LITERARY GOSSIP.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 12 February 1927, Page 13

LITERARY GOSSIP.

Mr E. V. Knox ("Evoo") tolls us in "Punch" of a wonderful book the world lost fqr a very unsatisfactory reason. It was'to bo the ideal volume for a Christmas present. It was to be an illustrated anthology of meala, and was to be called "The Greedy Book." It was to have ono meal chosen from the literary classics for every day in the year. H was to suggest subtly the seasons of fasting and feast, of rev* olry and hunger, of poverty and wealth. The scheme broke down partly because of other difficulties and partly because Mr Knox wished to include in it both Milton's description in "Paradise Lost" of the digestive processes of the angels and Mark Twain a story of cannibalism in a snowbound car. Ho dares not think who would have been worthy to write a preface for it.

Mr Jerome K. Jerome has some interesting things to tell (in his recently published Memoirs) about his co-citizens in the English canton of letters. For example, when he was still a solicitor's clerk, "I remember having to answer an enquiiy as to whether Alfred Harmsworth was likely to prove a desirable tenant for a room in Chancery lane at £3O a year. My instructions were to reply 'guardedly.' " Here also is an amusing note on Bottomlcy: Bottomley had a wonderful tongue. I remember a shareholders' meeting, called together for the sole and express purpose of denouncing him. Half of them were in favour of lynching him. He talked to them for three-quarters of an hour: and now and then there were tears in his eyes. Before he sat down he had launched n new company on them. The majority of them subscribed to it before they left the room.

English as she is broadcast, according to a correspondent of a recent exchange : I have just seen a heading in the paper, "Correct pronunciation to be Broadcast Over the Radio." Oh. don't you hope the announcers will listen in? Regard what I have picked up out of the air lately.: "LoHENgrin,' "OiovaNO," "Leshear." "RubenSTEEN," "PDPoorie," io r potpourri; "Cre-ta-rian," for criterion; "Blue DanOOB." "ConTIGUS," for contiguous: "PEX-alise." "EnSAM," for enserrble; "Ruy Blass," fcr Roy Bias; "SrV-cho-sky," for the composer: "D-REV." for DeJßeve; "TRY-sting," for trystinß. and ' r Wilkes-BAR M (Pa.). But tho kingpin of them all was "the T-e •L'Orangcrie Room," which onr family now call the lingerie rotm for ek*.