Forthcoming Masterpieces.
"It is not often," says a writer of what is called "Literary Intelligence," "that a novelist adopts a living fellow-worker as the central figure of his story. This is, however, the case with My Lady of the Moor, which Messrs. Longmans will shortly publish for Mr. John Oxenham. While wandering on Dartmoor he stumbled into a living actual romance, of which Miss Beatrice Chase, author of several popular books about Dartmoor, was the centre. This book tells the tale, which is named after Miss Chase, My Lady of the Moor, and it has of course been written with her full consent and approval."
But the "Literary Intelligencer" did not know that Mr. Oxenham is not the dazzling innovator that he might be thought. Why, even at the moment that Mr. Oxenham was serving up Miss Chase on toast, but always, of course, with perfect taste, Miss Chase was performing the same culinary business for him. For her next novel, to be entitled with great charm My Gentleman of the Cheek, will present a faithful picture of the gifted John and the figure he cut on Dartymoor all among the thikkies and down-alongs and tors.
Mr. Hall Caine, having just been pleading in public for more War realism from literary artists, has in preparation a fascinating new romance entitled Marie of Stratford, which depicts, with all this master's restraint, power and genius, various phases in the life of a sister-novelist of whose existence he has recently heard. Nothing at once so charming and so arresting has been published for days.
It is announced that Miss Marie Corelli, who for too long has vouchsafed nothing fresh to her countless admirers, has just completed the (Isle of) Manuscript of a story which, like all her works, is epoch-making. Connoisseurs of literature, always eager for a new frisson, will be fascinated to learn that this novel has for its subject a fellow-novelist of whose retired existence she has but lately become aware. It takes the form of a saga and is entitled Hall of the Three Legs. Editions of a size commensurate with the scarcity of paper are being prepared.
Meanwhile we are informed that Mr. Tasker Jevons is at work upon a trilogy of vast dimensions and meticulous detail, of which the heroine is Miss May Sinclair.
"The General Manager, in reply, said: Seeing that the privilege of addressing you in annual meeting comes to me once only in every forty-four years of service, and having regard to the vast interests included in this vote of thanks, there might be found some excuse for elaboration of acknowledgment were it not that discursiveness is entirely at variance with the habits of the staff."
Pall Mall Gazette.
After another forty-four years' silence we hope he will really let himself go.