Literary Notes.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5280, 10 June 1895, Page 2

Literary Notes.

[COBBESPONDBNT " CANTERBURY TIMEB."] London, April 19. j All Oscar Wilde's books have been with* ' drawn from circulation, and are already j worth wellnigh their weight in silver ao "curios." Copies of "Dorian Gray," in j its original magazine form in Lippincott's, j easily fetch JB3 to JBS apiece, and should : be moßt carefully preeerved. Of course I refer to the unexpurgated issue and not to the revised version, which till a fortnight : ago Ward Lock published. The value of : the Chameleon, the objectionable periodical ; produced by the Oscarian clique and strangled by its publishers ere fifty numbers had been sold, is probably JE2S. I know, indeed, this sum was recently refused foi one by Messrs Gay and Bird, who have the balance of the iesue locked away in the recesses of their private safe. Apart from the single story, of " The Prie3t and the Acolyte," the Chameleon was the usually wisby- washy • " 2E .theria," and indistinguishable from other short-lived periodicals of its school. The fact that Oacar Wildo latterly derived his mental pabulum chiefly from the "Yellow Book," and tucked a copy under his arm when removed to " durance vile" will not, I fear, increase that edifying quarterly in popular estimation. If Mr Lane is wise he will suppress it without delay. The vogue for that class of literature has received its deathblow. " The Philistine " wounded the morbid sax maniac sorely and Oscar has given him his coup dc gr&cc. Art with a big A has, like Humpty Duinpty, had a great fall, and never again can the misbegotten fetiah exercise the influence it did over ua. In the words of Arthur Roberts " Culchab, dear boys, is a bit off."

Mr Erneet Parke, the manager of the Star, Bmilea, I should imagine somewhat cynically over the virtuous indignation of the public in the Wilde case. For trying to expose members of this very clique, Mr Parke got twelve moDtba' imprisonment. You see, instead of having rich men on his side to shepherd his witnesses and help him to get up hi 3 case, ho had rich men to fight against. And, of coime, a big blunder was niado in introducing Lord Euston'a name. The new edition of "Adam Bede," just issued by Blackwoods at 2s 6d a volume, is in every way handy and attractive, being in fact a reprint of the cabinet edition originally published at double the price. "Adam Bede" appeared first on Feb. 1, 1859, and at onco hit the bull's-eye of fame, the Times leading the way, and starting a vogue which led to 16,000 copies (in three volumes) being sold in % year. Those who have read George Eliot's life will remember that during this period a pareon named L : ggica audaciously claimed to be the author of the new novel everyone was talking about, and had to be vigorously suppressed by Blackwoods. Other notable reprints are the new "Knebworth " edition of " Pelham " 3s 6d, and Macmillan's " Tom Cringle's Log," illustrated by J. Symington, 3b 6ii. Of " Pelham," Routledges alone have, Bince 1853, sold 200,000 copie?, and it remains to-day one of Lord Lytlon's most popular efforts. " Tom Cringle's Log "is the latest addition to Macmillan's " Standard " | novels, and is as admirably got up in all respects as its predecessors. Mr Pale, m Molloek's new novel, " The Heart of Life," standa, I hear, for Mr Balfour.

Miss Violet Hunt, who has achieved a considerable measure of fame with a novel in dialogue, entitled "A Maiden's Progress/ was one of Mr Oswald Crawfurd's discoveries. She has written a considerable number of the social sketches which have appeared week by week in Black and White since its beginning, and still contributes frequently to that journal. Mies Hunt is a hard-working and painstaking craftswoman, who considers her work is better

for every freßh revision of the MSS. Messrs Chapman, and Hall have recently accepted a novel from Miss Hunt's pen, the etory of which is more or less in dialogue. Whether this form of novel will charm more than ephemerally, is an open question. Personally, whilst appreciating short sketches in that form, I find long stories told oo infinitely tiresome. Lady Colin Campbell tells a good story in the Realm about fche late Robert Louis Stevenson and Mr George Meredith. Stevenson had beon reading " Diana of the Cross nays," and came across one scene which ho could not deem natural. Straightway he hied him to, the author's house, and bo soon as he was in Meredith's study began : " She couldn't have done ifc " — pacing .up and down— ""George, I tell you she couldn't have dono it. It wasn't in her." Then, stopping suddenly at Meredith's side and tapping on the shoulder, Stevenson said gravely," My friend, you've been misinformed." Another Stevenson yarn. When Eobert Louis was grinding for the Bar at Edinburgh he used to be a frequent visitor to Stillie'a book mart in George Street. One fine day as he plunged into the Bhop he collided with an elderly man, and was rewarded with a few choice objurgations in broad Scotch. "Who was that peppery old stick P" aeked Stevenson of Mr Stillie when the old man was gone. "Thomas Carlyle" was Stillie'a shorthand startling answer. Tbia is the only meeting between Carlyle and Steveneon on record. Messrs Oagood and M'llvaino have started an admirable uniform edition of Mr Thomas Hardy's works with the muchdiscusged " Teas." In his preface to the opening volume of the series Mr Hardy gives a list of the places popularly identified with the fictitious place names of his novels, and while not contradicting the suppositions, accepts the popular identifications as an indication of his reader's real and kindly interest in the scenes. There is also a new map of "Wessex," which helps one greatly in following the wanderings of Mr Hardy's creatures. The author's completed works, from "Desperate Remedies" to "Life's Little Ironies," will make fifteen volumes, but probably " Hearts Insurgent," now running serially in an American magazine, will Bee book form uniform with Messrs Osgood's edition, which is in every way satisfactory. Those of you who are reading Marion Crawford's "Casa Braccio" in the Century may like to know the story as printed so far (November to March) is true barring that the scene of the actual occurrence was South America, not Italy. In the "Ralstons," I may also mention, Mr Crawford has under the thin alias of Paul Griggfl given a lifelike portrait of himself. He had plenty of precedents for the freak, Thackeray in '"'Pendennis," Dickens in " David Copperfield," RichardEoa in "Amelia" and Reade in "A Terrible Temptation " having utilised their own personalities. The author of "A New Note," which was to have seb the Thames afire and didn't, is a Miss Ellailacmahon. She has auother tale in hand called "A Modern Man." Another anonymous notoriety, to wit the author of " A Superfluous Woman," , is also about to crystallise her reputation with a second book : it will be called " Transition."

Mrs Lynn Linton'a hand has lost a groat deal of its cunning, and her new novel "In Haste and at Leisure " compares but indifferently with "Learn Dundas" or " Under Which Lord." The plot tells of an imprudent boy and girl marriage and its disastrous consequences, but the raison d'etre of the book is a furious attack on the Pioneer Clab, and the various organisations of the women's rights movement, whose leaders, male friends and journalistic supporters Mrs Linton ruthlessly caricatures. The " advanced woman " has no deadlier enemy than this bitterly sarcastic old lady. Mr Charles Baxter has arrived in England with E. L. Stevenson's literary remains which are to be given to Professor Sidney Colvin for arrangement and publication. I gather that Mrs Stevenson and her son propose to remain at Vailima. Guy Boothby's " Marriage of Esther " is being very well reviewed as I anticipated, and but for the price being so absurdly high, might have " boomed " a bit. Ada Cambridge's "Fidelia" falls far Bhort in interest and workmanohip of the St Kilda novelist's "Marked Man," but you will find it quite readable. The moral would seem to be that it is not well for ugly men to be sensitive about their

appearance. Ugliness, brains and virtne go together, and are accompanied by good lack, co that when taunted with your monkey-like physiognomy you may console yourself with the reflection that you will probably end up a millionaire. Mrs Baker's "Majesty of Man" ii described by the British Weekly as a novel j of very unusual meiit. The story is in- I tenße and interesting, vividly conceived ' and graphically written. The characters are fresh and unworn types; indeed, the leading figures are entirely original. The person who does not read this novel at a sitting and who does not feel better for it must be of exceptional temperament. •