LITERARY NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 3783, 9 April 1875, Page 3

LITERARY NOTES.

Lady Barber, known as the authoress of “ Station Life in New Zealand,” has started a magazine, ‘ Evening Hours,’ which is published by Sl.rahan and Co., and includes among its contributors Miss C, 0. FraserTytler, the Rev. Reynolds Hole, Mr Austin Dodson, Canon Barry, Mr Julien Hawthorne, Lady Verney, Miss Catherine Saunders, Mrs Carey Brock, and the editress.

There is a new novel from the pen of Ouida, to be published simultaneously in French and English and called “ Sigma,” The scene will be laid in Italy, where the authoress, Mdlle. de la Rante, has resided for several years. “Ouida” is a childish corruption of the lady’s Christian name, Louisa.

The deaths are announced of tun cial notabilities—Mrs Ti.dt'oicl Whitehead, who used to writ© poetry under the pseudonym of “ A Manchester Lady,” and Mr Charles Rogers, who was well known as the editor of “T’ Bairnsla Posts’ Annual an’ Pogmoor Olmeuao,” which has been published annually for more than thirty years, J

The London * Telegraph * has now been so increased in size that all its superabundant advertisements may no longer necessitate continual “extra sheets.” The London ‘ Figaro ’ has reduced its price from twopence to a penny a copy, and the * Hornet ’ the same.. This last affects to be a satirical journal, and claims to keep all the other journa’s right, but is said to be full of blunders of its own.

Mr W. S. Williams, so long connected with the firm of Messrs Smith, Elder, and Co., is about to retire from literary life. He will be sadly missed from the editorial chair of the * Cornhill,’ which he has conducted for so many years with such signal success it will be remembered that he figures in Mrs Gaskell’s “ Life of Charlette Bronte,” as the correspondent to whom she addressed some of her most interesting letters. 6

Mr Charles Reade has for some time past been engaged in a controversy with the the * Leeds Mercury ’ relative to his story in the ‘Pall Mall Gazette’ relating to James Lambert, the “hero and martyr.” Very recently he addressed a letter to the ‘ Mercury,’ in which occurred the following very choice passage ; Instead of publishing my reply, you encouraged a literary reptile to wnte along, insolent retort, and to chaU lenge a reply. I reply. You basely and fraudulently suppress my reply Yet you proceed to fresh attacks, though I am silenced. Your reptile fraudulently suppresses my principal letter to the ‘Bailie,’ and you contradict publicly the letter you are not man enough to encounter in fair fight; so you suppress it. In other wards, sir, you are a liar, a coward, and a blackguard 1 The * Mercury ’ retorted by saying that the word coward would have been better omitted by a writer who takes advantage of the changed state of the law to use language which we are quite sure would not have fallen from his lips in the days when the slanderer had at least the “ courage of his opinions,” and was personally answerable for any Billinsgate that he might chance to utter. The ‘ Examiner,’ in noticing the letter, said : “ Until we read it we were at a loss to account for Mr Charles Reade’s sensitiveness oa the subject of lunatic asylums,” The French are not likely to be so well pleased with the opinions Mr Einglake expresses in his last volume of his “ History of the Crimean War.” He does not hesitate to say, indeed, that it was entirely the fault of the French generals that the war was not ended with Inkerman. Had that success been followed up, as he thinks it might very well have been, Sebastopol must have fallen, and much blood and treasure have b en saved. He imputes the blame to Marshal Canrobert, who refused to look at events with the same eyes as the English commander.