The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-16

already made a good start in the race
of the best sellers This novel demon
strates Mr. Kings versatility. His
Empty Sack" published last year,
was a problem novel about capital
and labor, and a dramatic argument
against capital punishment as we'll.
'"The Dust Flower" is a romance on
the Cinderella theme.
A new volume of stories by Leonard
Merrick again proves the truth of
Barrie's saying; tha- "A new volume
by Merrick is the literary event of the
season in which 1t appears" This
new book. published 'ast week by E.
P. Dutton & Co., is entitled ITO Tell
You the Truth and contains collec-
ton of fourteen short stories. all of
them his most recent work None has
appeared heretofore in book form
Some of them are tales of London ard
soHe of life i'll Paris and all of them
are char cteri1e ed by that whimsical
that delicious qua intness and that o&-
quieitely delicate technique that MAKE
AL Merrick's wcrk delight.
In two sturdy volumes, handsomely
printed and bound, Z. p. Dutton & Co.
published last week Allen Sinclair
Wits Life of Cardinal Gibbons"
one of the most important biographi-
cal works of the year, and of very
great interest and consequence to all
readers whether or not they are men,
bers of the Catholic church. 1t is an
authorized work, Mr.. Will having
spent much time with Cardinal Glib
bons, hearing from his lips his own
story of his life, and having been al
lowed to read his private journal COW
ering many years of his services and
diocese of Baltimore. As the first
full record, and the only authoritative
one there can ever be, of the life of
one Of the most influential and inter
esting personalities of his time who
was a commanding figure in both
church and national affairs for more
than thirty years, the importance of
the work is self-evident. The -biog-
rapher, who for many years enjoyed
the cardinals intimate friendship,
gives the details of his many services
to the country which he loved de-
votedly and whose mission in the
world he believed to be of high conse-
quence.
H. L. Mencken has written to Fred
Lewis Pattee with n large amiability
on the subject of Mr.. Pattee's treat
ment of himself in his recent book.
And Mr. Mencken adds: Meanwhile
my congratulations on a very good
piece of work. 1 have long had in
mind plan for full-length essay
and better than could have done it."
England was not long q so vastly sur
prised at this terrifying fellows mild
aspect. Can it be that this most ef-
fective master of vituperation has his
moments when it is safe even to eX-
plain to him his own faults?
G. B. Burgin's two books of me-
moirs, which the buttons have pub
lished during the last year, have
aroused so much interest and appre-
ciative comment, coupled with desire
for more about the author himself,
that he has written a third, and he
declares the last, volume of reminis-
censes. 1t will be published soon by
the buttons under the title, MANY
Memories Clement Shorter was only
one among the many reviewers of the
two volumes already published who
complained that Mr.. Burgin had told
in those books "curiously little about
himself" and intimated that more
would be welcome. Moved by this in
vitation the author again took up his
pen, with the forthcoming volume as
the result.