Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1910 — BOOK REVIEWS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BOOK REVIEWS

R. J. Macredy, who has written tb« volume called “Health’s Highway," fa an apostle of the open air life and a fine example of the benefits to be derived from it. He camps out at night all the year around and spends a large portion of his time in the cycle saddle or a£ the wheel pf a motor car touring through the most beautiful parts of Ireland. As" a result of many close observations of the effects of rational physical training and simple, well chosen foods, he has published a hook on the subject.

Dr. S. Weir Mitchell in an unusually frank preface to/ his latest volume of poems, "The Comfort of tha says: “In the year 1882 I printed the first of six small volumes of verse. The editions of each were limited to 200 or 300 copies, with an average sale of sale of about fifty copies. Having generously given away the rest I am amused to find these volumes are now sought for by the collector of first editions and are occasionally bringing absurd prices. This present collection is the only one I have not paid for outright and is a venture of my publishers, which speaks well for their courage.”

“Simon the Jester,” William J. Locke’s new hovel, has for its central figure one Simon de Gex, M. P., who having met life witty a happy and serene philosophy is suddenly called upon to face death. With reckless and careless gaiety he Jests at death until he discovers that destiny is a greater jester than he. The heroine of the story Is Lola Brandt, an ex-trainer of animals. An Important figure in the story is a dwarf. Prof. Anastasius Papadopoulos, who has a troupe of performing cats. The story is written in the quietly humorous and whimsical style which lends distinction and character to the stories of Locke, and the scenes are laid in London and in Algiers. > i i ' Hallie Ermine Rives, whose latest romance, “The Kingdom of Slender Swords,” is now among the “six best sellers,” is the wife of Post Wheeler who was second secretary to the American Embassy in Japan and quit that post to become first secretary at St. Petersburg, Mr. Wheeler was well known as an author and it will be recalled that he was Tlasot’s model for the Christ. Mrs. Wheeler uses her maiden name as a pen name. She is a Kentucky woman and a cousin of Amelie Rives Princess Troubetzkoy. This story of “The Kingdom of Slender Swords” is said to contain a slightly disguised portrait of Lafcadlo Hearn in the mysterious recluse whom she calls' Aloysius Thorn. “The Autobiography of a Clown,” soon to be published, is the true life story of Julee Tumour, head clown of the Rlngling Circus. He was bora in a circus wagon in Spain, apprenticed to a family of acrobats when he was 6 and soon afterward made his first appearance in public in London. His career spans the history of the modern circus and he has performed in nearly every civilized country. He is a member of a well-known circus family, two of his sisters being trapeze performers, while a brother is a bareback rider. Despite the fact that he is nearly 60 he is still active. The author of this true story of an interesting career is Isaac F. Marcosson.