The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-30

sl.5o. Gife Publishing Company. New York)
 The mystery which is the foundation of Mr. Mitehells new romance is hinted at early in it's pages. and at once arous- es the readers interest. Notwithstand- ing a generous use of the authors we'll known sense of fun and his delicious way of dealing with the sentimental re- lations between young persons of oppo- site sexes. the mystery is the dominant note. It would be unfair to the reader to give any hint of just what it is or to reveal it's solution; it is enough to say that Mir. Mitchell has embodied in 'The Villa Claudia" a thoroughly new idea and has handled it in a way to hold the readers close attention to the very end. The scene of the story is laid at villa in modern Tivoli. the town which in the time of Horace was Tibur and was the favorite dwelling place of the jolly Lat in poet. His Sabine farm was near by, and in many of his verses he celebrates this delightful locality. The classic spirit is preserved by frequent quota tions from and allusions to the poet, and still more classic flavor is given to the book by numerous engravings of scenes and objects connected with Ti- bur- The characters, however, are all modern and mostly American.
 All in all, The Villa Claudia" is a de- lightful medley of antiquity and moder- nity, sentiment and humor. with deci- ded dash of good sense and philosophy.
 A curious fact noticed by publishers and authors is the cumulative effect on the public of an authors work. The result Is that the more books an author puts out-provided they are not disap- pointing-the greater the sale of each one. For instance, the announcement of Mfr. J. A. Mitchell's new book, "The Villa Claudia has stimulated the de- mand for his previous successes, .'The Pines of Lory," Gloria Victis," and Amos Judd" The new readers of these in turn spread the demand for ''The Villa Claudia" and so it works in a sort of endless chain, each new work increasing the sale of the others, and in directly its own.
 "Tomfoolery," collection of draw ings, limericks and remark sketches by James Montgomery Fqagg, Gife Pub fishing Company bids fair to become as famous as Lear's classical Nonsense Book MT. Flagg's drawings are ire sistibly funny, and his limericks have the virtue of being something more than simply plays on the curious spelling of the English language. "Tomfoolery" is in the press, and Will be issued by Life Publishing Company about the middle of May.
 Tn Merry Measure" Tom Masson's collection of society and sentimental verse, is announced for publication June first by Life Publishing Company.
 Doubleday, Page and Company report that they have received a letter from the French minister of public instruc- tion stating that he has subscribed for a certain number of copies in French of Booker T. Washington's autobiogra- phy, Up From Slavery. This is an honor that the French ministry be- slows only on books considered as hav- ing some educational value for the chill dren of the public schools and the read- CTS of libraries
 Doubleday, Page and Company report that H. D. Hemenway's How to Make School Gardens has been recommend ed for use in the public schools at Pa nay, Philipine Islands. It is a practi- cal manual for school gardening, writ +o,, ho., 1s,o ,a,,;et
 A new novel is announced by Thomas Dixon, Jr., author of "The One Woman" and 'The Leopard's Spots. It is said to be, in a way, a companion to his first book, and is entitled "The Clansnlan." Mir Dixon's purpose here is to show that the original formers of the Ku- Klux Klan were modern knights errant. taking the only means at hand to right wrongs. The book will bear the imprint of Doubleday, Page and Company sApropos of MT. Dixon, his "Leopards Spots" is reported to be well in it's sec- ond hundred thousand, while HThe One Woman" is passing the one hundred thousand mark.
 "The Effenli, the new book by Flor ence Brooks Whitehouse, author of ''The God of Things a novel of the Nile country, is laid in the Soudan. The prologue of the romance deals with the siege of Kartoum and the death of the hero, Gordon, and the epilogue with the retribution which England exacted from the Arab hordes. Between the two is placed stery of love and adven-