The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-08
BOOK REVIEW

owen Wister found himself the CEN
ter of a vigorous controversy as a re-
suit of his address on American schol-
arship delivered at Harvard a few
weeks ago. 1t now appears. however,
that the criticism directed at Mr..
Wfster was the result of misrepresen-
tation in press dispatch from Bos-
ton printed in a number of news
papers, which said that Mr.. Wister
had declared that there were only
three scholars in America. He actual
~ mentioned forty-one American
scholars. Since then. in defense of
his assertions with regard to the posi-
| ton of the American scholar accord
ing to European standards, Mr.. Wis
ter has elaborated a list of the most
eminent scholars of the world, in
which he included three Americans
DR.. Henry Charles Lea, author of "A
History of the Inquisition," Profess
sor Simon Newcomb, and Professor
Maurice Bloomfield
Rex Beach has finished his second
novel, and is planning a third. The
Spoilers was the first novel Mr.. Beach
ever wrote. 1t is still a Harper best
seller, and still on tour as play.
Mr.. William Dean Howells, before
sailing for Italy fortnight ago, saw
the last pages of a new book through
proof press. 1t is understood to be
novel of metropolitan setting, which
will make it's appearance during the
immediate season. Mr.. Howells will
spend the entire winter in Italy, chief
ly in Rome, and fixes his return for
the spring, probably April.
Another book is a romantic love
story entitled ''Virginie,'' by Ernest
Old'm eadow, the well known author of
Susan" 1t tells how young archaic
al riCf -t,o 1,~ax -.
purchase the wax figure of a beau
tiful girl carefully preserved in ice.
discovered to his amazeI11ent that the
girl was really alive. that she had only
been put into a trance, and that he
had in his power the means of resus-
citating her The story ends in a fash
ion as startling as that in which it be-
gins.
The Mcclure company announces
for publication this month, among
other important works of fiction, an
other my stery-adventure story by
Samuel Hopkins Adams. entitled 'tThe
Flying Death" 1.-THE Flying Death y
as its name implies, is an agent of
destruction, which made its appear
ance through the air in little sea-
port town on Long Island, striking
terror into the inhabitants whom, in
most startling fashion, it carried off
one by one. Even eminent scientists
were baffed by the strange pheno-
menon whose ravages became daily
more frequent and daring, but who
never allowed itself to be seen. Its
presence remains unexplained till the
last page, when the readers curiosity
has been aroused to a high pitch.
One of the most interesting con-
tributions to literature is a little book
just published by the Henry Altemus
Co.. of Philadelphia. It is by Joseph
E. Chamberlain and is called THE Ifs
of History" The volume begins with
Grecian times, considering what would
have resulted had Aristides won the
Athenian election over Themistocles,
and runs to the three queries as to
what the effect would have been had
Buchanan enforced the law in Novem-
Der, 1861; had the Confederate army
marched up Washington imm ediate1y
after the first battle of Bull Run. or
had the southern states bought the
East India company,s fleet as they
originally intended to do. You can see
at glance how entertaining such
speculations must be. James Mac