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The publication of Mrs. Sharp's biography of William Sharp has been postponed till

1910.

The essays in which Poe developed his theory of the poem and the short story among them those on "The Poetic Principle," "The Rationale of Verse," and "The Philosophy of Composition" -are to be published by Henry Holt & Co. in a volume edited by Professor Prescott, of Cornell.

The two-volume "Life of Richard Brinsley Sheridan," by Walter Sichel, will be published in this country by the Houghton Mifflin Company.

The Houghton Mifflin Company publishes "Oliver Wendell Holmes: The Autocrat and His Fellow Boarders," by Dr. Samuel M. Crothers, as one of the little series of Centennial Books About Great Men, which already includes Charles Eliot Norton's "Longfellow" and Bliss Perry's "Whit

tier."

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The Scribners announce Samuel Pepys," by Percy Lubbock, as a new volume in the Literary Lives Series.

The American opéra competition was to have closed September 15, but it has been unofficially announced that the Metropolitan Opera Company will give librettists and composers until September 15, 1911, to submit their operas. It is not promised that the successful work will be produced the following season, but it will be put on as soon after the decision as possible. The competition has been placed in the hands of Secretary Centanini.

Forest and Stream (New York) offers prizes of $150 for the best narrative of outdoor life, of not less than 25,000 words; $100 for the next best narrative, of not less than 20,000 words; $50 each for the two best 15,000-word stories; $25 each for the two best 10,000-word stories; and $15 each for the seven best short narratives of hunting, shooting, yachting, mountain climbing, fishing, camping, canoeing, or exploration. Manuscripts must be received before Janu

ary I.

New York has a new monthly magazine, the American City, devoted to the cause of civic betterment.

Boston is to have a new weekly paper called the Boston Common, edited by E. H. Clement, for many years editor of the Boston Transcript. The paper, it is said, will be a thirty-two-page journal, something like the Outlook or the Independent, devoted to Boston's interest in "politics, philanthropies, literature and thought, popular education, taste and culture, and social advance."

The Twentieth Century Magazine - "a magazine with a mission" - edited by B. O. Flower, is published at 5 Park square, Boston. With it is combined Fellowship, and the new magazine seems to be in a way a successor to the Arena.

The Columbian Magazine is a new monthly, published at I Madison avenue, New York.

John Herbert Quick has resigned as assistant editor of LaFollette's Magazine to take the editorship of Farm and Fireside, Springfield, Ohio.

Thomas H. Blodgett, now at the head of the Outing Publishing Company, has made Albert Britt, formerly editor of Munsey's Railroad Men's Magazine, editor of Outing Magazine.

For three months, beginning with October, the Popular Magazine will be published twice a month.

Sturgis & Walton, 31 East Twentyseventh street, New York, have been incorporated to do a general publishing business.

Charles Frederic Wingate died at Twilight Park, N. Y., September 1, aged sixty-two.

Clyde William Fitch died at Chalons-surMaine, France, September 4, aged fortyfour.

Henry B. Blackwell died in Dorchester, Mass., September 7, aged eighty-four. William Lloyd Garrison died at Lexington, Mass., September 12, aged seventy-one. Mayo Williamson Hazeltine died at Atlantic City, N. J., September 15, aged sixtyeight.

The body of John Davidson, who was last seen alive March 23, was found in the sea near Penzance September 18.

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE TO INTEREST AND HELP ALL LITERARY WORKERS.

VOL. XXI.

BOSTON, NOVEMBER, 1909.

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Don't over-write. This burlesque report of a small fire in John Smith's house has almost been equalled by writers for country papers "Last evening flames were discovered issuing from the portal of the residence of our respected fellow-citizen, John Smith, Esq. The firemen, with their usual alacrity, were promptly on the spot. The street was soon a scene of wild commotion and uproar, which, with the devouring element, formed a toute ensemble of grandeur and sublimity. The coup d'ail soon became truly magnificent, the flames having reached a small wooden shanty next door, in which was confined a remarkably fine poodle belonging to

No. II.

Mr. Simpkins, the grocer opposite, favorably known to the public for his superior article of teas, whose howls awakened the sympathies of the bystanders."

Avoid foreign words and phrases for which there are English equivalents. Why call the "part" of an actor, or an actress, a "rôle," especially in newspapers which use only linotype matrices without accents, and so print "rôle," "role"?

If you use foreign phrases, use them correctly. We often see even in books the phrases, hors du combat and esprit du corps. Yet, the simple preposition de, not the combined preposition and definite article du, is to be found in all similar phrases in French newspapers and books.

There is a very common error in the arrangement of the words in a favorite Latin quotation, which generally appears in print as "id omne genus," whereas it should be "id genus omne."

The plural of the French word “savant” if you must use it in place of the English word "scholar"- is 'savans," not 66 'savants."

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Eschew" cut out," the night editor would say - worn-out phrases like "tripped it on the light fantastic toe,"*"fair women and brave men," revelry by night," "banquet hall deserted," "the wee, sma' hours," t "the ladies (God bless them ! )," "all went merry as a marriage bell.”

Avoid extravagant expressions, both in writing and in speech; for instance, "It was an awfully hot day." "I suffered in the cars frightfully from heat." "When we reached our destination we had a horrible dinner."

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Pedal extremities" is a poor expression for "feet."

Possibly from a false notion of delicacy, in much modern speech and writing, the ass has become the donkey. Now, although a donkey must be either an ass or a mule, neither an ass nor a mule is necessarily a donkey. An ass may be a wild-ass, or an unbroken domestic one, and so may a mule be either wild or unbroken. A donkey is an ass, or a mule, broken to the saddle, or to draught.

Don't hesitate to use the word "legs" in case of need. Saying "limbs" or "extremities" instead is not being delicate; it is the height of indelicacy. "A nice man," says Dean Swift, "is a man of nasty ideas." In the avoidance of certain proper words, and the substitution of other words for them, there is involved the admission of the existence of an indelicate thought. A French teacher once said to a squeamish young lady who hesitated to pronounce the word "leg' where it occurred in an account of the wounding of Napoleon: " Ah, Mademoiselle, la vraie délicatesse ne pense pas à de telles choses." True delicacy has no such ideas.

It is generally understood nowadays that the words "gentleman" and "lady" should be

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used with discretion in speaking of others, and never, as a rule, in speaking of one's self. In referring to the admirable traits of character possessed by a female acquaintance, it would be incorrect for one to say: "She is a fine lady." One should, in that case, say: "She is a fine woman." fine woman is something infinitely superior to a fine lady. Again, were one to say of a certain person: "She is a well-dressed lady," the expression would imply that ladies may not be well-dressed, which is not a fact. Numerous cases might be cited in which the word is misused; as, when a person speaks of a good lady, a modest lady, a charitable lady, an amiable lady, a handsome

lady, a graceful lady. In some of these cases the expression is wrong because the epithet is involved in the character; in others it is wrong because the epithet is applied to individuals as belonging to the female sex, not as restricted to those who are ladies. To advertise for a "saleslady" is as absurd as it would be to advertise for a "salesgentleman.". "Saleswoman" is the correlative of "salesman." Sometimes we see advertisements reading like this: "Boarding - Two respectable young ladies can find home comforts in a private family," etc. As if ladies could be other than respectable! Even in a leading editorial of a careful newspaper there appeared these phrases: "Every well-bred gentleman,” "every well-bred lady." As if to be a gentleman or a lady is not to be well-bred ! To speak of a man and his wife as "Mr. Soand-So and lady" is vulgar. In France a similar vulgarity is common. There a gentleman always says ma femme (my wife ), but the vulgar, through affectation, often say mon épouse (my spouse). Unless there is a distinct reason for using the word "lady," the word woman should be used. The only exceptions are in the case of youth and of age. It is customary, in speaking of well-grown boys and girls of a certain station, to call them "young gentlemen" and "young ladies." It is also customary, in speaking of old men and old women of a certain station, to call them "old gentlemen" and "old ladies." An additional epithet is frequently applied to them, as when we speak of "a fine old gentleman," "a fine old lady," a nice old gentleman," a nice old lady," a cross old gentleman," "a cross old lady."

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It is strange that the persons who are most addicted to the use of the word "lady" are also the very ones who do not scruple to apply the word "female" to every degree of womankind. Yet, the words "male" and "female" are not properly used as nouns, except in speaking of the lower animals. To the sexes of mankind, they are properly applied only as adjectives. We can say: The male pupils, the female pupils, the male

singers, the female singers, the male descendants, the female descendants, and so on; but we cannot say of a man: 66 He is a handsome male," nor is it any better to say of a woman: "She is a handsome female." Women have reason to resent the word.

66 Gents 66 wear pants." Gentlemen wear trousers. The word "pantaloons," from the Italian words, singular and plural, pantalone, pantaloni, received into English through the French (pantalon ), — through whom the garment also came, -is in good usage, but trousers" is supplanting it.

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A very prevalent error in the use of a word in a wrong sense may be found in the -expression, our mutual friend." Dickens, whose English is often careless, helped establish the phrase by using it as a title for one of his novels. Primarily, the word "mutual" relates to persons, and to only two persons. The idea that it conveys is

reciprocity of sentiment or of action. Two persons may have a mutual affection or a mutual aversion, but there is no suggestion of a third person in the word. Two persons may mutually embrace, but they cannot mutually embrace some one else. Individually, every human being partakes of the lot of mutual dependence. Secondarily, the word

may refer to many persons regarded as comprised in two divisions. The intercourse of two societies may be for their mutual advantage. Our common friend, common enemy, common acquaintance, or whatever the case may be, are the proper expressions ing, the friend, enemy, acquaintance, common to both of us - our friend, enemy, acquaintance, in common.

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Avoid the use of "party" for "man" or -66 person." Instead of saying, "Who was the party that called you up?" say, "Who was it called you up?"

"Individual" is another word to be avoided in the mere sense of "person." When used it should always convey some thought of a single person or thing as opposed to many. If, for instance, a traveler, 'looking from a mountain toward a distant city, could see each one of the houses, he rould not otherwise communicate the fact so well as by saying that he could "distinguish

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The last clause in the sentence, Ought we to esteem the man who faces danger, or he who deceives?" should be "or him who deceives."

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Me," "him," and "them," "my," "his," and their " are often incorrectly used with participial nouns; as, "I do not like him staying out so late at night." The sentence should be: "I do not like his staying out so late at night."

As in the expression, "Who did you see?" who is incorrectly used for whom, so whom is often incorrectly used for who. The error in the sentence, "For the benefit of those whom she thought were his friends," can be at once made apparent by enclosing in brackets two words which are parenthetical. It then reads: "For the benefit of those whom [she thought] were his friends." Obviously the wording should be "who she thought were his friends."

"It is one of the subjects that is," etc. "In one of the houses that has," etc. In sentences like these, where the word one is used, followed by several words, among the last of which are a noun in the nominative plural, and its relative pronoun, nominative to a verb immediately succeeding, careless writers often put the verb in the singular number. In the first example given above, that relates to subjects, which is plural, and therefore requires are: "It is one of the subjects that are," etc. In the second example, that relates to houses, which, being plural, requires have: "In one of the houses that have," etc.

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"Plead," mispronounced "plěd," is frequently used for pleaded," as: "He plead (plěd) guilty to the indictment." The sentence should be: "He pleaded guilty to the indictment." "To plead" is a regular verb. The present is plead (pronounced pleed), imperfect tense, pleaded (pronounced pleeded), perfect participle, pleaded (pronounced pleeded).

BROOKLYN, N. Y.

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Edward B. Hughes.

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THE WRITER.

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THE WRITER is published the first day of every month. It will be sent, postpaid, ONE YEAR for ONE DOLLAR.

All drafts and money orders should be made payable to The Writer Publishing Co. Stamps, or local checks, should not be sent in payment for subscriptions.

** THE WRITER will be sent only to those who have paid for it in advance. Accounts cannot be opened for subscriptions, and names will not be entered on the list unless the subscription order is accompanied by a remittance.

***The American News Company, of New York, and the New England News Company, of Boston, and their branches, are wholesale agents for THE WRITER. It may be ordered from any newsdealer, or direct, by mail, from the publishers.

the judges who will now select the prizewinning scenario - the plot of the play which will be produced in New York within a year and bring to the fortunate writer a royalty on the gross box-office receipts, as well as the $500 prize. This royalty is now announced for the first time. It will be four per cent. of the first $4,000, five per cent. of the next $3,000, seven and one-half per cent. of all over $7,000 on the gross weekly receipts.

Writers are warned against two adventurers who are going around the country asking for money on the plea of being related to various men and women connected with literature. One of them recently posed son of Mr. in Portsmouth, N. H., as a Gilder, the editor of the Century Magazine, as Mr. Gilder's nephew. and in Boston The man's practice was to telephone to a literary man or woman, and, with profuse apologies, say that he had lost his pocketbook, and ask for $5 or $10 to tide him over until he could get a remittance from his relative. Another scheme he worked was to call on writers, and say that he desired to make a contract with them. For continued advertising

Not one line of paid advertisement will be printed in THE WRITER outside of the advertising pages.

Advertising in THE WRITER costs fifteen cents

a line, or $2.10 an inch; seven dollars a quarter page ;
twelve dollars a half page; or twenty dollars a page,
Dis-
for one insertion, remittance with the order.
counts are five, ten, and fifteen per cent. for three,
six, and twelve months.

payments must be made quarterly in advance.

Contributions not used will be returned, if a stamped and addressed envelope is enclosed. THE WRITER PUBLISHING CO., 88 Broad street, Room 414, BOSTON, MASS.

P. O. Box 1905.

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His

terms were invariably satisfactory, and be-
fore taking leave he would ask for aid in
having a check cashed. The checks turned
The second man has
out to be valueless.
been posing as the younger brother of Bliss
Perry, professor of English literature at
Harvard, and editor of the Atlantic Monthly.
This man also told writers he was Ferris
Greenslet, literary adviser of the Houghton
Writers who are ap-
Mifflin Company.
proached by these swindlers should take
steps toward their arrest.

The question how long editors are justified in holding manuscripts before making a decision as to their availability has always been a mooted one. In a general way there has come to be a feeling that if the editor of a monthly magazine renders his decision in a month, the author has no reason to complain. Perhaps, according to the same theory, the editor of a weekly magazine ought to render his decision in a week, and the editor of a daily paper in a day, but such

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