The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-03

Enchantment,' with which the vol
lfne opens, is the adventure of a lady
IN a closed carriage. Rather an i'm
pEoDaDle sort OF story, and one in
which we refuse to agree with the
nero In his infatuation of the rather
prazen young woman who was the
center Of a rich set, lacking in good
taste and breeding. 1.-The Blind Ma
Gonna is really the best story in the
book. In Is the author eleverly com
Dlnes mystery, love and adventure
most happily. A pretty moral adorns
the tale. mo Cinderella" is one of
the others 1.-TWO Candidates. and
work.
There is a vivid Japanese coloring
in THE Breath of the Gods. the new
novel by Sidney Mccall author of
Truth Dexter" announced for pub
lication by Little, Brown & Co. on
May 20. The heroine is Yulyf q Ian
anese girl, and many of the strong
scenes are laid in Japan. But there is
no sacrificing Of the dramatic story
TO an attempt at exposition; Japan is
not an aim, but an incident. The local
Asiauc color is used as spontaneously
as was the southern color in Truth
Dexter And yet it is in the side
lights which the author throws upon
the manners and customs of the
Asiatic islanders, their intense pa
triOtism, the strength of their love,
the tenacity of their social and re-
uStous ideals that a great service has
been rendered. It has been remarked
OF many books on Japan, even recent
ones, that they give little to explain
the extraordinary phenomenon, re-
Gently disclosed, of Japanese endur-
ances resourcefulness, and heroism. In
The Breath of the Gods" these traits
are the very terms in which the story
is told. In brief, it may be said of
the book that it brings together ade-
quately- in natural dramatic unity
vital elements from that east and that
west which, in the shrinking of the
world, are so fast becoming one.
Another novel by that popular Eng
lish author E. Phillips Oppenheim
entitled THE Master Mummer," is to
be published May Z by Little, Brown
& Co, Boston. Mr.. Oppenheim
knows how to keep his readers thor
oughly entertained and this new story
viii be counted among his most sue
cessful mysteries. 1t has an ingenious
plot and a steady stream OF romantic
and dramatic incident, with pretty
touches Of sentiment. The story opens
with the rescue of a charming girl
from a wicked baronet. Thereafter
me reScuerS have work enough for
their hands and wits in defending
IsObel de SOrrens from her enemies, 1
who are persons in high places, en-
trety interruptions and audaciOus.
Ihe description of ISObelS happy life
in the studio with her three self-ap-
pointed guardians, the mystery that
surrounds her, her strange expert
ences, and her ultimate fate, are all
SkIfully set forth, and will be found /
of absorbing interest to those who |
love story of action and romance. In /
construction, management, style, and
variety of incident. THE Master Mum |
mer" is one of the best stories of its
kind that has appeared.
Booth Tarkington's new book 1.-THE |
Beautiful Lady has been published
under the McClure-Phillips imprint
The Reilly & Britton company of
Chicago announce that they expect
Schuyler StauntOn's Fate of a
Crown" to create a sensation.
It adds an indefnable tang to the
interest OF a story to know that it's
characters are drawn more or less from
well-knOwn people. DisraeH took ad-
vantage of this fact in at least one
striking instance; and Mrs. Humphry
Ward has profted by it also. Edwin
Lefevre'S latest story, The Golden
Flood" viii acquire an added is crest
when the reader knows that the cap
tains Of finance concerned in the story
are big Wall Street figures of our time,
whom Mr. Lefevre in his position as
financial editor of the New York Globe
has had a chance to meet personally
and to observe closely. Mr. I.efeVre
gives no authority for the following
identihcatiOns, but it is suggested that
Richard Dawson, the banker, to whom
young Grinneu goes with his deposits
of millions in gold, has a prototype in
supposed to correspond to the Rookie
fellers; and Isaac Herzog is, in all prob
ability, Jacob schiH.
Tales" is the title of a new magazine
published at 2 West 4Oth street, New
York. 1t is devoted nearly entirely to
sranslations Of popular stories by for
eign authors. Here is the list of authors
In the first number: "Gyp'' Anatole
france, Maurice DOnnay, Alfred Capus,
Georges Maurevert, Jean Reibrach, Max
FISCHER CF'rench), Arthur Schnitzler,
Rudolf Strait Ernst Won Wolzogen,
Baroness Won Heyking (German) Maxim
GOrky (RuSsian). Mathilde SeraO 0tal-sl
lam, Daniel Fallstrom (Swedish) Emilia
Pardo Bazan (Spanish), Stephan To-
morkeny (Hungarian). and James HUI
neker (American)-
Miss Nfyra Kelly makes an amusing
distinction in her report of experiences /
during her recent trip to Cuba. She
was not very happy at the sugar plan
tatiOn in the country. where she ss1rs
that amy time Of night OF day the mill /
would set UP a howl if it was not fed
sugar cane" She says she much pre-
ferred Havana, with its terrible forts
painted yellow and pink" During the
summer MISS EHlly VIII contribute to {
1dcClure's another of the East Side child
stories. Requests for more have been
too many to resist
Three volumes of the new biographi- |
cal edition of Stevenson, published by
the Scribners, have already been issued; /
three more viii come out on May q, /
and four viii be published in June. The /
remaining fourteen will be brought out
during the summer, and the whole edi-
tion viii be completed before next Oc-
tober. For a convenient and portable
form and for satisfactory and attrac-
tive appearance, this edition has already
been accepted as a standard one Mrs.
Stevenson's fntrOductiOns to these books /
are a most valuable addition to our
knowledge Of her husband.
A friend who invited John Kendrick
Bangs to lunch with him the other day
.. - =