Miss Alcott's Books.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 871, 9 November 1888, Page 4

Miss Alcott's Books.

In 1868—20 years ago—Roberts Brothers, of Boston, became Miss Alcott’s publishers ; and it was at the suggestion of Mr Niles, of this firm, that she wrote ‘Little Women’—a story founded on the home life of herself and her sisters. The first part of this story was published in the October of 1868, and was cordially received; but it was not until the issue of the second part, in the April of 1869, that the world went wild about it, and all in a moment, as it seemed, Miss Alcott became famous. Since then she has known nothing but success; and now, the summons of the King has called her to come up higher. ‘Little Women ’ took so mach hold upon the world, that when ‘ Little Men ’ was issued its, publication had to be delayed until the publishers could be prepared to fill advance orders for fifty thousand copies. The list of her works, besides 1 Flower Fable,’,‘Moods/ and ‘Hospital Sketches,’ includes twentytwo volumes—twenty-five books in all—and all, save * Flower Fables,’ bear the imprint of Roberts Brothers, who publish not only the juveniles, but the revised editions' of ‘Moods’ and ‘Hospital Sketches.’ I mast not omit a twenty-sixth hook, sent forth to the world anonymously, ‘A Modern Mephistopheles,’ a novel included in the * No Name ’ series of her publishers. Nearly all of her later books—‘Eight Cousins, ’ ‘Under the Lilaos,’ ‘ Spinning-Wheel Stories,’ &o.—first appeared in the pages of St. Nicholas; and hundreds of letters to the, editor, from children all over the English-speaking world, attest their dear love for the author of these charming tales.' In writing to the editor of St Nicholas just before Christinas Misa Alcott asked for the bound volumes of last year, and added, ‘ My Lulu adores the dear books, and has worn out the old ones.’—From ‘Louisa May Alcott,’ by Louise Chandler Moulton, in St. Nicholas. \