The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-17
BOOK NOTES.
Various Items About Books Which
Are Attracting Attention.

new novel 'I0e E1Ounu OF the BaSker-
viiles,' with its senai-supernatural plot
there has been a revival of ghostly an
imal legends in various parts of Eng
land. From one locality comes a story
81 a strange and gigantic beast which
left tracks of appalling hugeness upon
a blanket of snow, fallen over night.
Another county furnishes a legend of
the forties concerning the strange trail
Of an enormous biped which stalked
abroad by night dragging a ponderous
tail after it, like a crocodile stalking
upon two feet. Several other similar
bits of local lore have been revived re-
Gently in the London papers. by
blow OF the story IS found IN this cOun-
try, in the shape Of a letter recently re-
ceived by Mcclure, Phillips & Co., the
publishers of DR.. DOyle's novel. The
writer's name as Baskerville, and he
lives in the middle west. In ordering
copy Of the novel he intimates that it
was hardly decorOus of DR.. Doyle to re-
vive matters about a reputable family,
that were better forgotten There is no
doubt, he says, that his ancestors were
afflicted with the visitations ola strange
hound-demon, but as for Sherlock
Holmes, he doesn't believe that such a
person ever existed,
The Boston Herald says. that Dor
othy Vernon, the heorine of Mr.. Majors
new novel is certainly the most alive of
all recent n6TClneS. OHG IS a Net1IdDlG
delight after the bloodless, passionless,
modest, ineffective women who move.
or who are moved through the pages Of
recent popular novels The death knen
of the bIoodless heroine is sounded"
According to the same reviewer the
story has brains, 60 virility, gump-
ton. and originality.
In clever article on children's books
in a recent number of The RoOxman,
Carolyn Wells calls Gelett Burgess
s'Goops and How to be Them - the mod
ern prototype Of struwwelpeter.
Tt is likely that the coming spring
will be an unusually active one in book
selling circles. Among other important
authors, the following well-known writ
ers are to have new works of fiction
Frances Hodgson Burnett, Samuel Har-
den Church, Alfred Henry Lewis, Joan
| Oliver Hobbies (Mrs. Craigie), Max Penn
berton. Charles G. D. Roberts and Chas.
John A Mitchell, whose Amos Judd"
proved such a success in its new holiday
dress at Christmas time is the editor of
Life and an artist of marked ability
He has found time in spite of his ed
itorial work to Write half-dozeh
! books. one of which, besides Amos
Judd 1.-THE Last American" has at
tanned a great success. 1t has been on
/ the market nearly twelve years. and
still has a steady sale. 1t is most de-
/ lightful little conceit telling of the re-
! discovery of America in the year 295l
i It is dedicated To the American who
/ is more than satisfied with himself and
his country" 1t is published by the
Frederick A. Stokes company, New
York
Dorothy Dix has collected her Fables
of the Elite" which have been appear
ing in the daily press, and they will be
issued in book form together with Swim
nerton's illustrations, by r. T. Fenno q
Co, New York.
Sir John Lubbocks new book, THE
Scenery of England" is written with
all his old-time skill and charm. He
has a knack of putting things so
/ simply, that it is not necessary to have
much geological knowledge to enjoy his
book. His first famous book on the
Pleasures of Life" and his fascinating
work on Ants, Bees and Wasps," are
still fresh in our minds he Is one OF
| the few men who have the gift of max
ing science as entertaining as fiction,
It seems absurd to speak of him as Lord
Avebury; as Sir John Lubbock his
name has become a household word.
Apropos of the appearance of Ger
| trude Atherton's new novel 1.-THE Con
/ querOr," and comparing women novel
| lists with men nOvelists, Richard lie
/ Caffeine is of the opinion that the men
/ are easily the stronger writer's. But,
he saws "in my opinion there is only
| who can be mentioned with the men
/ noVelists-I mean, of course, the bigger
! men-and she is an American. Need /
say that l refer to Mrs. Gertrude Ath-
/ erton?"
Messrs. H. ". Fisher & Co. of Phila-
delphia, have in press Our Annual Exc
cution," a forgotten essay by William
| Makepeace Thackeray. This paper APP
peared in Fraser's Magazine. and con-
tains two Of Thackeray's ballads, The
Knightly Guerdon' and The Almack $
Adieu." 1t was reprinted with varia-
lions in the "Miscellanies" of Messrs
Fields, Osgood & Co, Boston, 1S69-1S70
but, it is claimed, has never appeared
elsewhere, and it has never been no
ticed by any of the photographers. hav-
ing escaped even the careful search OF
Mr.. c. P. Johnson through the pages OF
Fraser. Mr.. Williams, in his bibliog-
raphy appended to the photographed
Edition. of ThackeFay's works, declares
that the two ballads referred to did
not appear to have been published
anywhere previously" to the collected
edition of the ballads in 1855. In con
nection with this paper is another crit
zeal review, "A Word on the ANNALS
also from Fraser's Magazine, which has
been identified by Mr.. Johnson as
Thackeray's work, though it has never
been reprinted in either England OF
the United States up to this time the
issue of Messrs. Fisher & Co. being the
first reprint.
Maxim Gorky-Maximus the Bitter
IS the author of a volume OF short
stories published by Funk & Wagnalls
under the title of Tales from Gorky'
Some Of them have appeared in this
country before though the majority are
new to English readers. It cannot be
denied that the powerful pictures which
this perverted genius paints exist in the
mind of every reader. A peculiar man
indeed, but one who seems not to care
for the ways or the opinions of ths
world. His forceful style leaves nc
doubt as to the desire of the author q
impress every one with his sincerity
No one feels the better for perusing III;
exa limitations into the lower depths o.
things. yet there is an undeniable fascf
nation in his brutal portrayals. There
are nine of the tales, all dealing witt
Russian subjects.
Will BUY 4 TRUCK.