LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1915, 3 August 1888, Page 28

LITERARY NOTES.

The words of. "Rule Britannia" were were written by James Thompson, author of " The Seasons." Longfellow's poems have been sold in greater numbers. than those of any poet of our day. j

Lingua — the new language — threatens to make Volapuk a dead one. Lingua is based on Latin roots, and will consequently grow.

A well-read man of fair ability is said to use from 6000 to 7000 words, and to be able to define and understand from 25,000 to 30,000. Shakespeare's vocabulary contained about 15,000 words.

"Mb Barnes of New York."

All those unhappy authors, who treasure rejected novels in their pigeon-holes, and who believe that publishers- are an obtuse set of conspirators against rising genius, may take comfort from the account Mr Gunter gave a correspondent of the New York Critic the other day of his experience with "Mr Barnes of New York." Having been successful as a playwright, he wrote the novel to see what effect he could produce on the public with nothing but printer's ink between him and his audience, and without the often embarassing limitations of a stage piece. He completed the book in California early in 1885, and when he returned to the East in the winter of that year, he set about looking for a publisher. No one would touch his manuscript, however ; he submitted it to nearly every publisher in New York, and again and again it came back to him. About this time he was called to Boston to superintend the rehearsal of " Prince Karl," which he had written for Mr Mansfield ; and as a Boston manager was risking about 5000dol on his play, it occurred to him that a Boston publisher might be willing to risk 500dol on his book. He telegraphed to New York for the manuscript, and left it with a house in this city. Once more it was rejected. Then he offered it to several New York houses to which he had not hitherto applied, but wherever it went it was declined, and it invariably came back, like one of those inalienable and imperishable friends who never meet with anything but ill-luck. Quite disheartened he " shelved " it for a while, until one day, after reading a certain novel that was having Ta large sale, he decided that though "Mr Barnes of New York " might be rubbish, it was surely as good as this book that seemed to have taken the fancy of the public, and he made up his mind that he would publish it himself. He printed an edition of 1000 copies, but "the trade" would take it only "on sale"; that is, the newsagents and booksellers would not buy it, though they would place it on their counters provided that the author would take back all- copies which they might they might not be able to dispose of. The American News Company took 650 copies on these terms ; Brentano's took 100, and C. T. Dillingham 250. Two weeks after the appearance of the book, the American News Company ordered first 100 copies and then 500 copies more, and Brentano's and Dillingham repeated their orders. The sale rapidly increased, and the book is now in its 150 th thousand.