Literature.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2137, 20 March 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Literature.

—"(' i.l. ■! Biff" hi-, boon tianxUted mt'i Spmi-h. for Messrs Appl'iton, of New York, under the title of "My*tetio.s — Tlu 1 n>.>) ot Chulei Lvnb's " Beauty and the FW-t," which was sold by auction recently, fetched £11. —A Company is being formed, with a capital of £(iO,OOO, in oi-Jer to work Trie Pictorial World ucw.spaper. —A copy of the "Bujrp" Bible - of 1.331, which has "buggos" for "the terror by night " in Pdiltn xci., w.is sold recently m America for 16 dollars <50 cents. —A facsimile of Shakespeare'n will has been prepared hy Messrs Cassell and Company for is>uo with Part 1. of the.r quarts, illustrated Shakespeare, has been published. — Mosms vJromwell and Co. havo raiido arrangement- with Mrs Sarah K. Briton to write for girls a companion volume to " Poor Boys who Became Famoun." — Mr Lowell has presented to tho Massachusetts Historical Society a letter of Robert Burns which was given to him by tho widow of Birry Cornwall. It is dated '• Dumfries. March 21, 1793." — Mr Tndel, United States Diplomatic Agent to the Congo Free State, is preparing a work on the Congo which will, it is said, make some startling revelations about the true state of affairs there. — The Report of the New York Shakespeare Society on the alleged Shakespeare autograph in a copy of the Second Folio, now at Chicago, will be illustrated with photographs of the various nignatures, memoranda, marginal corrections, coats of arms, See , which have accumulated upon the ancient volume. — An address to Mr Ruskin, gratefully acknowledging the noble and pure influence he has wielded during his long career, is being numerously signed by men and women of ill grados of society in London. It will be presented to Mr Ruskin in n dehc itely chafed casket. — The Scottish capital has been furnished with a new journal, called The Edinburgh Evening Despatch, which is published at a half-penny at the offiuG of The Scotsman, aud will nave the advantage of all the resources of that famous journal for tho production of an independent evening newspaper. The first issues promise well in all respects. — The programme of The Christian World Magazine, for 18SG, comprises several attractive btories by popular authors, including a new novel of rare merit, by the author of "Jan Vedder's Wife," a book that is now being read with absorbing interest in Christian circles. Also serial tale* by Bs{htrice Bristowe, author of "Clarissas Tangled Web," Mary Richardson, Mrs M. M. Pollard, Mm Haycraft, Eliza Bollsertie, and other popular writers. Mrs Emma Jane Worboise continues to edit the magazine, and contributions from her own pen will appear every month. — To a recent Danish edition of John Stuart Mill's essay on " The subjection of Women," Dr. George Brandes contributes an introduction, in which he says: • ' There can be> no doubt that to give women of the Latin nations the franchise at the present moment would be to give tho politico-religious roaction a buttress which it would take centuries to break." Yet Dr. Branded is described as an advanced R ldical in politics. — Referring to a paragraph in these columns a correspondent writes: — "It would seem that The Independent, of New York, corresponded its money needlessly in having Lord Tennyson's poem, entitled 'Evrly Spring,' cabled from London, in advance of the appearance of the Laureate's new volume in America, when it is remembered that the said poem was originally published only a year bofore in The Youth's Companion, at B>ston, the latter paper paying, it was stated at the time, £200 for the contribution." The explanation given i« that an agent in London was told to cable the two bast poems in the volume, and "Early Spring " was one of tho-*e chosen. — The retirement of Mr Frank Hill from the editorship of The Daily Newt, at the age of bo, suomi to havo excited a good deal of surprise in journalistic circles. Fifteen yeais, however, of tho editorship of a d.nly newspaper might well be considered sufficient service to justify such a step, even if declining health and impaired eyesight were not present «s warnings to take rest. Hitherto Mr Hill's contributions to literature have been limited, owing to the demand mado upon him by his editorial duties. He is succeeded by Mr W. H Lucy, the author of "East by West " aud "A Diary of Two Parliaments," but bettor known, perhaps, as tho writer of Punch's " Essence of Parliament" and other contributions to journalism. Mr Lucy- has for some time been the chief of the Parliamentary stuff of tho piper. Mr Clayden. who lately uimi'"ce.s.sfully contested Norwood in the Liberal interest, succeeds to the latter post. — The prospect for authors of genius is a most hopeful one in America, accoiding to TltcPuptr World. "Tho competition in the writing of books that are not works of jfenius," it "ays, " has become so great that their public it inn is considerably overdone, and publishers reject a score wheie they pnblUh one — that one being often hu unhappy venture. Th" writing of books, of late years, seems to have descended to loxer grades of writers rather than otherwiso, and the effect has hecomo so nauseating 1 upon tho public that the aliment iv the future mn«t be more nutritious than it has been. There never was a time in the world's history when a work of even a a little genius stood a better chance of appreciation than at the present time. . . . While there would now seem to be an ebb-tide in letters in America, the rhythm that pervades all forms of evolution leads to the hope, sustained by the direct promise of better conditions in the future, that a better day in literature, particularly the lighter kinds, is only in waiting."

Some people are. not endowed with the faculty of seeing a joke. Lord Morpeth used to tell of a Scotch friend of his who, to the remark that some people could not feel a jest unless it was fired at them with a cannon, replied, " Well, but hoo can ye fire a jest oot of a cannon, mon?" 1 Any of your detectives got on to that new mob of burglars yet ?' he asked as he entered the office of the Chief of Police yesterday. " Well, no arrests have yet been made' 'And there won't be. The chaps have got enough, I reckon, and is they haven't left town by this time I'm a sinner.' ' What do you know about burglars?' So that?' he queried, as he held out a hand with ever}' knuckle skinned. 'I don't wait for burglars to come and burgle me. I tiy to get in the fii.-t blow. Last night I took a little walk aiound, and I met a buiglar.' • How do you know ?' ' Well. I asked his n^iine and busings and he toUl me to go to Sheol. With that I popped him, and you ought to have seen him got up and fly ! In less'n half an honr I met another.' • How did you identify him ?' 4 1 took him by the collar aud told him that his jig was up, and his confusion gave him away. With that I popped him, and you ought to have seen him take th« gras3 ! The third one I met at about eleven o'clock.' ' What, another ?' 'You bet ! He was walking along as softly as you please, and I dodges in on hi'ii, and says I, 'Spotted, old iellow, and yon'ie ' my meat !' He yells for the police, but I am up to all those dodges. With that I popped him, and I left him crawling around on the arass. Say, 1 .vant to be a detective.' He was told that the matter would be considered, and within the next hour three eminent citi7en3, each having an eminent black eye, called at the office, and each story began with : 'As I was about to enter my gate last night a desperate scoundrel rushed upon me and dealt me a stunning blow.' The man's plan was not el and unique, and might, peihaps, lesult in much good, bnt he won't be allowed to pursue it any fuxther.