The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-28

almost before he had grasped the full
significance of it all he stepped silent
ly backward, and gently closed the
door. For an uncertain moment he re-
manned there staring blankly at the
wood, that haunting memory once
again knocking every vain attempt to
associate this girl-face with some other
he had known before. Finally, leaving
he retraced his way slowly down the
stairs"
This week appears the new novel by
Sir Gilbert Parker, The Weavers; the
book which undoubtedly stands first
in Importance among the publications
of this year.
In The Weavers, Sir Gilbert has at
tanned far higher plane, in artistic
excellence and breadth of treatment,
than he reached even with The Right
of Way, great and successful though
that book was.
Sir Gilbert Parker stands distinctly
apart from that class of ephemeral
success and then fall back into moth
ingnesS, and his career is highly
worthy of study as showing how
really great writer goes on from point
to point, steadily rising and advance
ing, and marking a finer triumph with
each successive book.
He is still only forty-f1ve years of
age, having been born in Canada in
1907. lie IS IN us pest sense a cOSD1O-
pOlftan, a man of the world, for he is
not only familiar with America and
Europe and Egypt, the South Sea
Islands and Australia, but has studied
the people of those lands with SYM
pathy and insight. This wide and
and nations has added immeasurably
to his breadth of view
He first attracted attention in the
early '9O's by some short stories of
11r-Iya n ND fefS l.
Gated in the Canadian northwest, a re-
gion with which he was personally
familiar; and good judges declared
then that he was destined to go far
then another; and then came the
tremendous success of The Right of
Way, and the world knew that Gilbert
Parker's place in literature would be
permanent. And now comes this still
greater triumph, The Weavers: a book
really great in its sweep of interest
and plot, its grasp of national affairs,
the artistic skill of it's treatment, the
absorbing character of it's story
Sir Gilbert is not only great in liter
ature, but is prominent in English So
cial life, and is a distinct power in
parliament, of which he has been a
member for seven years.
He lives in beautiful home in
Carlton Terrace. the most exclusive
social quarter of London, and also has
a charming stone cottage on a charm
ing little estate in the country. where
he does almost all of his literary
work.
Ainslee's for October has the OPEN
ing chapters of a new novel by Harry
Leon Wilson, author of 1.-The Spend
ers' and 1.-The Seeker" as well as of
new play, in collaboration with Booth
Harrington, soon to be produced in
New York This new serial "Ewing's
Lady so far as can be judged by the
first instalment, is a story which will
far surpass anything that he has pre-
viously done. 1t begins in the west.
and introduces the hero and heroine
afterward transferring them to New
York. 1t is full of action, so far. and
evidently is preparing for series of
dramatic climaxes.
That delightful story of the west.
by Marie Manning, published by the
Harpers a few years ago-Judith of
matted. and is now appearing in
some of the eastern cities.
At the head CT their fall list. Little.
BroWn d Co, have placed John Har-
ward and His Times by Henry z,
sheldon. whose Literary By-Paths in
Old England" was one of the sub
stantfal holiday books of a year ago.
Every harvard alumnus ought to be
interested in this. the first book pub
I1shed on the founder of Harvard uni
versity Lillian Whiting in her new
book, Italy. the Magic Land" aims to
present a living panorama of the COM
paratlvely modern past of Rome. Both
OF these books will be profusely illus
strated.
work of historical importance is
the late Jeremiah Curtin's 1.-The Mon
gols," the result of years of painstak-
ling investigation and study Presi-
dent Roosevelt has supplied fore
word" for this book. An authorized
edition of Gabrielle D'Annunzio's re-
markable drama, 1.-THE Daughter of
Jorio," faithfully translated by Char
lotte Porter, Ptetro Isola and Alice