The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-18

- tromo" and his scenes stand out like etchings in the memory.
 Gertrude Smiths new story for small children, Little Precious was pub lished by the Harpers on September 10. It will be illustrated and bound as a companion volume to the authors "rhe Reggie and Reggie Stories "The. Low able Tales of Fancy and Fosey and Foe, and 'The Stories of Peter and Ellen" Miss Smith has made a special study of the storytelling style best fitted to catch and hold youthful attention.
 The startling incidents which Robert W. Chambers has used to such good and effective purpose in his book "In Search of the Unknown" are rivalled by actual occurrences in the authors own corre- spondence. Once a woman bombarded him with letters for an entire year, say ing that she was spending her fortune to buy up and destroy all of his books, because "The King in Yellow had made her crazy, ominously adding that as soon as her money gave out she was coming to his home to murder him. MT. Cham bers, in telling this story, remarked that he was pleased to see that her money still holds out" Another time a man sent him a model of a machine, declaring, with paths, that the author must pay ten thousand dollars for the privilige of inspecting it, or he would have him poisoned. MT Chambers has a ton of crank letters that are curious enough to be bequeathed to a museum for use in studying the human mind in all it's va garies.
 Harper X Brothers published on Sep tember 15 new romance by Roy Rolfe Gilson author of 'In the Morning Glow" and When Love Is Young" The title is alluring-"The Flower of Youth" It's hero is man who fails to gain worldly success, but finds in his home and books the true happiness. The interpretations or child life. that occur in the story are as sensitive and telling as all MT. Gilsons work on that line for which, indeed he has become well known. His work is serene In it's atmosphere and he writes of the byways of domestic life rather than of the crowded highways.
 Ellen Douglas Deland, whose new story for girls and boys, Josephine, is just issued by the Harpers, was born at Lake Mahopac, N. Y. She is the author of
  pie, of which the best known "Oakleigh" and Allan Ransford." In addition to her books Miss Deland has contributed to the magazines. Her home is in Bos- ton, but she is passing the summer at Dedham, Mass.
 Gertrude Atherton, auth,r of Rulers of Kings" has recently returned to Munich from visit to the little village of Waal, where she witnessed an admirable pre- sentation of the Passion Play by the peasants. The play is given there with the same sincerity and simplicity as char acterized Oberammergau at the begin ming. The peasant players and poor Ia- borers and domestic servants, who cheer fully return to their work after the play Is over Mrs. Atherton and her party recognized in the principle character of the reverent performance the very cook who prepared their meals He was the rather of twelve children, eight of whom figured in the play The costumes of the actors were rich and beautiful
 MT Will N Harben, whose story, "The Georgians,' is just off the Harper press, mas returend to New York from the south, and will spend the winter there with his family
 Again fiction is Justified by life. The elopement of Princess Louise of Cohurg with Lieutenant Matassich- Kegleyitch. by the aid of an automobile recalls David Graham -..lllipss lively romance, Her Serene Highness," in which a similar ep- isode occurred. In the fictional incident the Princess Erica, as she was called. was disguised in the uniform of her fa- ther's household guards, and her lover failed to recognize her until they were escaping in the automobile, pursued bv her fathers soldiers. MT. Phillips makes a very stirring adventure of it.
 The connection between shorthand writing and the moral character has never been demonstrated. Now comes an interesting statement upon this point from a man who composed a succession novel in shorthand-Mr. Gardenhire. au- thor of Lux crucis," published last February. He writes thus to the Phono- graphic Magazine:
 T began the study of photography twenty-eight years ago. when I was twenty years of age, and acquired some competency during the succeeding five years of law study and a briefess prac- tice. It was of inestimable value to me during this period, as 1t afforded me an income, and wiuened my capacity for a better study of my profession. I dld general reporting business in the courts or St. Louis, and served albridge. Hol- land & Brown, a noted firm of general stenographers. A period as official stenographer added to my experience, and since that time have written short-