The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-08

= He World .0 Books 's*-



 In the revival of romance, which has been a feature of recent years, MT. Scol- lards place is already well defined His work as a novelist displays the same qualities-grace. refinement and clarity of style--that characterizes his poems to- gether with the marked gift for strong and sustained narrative. His latest book Count Falcon of the Eyrie,' Published by James Pott X Co.,, New YorEO is full of what all romantic tales should have, spirit It moves and il moves rapidly. There is a gallant hero, and there is at least one fair lady, and their adventures are many and stirring Although the vol ume has been published but short time, it is attracting much attention and prom ises to attain to the same success as MT. Scollards previous efforts in the line of fiction"
 The first plea in literature for kindness to animals seems to be in the rediscov- cred "Qpatrains of Abu'l-Ala." the great Arab poet of the tenth century, trans- lated by Ameen F. Rihani, and just pub lshed by Doubleday, Page x Co. One quatrain runs,
 Hunt not the beast, o be thou more hu-
 mane
 Since hunter here nor hunted long re-
 main;
 The smallest grub life has in it which Thou canst not take without inficting
 pain"
 The resemblance to the work of Omar Khayyam. born about the time of the H. cism and pessimsm is so strong that 1t would seem that the Tent-maker was considerably influenced by Abu'l-Ala. For instance, the earlier poet says:
 "Tread lightly for a thousand hearts un-
 seen
 Might now be beating in this misty green; Here are the herbs that once were pret-
 ty cheeks.
 Here the remains of those that once have
 been"
 The 'rent-maker uses the same mater ialistic idea with almost identical imag- cry:
 And this reviving Her, whose Tender Pledges the River-Lip. on which we An, lean upon 1t lightly for who knows From what once lovely lip 1t springs un-
 seen"
 Although the moon has not yet been thought of a real estate speculation, 1t is such a near neighbor of ours that it is pleasant to know all about its vege- tation and canals, and temperature Prof. wm. H. Pickering's "The Moon" to be brought out next month by Double, Page X Co.,. tells of these things in popular way. and in fact. of all the recent dis coveries-the snow. atmosphere water, and so on. The book will give the differ ent lunar superstitions, myths and fam cies. The appearance of the surface of the moon. it seems, changes considerably with it's age. A notable feature of the book will be one hundred photographic plates, showing the moon at five different ages. and constituting the only complete and accurate atlas in existence.
 Someone who had read "A Chlds Let ters to Her Husband" recently from the press of Doubleday. Page X Co.,. asked the author, Mrs. Helen Waterson Moody if the letters were real. She replied that lin a sense they were entirely veritable Little Virginia did live and write letters to an imaginary husband, and there is scarcely an incident in the whole record that did not occur exactly as Virginia tells it."
 
 To be an important and. active railroad official and a student. traveller and au- thor as well is a remarkable combination. The late C. A. Higgins. whose "To Cal ifornia and Back Is just from the press of Doubleday. Page X Company has de- scended all the trails of the Grand Can yon of Arizona camped for weeks in the inner gorge, and also on the rim. Beside this he was initiated into one of the most mysterious and exclusive Moki secret cieties and had an intimate knowledge of both ancient and modern Indian life in the southwest. These are the sort of things his new book tells about, which is, besides, a complete guide to travellers. The late Frank Norris wrote some good short stories and important essays, as well as The Octopus" and "rhe Pit" which is still one of the best selling nov els in the United States. The Publishers, Doubleday, Page X Co., have just issued these in the two volumes, "A Deal in Wheat and Other Stories" the first edi- ton of which was exhausted before pub lication, and "The Responsibilities of the Novelist" and a complete uniform me- morial edition of all of his works as well. The elaborate dramatization of 'rhe Pit promises to be one of the important plays of the season. It will be produced this season in Chicago. the city Norris has pictured with the hand of a great artist. This photograph has heretofore never been published, and is considered in some respects the best one of him.
 The quatrains of the Arab poet. Abul- Ala the forerunner of Omar Khayyam. by which the tentmaker was evidently greatly influenced have just been trans lated into English for the first time by Ameen F. Rihan, na- tive of Syria. and Doubleday Page & Company have published them. MT. Rihani was a travelling actHr for 2 time in this country and after Wat a law student Then he went back ho'1e to the wild mountab of Syria and tati,ht Eng fish to the .onks and priests, learned Arabic frow them, and so found out