The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-15

Preble's history. now out of print. and
not as complete as the one now in
question" Little. Brown & company.
the publishers, have just issued
third revised edition of Mr.. Harrisons
book.
Publication of Miss AdeIine Knapp's
novel of Arizona life, THE Well in the
Desert" has been postponed till late
August The author herself charac-
terizes the book as 1.-The merest at
tempt to touch the spiritual drama"
which has come to interest me i'm
mensely."
Sir Gilbert Parker's new play,
pierre of the Plains" or, rather, the
play made from his book, Pierre and
His People" is to have an opening
performance, as THE Right of Way"
did. in the authors native land. 1t
will be presented for a first night on
September 21st in Toronto. Later it
The Weavers," according to Sir Gill
bert's publishers, the Harpers. is
vying with the most recent books of
the season for the public favor.
The Neale Publishing company of
Washington has published a COM
mentary on Tennyson's In Memoriam
by Henry E. Shepherd. The book
opens with biographical sketch of
Arthur Hallam. Tennyson's fellow
student who died in Vienna, and in
whose memory, as the English-speak-
ing world knows, I'm Memoriam" was
written, this noble word monument
was built AS comparatively little is
known about young Hallam, this COM
plete story of his life is valuable in
Itself. and its place in this volume is
logical and necessary. DIR. Shepherd
then contrasts 'In Memoriam' at
length with Millions "Lycidas'' and
other great elegiac poems ancient
and modern. following which he
records the history of the poem. its
form and treatment, it's incertion,
evolution. and philosophy. Having
opened and prepared his way to the
poem itself. DIR. Shepherd analvzes
comments upon, and interprets, sec
ton by section. the entire poem, in a
most thoroughly scholarly. and
beautiful fruitage of a life's study,
this splendid work, and as such it
VIII take its sure place among the
nobler things that make for higher
living and purer thought.
Frederic S. Isham, author of 1.-THE
Lady of the Mount" and other novels,
writes from Pekin. China. concerning
the effort to suppress the opium in
dustry The movement has really
made marked progress in many large
inland places. says the novelist and
the people whose interests are in the
opium trade, seem to be unselfshly
cooperating with the authorities:
moreover, opium smoking is now gen.
orally looked down upon by high caste
Chlnamen, and those who used to in
dulge publicly in the vice now are
prone to practice it in secret There
are other favorable indica tons that
the use of the drug is being steadily
curtailed; but. in giving up his opium.
the Chinaman is slowly but surely ac-
curing new vice-whiSk- drinking
Cheap whisky is being imported and
consumed to an extent that causes
thoughtful men much concern. The
Chinaman works hard: he is not lazy:
his food is barely sufficient to sustain
him. The drug probably was much
INDUCED in. owing to this fact. as its
use is being slowly curtailed, whisky
seems to be taking it's place-and very
bad whisky at that The problem, in
consequence. grows compiled ted; the
white man decries the opium in one
breath, and offers to furnish the
whisky for the yellow man in the next
THE Masquerader," Katherine Ce-
Gil Thurston's sensational novel, has
had romantic career from the mo-
ment its first serial chapter came out
in Harper's Bazaar several years ago.
Again 1t IS running serial. this
time in magazine for the blind. This
magazine, known as "Hora Jocunda,"
is embossed at the Royal Blind asylum
in Edinburgh. Scotland. 1t is said to
be very unusual for a magazine for
the blind to contain any fiction.
Writing from Hildesheim, Germany.
to her publishers. Little. Brown &
Company. Anne Warner French. the
author Of 1.-The Rejuvena ton of Aunt
Mary" and the Susan Clegg'' books
says: "Hildesheim is the quaintest
and dearest of all Germany's old
towns-just the place to come to see
all ones cares fade gently away" Mrs.
French's first romance. "A Woman's
WILL" which many of the admirers of
her later books have overlooked. is to
be published in England under the
title OF LAS Queens Are Wed" Her
new book. TO be entitled IAN Original
Gentleman" which will appear in the
fall. contains some of the best of this
talented authors work