LITERATURE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12698, 29 October 1904, Page 4 (Supplement)

LITERATURE AND ART.

Mb. Henry Feowde is about to issue some wonderful reproductions in miniature of Dickens' "Christmas Books," with the original illustrations'.

The third instalment of Sir Walter Resant's magnum opus—"London in the Time of the Tudors"— be published immediately by Adam and Charles Black.

Professor Dicey is bringing out a new work dealing with law and public opinion in England, a subject upon which he can write with authority. This book has gone through numerous editions since its first appearance in 1885, when it at once took rank "as a classic.

The Macniillan Company has secured for publication in America, and will bring out in two volumes with over 200 illustrations, Maurice Hewlett's new book j* called "The Road in Tuscany." ■■, The book will be illustrated by , Joseph Pennell.

,"Few people," says Mr. Methuen, the publisher, "realise how short the average life, of a bock is,, and bow much shorter it is getting. Fifteen years ago you could count on . its existence for two or three years. Now three books out of four are almost as dead as mutton in three months."

It is not of ten that one collaborator in a book survives the other by forty years, This was the case with Dean Hole, whose " Little Tour in Ireland" was so capitally illustrated by John Leech. It was forty years on October 29 since Leech died. Ie Dean Hole wo have now lost one of the most abundant and entertaining of storytellers.

A painting in oil of Sir Walter Scott, by James Saxon, has been added to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. It was done in 1805 for Lady Scott, and shows Sir Walter Scott seated in an armchair. Lockhart thought it represented him most faithfully. The length is three-quarters, the dress black, hair nut-brown, the favourite bull-terrier Camp leaning his head on his master's knee.

Miss Gwendolen Overton's "Captains of the World" will be one of the first and also one of the most important novels which the Macmilkn Company will publish this autumn. The heroine of this story of labour and capital is the daughter of a capitalist who is forced by her father into an engagement with a degenerate foreign prince. The hero is an honest, hard-working labour leader.

Miv Sidney Appleton will publish shortly a book entitled "Stamps Worth Finding: A Guide for the Medium Collector," •by Blanche C. Hardy, foolscap 78vo, 72 pages, with four page's of * illustrations. This little volume is designed with the object of assisting the stamp collector to know what he has got, what he should look out for, and what he should on no account part with. It will enable him to identify stamps, and induce him to search carefully through his own specimens and duplicates for the small differences not usually observed.

One of the moist remarkable developments in the European world of art is the insatiable craze in Germany and Austria for the work of English decorative artists, and the new Lyceum Club for ladies, under the secretaryship of Miss Constance Smedley, has taken advantage of this movement by forming an exhibition of woman's work, which will be held in Berlin in the autumn. It would seem at first blush that- the English decorative artist is something like the prophet who has no honour in his own land, for the fact; remains that there is a far bigger .market for decorative, works in 'Germany than in England. " ,•

A new stoit about Mr. J. M. Barrie is being told. When the leading man in a"' certain theatrical company was obliged, through illness, to give up for a night or two the part he was playing in one of the suceessfHl comedies of the season his understudy was so delighted at his opportunity to distinguish himself,-and so sure that his friends would want to witness his triumph, that he telegraphed! to authors i and managers all,over London,' saving, "I shall play A,'s part to-night," No one .took any notice of the despatch save Mr, Barrie, who telegraphed back : '"Thanks for the' warning." * ';"'- .'■• ' * -'•'.•; ' '

" Gardening,* for; the.. Million, "by .Alfred Pink, is announced by Mr. Fisher Unwin. In this work directions are given for the cultivation of nearly 1000 different plants. To the young gardener, amateur as well as professional,; this book is indispensable, and it-will undoubtedly prove useful to those of wider ■experience. It is, however, as the title suggest*;, written for the "inexperienced person, so that the mere novice consulting its pages may be enabled to grow and cultivate any desired plant. The work is arranged alphabetically, and made additionally easy of consultation by cross references to flowers known under more than one name. ~..'. "''': ''-,'.,,

The miter of an interesting article on Balzac tells an old story which bears repetition. He did. not bolter© in invented names,, holding that those really borne by someone have superior vitality. Leon Goslau was dragged by Balzac over half Paris in search of a-name for the hereof a story that was to appear in the Revue Parisienne. "After they had trudged through scores of streets,- studying the names of shopkeepers in vain. Balzac, to his intense joy, discovered ' Mamas' printed over a small tailor's shop; to which he added as 'a flame, a plume, a star,' the initial Z. 'Z. Marcas' conveyed to him the idea of a great though unknown philosopher, poet, or silversmith, like Benvenuto Cellini. He went no further— was satisfied; he had found the name of names.'"

- M. H'uysmiyis pays a compliment to the women who are writing in Prance to-day. lie says they have mora talent than their miMcuiir.o competitors. But he thinks French literature is ruined by the commercial spirit. "It is deplorable," he confides to an interviewer, " that Zola should have made money. That lias created a general belief that the literary career is lucrative. The day he found out that Zola carried a lot of money by writing, the grocer said to his son, 'My son, you must go in. for literature!' And you know what .sort of literature the grocer's son has made! Why doesn't he stick behind his counter, and sell pickles or poisons instead of fatiguing us with his books? This conies of turning art into commerce." Painting is in the same case. "There are a hundred thousand painters, just as there are a hundred thousand writers. If they were not sure of making, money they would not he so numerous!" M. Huysmans seems to think the true artist should starve.

Mr, A. E. W. Mason, author of "The Truants," which the Harpers are soon to publish, and of other book? like "The Four Feathers" and "Miranda of the Balcony," which have helped to give him wide repute, is standing for a seat in- the House of Commons, and naturally talk about him is finding its way into print. An account of his career in The King contains this passage on his entrance into the literaryfield : —"The young' writer came to London, like a modem Dick Whitlington, all his worldly hopes for the future a bundle of ideas and a very determined will. fie took two small rooms in the Strand, and set to work. His .savings were limited, and heworked hard. He did not send in stray contributions to newspapers; he looked neither to the right nor left, but worked all his time at his novel. His idea wag that if he could write v, successful novel it would land him in one stride on the high road to success. There came a tim« when he laid down his book, yielded to the pressing demand of' the moment, and wrote a short story. He sent it to Macmillan's, the first publisher's name that occurred' to him, and it was accepted. His first novel, 'The Courtship of Morrioe Buckler,' followed l suit. It was published on February 1,1895. and by March 2 it had run into a second edition, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth editions following in rapid succession before September."