Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-11-07

iday gift book by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell.
Under the title of "A Venture in 1777''
he tells a short tale of Valley Forge
Alfred Tennyson Dickens, the nov
elist's fourth son, lectures occasionally
on his fathers life in Australia, which
is now his home. D'Orsay and Tenny-
son were his godfathers when he was
Christened.
Mr.. Henry Taylor Parker, the musi-
cal critic of THE Boston Transcript"
is preparing a book on 1.-The Opera
Since Wagner" He will bring the SUBJ
ject down to the present day, including
in his survey such composers as Stra-
uss, Huraperdinck, Mascagni. Puccini,
Debussy and Charpentier. The book
will be published by Henry Holt & Co.
Edwin L. Sabin has story entitled
"The Truly Thanksgiving" in the No
veElber number of Lippincotts.
The lady who writes over the name
of IS. G. Tallentyre," a sister Of that
clever novelist the late H. Seton Mer-
riman, has published several very read
able books on French celebrities of the
eighteenth century. She now has in
press a biography of Mirabeau.
Last year Mr.. Harold MacGrath gave
us 1.-The Best Man" This year Mr..
Brian Hookers offers 1.-The Right Man.
The titles are not interchangeable.
They indicate difference in point of
view, though in both books is loves
old familiar triangle of two men and
one girl. Mr.. MacGrath was concerned
with the success of the stronger rival
Mr.. Hooker in thinking of the wisdom
of the feminine choice.
The only remaining unpublished nov
el by the late Henry Harand is to be
brought cut soon. 1t bears the title OF
1.-The ROYAL End"
Col. q. r.. Young, the author OF
"The Medici," urges that his book is
the first complete history of the ia
nous family. 1t covers more than
three centuries and contains portraits
Of more than fifty members of the Me
lici family.
Arthur Il. Reeves has an interesting
article OH 1.-The Newest Man killing
Device and the Warless Age" in the
current issue of Hampton's Broadway
magazine.
The Rev. r. H. Ditchfield, in bool
on "The Oldtilne Parson." has some
amusing anecdotes to tell. One OF
them relates to a bishop who early one
morning heard some one in the
house singing Rock of Ages" A
the breakfast table he remarked
how swce:ly the hymn sounded. Ther
SAID the Wears last born, THAT va:
cook" The bishop expressed pleasure
at the melodies of the cook. She al
ways sings Rock of Ages to boil tia
eggs said the Child; three verses fol
soft boiled, five for hard"
The novels of Ralph Connor are to bt
issued by the Fleming II. Revcll Com
pany in q uniform library edition. OF
his six novels we are told that nearly
two million copies have been sold. ant
the distinct feature of this edition i:
that it is the first tir,e that the author
has admitted in his books that Ralph
Connor is Il nom de plume and that h'
is in real life Charles w. Gordon. Tn'
III wv \'iuii''S " ''piSoi t'i''
month are "Rlack Rock and SIX,
Pilot" Tic frontpiece and decor& ton:
arc done by Griselda Marshall Mcclure
Lady Randolph Churchills answer t.
Mr.. Bernard Shaw's curt note writer
in reply to an invitation to a luncheon
party is good illustration of the writ
ers keen and ready wit. To this nvi
tation Mr.. Shaw answered: "Ccrtainl.
not: what have | done to provoke sllcl
an attack upon my well known habit?
"Know nothing of your habits, hop
they are not as bad as your manners
TO this telegram Mr. Shaw wrote
long letter excusing himself on til
ground that he did not eat "the unGor
ttlnate dead animals and things"
1t las been said that Robert Chambers
1.-The Firing Line" scored the highes
success In last morths list of best selln
books. ''fhc Man from BrodncY's'' fol
lows and is succeeded by Icniohs ia
gether." Peter" ''Mr. Crcwes Career
and ''The Little Brown jug of kildare
complete the list of favortes.
'"rhe Freshman Fullback' is the It'll
of story in the Red Book by Ralph [
Paine.