The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 26, 1897, Page 22

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, DECEMBEP 26, 1897. 7 ME. MATHILDE MARCHESI | has given to the world what | she entitles her *Memoirs.” The work, pretending to no literary or technical merit, is stlil more deficient in those qualitics which give to per- sonal recollections their savor and worth. It were more appropriately described as an autoblography, com- bined with an episodical record of the and operatic stage s, or rather with those musical nts with which the madame had to do. One seeks in the volume with only scant and occasional satisfaction derived from little flashes here and there that gogsip of the inner Continer for the past f life of the great artists and composers of the two generations past which its pages should contain. Mme. Marchesi is a very distinguished and amiable woman who stands in tne light of a mother to the modern lyrical stage. She is a native of Frankfort, | and ed when quite young an Italia tone, who subse- quently deserted the concert hali to be- come cher like herself. Her talents, | of such an order as to gain her first the | appla se and then the friendship of the celebrated composers and singers, impelled her more to the classroom than the footlights. The better part of her life, therefore, has been spent in teach- ing at the conservatories of Vienna and Paris. Of later years she has been mis- tress of the Ecole Marchesi, the fame of which 1s well earned. Her renowned pupils, drawn from Russia, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Italy, France and the United States, are legion. Among them are Antoinetta Fricei, Caroline Dory, Ilma 41 Murska, Gabrielle Xrauss, Fraulein Hoffman, who married the Archduke Hen of Austrta, Hedwig Schuerlei Radeke, Caroline Smenos erf, Clementina a Stahl, Nevada, Calve, Mme. > . counted as | patron friend every great com- poser of the fifty years Still, with all this world of genius and individual- ity to draw on, with a sympostum of subjects of enduring interest to human- ity to sketch, she has given us only the meagerest glimpses of the charac- teristic traits and habits of her in mates and the masters, to enjoy which | v to pick over a dreary mass of musical autographs and mo- of the first person t flash of witty dame has been s and societies of greatness. ment of them veness, highly honored with medals and Once > made a ia pre on bosom. The occ on was a ception at the Austrlan Emba Paris. As she s ed into the glare of the salon she records that a lady re- marked to another: ‘““Those are medals for having ved people’s lives; that lady must be a good swimmer.” Of Wag: lity we learn noth- | ing. Men¢ s a loving husband | nt fath He preferred ind was a first-rate or- . Yet .\mm.—.lsso)m! first patron. Oh, yes; | | s the madam he de and ri said he once, “for d to effecs ted the French capital ts at Paris,’ there evervthing " As to the derful fe Lind's teach- ung pupil that Rachel, also studying with him at the was ionately | in love with in the habit of writing d hiding them about tudio. | particularly {. He was a warm and i gner, and in- atradiction, even where art him love letters his Liszt loved Italian music, that of Ross! ble ¢ A i's home In Florence it was neither interest nor pleasant. The: as the sub- re. “We often | iroom, his favorite his food over a spirit lamp. Berlioz was so terribly pe ticularly in his own countr: hardly ever known to smile. sation bo: secuted, par- that he was His conver- stamp of an embittered mind and a saddened heart. He was ex- | tremely reticent in his opinion about music. Of the piano Titan, Rubinste we get no idea, except that he was | brusqu nd pag fotie. Hiller was an ex markable cellent planist; a re- composer; a witty, amiable man of the world, as fascinating in his con ion thorougn and pleasing in his writings.. He was ohari- table in his judgment of other musiclans, though very bitter against Li. vith whom he quarreled over Wag e | madame could never see in Meyerbeer the reticent, repelling manner of which s> many complained. She evidently had no sympathy with the epigrammatic on. mity Heine recorded against that worthy compor > family of Mme. Marchesi and that of Verdi have been on terms of the cio: est Intimacy for years, relations estab- lished through the marriage of one of her pupils to the Italian. master. ing the recent success of * Paris she writes occasion can Respect- v happiness 1y be imagined, as to spend an ning in Verdi’s soclety has always been a great delight, and that evening it was with deep interest that I watched the play of his mobile features, expressing as they did every passing se sation as he listened to his own musio. He tried to be calm, but the sligh hesitation on the part of the orchestra or a singer made him start from his | chair, in spite of all his efforts. Between the acts it was one uninterrupted series congratulatory visits, that of Am- s being the most touching, | two illustrious old men locked themselves In one long embrace.” Although the madame pr Melba as | the gr st living singer. tells us most ab Krauss, of | as a gifted and tireless worker. It plainly the development, the trans { mation of this pupil she admires. Krau. was delicate and timid; in fact, so diffi- dent and shrinking that her acting was for a long time despaired of. In the end she became as great an actress as she was a singer, gaining finally at Paris the title of Rachel Chantante.” The following sketch of Patti is more to the life and refreshing: ¢ ¢ piano, surrounded , giving Etelka Gerster a lesson, when Patti entered the room, and | which, the way, was a perfect garden, my singing birds having celebrated’ my birthday by offering me the loveliest flowers. The diva seemed surprised at the sight of the sweet-smelling roses, violets, pinks, the immense bouquets and garlands of all kinds; and very likely she thought: #How does a pro- fessor of singing come to receive such homage, which belongs only to us queens of song? All the pupils raised their heads as she entered, in order to have a good look at the sing whom it was so Qiffl- cult to get to hear at the opera. A young Russian, a Pattl enthusiast, even went 50 far as to offer her, after glancing im- ploringly at me, a large bouquet whijch was meant for me. Bowing kindly to all, Patti walked up to the piano and asked Gerster, whose voice she Had heard on entering, to sing something. After some | hesitation Gerster sang the cavatina from “Linda.” The celebrated artiste was fuil of praises of her voice and delivery; she was especially charmed with her mezzo- voce, and advised the young student to steer courageously toward her goal. Who would then have supposed that the two would make an operatic tour together in America, and that Gerster would become the successful rival of the great diva? Patti made her®elf so charming, and had 80 many kind words for every one, that my pupils’ admiration for her grew into ftanaticism.” | provlems to A WEIRD STORY. UNKIST, UNKIND!—By_ Violet Hunt. New York: Harper & Bros. For sale by A M. Robertson. Price $1 2. This story has a pleasant surprise. The sparkle and cynicism of the open- ing chapters suggest a modern society novel, but suddenly the author plunges into an atmosphere impregnated with | antiquity, and concludes with a tragedy. The transition is unexpected, but stm- ply and naturally accomplished. Sir Philip Darcey and his wife (the story is told by the latter's companion) love each other, but she Is a confirmed flirt and he is extremely hot-tempered. Taey g0 to the moors of Northumberland for the grouse-shooting. In the neighbor- hood lives a baronet, Sir Anthony Ercfl- don, in one of the strongholds dating back to the days of the Moss-troopers. He is an antiquarian, his researches be- ing especially directed toward British | relics. Lady Darcey and her companion, on one of their bicycle rides, discover him and his a ts opening a bar- row. Circumstanc bring it about that | the lady’s companion becomes one of the | antiquarian’s secretaries. The other | secretary has been brought up by the antiquarian and is devoted body and soul to his service. Her only link wiih the present is her devotlon to this man, for whom she has a passionate love, which, of course, 18 unrequited. She is jealous of every woman who approaches | Diamond Robbery, the Rock Isiand Bx- press, the Destruction of the Renos and the American Exchange Bank Robbery All of these doings are now part of his tory, and as Mr. Moffett spent months in getting evidence and following out the | details of each case from its inception | to its ‘close, the stories are of far more | value than those that are the result of imagination only. A ROYAL ROMANCE. A FOUNTAIN SEALED-By Sir Walter Be- sant. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Com- pany. For sale by Doxey. Price $1 50. This ' is the ‘story of a love affair be- tween: Prince George, afterward Georgd IIL., of England, and one Nancy Wal- don, dauvghter of a paper manufacturer in Kent. The young couple became ac- quainted in a very romantic manner and | the rank of the royal lover is the only hindrance to his marrying his sweet- heart. He finally decides to renounce his right to the crown and make her his own. All this time Nancy is in entire ignorance as to the true station in life of her lover, believing him to be merely a gentleman of quality. The wedding day is fixed and just as th e about to set forth to church the Prince’s young broth- er bursts into the room saying the King is dead, and that the yo lover is al- ready George IIL. His sweetheart lives 1n retirement for the rest of her life, and finally writes the story of her love af- fair to silence slanderous tongues. Taken all in all, the tale is one of the =t M MME. MARCHESI AND MME. MELBA. Interested In the Japanese and their country. Mr. LaFarge's style is so sim- | ple, and his expression so facile, that humor. For his hero Mr. Stockton has chosen a young inventor, Roland Clewe, who' Las a number of startling schemes undér way, among them being a plan for the discovery of the North Pole by means of an expedition in a submarine boat. Just what happens throughout this ex- pedition is narrated with a seriousness that gives the adventures a semblance of reality. The story is further enlivered by a charming little love affair between the inventor and his fair business part- ner. IJAPAN AND THE JAPANESE. John LaFarge is the leader among the later writers on Japan, its customs and its art. His letters began to appear some ten years ago in the Century Magazine, and instigated such men as Loti, Lafca- dio, Hearn, Percival Lowell and Basil Chamberlain to explore the same inter- esting field. It can still, however, truth- fully be said that in his own line Mr. LaFarge is unrivaled. For this reason the publication of his letters in handsome book form by the Century Company will | be appreciated by the numberless people even when he deals with the most intri- cate art matters the layman can grasp his meaning without trouble. If he oc- casionally digresses, his digressions are pleasing, and, although he sometimes in- information is imparted in a simple and captivating manner, and when once mas- tered is not likely to be forgotten. - The {llustrations are numerous and of the kind that appeal to young relders. IT APPLIES TO MANY OF US. THE SELF-MADE MAN IN AMERI- CAN ~LIFE=By Grover Cleveland. New York: T. Y. Crowell & Co. Price 35 cents. In this little volume is contained the address delivered by ex-President Cleve- land'at the one hundred and fiftieth an- niversary of the- founding of Princeton University. Mr. Cleveland points out the danger that in our admiration of the so-called self-made man” we may not hold up a sufficiently lofty ideal. The writer's tone throughout is noble, dtgni- fied and inspiring. It is one of the most wholesome utterances of the day and should be put in the hands of every young man in the country. A STORY FOR GIRLS. A SUCCESSFUL VENTURE—By Ellen Douglas_Deland. Boston: W. A. Wilde & Co. Price $1 50. There is always a pecullar charm about Miss Deland's style. It is simple and direct and there is no shade of meaning lost. Her success has been in every sense merited. “A Successful Ven- ture” is the story of a family of girls eociety, wherein mention is made of its principal comments on each individual mentioned in the selected list. The new edition of Mr. Gilbert Par- ker’s novels published by D. Appleton & Co. includes tnus far “The Trespasser” and “The Trafl of the Sword,” which are uniform with “The Seats of the Mighty.” “The Translation of a Sav- age,” which will be materially enlarged, and “Mrs. Falchion,” will shortly be add- ed to the uniform edition. A recent letter from Paris says that | Zola's Debacle is finding a worthy rival in Le Djsastre, by Mme. Paul and Victor Marguerite, a romance ot the setz cam- paign. The American rights of the thrilling story have been secured by D. | Appleton & Co., who will publish the | book Immediately under the title of “The members, with appropriate | CORLEONE — By Marion The Macmillan Company. Crawford. New York. T is always a delight to renew ac- quaintance with Marion Crawford on his own ground, and that ground is emphatically Italian. Though of American parentage, Mr. Crawford" is not at home on the parental na- tive heath. When he across to the New World he wr stranger striving to analyze s The analysis is subtle, scholarly, sug- gestive, but unconvincing. It lacks that grace of spontaneity which is one of this writer's greatest charms. But once back again on Italian soil, Marion Crawford writes in an atmosphere hich has permeated his whole being; xxe spirit of the old Italy and that of the new are alike with him; he moves as a loved familiar through the dreary old palaces of the Roman nobility, sym- pathizing with the prejudices of the elder generation and the aspirations of the later; intuitively reading the com- plex characters that result from a state of social transition; touching off with a delicate grace peculiarly his own por- traits so lifelike that they remain with the reader as photographs of intimate friends. So it happens that one turns over the leaves of Corleone with a throb of an- ticipatory pleasure, for well loved names appear on the pages, and to come once more into close contact with the queen- | 1y Corona, the chivalrous San Giancinto, the fiery old Saracinesca and their sur- roundings means pleasant pastime. It must be admitted that, at first, the promise seems delusive. The opening chapters drag, the profusion of de- tails is wordily tame, our old acquain- tance Orsino and his brother IDDDU(VQ seem but commonplace sons of their above-mentioned parents, and an .un- comfortable suspicion arises that even the stately old Roman veln is worked out and that Marfon Crawford is delib- erately cheating us, substituting lin- guistic purity and delicate description for plot and action. Pazienza! Corleone is its author’s surs prise box. He has introduced therein enough action to supply a long drawn out blood-and-thunder melodrama. We have a villain who would exhaust the ( Disaster.” Mr. Stopford Brooke Is writing a vol- | ume on “The English Poets From Blake to Tennyson” for Mr. Murray’s Univer- | sity Extension Manuals. As this period is treated with great brevity in his ad- mirable “Primer of English Literature,” students of the latter work will be glad | to have a more extensive treatment of | the subject from the same competent | pen. A correspondent sends The Academy the copy of a note written by Mr. Kip- Benigon fo of> & gouns. gentle and simple, and aff e worfd's astir it mict§ and Rindly parfepings. Bo, |} £ the cBeery cBorus we add out Chriat: Y mas greefing and Bi> one and off wefs come to t8e Christmas @ooksGeff. (@nd trulp ‘tis a goodfy feast mef forfB upon t8ese faden sfefues. Ehe savour of frarning, (8¢ affic saff o wif, spiee of romance, fruits of arf and poctrg— ‘fis e fribute that the (Goobworld Brings fo grace (e gear's greof fesfival. Qum (Ben fo ifs ricBes—amid ofF tBe Qulefide Bounfp is no swch cBeer as et wBich freights B Chrisimas CRAWFORD. him; so when Lady Darcey suddenly ap- | pears at the house, seeking refuge from her husband, whom she had aroused to more than usual wrath by her folly, the train is laid for a tragedy. This part of the story is graphically told and must be read to be appreciated. A METAPHYSI(;AL MASTERPIECE IN SEARCH OF A SOUL—By W. Dresser. Boston: The sophical Publishing Company. Since the day when Eve ate the fatal Horatio Philo- | fruit of the tree of knowledge men have been worrying over the problems of the soul, the reason for this life and the possibility of a future one. In individual | cases some satisfaction has been gained | on these points, but the majority of mankind are still groping in the dark- ness or have given up worrying over which there is apparently no solution. Mr. Dresser believes in in- dividuality before and efter death, and to those who wish to join him in this belief his book will prove a cheerful and a healthy companion. He takes a bright view of things and knows the value of breadth and charity. He says to him- self that our knowledge of the soul is scanty and imperfect, but he has a keen appreciation of what constitutes a good and beneficial life. His expression of | this, and his knowledge of man’s duty to man, give a permanent value to his book and make it well worth reading. OUR FEATHERED SONGSTERS, BIRD NEIGHBORS—By Neltje Blanchan. New York: Doubleday & McClure Co. For sale by Payot, Upham & Co. Price $§2 With such a work as this avaflable, the city man has absolutely no excuse for not making himself acquainted with the birds known to his country cousin and commonly found in garden, meadow and wood. About 150 of the little sing- ers are portrayed by one who has made | himself thoroughly familiar with their habits and characteristics. Besides this, the birds are described in minutest de- tail, and the colored illustrations, to the number of fifty-one, are certainly fine specimens of work. The book should be in the possession of every lover of na- ture, as it will enable him to recognize at | a glance the majority of birds to be met Wwith in & few hours, stroll through the country, ESSAYS ON MANY SUBJECTS. WITH FEET TO THE EARTH-—-By Charles M. Skinner. Philadelphia; J. B. Lippin- cott Co. For sale by Joseph A. Hofman. Price $1 %. The stmplicity with which these short esays are told is not their least charm. They treat of many different topics, from the green flelis to the city's streets at night. In fact, the one enti- | tled “Night Prowls on the Streets” will | certainly touch the hearts of many readers. Mr. Skinner treats his subjects | lightly; he appears to amuse rather than to ingtruct. ABOUT CRIME _AND CRIMINALS. TRUE DETECTIVE STORIES—By Clevelang Moffett. New York: Doubleday & McClure Co. For sale by Payot, Upham & Co. Price $L With the help of the Pinkerton agency Mr. 2foffett has been able to_give in this book the inside history of several fa- mous cases which the general public only know of through newspaper accounts. The glories are absorbing and are state- menta of actual fact, repeated without exaggeration or false coloring. The book contains five chapters, devoted to the following robberies and mysteries: The Northampton Bank Robbery, the Sus- | quehanna Express Robbery, the Pouockx | outside world. best of the year and cannot well be over- looked by lovers of a clean and inter- esting story. BY A-CALIFORNIA WRITER. THE ENCHANTED BURRO—By Charles F. ;Anmnus. Chicago: Way & Willtams. Price | 1-50. Mr. Lummis is well known throughout California_and these storfes of his bid fair to make a reputation for him in the They treat of New Mex- ico, Bolivia and Peru. The author is well up in his subject, for his descriptions are accurate and his character drawings true to life. He has spent a dozen years in these countries and is therefore better able to write about them than writers who study the people from the windows of a Pullman car. “The Enchanted Bur- ro,” the leading story in the book, r cites how a wily Indian revenges him- self upon his enemies and how he in turn is dispatched to the happy hunting grounds. The other tales are equally in- teresting and original, and the illustra- tlons accompanying them, being taken from the author's own photographs, are both trustworthy and unique. THE CUBAN REBELLION. FACTS AND FAKES ABOUT CUBA—By George Bronson’ Rea. New York: George Munro's Sons. > It has been almost impossible to get | an intelligent opinion on the Spanish- Cuban matter. Dispatches and “‘special articles” have proved unreliable, of the public. The idea, however, has been gaining ground that the Cubans are not such martyrs as they have been made out to be, and that Spain is enti- tied to more sympathy than has been ac- corded her by this country. Mr. Rea, a correspondent of the New York Herald, who was In Cuba during the greater part of the trouble, favors this view, and in his book sets forth graphically the conditions of affairs, taking other corres- pondents severely to task for what he considers inagcurate workmanship, BAD FOR DEGENERATES. THE DRONES MUST DIE—By Max Nordau. New York: G. W. Dillingham Co. Price $2. This novel deals with phases of Ger- man life in Paris, a theme at once new and interesting. A complex story is un- folded in its pages, the tragedies of the Bourse, the little drama of love and loss, the peaceful tale of a young girl's life and happiness, the incidents of a boy's romantic passion, are welded together by numberless Iittle touches of local color. The story is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable of the year. Very few books have been written that surpass it in originality, naturainess. and charm. Whether one agrees with Mr. Nordau or not, it must be admitted that he is a forceful writer and an acute observer of men, women, and their relations to one another. Taken altogether, .the book cannot fail to add to Max Nordau's reputation as a writer and it will doubt- less be as eagerly sought after as was his extraordinary sociological study, ‘Degeneration.” A ROMANCE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. THE GREAT STONE OF Frank R. Stockton. &e; & Brothers. bertson. Pric This is & powerful tale after the style of Jules Verne. It opens in the year 1947, on an Atlantic liner just nearing the port of New York. In the deseription of the metropolis and of the life of the time, Mr. Stockton gives his fancy free rein and eniivens it by clever touches of SARDIS—By e New lYo;k: A.Hni? ‘or sale k. 150, % and | have been doctored to suit the demands | dulges In abstract speculation, he is al- | ways Intelligible. He gives his readers | a clear idea of what constitutes Bud- | dhism, and is not above introducing a hu- | | morous anecdote if thereby he can make | | Le Conte, however, has attempted the | his meaning the clearer. To understand Japanese art,-as the author says, one must have some understanding of the in- fluence religion has had on the people themselves. Mr. LaFarge explains this | influence, showing that while many are | inclined to look down upon the-Japanese artist, saying that he is-‘“great in small i things and small in great things,” he perhaps has a clearer insight into true beauty than his western brother, who is often a mere machine. A RETURN TOfiTHE IDEAL. THE STATUE IN THE AIR—By Caro- line Eaton Le Conte. New York: The Macmilllan Co. For sale by Doxey. Price 75 cents. It is not often that a Greek romance is written nowadays, the public as a rule preferring modern scenes of action. Miss task, and, although her story is very short, it is decidedly good and fairly well told. It is not without its tragedy, though a love story is also unfolded in its pages. The language used may some- times appear stilted and unnatural, but | the few faulty passages will be over- looked in consideration of the story's general excellence. The book is beauti- fully printed on thick hand-made paper, and is handsomely bound. HEALTHFUL ANB—HELPFUL. THE FREEDOM OF THE FIELDS—By Charles C. Abbott. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company. For sale by Jo- seph A. Hofman, Price $1 8. Charming little essays these, or, rather, fleeting thoughts gathered together and bound between dainty covers. Mr. Ab- bott is not only a dreamer, but a philos- opher of a high order, and his musings are therefore well worth listening to. He | looks upon the world and its inhabitants with the eyes of a sane man; his thoughts are healthy, and his sympathy enables him to discern much that is un- observed by the casual critic. Of his other works “A Colonial Wooing” is, perhaps, the most read; but the publica- tion of this last will certainly do more to make him widely and favorably known than the others. A ROUSINQ_WAR STORY. THE GENERAL'S DOUBLE—By Captain Charles King. Philadelphia:_ J. B. Lippin- cott Company. Tor sale by Joseph A. Hof- man. Price $1 %. Captain King can always be relied on to tell a stirring war romance and this last effort of his is in no wise Inferior to his others. It is a story of the Army of the Potomac, and is full of incident and action, love and intrigue. It is a North- ern story and will appeal to a large cir- cle of readers. The illustrations, by J. Steeple Davis, are of the kind to further interest one in the story itself. FOR HOME STUDY. THE HALL OF SHELLS.—By Mrs. A. 8. Hardy. New York: D. Appleton & Co. For sale by Doxey. The best method of disseminating knowledge In the family circle is to awaken in the yvoung reader a spirit of inquiry, and thus stimulate self-activity, This method has been resorted to in the book under consideration, which deals with the numerous beautiful and strange objects to be found at the bottom of the sea or strewn along the sea shore. The who found it necessary to make their own way in the world. They had a good deal to learn and had many experiences, but they came out of their difficulties | with colors flying. How this is done Miss Deland tells in her own imitable way. Bir Walter Besant's new story is enti- tled “The Changeling. Gilbert Parker's new novel will be en- titled “A Hundred Years Ago.” The first volume of Spurgeon’s Auto- biography is to appear in December. Copeland & Day announce “Harvard Episodes,” by Charles Macomb Flandrau. A new story of child life by John Strange Winter, entitled “Princess Sar- ah,” {s announced for early issue. Mr. Kipling, the Academy states, has given permission to Miss Olga Nether- sole, the actress, to dramatize “lihe Light That Failed.” The ever industrious Andrew Lang is again hard at work, and on his favorite topic. He has been digging into a collec- tion of manuscript, and the result is to be “The Highlands in 1749." The Black= woods will publish the book. There is a Lonuon journal wherein authors may write own books. Do writers have to pay for the insertion of their own reviews? Be- tween your own valuation and the esti- mation of others, what a wide diver- gence there may be! England has just discovered that it has no adequate life of the Prince of Wales, and is greatly astonished at the omis- sion. Mr. H. D. Traill has sought to make it good, and has written a life of His Royal Highness that will be pub- lished in the near future. Messrs. Methuen will publish the first volume of ‘A Short History of the Royal Nav; from early times to 1860. The author, David Hannay, aims at giving an account not only of the fighting done at sea, but of the growth of the service, of the part the navy has played in the development of the British empire and of its inner life. The handsomest publication on the coast is the Traveler of San Francisco, and all loyal Westerners should be proud of it. The Christmas number, just out, is replete with beautiful engravings and interesting articles on a variety of sub- Jects, chief of which may be mentioned an exhaustive review of Ban Francisco criticisms of their | | ness (and T am a very busy man). ling to a literary aspirant in New Zea- | land, which throws some light on the liberties taken with a novelist's good nature and leisure. It runs: “No man’s advice is of the least benefit in our busi- Kee on trying till you either fail or succees The author, adds our correspondent, deemed this missive ‘‘encouraging.” Doubleday & McClure Company an- | nounce for publication early in the year the final work by Henry Géorge, entitled “The Sclence of Political Econom: This book upon which Mr. George spent | the last few years of his life is written not for the few, but for the many. The | publishers further-announce that by ar- | rangement with Mrs. Henry George, sole | owner of the copyrights of all books by, Henry George, they have taken over the entire stock of books on hand and will in future publish them exclusively. These books include *“A Perplexed Philosepher,” “Progress and Poverty,” “Social Prob- " “Protection or Free Trade,” “The | Land Question,” ‘Property In Land,” “The Condition of Labor,” and also the last three bound in one volume. The Bookman gives a striking exam- ple of Charles Dickens' chivalrous re- | gard for an absent friend that is recalled by Dean Farrar. Mr. Sims Reeves had been anfounced to sing at a small pub- lic dinner at which Dickens presided, and, as happened not infrequently, Mr. Sims Reeves had something the matter with his throat and was unable to at- | tend. Dickens announced this, and: !hei announcement was received with a gen- | eral laugh of incredulity. This made | Dickens very angry, and he rose man- fully to the defense of the delinquent. “My friend, Mr. Sims Reeves,” he said, quietly, “regrets his imability to fulfill his engagement owing,” he added, with caustic severity, “to an unfortunately amusing and highly facetious cold.” The third and fourth volumes of “Gos- slp of the Century” are announced for early publication by the Macmillan Com- pany, under the title of “Social Hours With Celebrities,” by the late Mrs. W. Pitt Byrne. These two volumes are edited by the author's sister, Mrsi R. #. Busk, and contain sixty-six llustra- tions, whose range from Renan to Zola and from Louls Philippe to Cartouche glves some idea of the scope of the text. The chief actors of the century in the flelds of literature, politics, religion, musie, art and the drama live under the pen of this entertaining woman, and the spice of personal reminiscence is as keen here ‘as it was in the “Gosslp of the Century” for the cultivated man wheo knows Paris and London or whose read- ing has given him the necessary breadth of outlook. The Critic never published a more suc- cessful series of articles than that which appeared, some twelve years ago, .under the general title of “Authors at Home.” Lowell, Holmes, Whittler, Whitman, Mes Stowe, Aldrich, Stedman, Stoddard. Bue: roughs, etc., were included in it, and the fifteen papers made a very interesting book, when collected and re-issued, with the approval of the authors, after their publication in the Critic. A second series of “Authors at Home” has now been planned, to include the writers who have become conspicuous since the first one was prepared. Among the earliest of these articles to appear in The Critic will be personal sketches of Dr. Weir Mitch- ell, Mr. Marion Crawford, Mr. Richard Harding Davis, Df. Charles Conrad Ab- bott and Dr. W. J. Rolfe, New portraits | gallery, a hercine who is an | cret to the hissing energies of the most energetic embodi- ment of suffering sweetness, other vil- lains by the dozen, hairbreadth escapes, murders and sudden deaths, palpitating excitement amid which’ our old Roman nobility recede into the dim background. As a matter of fact, Corleone is a tale of Sicilian brigandage to which the famil- far Roman drawing-rooms only serve as an Introduction, and the tale is none the less thrilling for being told in a placid, circumstantial fashion, with up- to-date accessories which give it a har- rowing air of reality. The villain of the piece is a Sicilian nobleman, who has inherited small estates and the very largest family ill-fame In all Italy. Not a soul in all Rome will believe that any good can come of Corleone blood, and when Prince Corleone—otherwise Tebaldo Pagliuca—and his brother, Francesco, make their first appearance in Roman society the welcome they re- celve i1s exceptionally frigid.. But they have a sweet and pure young sister, Vittoria, who has been brought up by the nuns of Palermo, while her brothers were having underhand relations with the Sicilian' brigands, and Corona Sara- cinesca, touched by the girl's sensiti grace, introduces her to Roman so ety. The motherly action well nigh proved the undoing of the whole Bara- cinesca race, for Don Orsino, who had hitherto looked askance at all eligible maidens, straightway falls in love with this daughter of a most undesirable race, and the complications are dire. Marion Crawford has never been hap- pler than in his daintydescription of this convent-bred maid, who, for the first time, meets a man in society: “Now he was looking at her, while she looked down at her little white fan that lay on the white stuff of her )| frock, quite straight, between her twao small, white-gloved hands. The nund' had not told her what to do in such a situation. Still Orsino did not speak. Two minutes had crawled by, like two hours, and she felt a fluttering in her throat."” But Vittoria Pagliuca is none the less a heroine, with whom love Is strong as death, and she had need to be. The old family estate of Camaldoli is bought by San Giancinto Saracinesca, who medi- tates railroad schemes, and who starts for Sicily accompanied by Orsino. There is danger ahead, for Ferdinand Pagliu- ca, the third brother, has been opposed to the sale, and an escort of carabiniri is necessary. As they near the castle the expected attack by brigands oc- curs, and Orsino accidentally kills Fer- dinand, thereby drawing down upon his family the vendetta of the entire Sicil- ian mafia. Tebaldo Pagliuca, in Rome, denies that the Ferdinand who consort- ed with brigands was his brother, and secretly meditates vengeance. He is a liar, but brave; his brother, Francesco, is a llar and a coward. The two quarrel | over a Sicilian singer, whom both woo, while Tebaldo means to marry Lizzie * Slayback, the pretty American heiress. Francesco speeds to Sicily on a pretty tale-bearer’s errand; Tebaldo follows on a murderer's . quest, pursues his brother | inside a church, slays him on the altar steps, confesses to Ippolito Saracinesca, the young priest, and straightway pro- claims him to an infuriated - Sicilian crowd as the murderer, knowing well that his lips are closed by the seal of confession. Finally Tebaldo plays into the hands of the brigands, but is over- reached by the lieutenant of the cara- biniri, who forces him to betray the surprise party which was to carry off San Glancinto and Orsino. The one bri- gand who escapes betrays Tebaldo’s Se- singer, who, in her turn, reveals it to Vittorla, who carrles it to Corona. The latter, speeding td Mes- sina, finds Tebaldo dying of fever; a priest is brought in, and the dying man, going over the murder scene in his de- lirlum, repeats the confession he made to Ippolito. 2 A melodramatic ending, with a wed- ding-bell epllogue, for Vittoria is not a Pagliuca after all, but a stolen daughter of the Duca di Fornasco. ., Many pages in this work deserve quo- tation, and among the finest are the descriptions of Ferdinand’s betrothed and her passionate, vengeful despair: “A flying cloud passed over the sun, and the desclate land was suddenly all black and gray and stony, with the solemn vastness of the mountain be- hind. Concetta drew her shawl up over her head, as though she were cold, and turned from the three men with a simple dignity and knelt down on the rough, broken stones, where the | blades of grass shot up,-close to the | gates, and she clasped her hands to- gether round one of the dusty, painted iron rafls. “ ‘Let us go,’ said San Giancinto’s deep volce; ‘it's better to leave her, poor girl.’ “‘She did not look back at them as they walked quletly up the road. Her eyes were fixed on one point, and her lips moved quickly, forming whispered words. ‘“ ‘Maria Santissima! let there be three black crosses; Mother of God, three black crosses; Mother of Sorrows, three black crosses. “And over and over again she Te- , peated the terrible little prayer. f ‘ J The accompanying illustrations are' reproduced from the new edition of Walt Whitman’s works, published re- cently by Messrs. Small, Maynard & Co., of Boston, and for sale in this city by D. P. Elder, Mills building. Ap- pended thereto will be rnunq a fa_u. simiie of the poet’s manuscript, \\'th a type copy of the same, which will doubtless possess considerable interest for his admirers. The published price SUNDAY BOOKS. will accompany them. | of the book Is §2.