Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-10

to a boys story he Is sure to be an ideal
creator of heroes; for they are just the
stories to captivate young readers. In
his scenes of frontier life, its vicissitudes,
trials and heroisms, the picture is per-
feet one, and each character, from the
lowest soldier to the highest officer,
stands firmly and clear cut for expressed
sentiments. Trooper Ross and Signal
Butte" were animated tales, full of In
dams, good and bad scouts, cowboys and
everything needful for the entertainment
of the restless boy.
The authors latest work, which bears
the imprint of the present year, is "Trum-
peter Fred" story of the plains, and is
appropriately illustrated. This Is anoth-
er story to add to the already large list
for the youthful reader, and bears very
commendable lesson and moral in the
young and sprightly life of "Trumpeter
Fred" In this story we have camp fires,
blazing villages, rifle reports and narrow
escapes, all related in dramatic style,
with dash and sweep that carries the
readers attention from the first page to
the last.
1t is said that Miss Margaret Deland,
the authoress of that serious and gloomy
work. John Ward Preacher" whiles
away many happy hours in her studio
bringing out beautiful original designs
with her carving tools.
A recent editorial of a New York daily
draws pointed, contrasting picture be-
tween the conditions of authorship a CEN
fury ago and the present day. Speaking
of Dr. Johnson's early struggles In Lon
DON Macaulay says that 1t was the fate
of more than one writer to lodge in gar
ret up four pairs of stairs, to dine in a
cellar among footmen, out of place; to
translate ten hours a day for the wages
of ditcher; to be-hunted by bailiffs from
one haunt of beggary and pestilence to
another-from Grub street to st. George S
Fields, and from st. Georges Fields to
the alleys behind st. Martins church; to
sleep on hulk In June and amid the
ashes of a glass house in December; to
die in a hospital. and at last to be buried
| in a parish vault"
| Now listen to the cabled report of to-
| day, which, may or may not be true; but
1t proves that such a sum Is not an in
| credible amount to be paid for the copy
| right of a piece of literature. 1t Is sad
| that Mark Twain has sold the copyright
of his forthcoming book for $4,000. Not
| only does this show how greatly the null
| tiplication of books has enhanced the
| earnings of successful authorship, but
| also that the multiplication of school
| houses is increasing year by year the
| field which furnishes the reading public.
| And yet there never was a time when
| there was such an abundance of cheap
| books. The World paid a recent tribute
| to one of the pioneers of the cheap book
| business, George Munro, a notable man
among those who died during the past
| few weeks.
ITO say that he was the founder Of the
| Firesde Companion and of the Seaside
| Library is to rank him among the bene-
| factors of the human race. And yet it ID
| to be feared that the last to recognize
| his worth will be those whom he served
best-the writers of books"
William LIE Queux is an English writer
and has won distinction as possessing re-
| markable fertility of imagination and un-
! usual powers of inventiveness. In none
! of his works of fiction have these dua1i-
| ties been more in evidence than in the
| very extraordinary tale that he wrote,
| which has long since reached the
| twelfth edition, and called THE Great
| War in England in 1897" and most clear
| ly and splendidly illustrated by two able
artists To say that this is a remarkable
| book to have been written by an English
! man is, aver, to state the question mild
| ly. but the fact remains that II was not
| only written, but that it has achieved a
| phenomenal success. 1t has been quoted
| and discussed by crowned heads, civil
| ians and army officers alike, and by no
| less a person than the COMMANDMENTS
| chief of the British army. How any
| Englishman could permit or accept for a
moment the suggestion. even for sake of
| argument, that any Frenchman ever
| could. under any possible ray of circum-
| Stances, set his steeled foot upon the
| shores of merry England is ifacoEipreflen-
| stble, yet thisais what is done during the
war of 1881" and that, too. accompanied
| by the crafty Russian.
This book. SO the author tells us. was