A True'DoIly story
lllft
mm ffl M Q
BY ANNIE C. MUIRHEAD.
ONCE there was a 5-year-old girl
called Mabel, who had a doll
named Grlzel that she had possessed
for a long:, long time, as far back as
she could remember.
There was no other of her dolls that
fhe loved so much, though Grizelwas
only a rag doll and bad not beautiful
golden curls like the waxen Emily, nor
the pink and white china complexion
of Sarah Jane.
Mabel loved Grizcl a great deal more
than cither of these, and lugged the
shabby old thing about with her
wherever she went although Grizcl
had become terribly dirty!
Every year she had grown dirtier
and dirtier, and every month she got
blacker and blacker. Once she had
had black hair and blue eyes, and. red
lips. Nowadays, you couid hardb'4ell
her hair from her eyes, -and' when you
wanted to kiss her on the mouth, you
had to guess at the place! Being soft,
the was not the sort of.doll you could
wash. Mabel had tried it, but it only
made her look worse than evar..
Mabel's aunt, who wore spectacles,
used to look severely at Gr.lzel.and say
something: unkind every time .she saw
her, "What, Mabol! Are you still
playing with that. .disreputable rag
doll or yours?' I wonder your .mother
allows it!" and - then' she-would- add
something about, "-germs."
Mabel only hugged Grizel tighter,
and tried to keep lipr out of "her aunt"3
way, in case something olse might be
said to hurt Grizol's . feelings.
But her aunt was '.not Mabel's only
trial; there was Lang, her little .broth
er, who took- up. the -cry about Grizel
being so dirty, and .always wanted to
burn her up! He thought It would be
pueli fun to make a honllre, of Grizel
(Just think of it!), and he was al
ways teasing Mabel to let him do Jt
That frightened her ' dreadfully, and
she was very careful, not to let Grizel
lie around.
One day Jang '.fH...iii and became
very sick. His cheeks wore .flushed'
and his eyes . were .heavy, and be did
not show the least Interest when Ma
bel tried to amuse lIm and show him
picture books. The doctor came to see
him and ordered medicine, and mother
and nurse talked gravely about him,
and Mabel could see that they were
anxious.
One day hor aunt bought candy for
the children, and Lang actually would
not touch it, and turned his head away
impatiently when Mabel held a choco
late peppermint out to him. Then Ma
bel knew that ho must bo very 111 In
deed. There was all the more left for her
to eat, but somehow she did not enjoy
it so much as usual. The truth was.
Mabel was getting anxious about
"Lang-, too. Perhaps he was never go
ing to get well? This suspicion made
her very unhappy, for she was very
fond of lier brother yes, even fonder
of Lang than Grizel, if you can be
lieve it.
So she began to think and think
what she could do to make Lang bet
ter. She wanted so much to hear him
laugh again. All at once she remem
bered how Lang had always been so
eager to make a bonfire of Grizel.
And do you know what she made up
her mind to do, at last?
Actually, to let Lang burn up Grizel
if he wanted to. Of course it was a
terrible sacrifice for her to make, and
she cried when she thought of It; but
she loved Lang so much that she
Great Back-Yard Shooting Match
By Surali Noble Ives, Illustrated by the Autlior.
THERE was a target practice on at
the Back-Yard Shooting Club. It
was to be a match between the president,
the vice-president and the secretary. Tho
treasurer did not shoot, and they let her
hold the stakes because she was always
fair; the treasurer was only a girl, any
way; she liked all the members and
showed no partiality. She was also um
pire for the same reason.
"She's just as good as a boy," said the
president, "only she can't pitch. But I
ain't blamin' her for that neither. Girls
is built different in their bones, so'st they
can't throw good."
The treasurer was good to look upon,
with her round, red cheeks, big brown
eyes and tousled hair. Not a boy in the
club could beat hor running, and as for
climbing trees, she was liko a squirrel.
She could climb higher than any of them,
because, as the president explained. "She's
light, and she dast go out on little limbs
'at would bust with us boys."
But. as I said, there was a target prac
THE PRESIDENT TKOWNED. AND
would rather lose Grizel forever than
have him look so queer and quiet-"
She would try not to mind very
much, if only Lang would think the
bonfire fun, and get well again.
She lifted Grizel out of her cradle
very gently and then nearly dropped
her in surprise! For what do you
She Lifted f.rixel Out of Her Cradle And
Then Nearly Dropped Iter In Surprise.
think? Although still dressed in her
shabby cIot)ie?fs' Grizcl was no longer
black and battered. Her face was
quite clean! Hor Hps were as red as
they had evftr bcen! Her hair was a
glossy black! Her eyes were bright
blue! Just as they had heen when
Grizel was entirely new!
Mabel screamed- with delight, and
nurse camo running to see what was
the matter. Nurse was extremely sur
prised, too. She said she couldn't get
over it! Then Mabel ran to show the
miracle to Lang. He was as excited and
delighted as herself, and wondered
how it could, have happened. Ho even
began to quarrel with Mabel, because
he wanted to keep Grizcl In bed be
side him. -while Mabel wanted to run
and show hor to mother.
Then Mabel knew that Lang was got
ting better, for nurse had told her
that when sick people get cross it is
a sure sign that they are going to get
well.
Of. course she was very glad of that
ail the more because she did not
need to burn Grizel. It amused Lang
quite enough to have the old friend
with a new face to play with.
Her nurse made a pretty frock in
the latest fashion for the clean Grizel,
and Mubel was so proud to have a
boautifui. dear, old new doll to iShow
to her aunt. and asked her however
did she suppose such a wonderful
change could have happened?
Her aunt looked rather funny and
said she thought she knew something
about It but, strange to ,suy, sho
never would tell!
tice on. The guns used were Brlcky
Smith's best improved, unpatented Goli.
ath pea-shooters, and the target was an
old leather carriage cushion, on ono end
of which the secretary had painted a
fresh spot of white painL The carriage
oushion was neatly tied to the post of the
clothes horse, and was all that could bo
desired as a target.
oBcausu, you see, n you nit it. ex
plained the president, "the pea will make
a spot on the paint, and we'll know who
gets nearest the middle."
It was bound to be an excitinc affair.
for the stakes wore high the president's
second-best jack-knife, the vice-presi
dents Jewsharp. and the secretary's red
crayon pencil were in the hands of the
treasurer, all to be turned over to the
winner.
The shooting began promptly at half
past three of a bright Saturday after
noon. Three shots apiece wore the limit
for the trial.
"First tho worst!" said the president, so
the secretary had to begin. He fired his
PLACED ANOTHER PKA JN THE SUNK.
first shot wild; nobody ever knew where
It landed.
Blng! The second hit the edge of the
bull's-eye.
Bang! The third thumped on .the car
riage cushion somewhere, but left no
mark on the white paint.
The secretary saw his red crayon pencil
passing from his possession, and'he jsighed
as ho stepped, back oqt of tho eye of the
public.
"Second the same!" called the president,
and the vice-president took his place in
tho arena. His right hand trembled slight
ly, but his eye was firm, for he longed
to possess tho president's second-best
jack-knife.
Blm! Tho carrlago cushion responded,
but left no sign.
Boom! A tiny ypot appeared In the
bull's-eye Just far enough In to make tho
secretary emit a groan of despair.
Bam! Still nearer the center, and the
vice-president retired with the fire of
hope burning In his right eye he had
shut the other so tight when he sighted
tho mark that It hadn't popped open again
as yet.
"Last tho best of all the name!" it
was now the president's turn. He took
his place haughtily. He measured the
distance and calculated.
"Ping! The pea flew far, but there was
no thud on the target. The president
frowned and placed another pea in the
sling.
Whang! Twang! There were two dis
tinct thumps. All gathered around the
target Tes, there was the tiny mark of
the president's pea, farther in than the
others; but square In tho very middlest
middle of the center of the bull's-eye
was a larger mark, and a small stone lay
on the board beneath.
The treasurer laughed so hard that she
nearly dropped the stake
"That r my stone." she said. "The
president wasn't doing much, and I turned
around to fire that stone at a pear, and
it supped out or. my hand and went
backwards."
"The stakes- are hers." said the presi
dent manfully. "She hit the middle."
Tho treasurer smiled Joyfully and then
laughed -again.
"I don't want 'em." she said. "Th
knife's too mortal dull to cut anything;
I can't play the Jewsharp. and I couldn't
draw a barn door with the pencil: so von
can all have 'em back."
-won." said the president, "if th.t
inn l just jikc a girl!"
Can I Have It?
I ITTLB JACK NACHETT had a habit
L of saying: "Can I have it?" every
time he saw something that he thought
he might like; and he liked nearly every
thing that he saw. For a while folks
thought It was funny, and they used to
laugh at him; but after he had begun to
grow hi relatives and friends became
very tired of It. and they tried hard, but
without avail, to break him of the bad
habit. At last he was broken of It, as
you shall hear.
His mother took him Into a big store
one day and at tho counter among a lot
of other customers stood a man with only
ono arm. Jack looked at him in amaze,
tnent for a time. Then, unable to control
his curiosity any longer, he asked:
"Please, mister, where la your other
arm?"
The man smiled and said:
"It was cut oft In a sawmill." ,
"Can I have It?" asked Jack Imme
diately.
Then there was a .roar of laughter
tbroughoutthc vstore. you may be sure;
and before Jack's mother Jeft the place
some of tho other, customers had spread
the story through" the' town, so that when
Jack appeared he was greeted on all sides
by renewed laughter, and by shouts of
Can I have It?" and "Did-you get It?"
till he was near crying. Jack was a
proud llttio follow, and the Joking stung
him so that lie broke himself of tho bad
habit after that.
The new volume of Uncle Remus stories,
Told by Uncle Remus." by Joel Chandler
Harris, is now i In its third edition.
At the outset of the publishing reason of
1000 a perceptible lull occurs at what may
be called vale center, although It Is reported
that st the publishing houses work is brlFk
in the preparation of books far the market.
a
There's a Rood newspaper story In tho
January Reader, entitled "The Hostility of
the City." by Henry Oren. A decided nov
elty and well worth reading Is "As You
Kind It." a monologue In one act, written by
Richard Mansfleld.
"Brownie Primer" is In pross. It Is In
tended for the very littlest readers, and will
be lsoued by The Century Company In the
late Winter. The Brownies will be taken
from Palmer Cox a Brownie books, but the
text will be, entirely new.
"Industrial llartyrs," telling of the mor
tality In those trades commonly classed as
dangerous, and "From Alaska to Cape
Horn," being the story of the Pan-American
railroad system, arc two strong features In
the January Technical World Magazine.
I
Since the publication of his "Rachel
Marr," Morley Roberts ha been counted
among the number of novelists whose work
deserves closest attention. A new novel
from his Pn is promised by L. C Page &.
Co. very soon. It is called "The Idlers."
The Architectural Record for January de
lights froth eye and mind with articles and
Illustrations. Some of the subjects intro
duced arc: "Japanese Houses." "The House,
of United States Senator Clark. New York
City" and "The Proper Use of Terra, Cotta."
"A Day in a Premier's Life," describing
the treadmill existence of a British .govern
ment chief: "How Kid Brady Won tin
Championship." and "The Tower of the
Fre," the latter an interesting rrscme of
newspaper revelations, arc chle'f features in
the January Pearson's.
"A Tenderfoot In Texas" and "The Story
of Houston. Texas. are two of the principal
features of this month's Sunset Magazine.
Dane Coolldge's "Passing of the "Cowboy"
will Interest all those who love 'a horse
and who does not? The pretty cover design
Is a study in San Francisco's Chinatown, by
Blanche Letcher.
Fqx. Duffleld Si Co. will soon publish a
new novel by Nelth Royce (Mrs. Hutchlns
Hapgood), called "The Eternal Spring."
Mrs. Hapgood's first novel, "The Forerun
ner." was decidedly one of the notable books
of the year In which It appeared. Her. sec
ond book was "The Folly of Others." a vol
ume of Bhort stories.
Karl j Issue Is announced of two new vol
umM of tho Century Company's American
State Series. "Local Government In the United
States (Cities Excepted)." by Professor John
A. F&lrlle, of the University of Michigan, .and
"'American Legislatures and Legislative Meth
ods." by Professor Paul S. Relnvch, .of tht
University of Wisconsin.
. .
Th Nurse as Tenement House Inspector,"
by Johanna von Wagner, noted for Its well
marshalled facts, is a feature of the current
numtfer of the Nurses Magazine of the
ciflc Coast. The other articles are also 'well
chosen, and the little magazine continues to
be a decided attraction to thote tInterests
whoso welfare It has at heart.
In tho current number of the Forum. Ja
pan's status after the war and the newly
awakened China, form the subjects of two
seaconable articles. Alexander D. Noyea
gives a careful review of financial matters,
and Henry Litchfield West writes a
thoughtful review of questions now sub
mitted or about to be submitted to Congress.
A quarter of a million copies of a single
book (not action) Is the remarkable record
of a llltlo volume by Abbs R. Brown Llad-
CHAPTER ir.
rr FTER Joe had been an inmate of the
f. poorhouso for two of three- days, he
learned that there were 32 people there
besides himself. There were two boys
under 10 years old, three young girls,
and the rest were old people. Some
were so old and feeble that they were un
able to work, and others could only do
light work, as sewing or weeding In the
garden.
Everyone whowas ablo was made to
do something, and neither the superinten
dent nor his wife had a kind word for
any of them. There were old men and
women there who had once been very well
off, and there were orphan children who
were Micro through misfortune, the same
as Joe.
The provisions furnished to thfc inmates
were of the plainest, and they did not
have enough of any one thing to cat. No
ARC KOT CjjLY, UKC BUT IMPUDENT
tea or coffee was allowed, and though
plenty of vegetables were raised on the
farm It was only tho poorest of them
that the paupers got.
The main article of diet was porridge,
and It was copked and served out In most
any sort of way. If anyone refused to
eat or complained he or she was shut up
for tho day In a dark room. If It was one
of the children, they wer whipied by-f
the superintendent or his wife.
The beds were of straw, the rooms al
most wJlho,ut furniture, and the house
was not kept clean unless a visiting com
mittee was expected.
For the first few days of his stay Joe
went about ready to cry and wondering
that unfortunate people could be treat
ed as he saw them. One of the Inmates
was a man named Phillips. He had lost
Opmu tie book ym rt)6
say. entitled "What Is Wortn While." It
was first published by Thomas Y. Crowell &
Co. In 1S93 and has been reprinted In con
stantly increasing editions until it has now
reached the 250,000 mark. And tho end
Is not yet.
A new Issue In the Century Company's
Educational Series Is S. E. Formanii "Ad
vanced Civic." which treats. In addition to
more familiar topics, of the care or the
poor, labor disputes', secret ballots and the
duties of a voter, civil and constitutional
liberty, and the American spirit. The New
York law against bribery Is given as an
appendix.
"The Ransom of Billy" In the January
St- Nicholas U Just the seasonable story It
pretends to be for little folks. It has the
right ring, "ills Dorothea's Recital" Is
an engaging tale about a young piano stu
dent, and "The Ballad of Brace's Bowl." by
Paul R. Heyl, pictures a romantic Incident
In the life of the celebrated Scotch King of
that name.
Dr. Otto Nordenskjold. the famous ex
plorer of the Antarctic regions, will soon
begin a lecture tour of this country His
book. "Antarctica, or Two Years Amongst
the Ice of the South Pole." !. one of the
most stirring narratives of Its kind in litera
ture, while at the axne time Its author was
practically the pioneer In exploring the
South Polar regions.
Busy people have heard more or leas "of
Esperanto, the proposed universal language,
and this month's Atlantic Monthly has a.
-well-reasoned article on the subject, written
by A. Schlnz. John W. Foster explains the
Chinese boycott, and Maurice Maeterlinck
discusses "Our'AnxIous Morality." L. 11. B.
Knox's, article. "Impressions from Chicago
Faces," gives food for thought.
What would you say If told that tho moon
originally dropped from the round space
now occupied by the Pacific Ocean biweeji
the two Americas and from Behrlng Straffs
to Australia? An article, "How the Moon
Was Created," and written by A. F. Collins.
In this, month's Smith. -magazine, discusses
the weighty problem. The remainder of tho
magazine Is filled with readable stories.
"Salve Venetia," Marion Crawford's book
on Venice, went out of print Immediately on
publication. In spite of the fact that he
Macmlllah Company prepared air unusually
large first edition to meet the expected de
mand. The two Tolumes, including the
photogravure plates, require nearly a month
for printing and binding, but the publish
ers hope to hav the second edition ready by
"Wednesday.
The Immense proportions of the mall-order
side of the boolcpubllshlng business Is not so
often brought to J.he attention of the public
.aq the large sales through the book stores.
Nevertheless It is one of the most Important
parts of the publishing business. For ex
ample, on the- Friday and Saturday preced
ing. Christmas- the Funk & WagnaJIs 'Com
pany shipped out by mall and express, to
"fill, retail ,inall orders' alone, 75,600 books.
The Sagebrush Parson," by A. B. Ward,
announced for publication the latter pert ' of
this, month by Uttle. Brown Co..' Is a
Writ try Korjr, depicting tho unconventional
life in the sagebrush wastes of Nevada; The
characters are all atrongly marked. Tho hero.
Clement Vaughn, an Englishman, Is aid to
be particularly' striking. Tho 'denouement of
the novel Is vlvldly.unfolded. The atmosphere
of the sagebrush wastes permeates tho story.
So virile and spirited are the biographies
of the explorers and adventurers . on the
west coast of 'America t forth In "Viking
of the Pacific" that most people have con
cluded that. the author. A. C. Laut. mail be
a man. " A.' C Laut's arst name, however.
Is Agnes, a will be remembered by a great
many reader of her tw former books.
"Lords of the North" aad "PathSnders of
the W-"
Several of the press notices hare referred
to Mrs. DoaaeU's "Jtefrecca Mar-" as a fol
both legs In an accident, and having neith
er money nor friends, the county had sent
him to the poorhousc.
He could not get outdoors to work,
but they provided him with straw and
he made hats for the men and boys wljo
worked outside. He could also knit and
sew as well as a woman. Ho had to bo
wheeled about from room to room, and
Joe got a bed In the room with him.
There was another boy, but he was a
half-Idiot and paid no attention to what
was going on.
Joe felt sorry for the cripple, though he
was a rough-spoken man, and rendered
him many little services. It was two
weeks before the man wouldNtalk to- him
with any freedom. During these two
weeks Joe was assisting one of the hired
men to plant corn and potatoes. Some of
the other boys had girls who aided them
In their work.
One would have thought the hired man,
who was married and had children of his
"
AS YELL,
own. would have treated these poor or
phans in a kindly way and not over
worked them, but the contrary was the
case. Ho kept them on the jump all the
time, and whenever any one of them grew
tired, he called out in his harsh voice:
"Here, you little pauper, hurry up or
I'll report, you to the superintendent and
have you licked:
- Joe worked as hard as he could from
the start. He was naturally industrious.
and he wanted to gain the good will of
the man he was under. He did more
work than any two of the others, but he
received no praise. On the contrary, the
man found as much fault with him as
he did with any of the others, and one
day, though Joe was. working his hardest.
he shouted at him:
"Why don't you get around faster, you
lower of Mrs. Rlgg's little heroine. Rebecca.
As a matter of fact, "Rebecca Mary" ap
peared In print same seven or eight months
before the little Sunnybrook Rebecca, as the
first chronicle of her doings was published
In Harper's Magaslne for February. 1903,
under the title of "The Hundred and Oneth,"
and '.'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" was
Issued In the Fall of 1003.
"
For candor. Isaac F. Marcosson'a "The
Fall of the House of Quay," in the January
World's Work, takes precedence, i People,
of course, have already suspected much of
the Pennsylvania tale of graft and thievery,
but It has rarely been placed under such a
strong searchlight. 'Statehood for Arizona
and New Mexico" voices Arizona's call to be
heard before her fatIs mixed with that of
New Mexico. Mary Crawford Fraser writes
most Interestingly on "The Leaders of Ja
pan." Peter Rosegger, the Styrlan peasant writer,
whose story of the Christ "I. N. R. I." has re
cently been published In America by McClure
Phllllps. Is the national poet of his native
country. His first productions, written in his
early youth, when he had little or no educa
tion, were folk poems characterized by some
naive simplicity that Is the most attractive
quality In bis Christ story. The quality of
his genius aa a poet is well indicated by a.
little poem taken from his very first volume,
"Zither and CymbaL"
.
The first number of the new monthly
magazine for youth. The Golden Age. edited
by' Logan Douglass Howell, has been re
ceived and merits a cordial welcome.
"Where Ponies- Ran Wild." describing scenes
In an Island off North Carolina, and "The
Angular Coat,' the latter telling about a
goat that Insisted on attending the village
school, are to" most readable tales. The
little "magazine is well edited, the pictures
are .excellent, and the healthy, moral tone
'displayed ilt the general bill of fare augurs
well for prosperous and useful future.
A sheet of paper blown by the wind and
a. mysterious disappearance, in the beginning
of E. Phillip Oppenhelm's new navel, "A
Maker of History." lead to one of the most
complicated and -remarkable plots which this
author has ever constructed. Important .per
sonages In tbn diplomatic and official life of
England, France, Qermany and Ruwla. have
a place in -the story; and the ingenuity of
the .secret rollce of three countries Is In
volved In the maze of Incident, plot and counter-blot
through which the reader Is carried.
Little. Brown & Co., of Boston, announce "A
Maker of History" for publication Saturday.
One of the most entertaining chapters In
William 0Brlenc volume of "Recollections"
of the political and popular disturbances In
Ireland during the years of the Parnell
movement, narrates bow the author edited
United Ireland for months while he was
actually confined In Kllmalnham Jail. The
pollrt -chased the paper over Ireland and
England, arresting everyone whom they
could accuse of complicity, even newsboys,
and smashing up the printing offices whence
it issued;'but never could discover Its author
and editor, who meanwhile was under their
mre'e:in the Jail Into which they had
put him.
"Federal rrand'Jurles all over the country
are astounding monopolists by letting cer
tain cozy precedents go to thn wind, and by
actually Indlctinr railroad men for giving
rebates and rate discriminations, aad pack
ers and shippers for accepting them. If the
present wave rf popular Indignation against
these practices continues, there Is no telling
what big fish may be flung high and dry on
the land of public disgrace and long-deferred
punishment. Ray Stannard Baker's
article on "Railroad Rebates" In McClure's
openly and specifically charges some of the
bvst-known men In the country with break
lag the law.
There has been so great a divergence of
opinion regarding the locality so realistically
described In France Squirt's Bevel, "The Bal
llngtons," that her publishers have feeea re
quested to supply authoritative Htfonaatfon on
that pclau Tfce author Is snjHllgg a year
lazy, good-for-nothing pauper? ItI had
such a boy as you I'd thrash him every,
day of his life." .
"T am hurrying as fast as T can.-" re
plied Joe, a3 he wiped the sweat off his
forehead. :
"Don't give mo no Impudence,"; roared
the man. j
"No. sir!" ,
"I have.- had my eye on you since the
first day. You think you are too good
for this place. You want pie and sweet
cake and honey, and -you like to swing
under the trees In a hammock. I'll report
you to tho superintendent, and we'll see
what'U happen."
"Please don't!" begged Joe.
"Shut up, you pauper."
This happened Jn the afternoon. When
they went up to supper at 6 o'clock the
hired man saw the superintendent. He
reported that Joe was lazy and saucy,
and In so doing he told deliberate lies.
After the wretched meal Joe was called
Into- a room upstairs, where he found the
officer with a whip In hand.
"Please, sir, but I work as hard as I
can," replied Joe.
"Don't tell me that, for I know better.
You are not only lazy, but Impudent as
we.!, and I am going to freshen you up.
Uncle John Makes Wise Decision
He Gives a "Sew Sled Away and Generous Bob Gets It.
U NCLE JOHN was a funny raaq.
Vhen you saw his blue eyes twink
ling you knew something was going to
happen, hut you could never guess what.
.One January day he came from the city
with such a sled as-had never been seen
In the vicinity, and his nephews, Tom.
WJ1I, Sam,' Henry and Bob, caught their
"breath and wondered who would get it.
Uncle John looked mysterious and said
they must wait; the sled belonged to the
boy who deserved It most.
Next morning Uncle John said they.
might take the sled out on the hill, only
they must be generous and let each have
his turn-
Tom wept down first and he declared
with glowing face that the sled was out-
of -sight. Will wen 'down and returned
with a similar report. "
By that time therd were a dozen en
vious village boys on the hill, and among
them was ragged Tim Jones, who had
never owned anything better than a bar
BorMri Do$'3
iSfifi
;Uh
In England, and In her absence Frofessor
Willis Mason West, a fellow.membcr of the
faculty of the University of Minnesota, says:
"For the background of her story. Frances
Squire pictures In a masterly way. the nlmpl
homely life in a modern village In an Eastern
state kept wholesome by the survival of a
somewhat uoftened Puritanism. No other book
that I know does the thing so well."
It Is asserted by the newspapers that wemen
are writing the best fiction of today. The
head of a large publishing house goes further
and declares that "nine-tenths of the good
fiction of today is written by women." The
substantial profits many women receive tell
loudly and convincingly that In thl channel
their, work te rated beside that of "mere man."
In the light of the present discussion of the
subject it Is Interesting to note that the Janu
ary Llpplncott's Magazine presents a novel
ette by a woman Marie Van Vorst; five out
of six of the shorter storieH are written by
women; five of the eight poems are signed by
women. Yet this Is not by any means a
"woman's number" In any other sense.
Judging by the amount of what he has
visibly accomplished. Winston Spencer
Churchill must be a young man of unusual
attainments, and of unusual Industry. His
service In the English army and In Parlia
ment would have quite absorbed the time of
almost anyone during recent years; and the
first announcement of his forthcoming biog
raphy In two volumes of his father. Lord
Randolph Churchill, was greeted by the
amazed exclamation, "How did he ever find
time to write It?" He is one of the rising
young men In English political life, and a
typical Instance of how English men In
public life combine political Interests and
literature. Mr. Gladstone. Mr. Bryce and
Mr. Morley are other examples of the same
practice.
Houghton. Mifflin & Co. have In prepara
tion a manuscript edition of "The Complete
Writings of Henry David Thoreau." hand
somely illustrated with 100 photogravures
from nature. The edition will consist of 20
volumes, limited to 600 signed and numbered
sets, each containfng a page of original
manuscript. The last 1-i volumes will con
tain Thorean's journal, edited by Bradford
Torrey, the larger proportion of which Is
material that has never before been pub
lished. The Illustrations are from photo
graphs by Herbert W. Gleason. who has
made a careful study of Thoreau's writings
and has explored with equal thoroughness
the woods and fields about Thoreau's home.
The edition Is printed In the best style of
the Riverside Press. A few seta will be
bound In handsome leather with water color
frontispieces.
"The Conquest of Canaan." Booth Tark
Ington's Intest novel, is running into edition
after edition. Tho general opinion seems to
be that the author has now. come Into his
own. In. choosing as the scene of bis story
a middle-sized American town. Mr. Tark
Ington lias given himself opportunity to de
scribe a kind of life which Is perhaps most
characteristic of us as & nation. His types
are not exaggerated nor grotesque, but Im
press every one as real, and .he has drawn
them not only with sympathy, but with a
humor which partly resembles, while It
transcends In' subtlety, that of George Ade.
The secret of his success is that in writing
of the great American middle class Mr.
Tarklngton has penetrated beneath every
conventionality, and the tap-roots of Interest
In "The Conquest of Canaan" strike deep
into the soil of human nature itself.
The Macmlllan Company will Issue some
Important Sctlon this month. A new novel
by Edea Phlllpctts. "The Portreeve." Is said
to be of the quality and strength of his
"Secret Woman" and "Children of the
Mist." Wlnstqn Churchill's new story,
"ConUton," does not belong to the author's
series of historical novels, but Is a love
story; Owen Wlster3 "Lady Baltimore" Is a
tale of a Southerner and a love entangle
ment Into which he Is betrayed by hts tem
perament. Other announcements by this
firm are: The third of W. S. Harwood's
book oa the work of Luther Burbank, "New
Creatlos la Plast Life"; the scoad of
KIT 111 .V2jtfn-A-jJ'fc. -4KT
ft 4 U:'rVA,VVl '
""'" " 1 - I - - - ----- - '
,1. knew pjhen I Jlrsjt -saw, you, thai you"
Joe begged and, pleaded, but the man
caught him by. the collar and gaye him ,
a cruel whipping. When he-was through ;
he satdr " , '
"Now go to bed, and If you don't do
better in future I'll take the hide oK,
your back." ;
Joe went to him room weeping. He
xlldn'.t care for the pain so much, though
the lash had drawn- blood, but' he knew ,
that he. had been unjustly punlshe'd. Both
his bpdy and his .feelings had been; hurt.
The half-Idiot boy looked at him." in won-.-'
der, but said nothing. The legless man
was there, and as he saw Joe's tears helj ;
asked: .--
"Well, has the boss been putting on the
whip?"
As soon as Joe could control his votco
he told all about it. The man listened
till the story was finished and then said:
"That man Tompkins Is a brute who
ought to be lashed until he shouts for .
mercy, and the superintendent deserves
still more. Boy. sit down here and let
me talk with you. You have got one
friend here, even If he hasn't got any
legs."
(To be continued.)
rel stave fastened to a string. Tim did
not say much, and he did not mingle
much with the other boys.
He gazed with open-mouth delight when
Sam sped down, and edged a little nearer j
and chuckled as Henry flew over the .
snow like a bird.
Their the sled was brought up and de
livercd Zjj Bob, and Bob went straight to
Tim 'ami wild:
""Ypu can have my turn. Tim. I'll have ;
5eny of chances. See if you can't go
farther than any of the boys."
"Me?" Tim blurted out the word me
chanically, as If he hardly understood
what ho was saying. -
"Yes, you. Nowscoot!"
And Tim did" scoot,' and sure enough he ,
did go farther than any' of the boys by at
least 20 feet.
That night Uncle Joint's eyes had an.
other spell of twinkling.
"I've -been studying about that sled '
business," he said, "and I find It belongs
to Bob. But I feel sure he will lend it to
you occasionally."
in 6. tcrr-ibU vva,.
h&A direct stack one e&naee.
Oiildrenishe cried,
In the -WKet toddy,
oered.
some
E. V. Lucas "A Wanderer in Holland"; tho
second of "Rational Living." by Dr. Henry
C. King, president of Oberlin; the third of
'Th Fair Maid of Graystones," by Beulah
Marie Dlx. and the fourth of Marion Cruw
ford's new novel, "Fair Margaret."
Once 'a year, at New Year's, th United
States Naval ObaervaUry at Washington; D.
I., allow itself a llttlp diversion that re
quires a good deal of trouble to arrange. At
midnight on New Year's eve the scientists
o( the Institution send a telegraphic greeting
around the world. The sending of the mes
sage is Interestingly described in the cur
rent Harper's Weekly. The achome Is prear
ranged wltk the telegraph, coble and telephone
companies, and the progress or the message
from ' point to point Is Indicated on a large
map of the worW. '2lxA'2 feet, by the flashing
of little electric lamps. The speed with which
the message can be transmitted tu various
points, bus been observed and recorded For
example, the Lick observatory In California
1m reached In no time at all five-hundrftdths
of a second; the Tacubaya observatory In
Mexico "In eleven-hundredths of a second;
Manila In. 'thlrty-eeven-hundrcdths 'ora sec
ond; Greenwich. England, , In 1.33. seconds;
the Coast Survey station. Alaska. In, 7 sec
onds, and the Cordoba observatory, Argentina,
In 7,7 seconds.
-- v
Justiut Miles Forman. whose "Island of En
chantment" Is ono of the most successful
holiday books of the season, is thn author of
.the new serial, "Buchanan's Wife," which
begins in the current Issue of Harper's Week
ly. The opening ecenes of "Buchanan's Wife"
Introduce the reader to Herbert Buchanan, aT
man of selfish and repellent nature, and hl
beautiful wife. Beatrix, who has been forced
Into a mistaken marriage with him because of
his money Beatrix has hud, previous to her
marriage, a love affair with a young explorer.
Harry Faring. Her husband, realizing that
she Is unhappy with him. and actuated by a
mallclouM Impulse, insists upon her inviting
Faring to Join a house party at their country
place, Buchanan Lodge. Faring arrives before
dinner and. during a brief moment together,
he and Beutrix discover that. In spite of her
marriage, they are still deeply in love with
eaeh other. Thence onward, Mr. Forman leads
his readers through the mazes of a narrative
as engrossing and dramatic as anything In
recent fiction. "Buchanan's Wife" promises
to be one of the most memorable serials of
the year.
s
Few writers can boast so many books to
their credit as a certain author of Portland.
Me., well-known to Juvenile readers a
"James Otis." Mr. Kaler his full name is
James Otis Kaler went Into newspaper
work at the age of 14. and later strayed into
politics. It was during a lull In a political
campaign that, haxlng a few Idle days on
his hands, he wrote his famous story for
boys, "Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks With a
Circus," which was first published serially in
Harper's Young People, and has now become
a classic The great success of this story
led Mr. Kaler to give up his newspaper work,
and since 1S80 he has devoted alt his time
to writing for young people. He haa now
10-1 books pn the market, "which would seem
to he all that an Indulgent public could swal
low," he recently observed, "although the
publishers and little boys appear to have a
different Idea on. the subject" Mr. Kaler re
ceives many letters from his youthful read
ers; it Is seldom that the week's end finds
blm with less than 30 to be answered, but
he makes It his rule to reply to every one,
and somehow finds time.. In which to do It.
In many ways the .roost remarkable char
acteristic about the career 'of Justin Mc
Carthy, who has just completed his famous
"History of Our Own Times" by the addi
tion of volumes IV. and V, (Harpers). Is the
tremendous .amount of work that he has
accomplished. Novelist. Journalist, historian.'
politician, and party leader, he yet found
time to travel widely here and there, esp
ctally la America, and to cultivate delightful
social relations with most of the leading
literary and artistic people of the time;
and his numerous sketches of the notable
figures of the day. which give so personal a
note to his histories, are kindly, finely dis
criminating, and Just. Doubtless the time
and energy and thought which for years
Mr. McCarthy unselfishly gave to the Na
tionalist cause prevented hlra from giving
that attention to literature which would
have brought him greater success, so far as
regards worldly goods; but his political
career has affected neither the reception of
his books nor the calm judicial outlook, upon
life which Is the historian's requisite. la
spite of his other exhausting labors and re
sponsibilities, for years Mr. McCarthy was
continually pushing- on some special literary
undertaking-, either Actios or history- Bat
how he found the way for doing alt he did
no one ever qttlte fofend. out, except, perhaps
his wlfa.
" 'We "
A.--'
- -tiii'i'j'-j.:-.