The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-24
BOOK NOTES.
Various Items About Books That Are
Attracting Attention.

fact that Far from the Maddening
Girls" just published by Mcclure,
written by the late Guy Wetmore
Carryl, should take its place among the
gayest and most amusing bits of fiction
tnat the season has produced. The
plot of the story is not particularly
original, for most people have read
about the man who looks upon woman
as the root of all evil and who makes
his home in a secluded spot firmly re-
solved to keep "far from the madden
ing girls" And everybody knows just
what the inevitable outcome of this
resolution must be. Nevertheless,
those who want to discover some of
the hidden possibilities in the method
OF treating this plot should read Mr..
CarryPs story, which fairly bubbles
teaches the lesson that it is not we'll
for man to be alone. One of the best
things in the book is the distinction
Mr.. Carryl makes between a single
thoroughly authentic bachelor under
five thousand year. Short of that
income. one may, of course, remain
unmarried; but to remain unmarried
means nothing more than to be a
single man."
airy Smart Set is THE Coming of the
King a story of Provence, by Frances
Aymar Mathews. Among the other 81
contributions are short stories by
George Barr McCutcheon, Gustav
Kobbe, William r. Lighton, Emery
Pottle, Rupert Hughes, Clinton Dan
gerfeld, and Gin French) Marcel Pre-
vost; poems by Carolyn Wells. Arthur
Stringer, iona Gale, and John Vance
| Cheney, and an essay "Aloes and Am
brosia." by Edgar Saltus.
The Christmas scribner's is rich in
color illustrations and in pictures in
black and white. The frontfspiece, in
Golors. is from a drawing by Ma5fieId
Ericsson. There are also eight pages
in very rich color, showing scenes
from the old ballads. drawn by
tributes a beautiful illustration in
color of a mother and child; and
Walter Appleton Clark's sketches of
an old French village at Christmas
time are reproduced in tint.
Among the new Macmillan books
are: Sunny Sicily. It's Rustics and
wrote Mexico as 1 Saw IT,; Familiar
London Painted by Rose Barton" the |
first presentation in color of the char |
acteristic features Of outdoor life in
London; Japanese Illustration: q |
History of the Arts of Wood Carving |
and Color Printing in Japan" new edi- |
ton, revised, enlarged and richly illus |
Who, 1905"; who's Who Year Book, |
1905; 1.-The DOG" by G. E. Milton,
in the series of diverting Animal Au-
Will COlOIG0 441uSlIo-
tons; the life of de Quincy" by
Henry S. Salt, in Bells Miniature Sc
ries of Great Writers; 1.-THE Art of
Creation" by Mr. Edward Carpenter;
choly." in the York library; THE
Hardy Country" by Charles G. Har-
per; 1.-THE Kings Homeland" another
Typographical" book. by, w. A. Dutt;
nd the lesser author Of y Adven aeTs
Among Pictures; 1.-THE Temple Clas-
sizes Magazine" new little magazine
ticles about volumes in that now ia
nous series; and the first volume of
Mr.. Austin Dobson's fine new edition
of 1.-THE Diary and Letters of Madame
D'Arblay."
Mr.. Howells, who has settled at San
Reno for the winter writes home to
at times on q born-and-bred Amer
lean. you have no idea" he writes.
how sick one gets OF sunshine and
elm tree shuddering in a good old
northeasterly storm"
If ever a literary success was
earned by hard work, General Wallace
earned it with Ben-Hur. He first
started the book as a novelette, which
he intended to offer to Harper's Mag
far outgrew the original design, and
occupied it's author for seven years.
Full as it is with the most graphic
pictures of Palestine, it is difficult to
realize that General Wallace had never
been in that country when he wrote
the novel. The general was recently
asked how he accomplished such Won
derfu1 results, and replied as follows:
ct doubt if any novel has ever had
more careful studies for its back
ground and life than those made for
would be criticised by men who had
devoted their lives to Biblical lore and
I studied Palestine through maps and
books. I read everything in the way
had scores of maps and
worked with them about me. My
best guide was a relief map of PaleS-
tine made in Germany. This was hung
on my wall, and by means of 1t took
my characters through the passes of
the mountains and up and down the
hills, measuring their daily travel by
the scale of miles. I also made studies
of the bird and animal life of the time I
and place."
Worlds Work is a remarkable photo {
graph of President Roosevelt standing /
with John Muir, the celebrated nat t
uraIist, on Glacier Point overlooking s
the Yosemite valley in California. The ,
first of the richly illustrated articles ]
is an explanation of the work of John s
W. Alexander, the painter by Charles (
H. Caff1n. In 1.-The Railroads Death
Roll" Leroy Scott shows how most of
the accidents" could be prevented
which kill 10000 persons a year and t
njre $4,000 more. The effects of the s
opening of the Panama canal on the I
of trade are discussed by @
Atherton Brownell in New Ways c
About the World
t
The January number of Country Life V
IN America starts the year with one of o
he best issues in its history The tar b
pom pictures, illustrating the first ar II
-iCIQ entitled 1.-THE Thrilling Snort of l. III
rarpon Fishing" are some of the most U
remarkable Illustrations of life and ac- il