The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-26

OA0 1Ou ever near OL JO1ln runway
of Kansas? Probably not. He is one
of the bright sunflower writers who
hides his light under a busheI. He
lives at Newton, where he publishes
the Champion and incidentally writes
some of the brightest things which
appear in the Kansas weeklies. But
Mr.. Conway is showing a disposition
to emerge and he has just publishe ed
a play under the title 'Launcelot and
Guinevere." Think Of humble Kan
san who prefers to court the muse
with the classics as his inspiration and
his theme! His play is written in
verse and fairly teens with well
tuned sentences and heroic phrases.
Mr.. Conway's book may never become
popular in the sense that people will
scramble for it at the book stores.
Nevertheless 1t is a work Of art, thrill
ing and interesting and will repay any
student for the time spent in its con-
si@eration.
The short fiction of the year prom
ises to be notable. and among the
projects of special interest may be
mentioned a group of stories recount
ing the experience of the Carroll fam
lily, a young artist and his wife, by
Jesse Lynch williams. And there will
be stories by Richard Harding Davis.
F. Hopkinson smith, Arthur Cosslett
Smith, Arthur Sherburne Hardy, jose
phine Daskam Bacon, Mary R. s. An
drews James B. Connolly, Katherine
Holland Brown. Mrs. w. K. Clifford
Maarten Martens. Nelson Lloyd,
Mary Heaton Worse Victor Hender-
son, Emerson Taylor, Georgia Wood
Pangborn, Helen Haines and others.
The exclusive magazine and book
rights in whatever Mr.. Roosevelt may
write about his forthcoming trip to At
rica have been secured by Messrs. Chas.
Scribner's Sons. Not only lovers OF out
door life, but all who appreciate the
literature of adventure, will be eagerly
interested in these articles. They will
appear in Scribner's Magazine, possibly
one or two articles in the later issues
of 1909. A fuller announcement of the
project is reserved.
Henry van Dyke might be named
with Lew Wallace, perhaps even with
Ruskin among writers who have pro-
duced a single story with spiritual
meaning that has taken each year deep
er root in the popular heart. For DIFF
ferent as Ben-Hur and The King OF the
Golden River are from each other ana
from The Other Wise Man, they are all
three associated in the suggested way.
Dr. van Dykes story was written about
a score of years ago, and the writer
has counted at least seven d1nerent
covers in which it has appeared DUR
ing that time, while the reprints have
been little short of phenomenal. 1t is
said by the publishers, Messrs. Harper
& Brothers that not one book in tens
of thousands Is ever desired like this
one, and that the demand is equal
whether the edition be simple one
for a few cents OF a rich. one for many
dollars This season-and it is at the
Christmas season that The Other wise
Man is most remembered-Dr. van Dyke
is spending in Paris. where his winter is
arranged for a series of lectures under
direction of the Alliance Franchise. The
Revue des Deux Mondes in the Novem-
Der number contains a highly comph-
1nentary article on the idealistic quality
of DR.. van Dykes verse, which seems to
the French mind to reveal the American
tendency in poetry.
There are few more entertaining
travellers than F. Hopkinson Smith,
who always travels with his eyes open
to the picturesque and with a genial
appreciation of the human contrasts
shat present themselves in travel
among foreign peoples. He will con-
tribute during the year an article the
title of which is not without a sug-
gestion of its attractIveness. 1.-THE
Parthenon by Way of Pappendrecht,"
describing recent Journeys through