The San Francisco call. [volume], December 05, 1897, Page 23, Image 23

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
WHAT IS SAID OF WORKERS
IN THE FIELD OF
LITERATURE
Views and Reviews
of the Anglo-Saxon
World of Letters.
THE BETH BOOK, BY SARAH GRAND.
. This oddly named book is a singular mix
ture of ability and picturesqueness with er
rors of judgment and of taste. There i- so
much vivacity in the earlier portions, so
much sympathy with the moods of girlhood
and with the strange, quaint, happy fancies
of a child, and so much power of representing
these things with humor, eloquence and feel
ing, that we cannot but wish that the author's
temperament permit ed her to lay aside ncr
office of crusader, and to describe with se
rener art and larger understanding the more
normal aspects of the society in which we
live. There are, moreover, so many occasion^
on which th? author shows herself alive to
the finer shades of foe; ing, that we cannot but
feel surprised at certain indications of vul
garity of mind which peep out here and there.
We are not here complaining of the subjecis
■ which the writer thinks it her duty to handle,
"•.. but of certain touches of coarseness which
/with apparent unconsciousness she permits
ir. r characters to icv^al. Apart from thes.'
Aiharacters to reveal Apar; from thes.
--e-, the book is inordinately long, ana a
little free cut. ing and revision would greatly
have Improve it as a work of art.
The story is comparatively simple. Beth is
a woman of a strongly emotional character,'
which Is not quite the same thing as geniiiF,
who, badly brought up and miserably mar
ried, takes up arms on behalf cf women and
their trials, and comes out as a speaker on
these subject* in the world. We are intro
duced to her family Detore she is born, and
follow her career in detail from her birth.
jvIME. SARAH QRAND.
Mme. Sarah Grand was born in Ireland of English parentage. She married
early— at 16— ani left for the East with her husband, an officer in the British army,
living for some time in Japan, Ceylon, Egypt and Malta. She returned after a few
years to England and began writing. Much of her talent is said to have been
inherited from her mother, and her literary success has been remarkable. Mme.
Grand lives in an apartment in London and rather shuns than seeks society. "The
Beth Book" is her first important work since "The Heavenly Twins."
Her father is a cad and her mother a silly
woman ; but that is really no reason why Beth
v.th her eyes open should marry such a br Jte
; as her husband. If women, with the sense to
know belter and without the excuse of poverty
or love, can make such marriages, they have
really no one but themselves to blame. But
we cannot share the author's opinion that this
fact alone entitles them to become the leaders
and teachers of their sex.
The best part of the book is the story of
Beth's childhood. The latter part, the story
of her wretched marriage and of the disgust
ing behavior of her husband, is a sordid tale
enough. Beth, finding herself outraged and
neglected, vents her anger on the institution
of wedlock, and this gives the author an op
portunity to express again some of her well
known opinions. Boys, we are told, especially
ii sent to public schools, are "systematically
trained to be vicious," and become "famil
iarized with the most hoggish habits." The
majority of wives, we are assured, entertain
only contemptuous toleration for their hus
bands—"toleration of their past depravity
aud of their present deceits." Incidentally, we
have violent attacks on the Lock Hospital and
"the whole horrible apparatus ior the special
degradation of women," and on the practice
of vivisection, which "good authorities" de
clare to be useless, in which, nevertheless,
scientific men "delight," and which only "un
sexed women" approve. The book ceases to
be a story and becomes a rather reckless
pamphlet dealing with subjects which the
author has evidently neither studied nor
understood.
We cannot help feeling that It Is a pity, that
bo much literary talent should be wasted and
bo much honestenthuslasmcomplotely thrown
away. But we shall still hope that this clover
writer will learn to look less bitterly upon tho
world she draws and to substitute lor these
lurid sketches of disappointed women and
vicious men a broader and a truer picture of
the happier sides of English life.
. The boot is published in this country by D.
Appieton & Co., New York, and is for sale In
_lv Francisco by William Doxey, Palace
fctel; price, $1 50.
DRYER THAN DUST.
:\kba.Ba BLOMBEBG— By Gorge Kbers. New
SVk: D. App eon & Co. Fur sal*) by W.
Doxey. Palace Hotel .
Mr. Ebers, the Egyptologist, is an elderly
German gentleman of unquestionable morals
wno is given to writing lengthy novels. It is
possible that his severe early training may
enable him to remember his own plots, but
the majority 01 people get hopelessly lost
wnile perusing his stories and finally wonder
what the author Is driving at. The days of
the much-involved novel are numbered, ior
which we may return hearty thanks. People
want their reading in homeopathic doses, and
although there may be German spinsters who
can spare a month's time to wade through a
romance, their busy American sisters are
likely to leave such relaxation severely alone.
This latest emauntion from the Ebers work
shop deals with the Emperor Charles V, his
court at Ratisbon and the troubles of the
I'rotestantsand Catholics. The Empeior, be
tween his attacks of gout, takes a fancy to a
girl of the blue eye and golden hair type, who
has a remarkable voice. The fancy proves de
cidedly unfortunate for the young lady. She
has the satisiaction, however, of seeing her
son rise to power under royai patronage. Be
ing of an amatory disposition she marries an
old flame, and has several more children, of
whom one fortunately hoars very Utile. After
about thirty years, her son by her imperial
lover expresses a desire to see his mother's
lace, and the meeting appears to be highly
satisfactory to all parties. Any other author
would have spun this romance in one short
book, but Mr. Ebers, owing tothe difficulties
of the German language, writes two long
volumes before his characters are comfortably
disposed of. Needless to say, there is not one
ray of humor on a single page, and the effort
is in every way worthy of the author's prolific
but sluggish brain.
TWO BRITISH YARNS.
HIK MAJESTY'S GREATEST SUBJECT— By
S. S. Jliorburn. and "Jlifanwv," by Allen
Ralue. New York: D. Apileton & Co. For
sale by W. Doxev, Palace Hotel. Price bO cents
each.
Fair stories, these; the one of the stirring
kind, the other of the domestic order. The
former is written by a man in the civil ser
vice, India, with which country it deals. It is
full of incident and grannie description. The
latter treats of a Welsh gitl who becomes a
great singer In London. Of course a rich
young man falls desperately in love with her,
out it takes some time before he finally wins
her. Of the two stories the former is un
doubtedly the better. "Mifanwy" contains
much in the Welsh dialect that is Incompre
hensible to English speakers, and for this rea
son It is not likely to prove a favorite with the
majority of readers.
WORDS STOLEN BY JOHN BILL.
There is no doubt that the Briton's bump of
acquisitiveness is extraordinarily well devel
oped. Any map of the world shows that, says
the London Daily Mall.
But even in such trifles as mere words, John
Bull shows, more than any other white man,
that his nature is to take all he can get and
stick to it.
The curious part of the matter is that, in
seizing on foreign words, we have imitated th*-
colonial policy of France, which is to choose
the most difficult and unusable territory to be
found.
Italian, or even Spanish, we could pronounce
with comparative ease; French we can pro
nounce only by most heroic endeavors, but to
the French language we fly whenever we want
to steal a word. And, curiously, we steal
when we have no need to.
Having a very excellent phrase at home, for
Instance, in "living pictures," we cross the
channel for the expression "tableaux
vlvants," that does not carry nearly so clear
an idea to the mind of an Englishman, and to
many Is quite a puzzle in pronunciation.
"fTn de slecle" is a capital phrase, no aoubt,
but we could say the same thing In our
mother tongue with equal force and much
more confidence.
Amateur has become a permanent part of
every-day speecn, and probably we shall re
tain it forever. But it is a pity we do not
come to some agreement as to what sound we
give It, lor a timid conversationist is never
sure whether to say amntare or amatoor or
amature, or even amachure.
"Bureau" Is not often heard In England,
but is very common in the United Stales, and
is gradually making its way across the Atlan
tic. "Menu" has apparently come to stay, and
yet It was scarcely warned.
America bus given us an Immense quantity
of forcible slang, and South Africa is now
likely to increase our phraseology. No doubt
we shall presently become familiar with such
useful phrases as "off-saddle," "out-span,"
"induba," etc
What seems curious and quite foolish on
our part is the reluctance we display to give
these foreigners an English dress. We have
quickly enough converted employe Into em
ployee. But we have had the word envelope
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5. 1897.
with us for many generations, and the French
sound is still more often heard than the Eng
lish.
| The Americans are much more sensible in
| the matter. They say route in the same way
; as rout; they pronounce bureau with the ac
i cent on the first syllable. To a great extent
they pronounce restaurant ana envelope us
though they were English words,
Except in some of the first-class restau-
I rants, too, ana in those run by foreigners, you
j generally get your bill of fare written In plain
English, so that you have always a pretty fair
idea ( f what you are ordering, and it must be
| said you enjoy your oysters, your thick mock
turtle, your partridge on toast quite as much
, as you would enjoy huitres, (ansae tortue lice
j perdreau sur croustade, etc.
AN UNPROFITABLE TALE.
THE JV_G_-._— By < harles Egbert Craddork
Boston: Hotitshto.i, Mifllin & Co. Price, 81 60.
When the Sco eh dialectician has been suc
cessfully buried under the earth's crust It will
be in oider to wage war upon the writers who
traffic in the hideous mouthings of our own
American troglodytes. Why the latter should
be considered gooa lorm while the former are
r gldly tabooed is a matter for wonder, as the
dialect of the parritch-eating Scot is no worse
than that of tie tobacco-chewing South
Carolinan.
There is history behind the Scotchman's
form of speech, while that of the other is
Chiefly the result of illiteracy. With Charles
Egbert Craddoek (Mary N. Murfree) this habit
of advertising the ignoramuses of the dark
comers of this great and glorious republic is
rapidly becoming a vice, for she has turned
out some eleven books about them and will
probably continue to do so until the pen is re
moved from her hand.
'I'"- speech of the uneducated is always of
fensive to the ears of the educated, and there
is absolutely no excuse for handing it down
to posterity. Where, lor instance, is the
beauty in language such as this: "Idrawed
the idee from whot mam said ez ye war a old
pusson"?.
The individual to whom these words were
addressed, the Juggler, is given to looking
"down the long darkly lustrous vista of the
river" and "down the dusky bosky vista,"
whatever those things may be, and Is alto
gether out of place amid his surroundings.
In fact the story is so unprofitable that one
experiences acute relief when the young man
finally departs this life in un original and en
tertaining manner and brings a long-drawn
out tale to a timely conclusion.
MAY SELL ON IIS NAME.
LET tvs FOLLOW HIM-Bv Sienkiewicr. New
■jork: It. ]. t'euno A Co. Price, Cl _V>.
To those who have mastered it Sienkiewics's
name and the fact that he wrote "Quo Vadis"
will help the sale of this collection ot six short
stories and sketches, although only two of
them are worth reading, and neither of these
worth remembering. "Let Us Follow Him,"
the initial story, deals with a Roman couple
and the crucifixion, and is neither original in
conception nor powerful in execution; "Light
in Darkness" is a mystical sketch that might
have been written by a novice. The tales may
be better in the Original
BOOK PUBLISHING BY STEAM.
The important part that machinery plays in
the production oi "books in this country is
graphically set forth In a recent issue of the
Sr. Louis Globe-Democrat. A Western publish
ing- house agreed to fill an order for 2000
copies of a clothbound twelvemo book of 350
pages in three days. The type was set by ma
chinery for the entire 330 pages before work
stopped Monday night. Electrotype plates
were made so rapid y that on Tuesday morn
ing several printing-presses were set in mo
tion. In the meantime covers were made in
the bindery, and by Wednesday morning the
binders had the book in hand. Two thousand
volumes were completed that day, and tho
edition of 10, COO copies was entirely out of the
way before Saturday night.
INTERESTING AND AMUSING.
ill' DISTRICT SCHOOL AS IT WAS — By
Warren E. B'irtOD. Pdhea by Clifton Johnson.
Bus. d: Lte &■ snepard. lor sale by Wimaker
it Bay Company, .-a,n Francisco. Price $1 'lb.
This is a bright and vivid description of one
of the early institutions of New England, and
is full of much matter both instructive and
entertaining. In it are described the text
books from which our forefathers gathered
their early education. The volume is well
bound and is a marvel of fine printing.
TAKEN FROM LIFE.
THE RIGHT 81 DE OP THE CAB— By John
Url l.io-.d. Boston: Richard G. Badger & co.
Price $1.
A sad story delicately told. There are only
two characters in it. These two are traveling
westward in a Pullman, the man in search of
pleasure, the girl In search of health. A
friendship Is leginning to spring up between
the two when the girl dies, after having
caught a glimpse of Mount Tacomx, at the foot
Ol which she was born. The romance, which
is taken from real life, Is full of suggestion,
and one regrets that the ending could not
have been happier. The book is beautifully
printed, charmingly bound, and well worth
the money asked for It.
fOR LAWYERS.
CELEBRATE!. TitlALS— By Henry Lauren
Clinton. Kew York: Harper _ Bros. .Price
$2 50. For sale In this city Dy A. M. Robertson.
Mr. Clinton in the present volume, as In his
previous one, entitled "Extraordinary Cases,"
has drawn upon bis own experience during
forty years' active practice at the New York
bar. The author has felt need to write up his
subject. He marshals the preliminary facts
in each case clearly and dispassionately, and
then lets the story in a great measure tell
itself. He has relied to a considerable ex
tent upon extracts from the newspapers of the
day, to which his own matter supplies the
links, as well as a running commentary. The
effect oi this method is that his pictures have
the old-time coloring and atmosphere, and
one sees the events, as it were, in their proper
perspective.
The book is full of exciting Incidents, and
might furnish many a less capable writer
than Mr. Clinton with material for novels or
plays. New York has had its share of mur
ders, thefts and mysterious happenings, and
in his legal capacity Mr. Clinton has been
connected with all the more important. The
peculiar murder of Dr. Burdeil in 1857 Is
herein treated of, and likewise his wife's con
nection with the affair. Her after doings re
ceive a chapter all to themselves and form in
teresting reading. It will be remem Dcrcii that
the woman attempted to pass off a strange
child as heir to the estate.
Mr. Clinton was also In the thick of the re
form movement of 1871, which ultimately
broke up tne Tweed ring. His description of
the storming of the aldermanic chamber by
the new members elected on the reform ticket
furnishes good reading, especially in our days
of supervisorial difficulties.
GIRLS AS CRITICS.
A supposititious conversation in the Lon
don Academy between a journalist and his
solicitor gives an amusing picture of the man
ner in which some people, not literary, re
gard books and bookmen. The dialogue runs
as follows :
"Literary men," said Tregarthen, "have a
curiously exaggerated opinion of their Impor
tance. Do you suppose that I don't think for
myself? Because I do, pretty continually.
And why should I pay six shillings to this
friend of yours — what is his name ?— to do my
thinking for me?"
"But don't you feel any curiosity when you
see the advertisements of a new novel, witn a
taking title, say Anthony Hope, or Hall Came,
or H. li. Wells, or"
'•Certainly. And if Ido I take the opportu
nity when I am invited out todlnnerof asking
the girl next me to tell me about the new
novel. Girls can generally give you a good
idea of the last new novel. And when she has
told me about it I am extremely ad that i
haven't wasted my time by reading it. I man
age to get a pretty good notion of current lit
erature that way. Now and then I read a
book— admit that but that is or.'y when I
take a girl in to dinner who tells me oi a plot
that doesn't bore me to death."
"Then you depend entirely on the most in
competent of critics?''
Tregarthen ate his cold beef in silence for a
few moments.
"Girls are not so silly as they look," he said.
SOME NEW JUVENILES.
AT THE FRONT, by Oliver Optic; price $1 50.
T.ulll. SHORES, by Oliver Optic; pr.ce
151 'lb BE:-IDK OLD HE lO.N'ES by
Abram hnglish Brown; price $1 51). OX PLY
MOUTH ROCK, by tolouei Samuel Adams
I r.ike; price 60 ell's. GUARDING Mil
BOEDER, by Everett T. Totullnson; price
$160. AN OREGON BOYHOOD, by Rev.
I-.'Uis Albert Banks; price $1 V 5. Till-. HAP
PY MX, by i'enij • lire;: price 75 cents.
Ql ke.. JANET, by Grace he Baron: price 7
cents. For sale by the huaker _ Kay Com
pany, San Francisco.
Here is a collection of eight charming books
for young people, published by Loe _ Shepard
of Boston. This house is well known all over
the country for the fine quality of the chil
dren's books it sends form to all English
speaking countries, and the first assortment
for the coming season ia not behind those of
preceding years.
Oliver Op.ic's latest works, "At the Front"
a. id "Pacific Shores," are stirring tales full of
healthy American sentiment and warranted
to arouse feelings of patriotic love in the
breasts of his youthful readers. The first i i
these stories is a war romance, and is full ot
dramatic incident. The latter is a book of
travel and exciting adventure. Both are
beautifully bound and graphically illus
trated. "Beside Old Ilearthstoue-," byAbram
English Brown, is adapted to readers of ali
ages. In it the author traces the footprints oi
patriots in history through tradition handed
down by their descendants. Tne volume is
interesting and Instructive.
'On Plymouth Rock," by Colonel Samuel
Adams Drake, contains much tnat will appeal
to American youngsters. The story oi the
Pilgrim Fathers Is told in a manner that wiil
hold their Interest and secure their remem
brance.
"Guaraing the Border," by Everett T. Tom
linsou, contains an accurate historical account
of the causes leading up to, and the events
transpiring during, the war of 1812. The tale
is full of excitement and should prove a
favorite with boys
"An Oregon Boyhood." by Rev. Louis Albert
Banks, is ■ story descriptive of the scenes and
adventures of boyhood and youth in that far
Western country. The talo is vividly told and
teems with interest from start to finish.
"The Happy Six," by Perm Sherley. is a story
that cannot fail to please the little ones. The
author is one of America's most charming
writers and she teaches her readers how to
understand the lessons of life.
"Queer Jane;," by Grace Lo Baron, Is a con
tinuation of "The Hrzelwood Stories" which
won for the author numberless friends among
juvenile readers. This little tale will be read
with profit and delight, by all into whose
hands it falls.
These eight Dooks are issued in the best
style, printed on good paper and substantially
bound. The illustrations are the work of well
known artists and altogether it will bo diffi
cult .o find volumes more desirable lor the
young people.
A charming story of a modern little miss
and one likely to furnish entertainment for
all people, irrespective of age. The book is
full of amusing sketches told in a delightfully
natural manner. The illustrations are well
executed and numerous, and the volume is
handsomely bound in rich red cloth. It is
just the thing ior a Christmas gift.
WHAT WE SEEK.
HAPPINESS AS FOUND IN FORKTHOUGUT
MINUS FEABTIIoUGUT —By Horace
Fletcher. Chicago: Heibert S. stone _ Co. lor
sale by William Doxar. Trice S L
This book is founded on the argument that
happiness is the normal condition of men and
women in civilized life. The author Is a man
of vast experience, and has nad countless op
portunities for observation, from which he
draws his deductions relative to profitable
living. Ills aim Is to make the unhappy man
happy, the happy man even happier. In this
book of his he suggests many radical changes
of attitude toward the problems of lite that
will not fall to bring more or less strength to
all adopting them. A more healthful' and
helpful work has seldom appeared, and the
tasteful style In which It Is offered to the put
lic makes it all the more desirable.
A NEW BIOGRAPHY.
LIFE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN— By Clifton
at. Nichols. New York: Mast, crowed <fc Kirs;-
Patrick.
The great interest taken In all things apper
taining to Abraham Lincoln nas caused" the
market to bo flooded with literary matter con
cerning the man of whom It is said: "His is
the gentlest memory of our nation." Fore
most among these publications is this new
"Life," complied by Mr. Nichols. The book
contains some 320 pages, most of which are
enlivened by half-tones and line cuts of Lin
coln, his associates and places connected with
his life. The anecdotes at the end of the vol
ume are numerous and authentic, and form
interesting reading of themselves.
a SCIENTIFIC LOVE STORY.
THE NEW MAN- By pis P. Oberholtze-. Phila
delphia. Ihe I .■•vytype Company. In a, { 1
This novel has been written in contraven
tion of the "New Woman." The treatment is
altogether unique, »nd man. as opposed to
woman, is defended by the author, sometimes
seriously and again plainly in a spirit of
humor and raillery. Social and political con
ditions are handled without much reserve
and as the locale of the story changes from
Germany to this country, the contrast of these
conditions is brought out in a manner to
afford food for thought as well as entertain
ment
MAGIC MADE EASY.
HERRMANN THE MAGICIAN. By I_. J
Burlingame. Chicago: Laird & Lee. Price' $1
Herrmann, the Wizard of the Nineteenth
Century, is not likely to be forgotten by the
thousands of people who witnessed his re
markable tricks In this city. In this book
just issued, many of these wonderful dointts
are explained, and others are described that
can be performed in a parlor with very little
practice. The Information given is valuable
to amateur.-, and will undoubtedly afford
amusement to many interested in modern
magic.
USEFUL INFORMATION.
THE STORY OF GERM LIFF.-Bv 11. W. Conn
New York: D. Arpletou _ Co. For sale by
William Doxey. Price 40 cents.
Everybody is more or less interested In
germs nowadays, yet few people know much
about them. This little book, compiled by a
professor of biology, and full of illustrations,
will enable the reader to obtain a fair insight
into an inexhaustible subject.
FOR HOME READING.
CURIOUS HOMES ANO THKIR TENANTS
.By Carter Beard. New York: D. Appieton &
Co. For sale by William lioxey. Price 66
cents.
This Is a book devoted to a study of the
home life and traits of lower animals and Is of
interest to both students and children. It Js
a volume which should bs perused by every
one on account of the information It con
tains. A number of well-executed engravings
lend beauty to a clear letterpress.
ONE ON WHISTLER.
Mr. Whistler has been snubbed by the Royal
Academy I A few days ago some one in Italy
sent to the artist a business circular, address
lug it to him at "The Academy. England."
The postoffice people added to the address th:
words "Burlington House," and the postman
took it there. But Burlington House declined
to receive it and wrote on the envelope, "Not
known at the 11. A." It finally reached its
destination, and its vicissitudes so amused
the famous and eccentric painter that he sent
the envel;>po to the Daily Mail, in whose col
umns it was reproduced, with this note: ".-sir:
In these days of doubtful frequentatious it is
my rare good lortune to be able to send you
an unsolicited, official and final certificate of
character. And I am. sir. your obedient ser
vant, J. McNeill WhistW."
FOUR READABLE STORIES.
A QUESTION OF UAMAGKS— By J. T. Trow
bridge: T.-E CAMPION DIAMONDS, by Sophia
May; HIE BOOM OFA YVi-.STERN TOWN—
By kin J. Cooler: EXILED FROM Two
LANDS— By Everett T. Tomllnson. Bos. on:
l.f-e & Shepard. For sale by Whitaker & Kay
Company, San Francisco. Price 50 cent i each.
These four stories are among the first of
"The Hearthstone Series," published by the
above Boston firm, and will undoubtedly
prove favorites with the reading public. The
books are attractive in form, and considering
the style in which they are got up, the price
charged for them is remarkably low. The
authors contributing to this series have a
national reputation, and the stories are quite
up to the standard of work expected from such
writers. <
POETRY OF DAILY LIFE.
DREAMS IN HOMESPUN —By Sam Walter
Koss, Boston: Lee <fc Shepard. For sale by
lutal;. r _ Ray Company, San Francisco.
lMc- $1 50.
Mr. Foss is well known throughout this coun
try as a writer ..; healthy verse. He treats
poetically the little incidents in the liv. s of
average men, and for this reason his circle of
friends is a large one. The present book is in
no way inferior to his previous worns.
STL-DIES IN CHARACTER.
EAT NOT THY HEART— By Julin Gordon.
Chicago: Herbert ►». Stone & co. Fur sale by
William Doxey. Price Si "Jo.
Admirers of Julien Gordon's clever writings
will appreciate this last book. It is full of in
cident and interesting situations and the
OF THE FRENCH FRENCHY.
Suck Is the Statue to Quy de J^laupassant ir\ J^aris.
To the memory of Guy de Maupassant there has been
erected in the Pare Monceau, Paris, a monument which is
thoioughly French and "fin de siccle." On a high pedestal is
t> bust ol the author, and at the base of the pedestal a marble
representation cf a woman of modern Paris reclines on a
c uch. resting her head upon one hand and looking sad. In
her left hand is a book which she has evidently been reading,
and. presumably, it is a book by De Maupassant. She is
mourning for tbeauthot in a dress which must have been de.
signed by Worth, and her shoes evidently came from designs
by the "swcllest" Parisian bootmaker.
Kaoul Merlet was the sculptor and Henri Deglane the archi
tect of the monument. The figure of the woman of modern
characters are sketched with a bold hand.
One follows them lovingly and regrets their
drop; ing out one by one, although rejoicing
over the final happy ending. The book is
well printed and substantially bound.
A NEW VOLUME OF ESSAYS.
THE PERSONAL EQUATION— By Harry
Thurston Peck. New York: Harper & Broth
ers. For sale by A. M. ltob<:rlt>on. Price $1 50.
One of the most characteristic features of
this collection of essays is the versatility dis
played in the treatment of widely differing
themes. Professor Pick i- a polished writer
and discusses with equal fiici ity such topics
as me literary worn of Mr. Mowells, the pub
lic career of Mr. Cleveland, American feeling
toward England, the new child aud Its pic
ture-books, the downward drift in American
education and the passing of Nordau. There
are twelve essays In the book altogetner. That
on Mr. Howells will be widely read, and the
others cannot but give satlsiactiou to the in
telligent reader. __
GLADSTONE'S LIFE.
It would have been difficult to select a more
competent author than Justin McCarthy .to
write "The Story of Gladstone's Life," which
is soon to be published by tho Macmillan
Company. He has not only been an eye-wit
ness of ma of the Parliamentary events
which he describes as a member of the House
of Commons for a number ot years past, but
he has while writing his well-known "His
tory of Our Own Times" given to the period
during which Mr. Gladstoue has been so
prominent a consideration which is the best
possible preparation for his present work.
It is always difficult in writing a biography to
keep before the reader the proper relation of
the subject of the work to his surroundings,
so that Mr. McCarthy's preliminary study of
these years gave him the best possible prepara
tion for this admirably proportioned biog
raphy.
AN OLD, OLD STORY.
THE STORY OF AN UNTOLD LOVE —By
Pan' Leicester Ford. Boston: ' Houghton.
Mifflin i Co. For sale by William Doxey.
Pi ice $1 'lb.
This is not as sad a romance as the title
would imply. It simply means that the
man's love is told for him by means of a diary
which he kept and which fell while he was ill
into the hands of the woman he loved.
The story is quaint in its conception and is
most prettily told, although the style of nar
rative makes one occasionally muddled upas
regards the characters. The sensational
features by which so many latter - day
novels are marred are not in evidence in
"The Story of an Untold Love." It is tender
and wholesome, and its author Is to be con
gratulated on having created a little master
piece. The book is beautifully printed and
tastefully bound.
fVtfkr—^f__^^_M
|O u^|N OTE SB oo K|
Mr. Bellamy's "Equality" is likely to be
read In a greater number of languages than
any recent American book. One of the latest
propositions received by the publishers is for
a translation into Bulgarian.
Apparently Jerome K. Jerome does not find
Paris who mourns below De Maupassant's bust is excellent __
its execu:ion. The details of the dress are so thoroughly car
ried out that one would almost expect the figure to ring th«
bell and order tea. The face is in effect that cf a society woman
who is sorry that De Maupassant 13 dead, because he will not
be able in that condition to write any more books to while
away her leisure hours. The bust of the poet is said to be an
excellent l.keness, but the effect of the "tout ensemble" of tha
monument is bizarre.
The statue was erected at the expense of a woman admirer
<f De Maupassant, who stipulated that a figure of herself
should also grace the monument. Hence ihe fashionably
attired female at the foot of the pedestal.
sufficient outlet for his superabundant energy
in performing his share in the manegement of
the Idler aud To-day, lor he is going to start
another new periodical very shortly.
Bohn's famous libraries have just celebrated
their jubilee, for the series began in 1817. It
is thirty-three years since they passed into the
hands of Messrs. George Bell & Sons, who have
constantly added new books and recast the
format of the original series. The whole set
now numbers 770 volumes. < .
A handy little volume has been written by
Robert Luce (Boston, Robert and Linn Luce),
entitled "Going Abroad — Some Advic?,"
which will certainly prove a valuable aid to
the traveler visiting Europe for the first time.
Mr. Luce treats of hotels, railway fares, trains,
fees and hundreds of other little matters
likely to give trouble to the traveling tender
foot. Voluminous guide-books have been
written on the same subject, but Mr. Luce's
work is in every respect as good and is han
dier in size.
All that Shakespeaie has to say .bout love
and lovers has been sought out and arranged
by Chloe Blakeman Jones for A. 0. KcClttrg &
Co., under the title of "The Lover's Shakes
peare." "A Group of French Critics," by
Mary Fisher, to be issued by the same house,
introduces five modern French experts in lit
erary criticism— Edmond Scherer, Ximenes
Doudau, Saint-Marc Girardin. Gustave Pianche
ami Ernest Bersot. Tho life, character and
personality of each is briefly sketched, fol
lowed by typical extracts from his published
reviews and opinions.
— — __
We have received from Messrs. George Spaul
ding & Co., 414 Clay street, city, a copy of
par; 5 of "Fifty Years of Masonry in CalL
forma," which this firm is bringing out in
monthly installments. We have taken occa
sion to speak before of the care which has
been exercised in all matters of typographical
detail, and the part before us is no exception
to the rule established in previous issues.
The half-tone illustrations are exceptionally
beautiful. A steel engraving of Past Grand
Commander Frank W. Sumner forms the front
ispiece of the number before us.
The New Letters of Napoleon I, to be pub
llshed shortly by D. Appleton <fc Co., will be
awaited with much interest. An English
critic remarks that "th; most authentic like
ness is that drawn by Napoleon's own hand,
* * * and the new letters manifest the great
man in his smallest and most secret moods.
Napoleon hero confides his desires, hopes,
tears, thoughts, methods, system, in such wise
as no psychological historian could rival."
Another critic says that "for brutality and
persuasiveness these letters cannot be
matcned in the literature of the world." The
New Letters, now published for the first time
were omitted from the collection issued under
the auspices of Napoleon 111.
The London Spectator is somewhat pessi
mistic as to "authorship and publishing now
adays," asserting that "It is becoming princi
pally a trade in names." It says:
Any of the dozen well-established novelists
can sell his wort years before a line of it is
written. He contracts to turnish at such a
date so many thousand words at so much per
thousand. Nothing is specified as to the qual
ity of the article; there must be merely so
many thousand words, which can be sold to
the world as authentic John Smith or Mary
Brown. Magazines are valued not by the
number of good articles which they contain,
but by the parade of familiar names on the
title-page; and consequently they lose all per«
sonality in themselves; they command
neither fidelity nor attachment.
The object of every author is to secure a Xo!
--lowing tor himself, which he can practically
transfer with him from one publication and
one publisher to another, for the constancy of
the public bestows itself on men now, not on
periodicals; the individual waxes and the
magazine is less and less. There is no reason un
der the new conditions why an author should
have any more feeling for the periodical in
which his work appears than a Sheffield manu
facturer would feel for the fortunes of some
cutler in Bond street. So lovg as there are
cutlers enough to sell his wa:e* and purchas
ers ready to buy them who cares for the mid
dleman?
A good many pjeans have been sung over the
increased dignity (and profits; which accrue
to authorship from this direct relation be
tween author aud public. We are old-fash
ioned enough to doubt If the change is
wholly for the better, and we are by no means
convinced that authors ar- better off than
they were. No man has ever earn', dso much
by literature as Sot- did, and few minor
poets are even so moderately fortunate as
Hogg, who made £250 by his first volume of
verse— a sum which certainly did not coma up
to his expectations.
23