The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-13
HOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Andy Adams, the veteran cowman author
/ speaking TO an old friend concerning tho
! correctness of the grammar in his book
frankly confessed that he didn't understand
how he managed it himself. since, at the
cross roads country schoolhouse where
he obtained the little education he picked
up grammar was not q favorite study be-
cause the book contained no pictures On
the trail In later life reading was confined
strictly to paper novels and newspapers
ak weeks old. Since that time Bet Harte
and Jack London are Mr.. Adams's fayorite
authors. Why j write correctly is just
plain mystery to me, he says. It's like
man who sits down at the piano and with
out knowing one note from another PLAYS
correctly, that's the way with me. I've
got phonetic eye. know 1 don't always
speak correctly, but somehow can't write
bad grammar. ltlooks queer Mr.. Adams
Is now at work on his fourth book entitled
THE Autobiography OF Cowman.-
Within tho first week after publication
Oscar Wilde's little volume. DE Profundis-
has gone 10 press for second edition.
Critics disagree as 10 tho significance Of
the book, some II them accepting it as n
pathetic and sincere expression OF a re-
pentant spirit and others regarding it as
one more exploitation of vanity and arti-
fcialty, and that the repentant prisoner
has written il with his tongue in hl4 check
However, it may be said TO furnish a final
chapter TO the episode of Nilde's life which
It profte'h little TO any one to remember,
and TO leave the world free TO appreciate
moro worthy achievements OF this most
extraordinary man.
"The Biographical Edition. OF Robert
louis Stcvensons works has an important
and unique feature which gives it distinctive
value. Mrs. Stevenson has prefxed to
each Of her husbands works an account
of the circumstances under which it was
written, with digressions and anecdotes Of
intimate and personal nature which throw
now light ON Steyensons life and person.
atty.
Tho Eternal Life" by Hugo Minister
berg, author OF Tho Americans differs
entirely in substance from Dr. William
OscG's essay on Science and Immortality"
Although he regards the subject from a
purely scientific standpoint, lie treats the !
matter in the form of conversat lon be- Z
tween two old friends sitting before an open
FIRE after the burial Of a common friend. I
Prof Mhnsterherg believes that "we be- I
long TO a world in which there is no past /
and no future, hut an eternal now: that /
our being Is forever part OF the absolute, /
that We .re immortal in essence but not /
in Individuality that We shall live forever /
just in so far as We have realized in our
lives absolute values through our devotion
to truth and beauty. to NOR ality and re
ligion." The solution Of the great prob
lem now 80 much studied Is significant in 4
value as coming from one Of the great
scholars in the field Of modern psychology
There ia much speculation in Boston
society as 10 who is the original Of the strik-
ing portrait which makes the frontispiece
Of THE Opal The work went into is
second edition in less than a week after
publication and is exciting much com
nent and conjecture as TO tho originals
Of the distinctly Boston types it presents
and the name Of its author, which is not
given.
Letters From the Raven new Hearn
book, published in aneiition strictly limited
to 1000 copies. contains some new and
information concerning the
writer and shows how utterly he despaired
at one time Of ever accomplishing anything
N his cho+eu line. Speaking of himself a;
one stage Of his career his says: When
| look INTO tho private histories Of the young
men who achieved success in the special
Inc / have been valnly endeavoring TO
'ollow to some termination. | find they
generally hanged themselyes or starved
o death while their publishers made enor-
nous fortunes and world wide regulations
lfter their unfortunate and ideali-tc Gus
omers were dead. There we're few ex-
,eptions. but the-e exceptions wero cases
II extraordinary personal vigor and vital
orce.