The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-28
SUNDAY.

Wells Hastings, whose novel The
Man in the Brown Derby has just been
published, by the Bobbs Merrill Co,
has an objection to autobiOgraphical
details. He says that the important
thing about any man is his philosophy
and not the wart on his nose. Perhaps
that is why he has succeeded in max
ing the hero of his new novel SO at
tractive in spite of said hero's hands,
which are crimson-marked in this
way from birth. But the booklover
VINO is persistently inquisitive for the
authors life history has aScertained
that Wells Hastings is thirty-three
years old, has wife and two little
daughters. is a graduate of Yale, di-
rector in four manufacturing compan-
les in New York and Massachusetts, a
dyed-in -the-Woo1 American, Boosting
ancestors who came over in the May
flower and that he breeds and exhibits
English sheep-dogs as a hobby. With
Brian Hooker, his classmate at Yale,
author of the Hbretto of the $4,000
prize opera, Mona. Wells Hastings
wrote The Professors Mystery, one of
the popular novels of last spring. The
Man in the Brown Derby is his first
attempt single-handed, and it promises
TO eclipse The Professors Mystery in
popularity
A beautiful addition to the gorgeous
children's series now being published
by Rand McNaHy company, is The
Garden of Hearts Delight by Ida NJ.
Huntington AS an Interpretation of
nature suitable for children, 1.-The
Garden of Hearts Delight is quite as
successful as Miss Huntington's first
Wonderland. Entertaining as Il story
and quantity fanciful, it is full of sug-
gestions that will stimulate young
readers to inquire into their surround
ings. The book is particularly refined
in appearance, with its clear type and
good paper, and the story is recon-
mended at once by a distinctive title
page designed and Uttered by Eliza
beth ColweH.
Harper Brothers announce that they
are reprinting three of their recently
published books: THE Ne'er-Do-Wel,'
by Rex Beach; Miss Gibble Gault''
by Kate Langley Bosher; Comrades
by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps.
Another instance of conspicuously
successful novel which was rejected
by several publishers before it reached
the public is 1.-The WoOd-Carver of
'Lympus.'' Originally issued by Little,
Brown, & CO. seven years ago, this
story of a Vermont cripple whom
friend induced to take up woodcarving
was some time in attaining its popu-
larity. A 18th printing 10000 copies)
is now announced. Another book by
Miss Waller which is finding increased
readers yearly is "A Year Out of Life
and in sending it to press again the
publishers state that its sales since
1910 have quldrupled.
DR.. Joseph Bell Instructor of sur
gerry at the University of Edinburgh,
who has lust died, suggested to Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle the character of
his world-famous detective. one OF
Dr.. Bells theories was that doctor
should be able to discover what is the
matter with patients before they men
ton a single symptom. He impressed
upon his pupils-amOng HON was the
future author of 1.-The Adventures of
Sherlock Holmes-the Importance of
noting apparently unimportant details
It is through the application of this
principle which DR.. Bell used so sue
cessfully in the detection of diseases.
that Sherlock Holmes was able to fer
ret out SO many hidden crimes.
prom boyhood I felt the lure of
Mexico is Wallace CiilIpatrick-s intro
duction to one of the sunniest most al
Turing travel books in print. And he
goes on to tell how friend s invitation
called him to the mountain and mine
region of Mexico, and of how the trip
stretched into nearly six years of travel
and adventure in q land full of ro-
nance and fascination-travel and ad-
venture which gave him unusual op-
porturities for knowing all phases OF
the country and the people. The next
best thing to an actual trip through
Mexico is surely reading of this
book. It has all the charm that q good
book OF personal narrative should
have. together with a good bird s-eye
view of the country geographically and
historically: and the reader enters
alphabetically into the many unusual
adventures by the way, the rambles
into odd corners. the romantic excur-
sions looking for lost mines. the init
mate acquaintance with NIexico's So
cial life.
"JackieboN in Rainbow land is one
of the caiIdrens series of the Rand
NcNafly company that will delight amy
sane. healthy child The book is illus
trzted by that artist SO beloved by chill