The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26

The nom de plume, Onoto Watanna, the
 author of "The Diary of Della" covers
 a multitude of interesting facts.
 l Onoto Watana is the daughter of an Englishman, one MT. Eaton, and her
 mother is Of pure Japanese and Chinese l decent. The author Is married to an l American. MT. William Babeock of New
 York City. and has two small sons who are patriotic members of the Sons of i the American Revolution.
 Onoto Watanna Is but 26 years old, has written seven books, and Is hard at work upon another. Her experiences from the time she left China until she reached New York City are varied and interesting. fine Eaton home in Canada was a sort
 of camping ground for marry Japanese l and Chinese travellers in America. The authors father was a warm friend of Chinese Gordon, also of the secretary oi Li Hung Cnang.
 We believe that Scotland and Ireland claim Onoto Watanna, as well as Japan, China France and through her marriage America. This complex ancestry has re- suited in a versatility which is shown forth most charmingly in Onoto Watan- , na's books. She has entered into the spirit of Della, the Irish cooks point of view, as heartily and sympathetically as she did that of the Japanese nightingale's.
 The Shadow of a Great Rock" by Will liam R. Lighton, which G. P. Putnam s Sons have Just published, Is primarily a straghtaway story of love and adven- ture In the days of the winning of the west the days when the trail was the
 only read It is, too. a kind of story in ! litlle-a parable-of the history of west ern expansion and of the dauntless deeds of the men who marched in the forefront ;, of the van of advancing civilization, and 1 braved the dangers with which untamed
 nature and Indian hostilities brought them face to face The background of i this novel Is laid in with fullness, and all the sights and sounds typical of the wild west have their place in 1t; the
 prairie schooner winds it's slow way over l the plains; there are Indian raids; poker 1 games are transacted with enthusiasm l in the typical frontier saloon, and under l the stimulus of malignant whisky; gun 1 shots break the stiffness of the night; l and there are desperate do!ngs of all l Kinds. But. In spite of the variety of
 incident and adventure, the novel is far I from being melodramatic or of the "shill- | ing-shocker" or blood-and thunder breed ;, Indeed the sensational element Is every
 where subordnated to the serious and
 impassicned love story that is at the
 heart of the book.
 MT. Lighton, 1t may be added, has him
 
 | describes, as 0 sportsman and geologist- 1 for he Is a devotee of rod and gun and
 scientific man as well as a novelist 1 he has traveled every foot of the ground 1 which Is the setting of his story, and paints both scenes and characters from | immediate, frst-hand observation. 1 new dictionary of the French and Engl1sh languages, issued this week with the Baker & Taylor compnay's imprint. has especial interest inasmuch as it Is the latest dictionary of the two languages. and is supposed to contain among it's co, 600 words al lthe new ones that have re- gently established themselves in modern French. J. Mclaughlin, professor of lan- guages at the Institute Commercial de Paris, has complied enlarged and revised this work from the well known dictionary of E. Clifton.
 The Spectator. in reviewing "The Golden i Hawk" by Edith Rickert, speaks very highly of the book, saying: Miss Rick erts versatility is truly amazing. The I scenes of her first book were laid in the southern states and opened in the cypress | swamps of Louisiana. Her second story. | The Reaper, was really remarkable study of life in the Orkneys while her latest book Is a romance of the sun scorched plains and crags of Providence. But" says the Spectator, Miss Rickert 1 finds herself at home wherever she goes. and in her new volume, dedicated to Mis- tral, she has given us a modern romano Q in the picturesque style steeped in the sunshine of Provence and refiecting at every turn the meridional glamous of the gueuse parfumee.'
 Messrs. Mcclure, Phillips & Co, an- nounce reprints of the following publica- tions on their list:
 Third edition of His Courtship," the new Pennsylvania Dutch story, by Helen R. Martin; second edition before publica- tioa of ''The Princess Virginia" by c. N. and A. M. :, --iamson: second edition of Ellis Barker Buffers companion volume to the famous Pigs Is Pigs The Great American Pie company; fourth edition of Stewart Edward Whites and Samuel Hopkins Adams adventure tale of the Pacifc. The Mystery; and sixth edition of Golden Numbers" and sixth edition of The Posy Ring" by Kate Douglas Wiggfn and Norah Archibald Smith; fifth e,ltion of The Four Million" and second edition of "The Trimmed Lamp." by O.. Henry; eighth edition of Little Citizens. .r by Myra Kelly; second edition of "The Master of Stair" by the author of "The Viper of Milan" Marjorie Bowen; and second edition of Burton J. HendrIck,s s The Story of Life Insurance"
 The Macmillan company has in press book on Socialism Before the French Revolution" by Dr. William B. Guthrie
 This is a subject of great interest to every student of economics, concerniug F which there is practically no literature In English. Dr. Guthrie's book is a thorough historical survey of the subject and dwells especially on such pre-emi- nant figures as Sir Thomas More Ba- con, Campanella and Morelly. The author IS an instructor in history in the College or the City of New York and a lecturer 1 and writer sociological subjects. Justin Huntly Mccarthy. author of a number of delightful novels. rotably l Were King" has written another story of which the hero is that same Francois Villon who was so fascinatingiy DOT , trayed in that great popular success. Needles and Pins" is the title of the new story, and the Hampers will publish 1t this week.
 Although it Is another story of that low able soldier -poet-vagabond Villon. if is not in the slightest sense a sequel to of Were King but an entirely separate and independent story. Those who have read the former tale will be delighted to , meet Villon again; those who have not will find this new story complete in if. self, and not dependent in the slightest degree upon other names and incidents King Louis the Eleventh-that always interesting King.-is a character in the story. and his lovely but unacknowledged daughter, Losette of Little House and lords and ladies. and the high-titled Katharine. who loves Villon but permits heart-breaSing .dissension to come be- tween them.
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