The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-21
BOOKS AND

The report that Mary Wilkins Freeman
drew the characters in her novel "The
Debtor" from hST ~neighborhood In Metuchen
Is decidedly denied by the author, who
says that TIE eSory was planned before
she came to Mer,kohen to live; and while
the town in y 3c2sSal way may nave served
as the model tSo sBNnbridge, the characters,
both p-tnMcaS Fna subsidiary, were sket ched
in detail Sone years ago. Mrs. Freeman
says fuTth:J That she should consider it
dishonorahb Is put her friends into any
book. y Uouti never steal the purse or
the pers 9.s1f,v Of one I knew. / should
regard other action in the same light"
DR.. Salecby takes a very optimistic view
Of the trend Of public morality, and believes
that man will one day become 80 adapted
to the social environment that right con-
duct will be as natural as the act Of breath
ing by reason Of the adaptation Of the
respiratory organs to the atmospheric
environment. I'VE may believe it possible"
concludes DR.. Saleeby hopefully in his now
volume on evolution, that in time to come
" sanity and virtuousness shall be
anonymous, and wrongdoing be regarded az
the mark of a rare and terrible disease
John Oliver Hobbies is to write a novel
In which one of the leading characters
will be an American. Most Of the authors
literary life has been spent in England,
and the inspiration for her stories has been
drawn from English society. Her recent
visit to her native land has evidently fur
nished her with fresh material for her
epigrammatio and somewhat satiric inter-
probation Of modern society.
The tour Of the Prince and Princess Of
Wales in India has inspired a book by a
native author, which he announces to the
English Book Monthly by postcard as fol-
lows: "The public are hereby informed to
seize the opportunity Of possessing them
selves of this valuable work. No price ia
required in advance, nor its amount Ia
yet certain, but only orders may be sent to
register the names, and in regard to price it
may be said that probably it will not ex-
coed Rs, s." 1t is further added that pur-
chasers of twenty-five or more copies
will pay one-ffth less price" and that a
copy of the book will be presented to each
Of such Journalists as may promulgate this
notice and send a copy Of their paper to
the undersigned, Rajju Mall, opposite to
Madame Nolan police station, Agra
io spur ID Y " DO puDlloucd al OICG III
stead Of in the autumn, az was originally
intended. Much interest attaches to the
book because it is the first long story by G..
B. Lancaster, the author of the group Of
New Zealand tales entitled Sons O. Men. /"
The Spur" has the same background Of
New Zealand hills, and the hero is a young
sheep shearer who is a literary genius.
He sells his future to a man for the oppor-
t,,pIt,, 30 rroX,a lipoealf Tho onapa cbifto
for a time to Samoa. where the hero's love
story begins and ends. Curiosity and in
terest in this dramatic tale Is aroused by
the skillfully concealed identity Of the
author. Whether Lancaster" is a man or
woman still remains unknown.
Mrs. Carroll Watson Rankin is "pegging
away" at her sequel to "Dandelion Cot
tage" and she writes her publishers that as
soon as the first note regarding the sequel
appeared Five clipping bureaus wished
to provide me with clippings. Three per-
sons wanted to do my typewriting. Two
yearned to revise and punctuate my manu-
script. Two dramatic agents longed to
meet me some place to converse with me
about dramatizing 1t. An enterprising
stranger bespoke an autograph copy. And
\ the book isn't writtsnl But 1t will be. l
have the chapters outlined and every now
and then | stuff scraps into a shoe box
Ia habit of mine) that is labelled ID. c.
Sequel"
The new Queen Of Norway is said TO be a
great admirer OF Dickens and to have read
the christmas Carol 30 much that she
can recite it from beginning to end. Not
long ago she said: NO one can be really
bad who can cry over Tiny Tim" Every
Christmas she sends parcels Of presents to
the crippled children in the homes and
hospitals Of London and to each present
is attached a card bearing the message
with Tiny Tins love"
Francis Miltoun and his artistic COL
laborator, Miss Blanch McManus are en-
gagged on an elaborate illustrated work
dealing with the Mediterranean countries
Provence and the Riviera after the manner
of their "Rambles in Normandy" and RAM
bles in Brittany"
Upton Sinclair explains the origin of the
title Of THE Jungle" as associated with
two lines from The journal Of Arthur
Stirling:
When savage beasts through forests m!dnightroam
Seeking in sorrow for each others Joy
The word jungle is commonly used by
Socialists to describe the modern COM
p~etitive era when the struggle results in
the survival and tyranny Of the strongest.
The Jap in peace is a novel presentment
lust now and figures as one Of the principal
characters in Ella s. p. Lipsett's e Summer
in the Apple Tree Inn" which will he pub
lished this month. This particular Jap is
the ingenious servant of some New Eng
land children and brings into their life
delicious bits from japanese legends and
strange glimpses of the wee fairy folk of
the cherry blossom land.