The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 10, 1897, Page 23

HE people of San Francisco are great | resders, and, although it is such a | young City, the general literary taste | here is equal to that of any of the es of equal size. There is a large de- | st-class books, and history and | the most scholarly works on | 1 the useful arts, as well as the | of fiction, are bought from our and borrowed from the big large num The {favorite s in fiction are about the same as in the | ¢ cities of the East. The smount of fietion | n to other works is less here | ge smount of reading done in | ally. The big Public Library, of 440,000 volumes read per pretty fair testof the ratio of 10 the demand for books of more y. Judged , about 50 cent of the books read here are fiction, with bo ue lity eans to gratir ary somely real merit that are issued. e here, t00, for those treasures of | e which bring ver eir rarity from having been long er pulling down from volume for which you wo art with $75 to become the owner. | 1bring rich pricesis well | it will surprise some that there is | r them that justifies their being | ock in the home market. Some of lers estimate that there are more > in proportion to the b n r State, and say ndonbted fact that this is one of e best of markets for the most choice and g riced boo. 0oks rest to know some of the | ks which have stood at the topof the list | City. Recently “Senti- | M. Barrie, seems to ere, as well as all | Kate Carnegie,” by ing Noanett,” by Stim- y matched for second fiction Max Nordau’s was most read during the . ng th more serious books Warfare of Science and Theology in received the greatest attention. y and science Johu Fiske | g of popular favor, and for juve- | Toddles,” by Albert Lee, ined a multitude of young folks, snd aty’s many books for boys and the bound es of Harper's “Round Table’ were in | and. illiam Doxey’s recently the largest sales | les of Languedoe,” by Brun; | ett,” by Stimson, was second and by Blossom, was third. Large ntimental Tommy” and “Kate | were made, The class of readers reir books at Dox prefer Thack- emong the old standard euthors, and Walter Scott lead v a long way. For young people he s historical books | are ed, and Captain Marryat | th maintain their old es- biggest sales re- | by Sienklewicz ; Gilbert Parker; g Noanett s, Thackeray-and Balzac, pretty evenly divided. He had a demand for the political novel, rable Peter Ford, rising to rel | ring the h ks of the erican writers of hi Fiske ana Captain Maban—are a 2 good sale | of the big and busy Emporium the sales of | :dfold greater than those | of literature, and here “Sen- * stands first on the iist; then ate Carnegie,” *“Taquisara,” r George Tressady,” by Ward. Among juvenile books ones have been “The Book of | got up by the Cen- George Henty's works. In authors Dumas is the prime ckens second, and Thackeray own on the list, which 1s & noticeable dif- e from the demand at Doxey’s, where ray was the first choice. Although the main thing st the Emporium, they sell a large number of scientific works,and the favorite has been the “Scientific Series” of the leton Company. John Fiske's “History of merican Revolution” has been a good | | At the San Francisco News Company, where de is'principally in books of cheap pa- g, the ieaders in fiction have been rie Corelli’s and Anthony Hope’s works, but e during the last year the sales of fiction were iargely exceeded by those of the popular books on the all-absorbing financial question, d the sale of noveis became a very second- interest &t that store. In holiday books the first place was taken by Palmer Cox’s “Brownies’ Year Book,” second by “Tyixt Cupid and Cresus,” and third by Gibson's books of drawjings. From the Public Library the works of fiction 1t were drawn out in largest numbers were: By the Bonny Brier Bush,” “The Honournble Peter Stirling,” “8ir George Tressad ental Tommy” and “King Noanett. " keeps up in popularity without the pas- ne showing any effectin tiring the ey have to keep sixteen copies to e demand for this *“tale of the Christ.” “Kate Carnegie” s very popular. The most largely read book during the past year was “Degeneration,” by Max Nordau, butthe interest in it hasdied outto a large extent, and just now “Sentimental Tommy" isin perhaps the first or second greatest de- mend. O the old standard suthors here Ecott stands first, Dickens second and Thack- third. There area very iarge number of books used from this library on scientific sub- jects and useful aris; the fiction is only 50 per cent of the whole number of volumes drawn out during the year. History and biography ver about 13 per cent, philosophy and re- on 4 per cent, soclology ebout 8 per cent, poetry and the drama something over 4 cent. Most prominent in popularity among the books for people studiously inclined was White's “Warfare of Ecience and Theology in Christendom.” The numbers of volumes made use of from this big Jibrary are increas- ing at the rate of about 18,000 per snnum. Members of the Mechanics' Library have shown & decided preference for “The Honour- able Peter Stirling,” The Prisoner of Zenda" by Anthony Hope and “The Sowers” by Merri- Man. ‘*‘Sentimentsl Tommy,” “Taquisars,” Seats of the Mighty,” *'King Noanett” and Sir George Tressady” are books much read from there and in which the members show a similar teste to all therestof the world, but they have displayed & specialty in the way of an absorbing interest in the study of palmistry and genealogy. No explanation is given of why the fad has grown to such greak propor- tions, but {t taxes the capacity of the big library to supply the information desired on the art of reading the lines that have been traced by nature on the insideof the hand. Outside of fiction the book most used irom the Mechanics' has been ‘‘Degeneration” by Nor- dau, and next to that White's “Warfare of Science and Theology in Christendom.” The 1 tion of Theron Ware”” has had a good many | best that has been thought and said in the | | named, works of the Polish writer, Heinrik Slenkie- wicz, are in great favor. “A Summer in Arcady” is often called for. and “The Damna- readers. Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. Burnett and . A. Henty are the writers of juvenile fiction most liked by the voung people. No decided preference is here shown smong the authors | Bulwer, Dickens, Scott and Thackeray. This | librery is very largely used for works on the applied arts. | William Doxey, who is & man thoroughly in- | formed on the subject of books, both old and | new, and who is tn as close touch with tne lit- erary taste of the City as exhibited in its de- | nd for esthetically bound volumes of *the | world” as any one could well get o be, says that San Francisco, both in its discrimination of what is most excellent in fiction and fts de- sire for accurate, thorough and up-to-date in- formation in science, history, philosophy and ell the principal branches of human knowl- it by the | edse, is the peer of any city of equal size. It | equals many of the big centers of civilization which have had a great deal longer time | In which to develop culture and scholarship. There is a good deal of original research going v high prices be. | on here, and the investigators are keen | ssess every publication, new and which will throw any additional light upon the subject of their studious inguiry. It is surprising to learn that Mr. Doxey ships books as far east as New York, and occasionslly to London, England. Speak- ing of the demand for books he seys that there is considerable call now for reprints of the old favorite authors. These books ere now goten up with so much more artistic print and bind- ing than the ola that their attractiveness is so much enhanced they find new readers as weil as reresders among those who had enjoyed them long ego. He also finds quite & demand for old, rare and costly books. Among these he has & reprint of the “Golden Legend, as William Caxton got it up, “The Boe in the o Serra, and some rare and beautiful editions of Shakespeare. M. Robertson, the extensive book-dealer, who also is in & good position to judge of tne literery demands of the State and City, says the sale of good books here exceeds that of any other State in the Union in proportion to the to 7 old, population, and this, too, notwithstanding the | fact that 50 large & part of the community is made up of Chinese and Japanese, who do not | unse our literature. Speaking of the propor- tion of fiction sold, he says that light litera- | ture, s usualiy estimated, is 70 per cent of the whole. But such estimates never take into accourt the vast sale of Bibles. The Scrip. tures outsell all other books, and next to that, | =5 might be expected, is Willlam Shakespeare. In this connection a brief report ot what Dbooks head the list in popularity in some of the other large cities may be interesting for comparison. In New York they are reading “King Noenet:”; second, “Kate Carne- imeutal Tommy,” and “Ta- *Quo Vadis” take a high place in the estimation of the metropolis, Among the favorite authors of books for youthful readers Miss Alcottis so far in the lead she might be said to distance her competitors. At a recent meeting of a ladies’ literary soclety there, the question was discussed as to wmich was the best of the three writers, Barrie, Mc- Laren or Crockett; the pelm was awarded to Barrie. Literary Boston isreading most of all “King Noenett” and “The Country of Pointed Firs,” h an apparent tie for first honors. Second ace goes to Mrs. Humphry Ward’s “Sir George Tressady,” and another tie for third lace between “Sentimentsl Tommy” quisara” is shown by the record. Taking report from the very nub of culture as a standard we can see thatin many points the i taste of San Francisco is quite up to n, but inasmuch as no very promi- t attention has been given here to “The of Pointed Firs,” we will perbaps be compelled to confess to a wiid and woolly Western defi ciency in some points which pre- vented the discovery of the merits of this book. Boston’s preference for “King Noanett” is t0 some extent explained when we consider that he author, Frederick J. Sumeon, is & Boston lawyer, &nd every city is proud of and interested in its own productions. In Chicago they are reading in the order Kate Carnegle,” “A Child World,” le; ng Noanett,” with among those much “Sentimentsl Tommy" read. In London, England, they are reading first, “Rodney Stone,” by Conan Doyle; second, “Sir George Tressady,” and third, Rudyard Kipling's poems, “The Seven Seas,” which have been so widely advertised by the high prafses end sweeping .condemnations from various critics. The success of “Rodney Stone” is somewhat surprising in that it s a story with- out & heroine, STORY OF SIN. WHITE SAND-By E Compary, New York. Of the meking of seventh commandment stories there seems to be no end, and this is another one of the multitude founded cn the bresking of it. The pertinence of the title to the matter of the book may be perceived by the resder, good at guessing, early in the nar- rative, but it is not explained to the less clever until the end of the tale. Adam, the wronged husband, after his trouble has become merely & thing of memory, is walking Balfour. The Merriam throngh -the white sand of an Arab town. The sight of the sand brings memories and Adam thinks of the soft escaping imperiousness of 1t 1n his fingers. “Stone may be carved and clay molded, but sand is neither to hold nor to bind. If such a thing is sin, who but He shall judge it?” But to many readers, this woman, whose frailty is by the title of the book likened unto the dazzling and shifting white sand, will seem much more comparable to black sand. When her husband comes to make a magnanimous effort to call her back from sin and she instantly decides to desert her paramour as lightly as she had done her husbsud, she says 10 Adam, *'I dare sey I am a little beast,” and 1as one of the times when the fair little liar spoke the truth. BEAUTY IN BUILDING THE STORY OF A RCHITECTURE—BY Charles Thompson Mathews. D. Appleton & Co,, New York. Price For sale by Wililam Doxey, Palace Hotel, City. This handsome book is an outiine of the architectural styles of all ages and all countries, opening with an account of the pyramids of E-yptand closing with remarks about the World’s Fair at Chicago, where the author says American architecture reached its climax. The author is & Fellow ot the Ameri- can Institpte of Architects. There are 175 1llustrations, showing the various styles and presenting some of the finest buildings from the most picturesque point of view. There are 458 pages, and every where the endeavor to be coneise is evident. Those who wish to ac- quire an accurate knowleage of the “most useful of the fine arts and toe finest of the useful arts,” without spending mueh time or becoming wearied with the subject, will find in this brief and gracefully written work some - thing that will gratify their desire for knmowl- edge and make & handsome addition to their libraries. The writer grows eloquently enthu- siastic over the “truth of Greek art,” Defining the word *‘Renaissance” as applied to archi- tecture ho says: ““The term renaissance means more to the architect than a rebirth of the classics. It denotes the gradual abandonment of picturesque irregularity for symmetrical elegance; the subordination of Gothic prece- just | al, the quaint work of Junipero | | women are clothed. Some of them are posi- and | PLEASANT MOMENTS WITH THE GURRENT VERSIFIERS Little Liove Lou. | Little love Lou, in the vaulted arching The wedaing music of Lohengrin Resounds and pulses to time the marching Of usher and bridemaid pacing in, The crowded chureh is whispering, humming Its curious comment, as crowds must do | But what of that?—for I know you’'re coming— You’re coming to marry me, little love Loul Little love Lou, while we stand here under The flower-festoons, and the pouring light Descends on you, darling, I 100k and wonder, |~ So winsome youare, and so winsomely white. | Yes, white, pure white from the veil that crowns you Quite down to the tip of your satin shoe, | All white, snow-white in the silic that gowns you— All white like a dainty dove, little love Loul Little love Lou, how your lashes glisten, Your soft cheek flushes, your soft eyes fill ith asncing drops, while the people listen To hear your tenderly-voiced, “I will!” | And how you glow when the golden fetter | Encircles your finger and makes us two | One for the worse, and one for the better, | And one till death parts us, my little love | Lou! Little love Lou, the great organ closes The rite with a jubilant thunder-song, And down from the chancel, and over the roses They scatter befure you, we pass along. A conquering prince with my iaurels on me 1 1 feel as I traverse the aisle with you— Oh! prouder than king of the queen I've won me, 1 lead out my little wife, little love Loun! —Puck. —_— Beyond ? Alter the story has once been told— After one’s had his little fling At the world, and found the apples of gold Are gilt, and rapidly tarnishing— After the curtain begins to fall, Tell me, what is back of it ail ? Oh, life s fair at the break of day, As the sun climbs up the eastern hill, And the flowers are aweet along the way We gather with layish hands, until We find the hills grow rugged and steep, And shadows across the pathway creep. And life at noontide is not half bad; Sure we have learned a lesson or two, Have bought our experience gay or sad, And paid our toll in passing through The iittle gate beside which stands 0ld Father Time, with outstretched hends. But when the light begins to wane, And shadows deepen around our way, What does 1t matter, the loss or gain? What does it count, our work or play ? After the curtain begins to fall, Tell me, what is back of it all 7 ARTHUR D. F. RANDOLPH in Lippincott's. The Glock Ticks On. The sbng that we're singing bears with it a moral, To be taken to heart by the young snd the oid; While Time, envious fellow, so quietly steal- ng, Shall whisper—Go print it in letters of gold. “The clock ticks on!” The maiden who trifles with honest affection, Who thinks youth eternal, ah! let her be- ware; * She'll find out too late,with a bitter reflection, That Time is relentless—she’s no longer fair. “The elock ticks on!” There’s the note that you gave—such an easy transaction; Three long months to elapse ere the payment is due. How hard t0 consider that Time’s stealing on you, And the day of protesting yowll bitterly rue. “The clock ticks on!"” Your friends are departing—how sadly you miss them— But you count not the hours so mournfully told; And sadly oblivious to time that is passing, You dream not & moment that you're grow- ing old. ““The clock ticks on1” —Harper's Weekly. dent to classic precept and a preference of monumental splendor to constructive tours | de force; in a word, the genesis of modern art and its creative principle.” The World’s Feir, he says, will exert a great | influence upon the future of American archi- | tecture, but that it Is mere conjecture whether it will show art in some new relations to our age, or whether in a spirit of filiberal luxury it will merely elaborate what we already know. | l HE SPEAKS OF HIS FATHER. | George du Maurier’s son Gerald is a member of Beerbohm Tree's company, which is now in New York. To a Tribune reporter he recently | granted an_interview, in which he talked at considerable length in regard to his fatherand | his work in the reslms of fllustration and | | fiction. Speaking of his father's books, he seid: “Personally I like ‘Peter Ibbetson’ much Detter than ‘Trilby,’ and I think father also thought it was the better book of the two. He | was very much interested in the mew book, | “The Martian,” and preferred it to either of the | others. * * * After his books became 50 | popular he was quite overwhelmed with let- ters from all parts of the world. A good many came from admiring women, especially Ameri- | can women, and some of them were vastly | amusing. I have no doubt many of them thought he was & young man.” Anybody who examines “English Society as Sketched by Du Maurier”” cannot fail to notice the unattraetive dresses in which most of the tively slovenly in appearance, even when al lowance is made for the rapid changes of fash- ion. Some light is thrown upon this feature | of Du Maurier's work in the remarks of nis son: “He had not the slightest ides of fashion| | nor what was the correct thing in dress. People supposed that he noticed these things, of course, and girls used to come to call upon my mother and sisters got up veautifully, and expecting that father would want to put them into his drawings, or wouid at least get some ideas from them. But, dear me, he haan’tthe least notion of what they had on! My sisters looked to it that he got the right things in his pictures. He would come home sometimes and sketch sometning which had attracted him in & passer-by on the street. Often it would be some impossibly queer arrangement, and my sisters would protest. *Why, father, you mustn’t use that in Punch. Nobody wears those things mow, they’re dreadfully old- fashioned,’ and he would give in immediately to what he recognized as their superior judg- ment. He was even putting poor Trilby in those Latin-quarter scenes of forty years ago into modern garments, and had to be brought before the family tribunal for that. My sisters had to hunt up some old-style clothes for him touse. He did have some models, you know, for the postures and the clothes, though the face of Trilby was purely ideal. Little Billee's sister, by the way, and Sweet Alice were both taken from photographs—I forget now of whom—which we had in the house.” STUDY OF WORDS. ENGLISH SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS, By James G, Ferna d. Funk & Wagnalls Com- pany, New York. For sale by Willlam Doxey, Palade Hotel, City. The great advantage to speakers and writers—and we are all speakers and writers, more or less—of being able to readily dis- ousness and clearness of language tend di- rectly to affluence and precision of thought.” This new work is a great improvement on those which have preceded it on that subject. Some have been admirable as far as they went, but were too fragmentary. This book of Fernald’s deals with something over 7500 synonyms.in a very methodical way. It is much more than a mere Jist of synonymous words. A NEW MONTHLY REVIEW. have received from the publishers, the Critic Company, 287 Fourth avenue, New York, a copy of The Month, in Literature, Artand Lile—A Journalof Cultivation. This new candidate for public favor is edited by Miss Jeannette L. Gilder and Joseph B. Gilder, who are joint editors of the New York Critic. It is a really wonderful 10 cents’ worth of literature, the first number coutain- ing signed contributions by Thomes Bailey Aldrich, Frank R. Stockton, Gerald Stanley Lee, Locke Richardson, Dr. W. J. Rolfe, James Herbert Morse, Bliss Carman, Howard Crosby Butler &nd A. L du Pont Coleman. In their introductory the editors say: “There is always room for & new idea—and the Month is something mew. There is room for it because it breaks new ground and makes & place for {tselt.”” Most of the articles contained in its 100 peges are, of course, reprints from the Critfe, which fact enables the Month to be sold at such a low figure, but by no means detracts from its merits. The Critie we believe to be Criminate between the nice shades of mean. | the finest literary journal published in the nonymous words has been often ex- nd is fully appreciated by all who have paid any attention to the acquirement of a reasonsble mastery of their mother tongue. Aside from the desirability of being able to use language with correctness and factlity it should be remembered that tesque conceptions that is in line late has made so many men famouns. will find only & monkey. how trae it This is a trifle with his other work that has attracted so O TTO D'AUBERTIN has just put the finishing touches on another of his gro- much attention within the last six months, This he entitles ‘'Life and Great- ness,” and it is intended to be a slap at the degenerate in art and literature that of While the work at present is only a sketch in clay it, of course, bas all the poinis of the subject brought out. Seated in a natural attitude is a monkey that has con- siderable of the anatomy of a man, so that it might really be called the missing link. The monkey is in the act of removing & lion’s mask from hisface and holding it in front of him, so that he can look around one edge of it. The idea to be portrayed is,that if yon take the mask from many great men you severe, to be sure, but all the world knows . The great number of freak writers, artists, musicians and soldiers bear ample testimony to the fact. When the mask is torn off and the world sees the monkey all homage to the imposition naturally ceases; but how many great men are there wearing the mask of tae lion to-day that arein really only monkeys in mas- querade? D’Aubertin’s conception hasa world of truth in iteven though there be also a bit of cutting sarcasm. Little is to be condition to be ccnsidered that wa; id of the technique of this- piece of sculpture, as it is hardly in a Of course, the pose and action aregood and also the expression of the monkey’s face. There is some good work in combining the figures of the man and monkey 8o as to make the result look a little like both. This shows a great knowledge of anatomy and creative power of a high order. On the whole, this little piece of work is of a high order of merit. Mr. D’Aubertin will soon begin the work of modeling ‘‘Life and Greatness large scale, after which it will be exhibited to the public. United States, and with the cream of its arti- cles reprinted in a convenient form even the least wealthy have no excuse for not keeping thoroughty posted in matters relating to literature, art, music and the drama. We be- speak for the Montn a long career of popu- larity. THE MIKADO'S FAIRYLAND. “IN BAMBOO LANDS By Katherine Schuyler Baxter. The Merriam Company, New York. Japan’s rapid progress in civilization and military and naval power, which was forced upon the attention of the world by her recent signal victory over the Chinese, makes a good work describing that country and its people of timely interest. This one is handsomely gotten up and has 376 large pages and 116 illustrations, many of which are full page, and the paper isof extra fine quality. The picturesque features of Japan are displayed by a choicé’selection of scenes, showing how both nature and art have beautified the conn- try. Thesuthor has traveled extensively in those quaint islands and had ample opportu- nities to study the customs, arts, industries and ancesiry worship of the inhsbitants. She calls Japan “that land of many charms, fairy world of inexhaustible interest, Eden of the nineteenth century.” A SHORT NOVEL. A GAME OF CONSEQUENCES—By Albert Kin- ross. The Merriam Company, New York. This little book, almost brief enough to be called a novelette, is called by the author a comedy-uovel, and tells the story of an army officer’s admiration for a talented and ambi- tious young governess, who chafes at the sub- ordinate position fate has placed her in. Both the chief characters are worldly and their consciences are dormant. First comes a clever flirtation between this army man and the governess, Jessica, who was instinctively a fine performer on the human heart, The fiir- tation ends in a declaration of love, and at her own suggestion Jessica becomes the officer's mistress. They live a happy life together and Jessica becomes less worldly and more wo- manly. The captain begins to develop a con- science, *but then he was blissfully ignorant of the fact” Finding themselves growing more and more in love with each other they marry, Whether the book is morally whole- some would be a very debatable question. MANNERS FOR MEN THE COMPLETE BACHFLOR~By the suthor of thie “As Seen by Him Papers.”” D. Appieton & Co, New York. Price §125. For sale by Wiliam Doxey, Paiace Hotel, City. The author gives as & reason for' this little book-that while he was conducting the query department in Vogue ne received letters from all parts of the United States asking for infor- ‘mation on certain details of etiquette which seem to have been overlooked by the writers of etiquette manuals, and these correspond- ents wanted the questions answered from the New York standpoint. Herein the bachelor is warned against the faults which will make him *4mpossible” in soclety. On the last page we are told that one of the marks of a gentle- man is his complete mastery of himself under the most trylng and aggravating circum- stances, and furthermore this nder great provocation the expletive ‘damn’ is tolerated in society, but it should be whispered and not pronounced aloud.” TOLD IN TOUE&S’ LANGUAGE. THE BARKEEP STORIES. By Frank Hutche son. K. A. Weeks & Co.. Chicago. A jovial bartender is made to tell these the incidents of barroom life in the “dis” and “dem” dialect of the toughs. These papers were originally published in the Chicago Daily News. Among the various characters sketched are the racetrack tout, the unsuccess- ful actor, the seedy politician, and the bad man from Cripple Creek who ‘‘cuts loose wid his cannon.” CITY AND COUNTRY LIFE. BOSS BART, POLITICIAN—By Joa Mitchel Chapple. F. Tennyson Neely, New York. Paper. This Western story ot love and politics starts out with a delineation of village lifé in Indi- "" ON & | ana in the early days of its settlement. There was a refined old Judge, s sage cobbler who read Plutarch’s lives, & sweet new school- teacher with advanced ideas in ventilation, and a crusty old bachelor farmer, who “held mortgages and hus breath for fear of wasting it,” the whole village community living to- gether like one large family, with just differ- ences enough to make an occasional family jar. Later some of the ambitious young peo- Ple go to Chicago, where thestory is continued and Bart, the politician, gets in his work. POEMS BY A CALIFORNIAN THE SHOW LION—FPy Cora E. Chase. “The Artistic Life” Publisking Company. For sale at Doxey's Bookstore, Palace Hotel, City. This new addition to the literature of Cali- fornia production, though small in size, is worthy of special note. It isa little book of dramatic poems, readings and sketches, printed and illustrated in & novel and very pretty style. The poems are of unusual beauty, and the strength of the passionate emotions expressed by them will be sure to send a sympathetic thrill through all who read them with the attention they merit. | They are all short and adapted for recitations. All who bave fine giits of elocution will find in the use of these verses and skeiches ample scope for the exercise of all the resources of their skill. A new work of this kind is much needed, for the old gems-of our language adapted to recitatigns have been repeated so often that their exXquisite beauty, however well rendered by an adept in the art of elocution, is spt to have its spell broken by the wearisome iter- ation. The poem that gives its title to the book, “The Show Lion,” is alive with the strength dnd grace befitting the deseription of the royal beast in his tragic fight for freedom. The short sketch, *“To a Picture of Sarah Bern- hardt Sleeping,” commencing “A yellow tigress stretched in slender strength,” is a fine piece of art in its picturing to the mind’s eye in a very few lines the subtle charms of the famous actress. “The Nun's Rose” makes us understand how passionately & young and loving woman's heart must beat against the vows that arg as prison bars. One of the best is_“Courage,” which with forceful brevity calls to mind the march of Napoleon’s army against Moscow, the burning of the city by the Russians, and using that as g moral, closes with this condensed sermon: Hast thou that courage, canst thou look within 7The kingdom of thyself, search out the desr desire, And ere it take thy soul a captiva thing, Slay, burn, destroy, and purify with fire? Then thou art Alexsuder, Empeior—fling hard the gauntlec in the face of Fate ' Fate cannot harm thee if thou darest 5O much— To burn thy city ere the foeman take. Here is a fine sample of the authot's work: WHAT 1HE ROSE TOLD. Yes, Nature loves the truth, She blazons forth the truth ou every hand. The only woman 'neath the vaulted skies, Who has no secrets hid and tells 1o lies— Woman whose vows are “wr.t in sand,” Zoves not the truth. Iasted my hated 11val near her home; He smiied in passing. gay and debonal Upon his coat he wore a yellow rose. Its stiken petals crushed— “ Who placed it thers.” Who knows Bat she sst lonely, waiting my retur Her eyes were fastened gravely on her book, Unti! Iraised the pretty, dimpled chin, And in the shy, soft eses looked deep within— Tsought sor gullty look, but found love in its place. ¢ Hast thou been all alone?” T murmured low, + No oue to lighten time with chat or song?” And speaking so, caressed ‘the pink-tipped ear; She answered, “None; I waited for you, deal And ob, the time with you sway was long! Alone, time goes 50 slow.” “Tis only good Dame Nature loves the truth, And even she may palter with the sun— 1 only know, witain her hair that day, A shining, yellow roseleat lightly lay, And on the polished stair, another one, And by the outer, oaken door, fanmed by its closing, There were just three more; Five petals, all in all, And yet, who knows * Why, any man might wear a yellow rose! A NEW POET IN THE WEST. George J. Duraind, who has been identified with journalism in this City for the past fif- teen years, has just completed a poem, the publication of which William Doxey is now considering. It is a poem on the ideal in na- ture and art, and consists of between 4000 and 5000 words. The author has planned to pub- 1ish it in eleven small books, each with an in- dividual title. Mr. Duraind has been greatly encouraged to proceed with his work by Dr. David Starr Jordan and Professor Hudson of Stanford University, who several months ago read what had been then written of the poem. The work is written on lofty lines. Mr. Duraind says its tendency and aim is the same with Christianity, that is, as Dr. Channing #aid, to spiritualize our nature, Mr. Duraina worked for several years on the poem. He, in fact, wrote four or five different works before his way became clear to write the great poem, which he finally completed last Saturday. Mr.Duraind here tells what induced him to write the work, and gives to the reader glimpses of the mnoble purposes which animated him. FIVE SHORT STORIES. FELLOW TRAVELERS—By Grabam Travers. D. Appleton & Co., New York. Price 50 cents, For sale by Willism Doxey, Palace +: otel, Clty, Mr. Travers introduces us to some’ interest- ing characters in these short stories. One of the most pleasing of the five is “The Knight and the Lady,” in which the lady proposes to the knight, butwas amply justified as the knight was dying and she promised to marry himas & reward for struggling to get well. The knight was but 9 and the lady only 6, but their romance was more interesting than thas of most grown people. Another story Is a sort of astory in sgnos- ticism. The two main characters are a besu- tiful, wealthy and {rivolous girl and a very plain and very serious one, who looks upon the gay butterfly with feelings far from envy. One day the glady girl questioned the seriotis one as to what she believed. She could get no answer but, *I believe it is worth while trying to be good.” ‘The end of the story leads us to infer that if the serious one had pelieved more the giddy ome would have seen it and would have been saved from the sin into which she drifted. ROMANTIC HISTORY. MARY STUART, QU EEN OF 8COTS—By ale: andre Lumas. ‘The Merrism Company, York. Alexandre Dumas and Mary, Queen of Scots, are both nemes to conjure with, and when they come in combination tous with Dumas for author and the fair Queen with her ever- fascinating tragic history for subject, we must needs surrender to their joint enchantments. ‘With all his wonderful powers of imagination the famous writer of romance could not have created a heroine of fiction who could so charm us ss does Mary Stuart of actual history. This excellent translation of J. M. Howell places before us & vivid picture of the turba- lent times when this woman of strangely mingled strength and weakness strove to rule the unruly Scots. These times were exciting and picturesque, and Dumas knew well how to make us feel the thrill of that excitement and see the drama with fascinated eyes. His way of telling of the murder of the Queen’s favorite, Rizzio, the avenging ot that deed by the barrels of gunpowder when Darnley was blown up in the Kirk of Fields, of Mary’s im- prisonment in Lochlevin Castie with her father’s one-time mistress for jailer,and her” daring escape thence by the aid of that Doug lass who loved her so hopelessly and faith- fully, and of the last scene when the ax of Elizabeth’s jeslousy struck the final blow to her brave and beautiful rival, will make & Qeeply grave impression upon the reader's memory. But with all its merit there 1s something dis- appointing about the book. Although the author seems under careful restraint to show 10 bias toward either the guilt or innocence of the Queen, he yet puts into her mouth words 5o coarsely satirieal that they spoil that idesl we love to cherish of her womanly sweet~ ness and her queenly nobleness and majesty. Even if we are compelied to admit that the circumstantial evidence against her is too overwhelming to be doubted, we will suspect flaws in any portrayal which represents the Scottish Queen as less than a noble spirit, how- ever sinful, STORY OF HAPFY LOVES. THE PROPERTY OF DON GILBAR.—By Henrl Biock. Authors’ Publishing Association, New York. Price 50 cents; pap-r. This is a story of a big, strong, ugly, country boy, who went to the city to study medicine and surgery, and being talented and indus- trious met with great success. He falls in love with a rich man’s daughter and aiter & littla misunderstanding of the nature of the girl, Who was t0o shy to let him know she returned his love, they are happily married. His wife's brother finds his love romance in being nursed from sickness (o iife by a girl who had been stolen bygypsies. The story is simple, but wholesome and happy. LITERARY NOTEs. Abustof Ernest Renan has been placed in Toom 4 of the College de France, where the great scholar used to teach his radical views of Christianity. The January Book Buyer will eontain, be= sides & photogravure frontisplece, special iilus- trated articles on William Morris, Arthur T. Hadley and Charles Robinson, the illustrator. The Messrs. Appleton have in press for early publication “The True Life ot Captain Sir Richard F. Burton,” written with the au- thority and approval of the family by his Liece, Georgiana M. Stisted. Mrs. Flora Steele’s novel, “On the Face of the Waters,” will be published in January by the Macmillan Company. Mr. Kipling is said to have pronounced this the best story of the Indian mutiny thathas yet been written, The first editions of Florence Warden's new novel, “Forge and Furnace,” both in paper and cloth, were sold in advance of their pub- lication. The second issue is almost exhausted, and a third contemplated. The publishers are the New Amsterdam Book Company. According to the St. James Gazette, Queen Victoria will personally dictate and revise s blography of herself, whicn will appear in 1897. The story of the longest reign in the history of England from the Queen’s own standpoint cannot fail to be of great interest. Charles Scribner’s Sons announce the first uniform edition of Rudyard Kipling’s works, 1o contaln several stories not before collected, in twelve volumes. For collectors there will bea special American edition, consisting of 200 numbered copies, manufactured by the De Vinne Press,on Japen hand-made paper, with an R. K. water-mark; and Mr. Kipling will sign the photogravure frontispiece to volume 1, while his father supplies some thirty or forty illustrations modeled in ciay for copying. The bound volume of Seribner’s Magazine , for the past year has reached our review table? This interesting publication keeps well to the fore as one of America’s leading monthlies. The volume before us contains a large variety of entertaining articles on literary, scientific and historical subjects. Among the last Pro- fessor E. Benjamin Andrew’s “History of the Last Quarter Ceutury in the United States” is notable. Typographically and as a specimen of the bookbinder’s art Scribuer's is all that could be desired. With the January number Romance beging the eighth year of its life under new manage- ment in new and improved form, with a new and striking cover, with new and original con- tents. It is now the property of Gilson Wil« lets, who is crowding into it tke result of his many years' experionce as an editor and pub- lisher. The experimental stage in the career of Romance terminated with the old manage- ment, All its fluctuations in price, its changes in size, the uncertainty of purpose which characterized it under old management, are ended. Dr. Fridtiof Nansen’s account of his voyage to the Arctic regions will be published in this country by the Messrs. Harper in February, simultaneously with its appearance in Eng- land, Germany, France, Sweden and other European countries. The book was offered to other New York houses, which refused it on account of the enormous price asked—$25,000— more than half of the price paid by the Messrs. Constable. It is pot said that the Messrs. Harper paid this price, but merely that it was asked. The book will be published in two volumes, and will be profusely illustrated. Mrs. Rorer’s magazine, Household News, has been absorbzd by the Ladies’ Home Journal in order to make it possible for Mrs. Rorer to form an exclusive editorial connec- tion ‘with the latter magazine. All of Mrs. Rorer's literary work will hereafter appearex- clusively in the Journal, of whose domestic department she will have entire charge. Sev- eral pages of the magazine will be given her each month, and in these she will begin by giving a new series of simple cooking lessons, to be followed by domestic lessons treating separately the care and arrangement of each room in & house. Following is the contents page of Lippin- cott’s for January: “‘Stockings Full of Money,” Mary Kyle Dallas; “‘Are American Institutions of Dutch Origin?” Sydney G. Fisher; ‘“‘A Christmas Midnight in Mexico,” Henry Wil- lard French; ‘‘Compensation” (quatrain), Mary E. Stickney; “South Florida Before the ho{en," R. G, Bobinson; “Marrving in the Fiffeenth Century,” Em1iy Bally Stone; *For- ward”’ (couplet), Carrie Blake Morgan; “Rob- ert the Devil,” Claude M. Girardeau; *‘The Western Housekeeper and the Celestial,” May Hoskin; “Lines,” Julien Gordon; “Theater- going in St. Petersburg,” Isabel F. Hapgood; “Love’s Lesson” (poem), Marie M. Meinel “An Anonymous Love Letter,” Virginia Woo ward Cloud; “With the Whitefish Nets,” Al lan Hendricks; “Walnut Lore,” Lee Calendars and Coupons, So many beautiful calendars and enter- taining novelties have been issued by the proprietors of Hood's Sarsaparilla that we are hardly surprised to receive this season not only one of the very prettiest designs in calendars, but with it coupons which entitle the recipient to attractive novel. ties, Every one who gets a Hood’s Sarsa- parilla calendar for 1897 secures something that wiil prove interesting and valuabie ss well as a beautiful specimen of the lithographer's art. The calendar is ac- companied this season by an amusing lit- tle book on * The Weather.” Ask your druggist for Hood’s Coupon Calendar, or send 6 cents in stamps for one to C. L Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass,