Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-06-13
THE LATEST BOOKS

For the first time the world is to
have that priceless human document
certainly the most important book OF
our generation-the Autobiography OF
Dreyius. Five Years OF my Life
which Mcclure. Phillips & Co. publish
April 30, is Alfred Dreyius' own ac-
count OF his trial. condemnation, degre-
dation. martyrdom, and liberation.
Ever since the dramatic incident Of
the Rennes courtmartial, September,
1899. when Dreyfus, Infatuated beyond
control by Mercier's pitiless accusa-
tons. leaped to his feet and in an
|agonized shrek demanded declaration
OF his innocence. there has been uni
versal demand for the mans personal
story. But for many months he was
unequal to the task.
Dreyfus returned from his awful exile
on Devils Island physical wreck. The
lamented Stevens descibcd him as an
old, old man OF thirtynine,' with hair
gone white as silver" from whose lips
the words fell as from the lips OF
cornse." Such man could not pos
siby have written an intelligent MARIA
tive. All he could say was, Il am in
nocent' Had he written, he would
merely have reiterated this assertion
After his liberation Dreyfus retired
to Cologny. a village in Switzerland,
near Geneva. There, surrounded by
his heroic wife and loving children, he
sought to regain. in a measure. the
health and strength which his Danish
ment had cost him. And with his re-
turning physical powers he took up the
writing OF his autobiography. complet-
ing it only last February. This he has
dedicated to his children For them
and for his wife he endured all things
uncomfortable; for those who bore his
name he lived, that theirs light once
again be an nonored name.
When Dreyius was safely landed on
Devils Island-that barren rock near
the equator-he was given numbered
sheets OF paper, that he might write to
his wife. Thus he was able to begin.
April II, 1895, what he called in the
first entry the diary OF sad and tragic
lie. This diary is revelation of the
character of the man. Such extra
ordinary pluck and grit, such bulldog
purpose to prove innocence, such deter
mination to live, when to die would
have been much easier, are not con-
tanned in any other record of human
suffering.
The diary was continued until Sep
TENDER TO- 1896 when disease and tor
ture drove him to conclude it with an
appeal to the President Of the French
Republic. Dreyfus thought that death
was near, and he rcquestd that the
diary be given to his wife. by her to
be published after his death. 1t was
seized with his papers later in the
year. and was never given to his wife.
He recovered it at the Rennes trial, and
the diary is published for the first time
in the autobiography.
Messrs. Harper G. Brothers will be-
gin Immediately the publication, once a
month, OF Portrait Collection" Of
short stories, thus called because the
dainty cover design will be signalzed
by portrait OF the author whose work
lies between the covers. The first
volume will be "a Pair of Patient
Lovers and is gathered from the
work OF Mr.. William Dean Howclls.
The second volume of short stories
will be from the pen OF Lillian Bell,
with the title Sir John and the Amcri-
can Girl Lillian Bell, it has been said.
knows the American girl from the soul
out" and has had exceptional opportu-
mites OF observing the genus abroad.
We are given to understand that the
American girl in Europe is different
species from Mr.. Henry James's carly
conception; i. is certainly a far cry
from Daisy Miller to Edith Joyce. the
American girl who captures the elderly
Sir John and innoccntly enrages his
wife. Miss Bells racy novel. "The Ex-
patriates," we understand, is still in
great demand