The sun., 1918-10-13
-'HE Fall Number of Books and the Book World,

ceptOn of the article books and the list of
books received, be given over entirely to news of
new books. 1t will be an all review number. 1t
will contain aside from the list of books received
in the week, no list of fall publications The
pletest possible list of the season s books is af
forded by weekly lists; and to repeat them
seems superfluous.
But there will be lots of news about a number Of
tie most important Of the falls books. On the
front page BOOTH TARKINGToN's new novel will be
considered On the editorial page remarkable sea
story Under Sal, will have attention. Mr.. CHEs-
TERToN's letter deals with book by an American
reporter already published in this country. The
article upon The Life and Letters of Joel Chandler
Harris contains two unusually interesting and, we
believe. hitherto unpublished letters by the creator
Of Uncle Remus. The first publication of three
plays by BARRIE will be made the occasion for a
consideration of BARRIE the dramatst
But something must be left to the anticipation.
Mary Austin.
[Typewritten.I
g INDEPENDENCE, Cal,
NOV. 25th 1902
"Messrs. Honghton, HifIin and Co.;
GENTLEMEN,
Enclosed you will find the biographical sketch
of my life and account of my work. in reply to
you can get some expression of opinion from Mr..
MUIR in regard to my book A Land of Little Rain.
but ! will take pains to make sure of the matter
and write you again in regard to it. CHAs. F. LUM-
MIS-, editor of Out West, and GEORGE HAMLIN
FITcH, literary editor of the San Francisco ChrOn
ice, and also the reviewer of the ArgOndut can be
counted on to give some friendly notice, espe
cially LUMMIs as he is my first and warmest friend
in the West. ] have written the bographi-
cal sketch in the third person to avoid the of
so many Is, which always makes miserable,
you cut out all that is not to the point.
Sincerely yours,
MARY AUSTIN"
Written.
.'P s. am afraid you will be. disappointed
with the notes but it is the best can do.
Autobiographical.
Enclosure. Typcwrittenl
MARY HUNTER AUSTIN was born in Carlinyille,
ILL.,, descended on her mother s side from the family
of the celebrated French chemist DAGUERRE. Being
born fortunately before the food of socaed chill
dren's books, she began to be familiar with the
English classics as soon as she could read, and the
study of these and an intimate acquaintance with
nature occupied most of the years until the end Of
her university work At that time very serious i'll
health drove her TO California, and friendly des-
tiny provided that she should settle in the new and
untamed lands about the Sierra Nevadas and the
desert edges Although not yet twenty, she had
already made preparation for following the
profession of teaching and in the unconventional
life of mining towns, and in the wickiups of the
Indians found exceptional opportunities for push
ing her Investigations in chd-study
Mrs AUsTIN'S work in this direction met with
instant recognition in her State, and before long
many excellent positions were open to her. but by
this time she discovered that she did not want them
Like most desert dwellers, Mrs. AUSTIN had come
under the spell of its mystery, and after teaching
short time in the Los Angeles Normal School, was
glad to return to the life of the hills and after
began to devote herself seriously to writing.
Every early her work attracted the attention of
the Atlantic Monthly St. Nicholas and the Youths
Companion Most of the monthly magazines have
published work of hers.
IAN of MARY AUSTIN s work is like her life, out
Of doors, nights under the pines long days watch
ings by water holes to see the wild things drink,
breaking trail up new slopes, heat, cloud bursts,