LITERARY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1926, 15 January 1891, Page 42

LITERARY NOTES.

The quotation, " See. how these Christians love one another," is taken from Tertullian. The early art life and dramatic career of Jenny Lind are described by Canon ScottHolland and Mr W. S. Rockstro in a memoir to be published immediately by Mr John Murray. Mr Rudyard Kipling, whose tales have hitherto dealt with topics in India, has written his firot story of English life for the Christmas number of the Detroit Free Press. It is entitled "The Record of Badalia Herodsfoot," and treats of life and death in Whitechaoel. Mrs Humphry Ward, says the Pall Mall Gazette, is busily at work finishing the new book which is to appear about Christmas. Its "motif" will be the aspirations of a working man after culture. .\Trs Ward is said to have gained some hints from the life of Robert Chambers.

It has been gravely asserted by a contemporary, we know not with how much truth, that there are as many as 18,000 newspaper women in London alone. It is an indisputable fact that their numbers have prodigiously increased of late. Readers, as a rule, have neither the good taste nor the patience to enjoy poetry. They take certain names on trust ; and if any particular writer of verse is pronounced to be the vogue, they get up his poems, as they would rush round an exhibition of pictures, so as to-be able to talk about them.— Academy. Daniel Webster was right' when he said of the press: "Small is the sum required to patronise a newspaper; amply rewarded is its patron. I care not how humble and unpretending is the paper ; it is next to impossible to fill it without putting into it something that is worth the subscription price." Mr Phillip Mennell is progressing rapidly with bis '• Australian Men of tbe Time," which will be out in January next. Both the list of names and biographies have been compiled with the greatest care, and there can be little doubt the work will be a model one of its sort, and a most valuable handbook.

A lecture recently delivered by Professor George Stephens, of Copenhagen, dealing with ttie question, "Is English a German language?" will be published immediately in pamphlet form by Messrs Allen and Storr, of Paternoster square. The professor argues, says the Academy, against' the received view, favouring rather an Old Norse parentage. A Danish translation of the pamphlet has been prepared Mr Jon Stefansson. How odd it is that, a book once printed off and out of our hands, we cannot open it but we see blunders which escaped our notice in all the weary reading of repeated proof sheets 1 Does some fiend in the printing office thrust in fresh errors, or wherefore are our eyes thus suddenly opened when it is too late ? A little bad luck and a great dose of carelessness may explain the mystery. — Andrew Lang, in Longman's. " George Eliot " has become more popular in the last few years than dming her lifetime. So. says her publisher, Mr Blackwood, who ought know. In India, " Silas Marner," her finest work from a literary standpoint, has been included in the list of books used in the public schools, and a preliminary order for 500 copies lately reached the pubUsher. " Adam Bede," " Romola," and " The Mill on the Floss " are more widely read than ever; but, "Felix Holt" and "Daniel Deronada" (notwithstanding the matchless study, of young- ladyhood in Gwendolen) tend somewhat to be forgotten.

" Professor, John Forbes, of Aberdeen, has been able, at the advanced age of 87, to complete his •" Commentary on Isaiah's Last Prophecy of the « Servant of the Lord,' " in chapters xl — Ixvi, and to reclaim for Isaiah its authorship, now denied by almost every Biblica scholar in Great Britajo. Dr Delitzsch no longer forming an exception, However widely it may be held that the last 27 chapters of Isaiah were composed by some unknown prophet, who wrote towards the close of the Babylonish captivity, all who are interested in the discussion of the subject will give respectful attention to Professor Forbes' attempt to maintain the old view.

Miss Braddon is the daughter of a solicitor, and was born in 1837 in Soho square, London. She was on the stage in her early life. The first money she earned by her pen was for a play entitled "The Loves of Arcadia," which was duly staged, but did not run for long. Her power is essentially dramatic, bub she was not a success as a writer of plays. She prodaced several novels of marked merit, but none of them seemed to hit the popular fancy. Even her clief, d'eeuvre, the book which brought herfam6 and wealth, did not " take "at first, probably because it appeared in obscure papers ; but on its appearance in Temple Bar it attracted very wide attention, and immediately placed hes in the first rank of novelists. Other books from her skilful and prolific pen followed in rapid succession.

— Ifc is easier to live within your income than to live without it. Pjoobhp™!— fo» shb Tjmrs akd Bmath.— A tew dropt of the liquid " Florillne" •prinlrted on * wot tojth-bruih produce! a pleaiant Utber, which bho-ouehly clpaniei tbe teeth from all .paraittea or Jinwjritiei. hardens the gums, prevent* tarter, stop* decay, givei to the teeth a peculiar pearly whitencssfand a delightful fragraaoe to the breaWa. It removeo all unpleasant odour ariilng from Ak»yed teeth or tobaec£imoke. "The *r*grant_Kortline." being c.ompo«ed iapArtot honey and •^ fc ll b «™- U delicious to the taite, «nd the p£trt> trig d£ r«rfum«n. wLolmto «•?•>. » !**»■*» md, fcMtaft.~(&l>TV.)