The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-24
BOOK NOTES.

Scribners have just published a novel
BY Maxim GorIxy. entitled 'Foma s Cor
Of Maxim Csorly to reach the American
public is announced as ready by the au-
Cforlzy, as every body knows by this time.
is the young Russian whose tremendously
are the literary sensation Of the day not
only in his native Russia but throughout
ered by the English speaking world last
spring. and the English periodicals have
been filled with his romantic story ever
since. F'oma Gordyeef was chosen for
Gorky's American debut because it is gen.
orally considered to be his strongest
work. The title is the name of the hero
Foma being Russian for Thomas It is a
of the heros character as developed from
childhood amid incidents and scenes typ1-
cal OF the merchant class along the Voiga-
IL Is A !; i, o. tiS niefnTs ~ acts1ai life
tremendous in its realism. Gorky's trans
lator is Isabel Florence Hapgood, an au-
thoritative Russian scholar whose trans
too well known to particularize here His
publishers are Charles Scribner's Sons,
whose cabIed appointment such was
viii he renaeYnbered that C5orISv began to
write little more than three years ago.
Before that he was tramp IN the inter-
walls between jobs, his jobs consisting Of
anything that would buy him bread and
beans and running the gamut from river
boating to SAUSAGE peddling-
.sFrolics of the A B c. is a beautiful
nursery book from the press of Laird &
1t
Ostrander and r. w TIirchert, the TALENT
ed illustrator, the author and designer OF
great success of last years Christmas
season, whose popularity has been grow
CT is, of course, an alphabet book, but in
scope, contents and make up 1t is radical
the kind EVERY letter IS representa- mere
as a tiny sprite, whose adventures are
told in a clever, witty and easily reineln-
bered jingles. The. special merit Of the
book is its simplicity and its purity OF
dlct1on winch renders II SO qulcHy uilI ie5ti-
stood and at the same time nus lne chilu 8
mind with just that class of words which
ought TO pc known Itst II Is d rare IISs.e
to meet with a baby book that IS not SHY;
but, the contrary, 50 attractive and
sure to please mothers and children alike
The letter sprltes created py the 3ut!lor
quarto and each page is little gem Of
cOlOring. There are ten cOlOrS used
cover designs are just lovely. and the lit
tie tots have truly an exceptional treat IN
store for them; (Boards, cloth back, illus-
trated in colors. fancy wrappers, q
cents-g
The American Publishing Co. of Detroit
! has just published LIE Roman D Une
Pussie Chat" by Frederick Rogers, d: z;
L. The scenes of the story, which IS told
ia four acts, are laid in the wilds Of New
/ Ontarlo. ana IN the land OF the NHrlI aSl
kins. The land Of the Grlmalklns IS reach-
ed by means of a subterranean cavern
leading from the northern shore Of Lake
! Superior, and at the time OF the story was
densely populated Its principal cities
were Mieauburg. PuSSieDurg, CatDurS-
etc, all being situated on the CataWaul
! and character during the first quarter OF
the nineteenth century, and will live as
an enduring monument to that early age
/ in Canadian history It is dedicated to
| the masters children and their TRENDS,
and is moral, humane, highly humorous
4 and intensely interesting to young and
4 old.
Mr. William Allen White has returned
| from LaWton. where he went to Write
| for the Saturday Evening Post of Phila-
| delphia the story of the opening of the
/ of the mushroom city that sprang up IN
a night is of striking and timely interest
| Lord Ba1four of Burleigh, secretary for
| Scotland. and Lord Rector OF the UnlVer-
| sity of Edinburgh, will contribute to the
| early number of the Saturday Evening
/ Post of Philadelphia, a paper of official
| significance on Carnegie's gift to Scot
| land. Lord Balfour is one Of the trustees
! of the millions Mr. Carnegie has given &c
the Scotch universities
Opie Reads "OId Ebenezer' is to be
! dramatized Laird & Lee announce thai
| one of the leading New York playwrights
| is now busy dramatiZing odd Ebenezer,
| one of the brightest stories from the per
| of that excellent western novelist Op1e
| Read. This is the third tale of this pop
| ular author, issued by these publishers
| that will have the honors of the stage
1 It's predecessors 1.-THE Jucklins." and
! The Carpetbagger,' both met with great
| success and held the boards for several
| seasons. There is no reason to doubt
1 lucky. as the situations in the novel are
! strong and the characters finely draW WI
as well as highly humoristic-