Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-27
NOTES

Harold MacGrath, whose new novel.
1.-The Lure of the Mask" has lust an
peared, was born 81 years ago in SYRIA
cuse, n, Y. He was educated in SYRIA
cuse schools, and made his start in
life on Syracuse newspaper-the Her
AID In 1891 he went to Chicago and
worked there as Photographer on the
Evening Mail. A group Of brilliant
young newspaper men were around
him-Frank Pixley, George AIDE, E,u-
gene Field. George Horton and Kirke
La Shelle-all unknown at that time
except Field. From Chicago MacGrath
went TO Albany. and from Albany to
New York. and finally returned to SYRIA
cuse, to settle down TO the pleasant
business of writing entertaining fiction.
In 10 years he has produced six novelist
Arms and the Woman" THE Plippet
Crown" THE Grey Cloak" 1.-THE Man
on the Box" Half Rogue" and now
''The Lure OF the Mask" Besides this,
he has written two novelties, THE
Princess Elopes" and Hearts and
'Enchantment" and THE Best Man"
and an operetta, THE Vatican shep-
herdess." Many of the incidents in
THE Lure of the Mask" are autobio-
graphic. The scenes of the story are
laid. for the most part, In Italian cities.
MI MaoGrath visited Italy In 1906, and
again 1907, and has woven his impress
slons charmingly into the plot.
"Mr. Crewe's Career" which Is easily
the best selling book in America at the
present time. is also reported as among
the leaders in England. Mr. Churchill
has always been a favorite with the
English critics and even THE Specta-
tor" usually none too tolerant of Amer
lean literary methods, declares him
''one of the most salutary influences In
modern fiction" With regard to tho
enormous circulation of Mr.. Crewe's
Career" and Mr.. Churchills other nov
els, the Spectator further says: THE
gigantic circulation of some writer's is
n portent. the fact that Mr.. Churchill
commands wide circle of readers in
England and America restores one be-
lief in the sanity of the public.
The Macmillan company announces
Mr.. Robert Herrick's new novel, ITO
gether," for publication early in July.
II is a story of the lives of married peo
ple-for Mr.. Herrick reverses the old
romantic formula, and his book begins
instead of ends with a wedding. 1t is
the first novel he has written since
THE Memoirs of an American Citizen"
published about three years ago.
Five years ago, while travelling in
Provence. Mr.. Gellett Burgess visited
the strange old deserted and ruined city
of Les BeauX, near Aries. Having be-
come interested in the history of the
place, he bought a little piece of land
beyond the Chateau for only $50. He
has been numerically joked by his
friends ever since, about this estate,
which. though surrounded by olive or
chards, contains nothing visible to the
eye except a few old walls and scrub
pines. This spring. however, Mr.. Bur-
CESS set laborers TO work ecXavating on
his land, and already two Roman tombs
of the second century have been I'M
earthed, affordlng ample confederation
to Mr.. Burgess surmise that the place
contained antiquities One grave con-
tanned about q dozen pieces of terra
Gotta. urns for funeral ashes, dishes,
bowls, etc, and cooking utensils for
the dead. Mr. Burgess is now abroad
and is TO begin In June a systematic
exploration of this terrace. which
proves to be an old burying ground.
The fact that at Les Baux, only a
quarter of a mile distant. remains of
the first and second centuries are plen-
coins of the epoch of julius Cesar.
makes Mr.. Burgess find especially In
teresting. He has called his place l.,
Trouvallions which IL provencal for
Treasure TTove." II is this property
which Mr.. Burgess has loosely alluded
70 In the whimsical introduction TO his
MaSims of Methuselah," though 1t is
but fair to add that, at the time, MOTH
Ing had been found to warrant his de-
scrlption Of the tablets of stone there
In described.
Mr. Swinburne since finishing THE
Duke or Gambia" has been busy with
the final revision OF what IL TO he his
greatest work in prose, "The Age OF
Shakespeare There arc many book
men who contend that. significant as
the swinburnlan genius has been In tho
world of poetry. II will have a pre-
ponderating influence In the annals OF
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