The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-24

hooks AND AUTHORS.

An interesting little story attaches TO
the publication of the new cheap edition Of
Hawthome's House of the Seven Gables.
A long and fruitless search was MADE Tor a
house or the picture of house which should
adequately reproduce the old mansion of
which Hawthorne wrote 30 convincingly.
No such house ever existed except in the
Imagination of Hawthorne, where, however.
it was builded on firm foundations. Having
sought in vain for a house to reproduce.
Mrs. II. \. Davidson, author Of the Study
Guide Series. conceived the idea Of having
an architect construct the picture Of the
house from specihca tions culled from the
book itself Consequently, this edition of
the story, which ia published by Houghton.
Miflln q Co. has, so far IA is known, the only
real picture OF tho house of Hawthone's
INN gination. There are also pictures Il
several Salem houses which stood in Haw-
thorno's time, including Deliveranco Park
man and Lewis Hunt houses and the Curwen
house, n many gablod Salem mansion.
William Benjamin Smith, author Of the
recently published book on the rnce prob
lem "The Color Line, is a kentucdan-the
son of farmer, who spent his youth on
his fathers farm. but acquired his academic
training at Kentucky University. Since
that time he has studied in the great literary
centres Of Europe attending lectures in
Paris. Rome and Florence aud obtaining
his PHI. ID. at Goettingen. He Is familiar
with Dutch. Swedish, Hebrew. Syrian
and Assyrian. and thoroughly at home
in the literature Of Greece, Rome, Germany,
France, Italy and England. He now holds
the chair of mathematics at Tunne Cniver-
! sity. and Ia the author Of several important
! books on mathematics, as well az notable
pamphlets on economic subjects. HIS
I familiarity with the sciences Of anthro-
/ pology. psychology and sociology has en-
| abled him to write as one having authority"
| on the race problem. which il one OF the
r.ost vital questions Of the day
All the profits on Secretary Palmer's
book on THE New York Public School"
are TO be turned over TO the Public School
Teachers Retirement Fund. The book
will he Of interest 10 educators in that it is
n simple and straightforward account Of
the evolution Of tho schools from their
smnll beginnings in 1893 20 the present
time with special details concerning the
changes in the educational system since
Greater New York was created.
John s Wiae's new book. tine Lions
Skin. which comes out next week is n
new kind of Reconstruction novel. dealing
svmpathetcaly with the negro problem.
Although a Yirginan and a Southerncr,
he looks upon the negro az man and a
brother and regards sympathetically the
means for hrs regeneration and elevation.
While The Lions Skin il not strictly
autobiographical it deals with stirring
events in which Capt. Wise himself has
participated Few Americans are better
known than this author. orator raconteur
and story writer, His book The Eud
of the Era went into fourteen editions
Capt Wise Is the son OF Henry A. Wise,
the noted Governor Of Virginia who com
manded a division in the Confederate army
Tho recent unpleasant incident which oc
CURED at a banquet concerning tho intro
duction OF Capt Wise was founded upon
change in the Captains political convc
tons Party lines are wiped out in litera
ture. but they will not lie forgotten in the
present generation by the Southern mer
who fought in the great conflict
Avad A Ghazuli, an Egyptian. enRag GEE
in the work Of the MEDICAL department OF
the University Of Cincinnati has applied
, TO the publishers Of Ben Hur' for per
mission to translate the work into Arabic
Mr. Ghazu has translated q number OF
works, including Spencer's History of
Philosophy" 1t is his opinion that there
Il need for inst such a book as Ben Iur,
which he describes AS zone Of the most in
attractive and interesting books Of this age,
in tho Egyptian church Of which he is Z
member
: Wien Mr Percevnl Landon, author o
! -The OPENING of Tibet accompanied
Col Younghusband to Lhssa, it was il
\ tho capacity Of the Tines correspondent
, and II was to Mr. Iandon that Col. Young
/ husband intrlsted the first batch OF de
> spatches TO Lord Curzon in India. Mr.
! Iandon covered the distance OF 900 mile
in eleven days and three hours, journey
r which although teset with danger anC
|