Omaha daily bee., 1900-12-21
new BOOKS And MAGAZINES
0pie Read Writes q Novel Fssed on the Wa
in Texas,
OTHER RECENT VOLUMES IN FICTION
Army Of Holiday Literature Keeps On
Growing I'm voiume-Rush Vow
About tOver-BookseIIersB Busy
supplying the Trade.

In his latest work. I'm the Alamo" opie
Read has touched his highest point. which
is saying much OF the author of "a Yankee
from the West" and THE Waters Of Caney
Fork" 1t is dignifed, historically with
the heroism OF those immortal Americans
who fought and died in the battle Of the
Alamo, but laid the foundation Of the early
expansion of the United States territory.
But the strength of the book is in the
psychological element, wherein the author
depicts the effect of the Grand Passion"
on a wholesome middle aged man of the
world. Mr.. Read has again and again and
many times proved his power to interest
lovers OF romance. but I'm the Alamo"
excels any other work OF his In humor,
pathos and the portrayal OF a dignihed, all
conquering love when IL assumes absolute
monarchy over mature and strong heart ed
man. Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago. Price,
1925.
Nelly Brown OF "April's Sowing" brings
to mind the Daisy Miller of Henry James
creation. She is a sweet young thing, all
frills and fluff and furbelows, who queens
It over an adoring father and mother and
almost breaks John Holmes big heart be-
fore she decides to marry him. Nelly is
not shallow, broadly speaking, neither is
she heartless or entirely superficial She
is simply the product Of unlimited worship
and little contradiction or restraint When
the crucial moment comes she casts aside
coquetry and selfshness and gives herself
to her lover regardless OF his poverty and
not questioning his past. At the beginning
OF this novel the reader is almost certain
to conclude that Miss Nelly is going TO be
silly and tiresome. In Gertrude Halls
hands she develops unexpected though not
improbable strength and depth and con-
tinuing all the time her charming will
fulness. Mcclure, Phillips & Co., New
York.
Life Publishing company has brought
out very neat little holiday volume OF
sketches, bearing the title, Half Por-
tions,' which will be found very appro-
priate as holiday gift book 1t is hand
somely and profusely illustrated and the
sketches have to do principally with those
little social or society events which are
both amusing and very readable 1t is ilst
the kind OF a book to pick up for an idle
half hour. Life Publishing company, New
York
Tho Soul OF the Street" by Norman
Duncan. is a collection OF correlated stories
OF the New York Syrian quarter. The sto-
ries. some OF them hardly more than
| sketches, are entertaining as depicting a
little known phase of life in the great me-
tropolis and II will be found a very inter-
esting volume to pick up during an idle
half hour. Mcclure. Phillips e. Co., New
York. Price, S125.
n oil 1ieh me \
the record of an English woman's
love contained in series Of nearly 1Oc
letters. Over half OF them were written
| during the heighth of her happiness. The
remainder covering the short period OF her
mysterious alienation from her betrot h ed
| up to the time of her death, were found
and sent to him. They have been given
| IN their entirety, save that. for the sake
| or privacy the names OF persons and To-
| cations have been altered and few notes
omitted. Aside from these they stand ms
| they were written. The authorship must
remain unstated, that being the necessary
| condition to the publication. No one Is
able to Withstand the truth that this chron
icle OF dead woman's undylng and perfect
devotion carries with it. The chief charm
lies in the candor and lack of reservation
with which the letters are written. Double
day, Page Co. New York. Price, $3.50.
Some Short Stories" Is a collection OF
stories by such standard and popular au-
thors as Seumas MacManus, Julien Gordon
| MRS. Van Rensselaer, Cruger), Richard lc
Gallienne, John Strange Winter, %" (Quil-
Ter Couch), Octave Thanet Marguerite
Merington Grant Allen and John a. Beckett
Each is masterpiece in its way and to.
| gether make up a string OF literary gems
which are just delightful reading. Mum
ro's Publishing House, New York Paper
25 cents.
"Crittenden: A Kentucky Story OF Low,
and War" by John Fox, jr, Is a tale OF tn,
war with Spain. The hero, a youthful Ken
tuckian, goes to the war at the call of the
president sees hot service at Santiago
and returns safe to his own home and the
girl he left behind him The scenes, Incl.
dents and battle pictures make a most In.
| teresling story of II, and those who begiI
its perusal are not likely to lay the bool
down until they finish the last page
Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.
| Sister Carrie" Is the title OF a yolum,
by Theodore Dresser, which may be best
described as a novel OF city life IL tells
the story OF a girl who comes TO the city
from a little country town; how she fail,
to find employment, finally falling into the
hands of travelling salesman, and detail,
her subsequent life. While 1t describes un
mistakaby one side or phase Of city lif,
and tells a story that is undoubtedly Otter
repeated in real life In every city. It I,
| No n hp Mt ha