The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-07
BOOK NOTES.
Various Items About Books Which
Are ATTRACTING Attention


Mrs Nancy Houston Banks new novel
has its setting in another corner of tho
Kentucky country which she loves 50 we'll
and which she has portrayed in the set
ting of her very successful story. Oldfeld
IN an probability ii Will be ready for pub
lication in May and a complete announce
ment will be made of its title at a later
cate by The Macmillan company.
William Dean Howens evidently has high
regard Tor Brand Whitlocks political no.
el, The Thirteenth District" In a re-
cent issue Of The North American Review
Mr.. HoWells declares that in this novel IS
eInoodled the very spirit Of American pol
ltlcs as politicians know It in all congress
slonal districts
A new volume from Mr.. James Lane Al
len IS promised by The Macmillan COM
pany sometime during the spring. Defin-
lte details about it have not yet been is
sued. but his publishers look upon it as
likely to prove the most important novel
that Mr.. Allen has yet written. and they
spects a departure from the current school
of American fiction
Bird-I.ore (The Macmillan companv) for
February contains an account of the sin
Of Australia. illustrated by photographs of
the remarkable structures which these
birds erect articles on tanning wild birds.
the results OF Christmas bird census and
a description of an .Anti-SparroW Food
shelf" which should ind favor with bird
/ lovers WhO-ar sparrow haters.
The corporate name Of the Bowen-DTer-
/ rin company. established in 1898 and fncOr-
+ porated in 1885. has been changed to the
! BObbs-M Merrill company thereby substitute
4 ing the name OF the president of the COM
pany for that Of the late Mr.. Silas t.
+ Bowen whose estate has had no interest
/ IN the business for number of years. This
change in the ownership or management.
nor does it involve any difference in the
/ policies and purposes Of the establishment.
t Mcclure Phillips & CO. have beer. an
nOuncing for publication in March a book
by Edith Wyatt under the title What s
+ Worth While These notices brought out
the fact that the title the publishers had
+ chosen for this novel was almost exactly
the same as the title of a series Of books
published by a Boston house. Mcclure,
Phillips & Co. thought it wise to change
the title. although the book was almost
ready Tor the press The volume viii now
/ be issued under the title Of True Love:
more fellcttous title since the sub-captiol
+ indicates the underlying humOr and satire
that eharacterlzes The work, which the
! first title did not. The book will be ready
about the middle of February.
In NO Hero" the early publication Of
which IS announced by Charles Scrfbner'
gether different vein than presented bv
+ sThe Amateur Craftsman and The
/ Shadow of the Rope" but with all the
/ vivid interest Of these and other former
novels. An Elton boy who has escaped
/ from his mothers Influence and has fallen
in love with q woman who is believed to
De an adventures IS the central 1gIre IN
Mr. HornungS new story. The scene is
laid in Switzerland. with a background OF
piquant hotel gossip, the narrative being
in the words of a friend Of the boys
mother who has undertaken the task OF
misunderstanding the lad. The result is as
unconventional as 1t is unexpected
Authors are noted for the peculiar times
. at which they choose to do their library
labors. As a rule they select some portion
Of the highland q great many confess
that the hours after midnight, when the
rest of the world is asleep and stiffness
reigns. are the hours of their greatest fr-
spirations- s. Stewart Edward White how
ever champions the early hours Of the
morning His latest and most successful
book The Blazsd TraHs (AdcClure. Phil
lips q Coz. he says was all written be-
tween and o'clock a. N. He was living
in the heart Of the forest at the time and
after having done his stint from to Q
spent the rest of the day among the trees
on snow Shoes If the reader of the bOoh
seeks an explanation for its vivid descrip-
tions and it's wonderful fresh atmosphere
Of the woods. he can find it in the simple
fact that Mr. White was writing from the
midst Of the world he described.