The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-16

s25,0O0 for serial, wiAh further revenue from book rights film production and
 dramatization. There is literally for tune in every word. No wonder that
 Harrington has a palatila country home on the Maine coast or that Mrs. Rine- hart summers on big ranch in Wyo- ming.
 But there is another class of writers who labor ndustriously and whose fi- nancal remuneration cannot begin to compensate them for their trouble have in mind particularly a two volume work, ''The War With Mexico.' by Prof. Justin H. Smith, formerly profes- sor of modern history in Dartsmouth College. It is true that the Mexican war has been overlooked by historians in the past, even though it's beginning was in volved in controversy it's progress re- l plete with dramatic incident and the po- 1 ltical turmoil which it created compar- able only to the era of the Civil war. | The point to be emphasized is that it | took Professor Smith a dozen years to compile this history. He personally ex- 1 amined over 100000 manuscripts, searched I the archives of the United States, Great | Britain. France, Spain, Cuba, Colombia and Peru; spent q year in Mexico; and read innumerable books, pamphlets and ] periodicals. The result is monumental
 effort; but his compensation will con Y sist largely of the knowledge that he /; has accomplished great task. The costly two volumes can never have a 1 large sale They will go into such pub ! lie libraries as can afford to buy them and be purchased by the very few who are tintereated tl American history. | Professor Smith must have been inspired ! by sense of duty rather than by any l hope of reward.
 l In the same category is "rhe Soul of Lincoln" by Rev. William E. Barton 1 of Oak Park III. Here is the result of study of lifetime and the accum- ulation of over 800 books, all for the purpose of determining the religious el- | ement in the character of Lincoln. The author proves to his own satisfaction 1 that Lincoln was not an infidel or an 1 atheist, but it is safe to say that very 1 few people will pay several dollars to | reach the same conclusion. In fact, the l number of people who become obsessed l with an idea and then spend time and l money to put that idea into book form 1 without hope of even reasonable mon- etary return is mystery beyond or 1 dinary comprehension.
 1 Lunching the other day with Harold Spender, the English novelist and au- 1 thor talk on books and authors was linterrupted by an eloquent dissertation 1 by MT Spender on the kindness and hospitality Of the Anerlcdu people.
 T was going to Washington with Mrs. Spender." he said, and in the parlor
 car | asked gentleman if I could look
 at a paper which he had finished read ling We began conversation and presently he suggested that we lunch to- gether in the dining car. He selected a most elaborate lunch and then insisted Ithat we were his guests. On another occasion. when we were in the west, Mrs. Spender asked lady in Chicago If she knew anybody in Topeka. She replied that one of her dearest friends tlived there and gave us her name. We thought no more about it. but when we lreached Topeka we were met at the sta ton, ushered into a waiting motor car. and told that we were not to ga to a hotel. but were to be guests at a private home. and all because we had I.mentioned that we were going to To
 fpeka, think" concluded Mir. Spender. '.that all this was extr' ord 'nry.'
 Perhaps it was to MT Spender but If ha remains here long enough he will Hind that it was fvpcal. One thirs [.
 Icertain. If Mr. Spender writes about
 lhis trip to the United States his book
 will he a g sweet rs 'hoeav Fl I1,W
 'NExTBEsTEAs''