The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-12
NOVEL Of starvation
Poor Evelyn Wood Thought
Herself a Genius.
DEED OF SHEER HUNGER
Waiting for the Publisher Who
Came Too Late.

New York, Dec. 1.-THE World says
| The book which Evelyn Adams sacrificed
| her life TO write has found many read,
ers, now that she is dead. She starved
while writing it, fell i'll while taking il
| from publisher to publisher, died before
| she knew that it would DE read and dis
cussed by large numbers Of people.
The book is a crude attempt of a girl
With the superb faith that never failed
Evelyn Adams refused TO accept the YER
dict of the publishers that the book as
not a great book She firmly believe
that 1t wss the magic key that would I'M
lock for her the temple Of fame. She
published it at her own expense and lost
money. She died still trying to get it
dramatized.
1t is sensational and full Of climaxes,
but there have been worse books writ
ten.
The scene is laid in Mexico. it opens
with the bull fight, which description is
the best Tart of the book. After Inc en-
trance of the bull and the beginning of
the fight, it reads:
"Bueno! Bueno! Bravo! Bravoi
Well done!" burst from the overenthusi-
astic people who pressed forward in their
eagerness to catch every movement,
when the darts, shaken by the maddened
bull, exploded with a terrific report, en-,
veloping him in a cloud of smoke from
the burning powder.
1.-THE wild cries of the people ard the
quick music of the band so enraged the
already furious animal that in spite Of
the efforts Of the toreros to draw him of
he boldly pursued his prosecutors about
the ring, who luckily escaped into one
of the little barbados.
"a tremendous crash was heard
SIN an instant all was sudden commo-
ton.
"a cry Of alarm!
what is it!
1.-THE railing of Senior Cortina's box had
given way and Carmelita had fallen into
the ring almost beneath the feet of the
bull, who was wildly paving, trying to
shake the darts from his neck.
1.-THE terror stricken people cried cut
in one voice:
" 'Iadre de Dois! Save her! Save her!
Carmelita! La hermosa Carmelita!
Gus position by handsome young Amer
lean, and the rest Of the book is devoted
to their love affair. 1t follows the~pre-
scribed channel for true love and runs
very roughly.
Incidently there is a description of life
on the plains, Indians, greasers, and
lottery drawing.
In the last chapter Evelyn Adams calls
it true story of the romance of 16,-
547.'' She further explains that she did
not use the real names of the disting~
uished parties, but that the famous bull
fight and the happy ending are matters
Of local history. Possibly the most
unique feature in the book Is the part
of it that is devoted to the lottery. Miss
Adams adds in the epilogue:
'In the light of such revelations, a lot
terry is merely a method whereby one
seeks to learn the will Of Providence in
individual cases. At all events. Richard
and his happy wife so regard the origin
to bless the chance that assured their
happiness"
Money figures In the book in way
to put it in contempt. The StTaVing Wo-
man who was writing it did not extoI
the delights of luxuries or dwell upon the
horrors of want. The hero and the hero
inc are not afraid of poverty. 1t is the
hard-hearted father who demands that
his son in law shall possess wealth
Even the faithful old darkey the servant
of the hero. peremptorily refused $1,000
offered by his master, and indignantly
asks:
What de ole niggah want Oh money!"
Evidently Evelyn Adams, hungering for
fame, had no thought of wealth. For
that reason it never occurred 10 her TO |
write things that would sell
The story of the brief and tragic life |
Of Evelyn Adams reads ike the accounts |
in old-fashioned novels Of the struggles /
Of genius. Only in novels the struggles |
are usually crowned with success at the |
last. In life the end was starvation.
Evelyn lie Paugh Adams had lived a |
life She had known sorrow. |