The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-08
BOOK NOTES.

! ears historical works viii lie the
seventh volume of The Cambrides
| lished by The Macmillan company on
| the first Of June. 1t will be remember
ed that the work, which was planned
by the late Lord Acton is to be com
pleted in twelve volumes. and that it is
hoped to publish two each year. The
appearance of this next volume is Of
more interest because it is the one deal
ing with THE United States" As in
the case of the other volumes. each por-
ton Of the work Will be contributed by
an expert Each chapter is thus the
product Of special research
are said to be the prominent character
/ istics Of Mr. James Lane Aliens new
/ book. THE Mettle Of the Pasture The
author has left the field of The Reign
Of Law and has gone back to the
/ genius and the atmosphere of his early
successes. Those who cared for The
4 Kentucky Cardinal and Aftermath n
will relish greatly this new story but
with the charm and the sweetness and
/ the delicious magnetism OF those two
/ tales are mingled stronger and more
virile qualities. isabel. the heroine. IS
memOrably described: As she Stroiled
around the garden under the cloudy
flush of the evening sky, dressed in
white, a shawl of white lace over one
arm. rose on her breast, she had the
exquisiteneSS OF long past, during
which women have been chosen in mar
riage for health, and beauty and chill
dren the power to charm. The very
curve Of her neck implied generations
of mothers who had valued grace. Gen
erations of forefa hers had impaired to
her walk and bearing, their courage and
their pride. The precision OF the eye
brow the chiselled perfection Of the nos
tril. the loveliness of the short red lip,
the well-erched feet, small, but sure OF
themselves, the eyes that were kind, and
truthful, and thoughtful, the sheen OF
!, yo-- 4,f h-r 81
nobly cast f1gure-an these were evi-
! dences of descent from a people that had
reached in her the purity. without hav-
4 ing lost the vigor, of one Of its highest
+ types" The Macmillan Company viii
publish Mr.. Aliens book on June q.
Anna Katherine Green Is one OF the
few American novelists whose stories
are liked by Europeans as we'll as they
are by her own people The fact that
she has a large reading public in Eng
land and that her new novel, The Fiji
gree Ball. will be published there this
fall is not unusual. However. its publi-
cation by a large firm in Berlin for
whom DIR. BerthOld A Baer is making
the authorized German translation, and
a French edition to be brought out in
Paris, the very home Of the mystery
story, testify to her wide appeal and to
the high esteem in which this authors
work is held. 'The Filigree BaIl'' is the
first of her books to win French recog-
nition-
The following is from Harper's
Eugene Field has told. in his poem.
The Stoddards.' how he and the vet
eran poet who has just died-both oI
whom could remember the very birth
Of American poetry-would sit for
hours
praising without restraint
The people who are thoroughbreds. and
roasting the ones that amt.
The deans" likes and dislikes were
six weeks ago I told Mr.. stoddard the
! best anecdote I had ever heard about
him. It was credited to his family
physician and longtime friend. Dr.
Daniel NJ. Stfnson- and was to the
effect that the poet. while endeaVorins
TO procure an fmpromptU luncheon for
a number of friends after Mrs. Stod-
dard and the servants had retired.
found a box of sardines. His somewhat
vigorous remarks, inspired by a sardire
cans objections to the open sesame"
of a dull jackknife. attracted the atten-
/ tion Of Mrs. Stoddard on the floor
above
what are you doing?" she called
down.
Opening a can of sardines-9
With WHAT"
"A dashed old tack-knife." cried the
exasperated poet What did you think
I was opening it WITH"
We'll. dear she said. dryly 4 didu't
exactly think you were opening it with
praverF
Mr. Stoddard laughed heartily. and
declared that the story was base fab
rica ton but it is so characteristic in al
details that l am confident his recol-
lection and not the story was at fault
Mr.. Stoddard's first book. 'sFcot-
prints published in 1s49 so little set
isfed him that he burnt all but few
copies. And I see" he added. after
describing the incident that some
dashed fool paid S63 for one of them the
other davl"