Chambers. Johnson, T. The Swedish System of Physical Education: Its Medical and General Aspects. 3 6 net. Bristol: Wright. Jones, C. A Course of Elementary Experiments for Students of Practical Inorganic Chemistry. 2/6. Low. Kcnyon, Edith O. The Squire of LonBdalo. 3,6. Warne. Kent, C. F. A History of the Hebrew People. 6 - Smith, Elder. Kernahan. Coulson. "Captain Shannon. 8/6. Ward. Lock. Kersley, G. H. Nature Worship, and Other Poems. Bickers. Kirby, Jas. Old Times in the Bush of Australia. 3,6. Simpkin. Lathrop, B. Hawthorne. Memories of Hawthorne. 7/6. Kegan Paul. Lee, A. L. Lord Stratford de lledcliffe. 1,6. Nisbet. Levett-Yeats, S. A Galahad of the Creeks, and Other Stoiies. 6/-, Longmans. Lewis, T. C. A Protest against the Modern Development of Un- musical Tone. Chiswiek Press. Ltddon, H. P. Explanatory Analysis of St. Paul's First Epistle to Timothy. 7 0. Longmans. Lilly, W. S. Essays and Speeches. 12 - Chapman. Lyno, Charles E. Life ol Sir Henry Parkes. 16/- Unwin. M'-Chesney, L. S. A Memory of Santa Barbara, fi,'- Methuen. Macdonald. W. A. Food and Population. 1- Ideal Publishing Union. Mackail, J. W. The Sayings of tho Lord Jesus Christ. 2/6. Longmans. Mackenzie, F. Sprays of Northern Pine. 3, 6. Oliphant. Mackinnon, J. Braefort Sketches. Gardner. Macy, Jesse. The English Constitution. 8 6. Macmillan. Maeterlinck, M. 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Winners and ltunners-up for the Amateur Championship. London : HORACE COX, Windsor House, Bream's-buildings, E.C. Demy Svo., with Map and Illustrations, price 10s. 6d. AN AUSTRALIAN IN CHINA: Being the Narrative of a Quiet Journey Acroa China to British Burma. By a. E. MORRISON M.B.C.M:. Kdin., JrT.R-C3-.S- "Mr. Morrison is an Australian doctor who has achieved probabl the most remarkable journey through tho Flowery Land eve attempted by a Christian ... He was entirely unarmed and unaccompanied, save for the coolies who carried his baggage. Such a journey- three thousand miles in length—could not fail to present many curious customs and as many curious people. Hut it is owing entirely to Dr. Morrison's graphic manner of description, and his acutely keen observation, that his travels are such a reality to the reader. This portly volume is one of the most interesting books of travel of the many published this year. 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Being the Record of a Visit to the Headquarters of the Syrian Church in Mesopotamia, with some account of the Yazidis, or Devil Worshippers of Mosul, and El Jilwah, t leir Sacred Book. By OSWALD H. PARRY, B.A. (Of Magdalen College, Oxford.) Illustrated by the Author. With a Prefatory Note by the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Durham. "The author of this handsome volume pres< nts 1 a detailed study of a relic of history pursued off ihe track of general research;' he has sought to give, and has succeeded in giving, * a picture or quiet life in a country much abused, and among a people that command less than their share of ordinary interest.' 'Westward the tide of Empire takes its way,1 sang a prophetic divine of the olden days, and no less certainly, as Mr. Parry points out, does the ebb of travel return towards tho East. . . . As a volume descriptive of life and travel among a distant people, his work is well worth reading, but for those persons who are more particularly concerned with the old Syria n Church, or in the solution of the problem indicated above, it Is one of quite unique attraction. A pathetic interest attaches to the account of the Yazidis included in this volume for it contains part of their sacred writings, the original manuscript of which was in the band* of Professor Robertson Smith for translation at the time of his death.' —PubtUheri Cirevlar. London: Horace Cox. Windsor House, Bream's-buiWing^ E.C. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Author, Vol. 07 Issue 12 (May 1897) Subject The topic of the resource <em>The Author</em>, Vol. 07 Issue 12 (May 1897) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049239455" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049239455</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Publication Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1897-05-01-The-Author-7-12 publications The Author