The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 19, 1901, Page 4

THE SUNDAY CALL o, [ % = % /& AURICE CAREWE! There is & Y/ character in fiction for you! We have had D'Artagnan, the Frenchman; Rudolph Rassendyl, the Englishman; and now it is Maurice Carewe, the American. And of the three 1 think that we of America will prefer Carewe; he is more one of us. He a composite of the best in romantic fiction. He has the lightness and versatility of the Frenchman and the constancy and dogged perseverance of the Englishman. Harold MacGrath has a great success before him in his recent novel, “The Pup- pet Crown. It may be saild that bhis htly suggests the feline fem- intricacies in one of the governments of the Alps has a a fi but still the treatment is s own and his romance is conducive to the burning of midnight ofl. The object of romantic fiction is to entertain and this book certainly answers that purpose to perfection, so why should it not receive the credit due clever writing? The great charm of Mr. MacGrath's writing lies in his clearness and vivid- ness of imagination. Tc him the iittle town of Blefberg, near the foot of the Thalian Alps, is a reality, the puppet kingdom and its affairs he has by heart, and he is so certain of every complication of plot and counter plot and writes with so0 sure a2 hand that the reader cannot fail to see with the author's eves evlry ge on this comic opera stage. So real does it become that, when the com- edy changes to tragedy, you find yourself fizhting beside the gallant Carewe and exchanging sword thrust for thrust In 1 ficht to save the cause of the oman he loves, In the first chapters the reader is intre- ed to the affairs of the kingdom ten years prior to the actual commencement of the tale and learns of the political feud of royalty ch is afterward to be sealed in blood. To go into the details of the plot would be to reprint Mr. MacGrath's book, for the intricacies which arise can- not be stated in less gpace than that ac- >d by the author and be fully un- ood. Suffice it to say that the motif e struggle of a wily Duchess to re- E from an old King and the Princess Alexia the crown of her ancestors. The Duchess is justified in the end that is trying to accomplish but not in the means that she employs, and so, of course, the reader's sympathy is with the King 4 Alexi An Englishman, Lord Fitz- ald, pla an important part in the story and comes in for a certain amount of admirs but by falling in love with the Duchess he is so easily turned into her dupe that even the respect of a char- sle reader is sorely shaken. Carewe, the American, is the central e of the story—a man of the world, who has lived his life in varying scenes from cavalry service on -the plains of Arizona to dabbling with insurrections In South America. He is now in the ser- vice of his country as a diplomat. His American versatility and curiosity mdke it impossible for him to resist being drawn gradually into the affairs >f this puppet kingdom. By an unlucky Zip in the river he meets the Princess.Alexia, which heightens his interest in the affairs political. And finally he is in so deep that to withdraw is impossible. By the in- herent instincts of his race and training he dabbles first for'the mere love of dak- bling and later goes in head over heeis for the love he has learned to bear Alexia. It is no easy task that Carewe has be- fore him, but we find ourselves by his elde with full confidence that, if he does not succeed in besting the crafty Colonel Beauvais and the Duchess, he will at least make a glorious fight—and we are not disappointed. Colonel Beauvais makés the ideal villain—a man with ability, with = “history,” without consclence. He has everything to fight with and everything to fight for. He sees the bauble of a scepter falling from the hand of the old king, and with Beauvals it is to be all or nothing. It results in nothing, but the cost is dear for Carewe. The American early recognizes his ad- versary as a scoundrel who had figured in deeds of blccd in the old South Ameri- can days. but not until the Colonel has first spotted Carewe as a man who knows too much of his past. Beauvais induces the American to come to his room, and there by the clever display of a photo- graph traps the American into an ad- mission that he knows of the past career ot the Colonel—that he knows too much to ever allow him to leave the room alive. The Colonel hss such confidence in his own swordsmapship that he deems it un- necessary to stoop to assassination, but prefers to take the more gentlemanly way, though to him just as certain, of giving his victim a rapier with which to defend himself. Americans as a general rule are not fencers and on this Beauvais counts or he would not let the delicate technieality of a stab in the back stand hetween him and his purpose. ‘Carewe's swordsmanship proves a revelation. The @escription cf this duel is a splendid" bit of work and its denouement equally sat- {sfactory. This is not the last time that the Colo- nel and Carewe are to meet on the fleld of battle, and their second appearance in the lists is even more dramatic than the to a crisis and the first. Matters come armies of both sides meet on the field only to fi-d that the .generals of the King prove to the puppet crown, and the battle is over without beginning. is with the forces to fight for He has thrown his diplomatic 1o the w.nds and gone in heart and When sees the turn affairs have taken h~ s through the ranks that would hold him prisoner, to fly to Blei- berg and warn the Princess. By intercepting Carewe's telegrams to foreign embassies Beauvals has thus far succeeded in preventing an exposure of who and what he really is. To iet Carewe escape now would mean the Colonel's ruin, so he gallops after the flying Amer- 1. Carewe areer soul. Now it s to be fair means or foul and a battle to the death. The account of this fight on horseback is a story in itself, and I have quoted it under & separate head. It gives an excellent idea of what a forcefu! writer Mr. MacGrath is, and can be taken as a fair sample of the virile dash so characteristic of his work. (Published by the Bowen-Merrill Com- Indianapolis. Price, $150.) 8. G. LATHROP. - War’s Brighter Side. “War’s Brighter Side,” by Julian Ralph, with contributions from Rudyard Kipling, A. Conan Doyle and others, is invested with a unique interest, both by the singu- larly attractive quality of the contents, ch include the stories, poems and sketches of some of the most popular modern authors, and also by the peculiar conditions under which these stories were written. When the British army was at Bloem- fontein preparing for the march to Preto- ria, Lord Roberts took advantage of the presence of the most brilliant group of writers ever brought together by journal- istic requirements and requested them to make a new r for the army. The re- sult was something which deserves to be called unique. The four editors—Kipling, -Ralph, Gwynne and Landon—selected Mr. Ralph to act as editor of this book, which contains the best of the stories and poems contributed to The Friend, and also pre- sents a picture of the novel conditions un- der which the paper was prepared. The humorous and the exasperating features of newspaper editing and publication in the flield are vividly sketched by Mr. Ralph, who hag improved to the full the delightful opportunities afforded by the strange experiences of this rare board of editors. The illustrations include por- traits of the editors in the fleld and at work in their improvised sanctum, one of Kipling’s proofs as it was returned to the Dutch compositor with vigorously uncom- plimentary notes by the author, and many other full-page pictures. A book so rich on the literary side and so plcturesque and extraordinary in tbe circumstances of its origin comes with a relish of its own which will be keenly appreciated. Earl Roberts wrece the following letter to Lord Stanley regarding The Friend: BLOEMFONTEIN, April 13, 1900, Dear Lord Stanley: I understand that on Monday next, the 16th inst., The Friend will come under the new management, and it will, I hope, continue to thrive now that it has been established on a sound basis. The army owe a debt of gratitude to the gentlemen who so kindly came forward, and who have given their services gratuitously in the management of the paper. That their labors are appreciated is evident from the eagerness with which the paper is purchased by officers and soldiers alike. On behalf, therefore, of the troops, I would ask you to convey my best thanks to all who have contributed toward making the paper such a success, especially to the following gentlemen, Messrs. Landon, Ralph, Gwynne and Buxton. Belleve me to be yours, sty truly, - BERTS. Mr. Ralph, g0 well known in the United States as a newspaper writer and con- tributor to the magazines, has this to say in the preface to ‘‘War's Brighter Side”: Lord Roberts is the first general of whom I have heard who ever recognized and acknowl- edged the value and power of the press by establishing a newspaper as a source of enter- tainment and information for an army in the field, and as a medium for conveying such arguments and appeals as he wished to make to the enemy. This he did, as one might say, the instant be conquered the first of the Boer capitals, almost simultaneously ~with his appointment of a military governor and a pro- vost marshal, and the establishment of a police force. The story of Lord Roberts' experiment and the experiences of the men he selected for his editors, must be especially attractive to all journalists, and they will find here set forth Whatever iseof purely professional interest to them. To those details I have added the most notable contributions with which each of the twenty-seven numbers of The Friend was made up, and here the narrow limitation of the in- terest in the book is broken wide asunder. These newspaper articles are mainly the works of fighting men, at rest between battles, and of others who were at the moment going to or coming from engagements. They hold the mir- ror up to the life of an army in camp, on the march, in battle, and in a conquered capital. In these letters, sketches, and verses the reader lives with the.soldiers in camp. He sees what they work and play at. He hears of their deeds of daring, mishaps, and adventures. He catches their strange lingo. He observes what they eat—and what they do not get to drink. He notes how they speak of their farjng in bat- tle. In all the wealth of English literature I know of no such a mirror reflection and a* phonograph echoing of soldier life as is here. Generals, colonels—in fact, men of every rank and grade—contributed their shares; of every rank down to “Tommy Atkins,” who, in gen- eral, sings his songs in the background, in verse, like the chorus In an ancient drama. To these features I have adjed many personal recollections, as well as anecdotes and stories told by or about the men around me in camp, and in the conquered capital of the Free State, with notes and comments upon a wide variety of subjects suggested during the editing of the other matter collated.. As the former editors of The Friend have now formed themselves Into an order to which none is eligible except he or she who tells the truth without fear of consequences, the reader may as well prepare himself to meet with that rare quality in some of the pages that follow. _ Here is a selection taken from the book showing A. Conan Doyle's ‘“first impres- sion: It is copyrighted by him and pub- lished with the author's permission: It was only’ Smith-Dorrlen’s Brigade march- ing into Bloemfontein, but if it -could have been passed, just as it was, down Piccadilly and the Strand it would have driven London crazy. 1 got down from the truck which we > unloading and watched them, the ragged, bearded, flerce-eyed infantry, straggling along . Fight Between Maurice Qarewe and A0R 2 L) long time Maurice rode with most touching the coal- e of his gallant Mecklen- llowed, but the volume of dust rolled after him obscured all be He cou'd hear the far-off hamm of hoofs, but this, mingling with of his own ho confused hi ers. He re rt of fircarms. The road presentl ed a semicircle, passing through a orck Once beyond this he n the saddle. “Only one; t bad as it might be. It ond glance 1d him who this solitary pursuer was. devil!” he laughed—as one of T: is one £0's heroes wmight have laughed—"“The How that man loves me!” He was ent that the white horse would rtake the black. sued and pursuer. At his frowned. er; the between slowly aly. o¥!” he sald encouragingly to burg. “Good boy! farmhouses swept past; vanished, but s was lessening, the Meck Deserted yose and 1 the wk horse ¢ , up. The distance anbther had gone had dimin ished to ; from 400 it fell to 300. The Mecklenburg was doing glorious work, but the marvelous stride of the an- imal in the rear was matchless. Suddenly Maurice saw tuft of the red plume on his helmet spring out ahead of him and safl away. and a second later came the report. One, he counted; four more to fol- low. Next a stream of fire passed along his cheek and something warm had trickled down the side of his neck. Two, he counted, face now pale and set. The third knocked his scaobard into the air. Quickly he shifted his ber to the left, dropped the re: and drew his own re- volver. He understood. He was not to be taken prisoner. Beauwals intended to kill tim offhand. Only the dead keep secrets. Maurice lung about and fired three con- secutive times. The white horse reared and the shako of his master fell into the dust, but there was no other result. As Maurice pressed the trigger for the fourth time the revolver was violently wrenched from his hand, and a thousand needles seemed to be quivering in the flesh of his 2rm god hand. Excerpt from “The Puppet Crown.” 1901, by the Bowen- Company.) (Copyright, Mer 7 ! ‘. o “My God. what a shot!” he murmured. “I am lost!” Simultaneously with the fifth and last shot came a sensation somewhat like that sed by a sound blow in the middle of Strange, but he felt no pain, s there an mpanying numb- nes: Then he re ®ered his cuirass, hi of steel an eighth of an inch hick. It had saved his life. The necdies right hand and arm, he knew that he had received no in- other than a shock. He passed the r back to his right hand. He had no ficulty in holding it. Gradually his grip grew strong and steady. Beauvais was now within twenty yards Had he been less eager and fire up to this point Maurice had been a dead man. The white horse gained n to leave his every moment. A dull fury grew into life in Maurice’s hea Instead of continuing the race he brought the Mecklenburg to wheeled. He made who was surprised In the rush they he steel hymmed Both wheeled his haunches and straight for Beauv: t this change of tacti ch otber and throvgh spa - spitefully ain. Your life or mine!” snarled Maurice. »olness, however, was proportionate rage. For the first time in his life to Kkill seized him. 11 be yours, d—n you!” replied vais. Maurice made a sweep at his enemy’s head and missed. Beauvais replied in kind, and it flashed viciously off the point of Maurice’s saber. He had only his life to lose, but it had suddenly become precious to him; Beau- s had not only his life, but all thai made life worth living. His onslaught was terrible. Besides, he was fighting against odds; he wore no steel protector. Mau- rice wore his only a moment longer. A cut in the side severed the lacings, and the sagging of the cuirass greatly handicap- wed Jum, He pressed the spurs and dash- Colonel Beauvais. ed away, while Beauvais cursed him for a cowardly cur. saurice, by this ma- neuver, gained sufficient time to rid him- self of the cumbersome steel. What he lost in protection, he gained in lightness and freedom. Shortly Beauvais was at him again. The time for banter had passed; they fought grimly and silently. The end for one was death. Beauvais knew that if his antagonist escaped this time the life he longed for, the power and honor it promised, would never be his. On his side, Maurice was equally determined to live.. The horses plunged and snorted, reared and swayed and bit. Sometimes they car- ried their masters several yards apart, only to come smashing together again. The sun was going down, and a clear, white light prevailed. Afar in the fleld a herd was grazing, but no one would call them to the sheds. Master and mistress xad long since taken flight. The duel went on. Maurice was growing tired. By and by he began to rely solely on the defense. When they were close Beauvais played for the point; the min- ute the space widened he .took to the edge. He saw what Maurice felt—the weakening, and he indulged in a crue! smile. They came close: he made as though to give the point. Maurice, think- ing to anticipate, reached. Quick as light, Be raised his blade and brought 1t down with crushing force, standing the while in the stirrups. The blow missed Maurice’s head by an inch, but it sank so deeply in his left shoulder that it splin~ tered the collar-bone and stopped within a hair of the great artery that runs un- derneath. The world turned red, then black. When it grew: light again, Maurice beheld the dripping blade swinging aloft again. Sud- denly the black horse snapped at the white, which veered. The stroke which would have split Maurice's skull in twain fell on the rear of the saddle, and the blade was so firmly emopedded in_ the wooden molding that Beauvais could not withdraw it at once. Blinded by pain as he was, and fainting, yet Maurice saw his chance. " He thrust with all his remain- ing strength at the brown throat so near him. And the blade went true. The oth- er's body stiffened, his head flew back, his eyes started; he clutched wildly at the steel, but his hands had not the power to reach it. A bloody. foam, gushed be- tween his lips; his mouth opened; he swayed, and finally tumbled into the road —dead. under their cloud of dust. Who could con- ceive, who has seen the prim soldler of peace, that he could so quickly transform himself into this grim, virlle barbarian? Buildog faces, ‘hawk eves, hungry wolf faces, every sort of face excdpt a weak one. Here and there-a reeking pipe, here and thers a man who smiled, but the most have their swarthy. faces leaned a little forward, their eyes steadfast, their features impassive bit reso- lute. Baggage wagons Were passing, the mules all skin and ribs, with the escort tramp- ing beside the wheels. Here are a clump of Highlanders, thelr workmanlike aprons In front, thelr keen faces burned black with months of the veldt. It is an honored name that they bear on thelr shoulder straps. ‘‘Good old Gordoms!™ ‘1-cried, as they passed me. The sergeant UGLE glanced at the dirty enthusiast in the under- shirt. ““What cheer, matey!"’ he cried, and his men squared their shoulders and put a touch of ginger into their stride. Here are a clump of mounted infantry, a grizzled fellow like a flerce old eagle at the head of them. Some are maned ltke lions, some have youns. keen faces, but all leave an impression of famillarity upon me. And yet I have mnot seen irregular British cavalry before. Why should I be so familiar with this loose-limbed, head-erect, swaggering type; of course it s the American cowboy over again. Strange that @ few months in the veldt has produced ex- actly the same man that springs from the ‘Western prairie. But these men are warriors in the midst of war. Their eyes are hard end quick. They have the gaunt, intent look of men who live always under the shadow of CALLS- New Book on the Labor Question. Denjamin &ood. . R. BENJAMIN WOOD, munager of the clothing house of 8. N. ‘Wood & Co., New York and San Francisco, is a strong advocate of the union label on all products. His latest book on the labor problem has just been published by Brentano's, and should awaken considerablé. interest among readers studying ths ‘problem of labor ‘and- capital, i, » In. his preface to the ydlume, Mr. Wood avers that ce the conversion of his firm to the side’'of union labor, thelr associa- tion with trades unions has been marked by its lack of differences and disputes, Mr. Wood is a forceful writer and hi work well earns the title of “Bugle Calls. It is a book that can be picked up, opened at any page and found interesting. The idea of the bugle call is still further car- ried out in the treatment of the subject, the work being rather a collection of virile paragraphs connected by a common sub- ject than a continuous following - and working out of a set theme. The follow- ing excerpts will give an idea of its char- acter: Oppression creates fear: fear of want, fear of starvation, fear that what we own to-day will not be ours to-morrow, fear of public ovinion, of private opinion. The editor fears to print the facts; the minister to preach the truth. The air grows miasmatic with the gloom born of the germs of injustice, and fear and de- spair spread like panic and infection, The purpose of this work Is not to class the aspiration for increase of wealth among evil desires, nomto disparage the merits of the millionaires who have ac- quired their possessions by the exercise of their wit and shrewd business facul- tles. The pursuit of wealth is a duty, not alone to oneself and to one’s family, but to mankind at large. It is not necessary, however, to permit wealth to be cur master: let us rather make it our servant and use it as a lever for lifting us to something better and greater, for serving mankind, equalizing wages, endowing colleges, hospitals, li- braries, churches and museums. Tn fine, let us promote thereby all worthy institu- tions that conduce toward the elevation and betterment of humanity. Weaith should never dominate, control, nor gain such complete influence over us as to own us body and soul. It is the part of wis- dom to appreciate what true living im- plies and to hold in mind the fact that mere dollars will not and do not produce happiness. Though we have riches, we can only eat so much, drink so much, clothe ourselves and house ourselves; more than that we cannot do Every heart requires sympathy, and is a receptacle for it. “A kind word falls from the lips like ofl upon the troubled feelings of the human breast.” No flower is as fair as that sympathy which springs from the heart, and no fragrance as sweet as that which is odorous with generosity. How seldorn do we pause in the pursuit of happiness to consider wherein it con- sists. How often do we seek happiness in wealth ‘that, when obtained, debars its possezsor from the freedom of living. An aged saint once said that “No man could rightfully define the word Heaven until he stands by a newly made grave: one may sometimes see more through his tears than when looking through the larg- est telescope; he who has never wept does not know the value of laughter; he who has not labored and toiled along the hot and dusty roads does not appreciate the bliss of sitting under the friendly branches of a shady tree.” There are not two kinds of creatures, nor two kinds of liberty, superior and in- ferior; nor are there two sorts of men, men with rights inalienable and men with right allenable. All come into the world on an equality, feeble in body and mind, but with the seed of improvement in both body and mind; therefore progress and in- tellectual excellence are our duty, our honor and our interest. Capital legitimately emploved is entitled to the protegtion of the laborer and to the protection of the law. Labor honestly performed is entitled to its fuil reward, that the conditions surrounding the labor- er shall be consistent with the demands of modern civilization. Each owes the other a solemn duty. If it is the end that crowns your under- takings, it is the beginning that gives it form. To reach the top you‘'must first begin at the bottom. Just as soon as we have a people the majority of whom reason logically, think clearly, see their rights and intelligently strive to secure them, just so soon will we see the last of the colossal crimes commit- ted in the name of civilization. Meet upon the plane of common jusuce, and do unto others as you would they should do unto Tou. — S To Have and To Hold” more dramatic spontaneous and Artistic " than any of its rivals - such is Maurice Th superb Amer- can nmmou \Cenn Chicago Times Herald.,, The G‘reatest.Novel of em All The Bowen-[lerrill Company, Publishers, Indianapolis. “Clayton and John T. Kelly. danger. What spMndid fellows there are among them! Here is one who halls me; the last time I saw him we put on seventy runs together When they were rather badly needed, and hers We are, partners in quite another game. Hers is & man of fortune, young, handsome, the world at his feet; he comes out and throws himself into the thick of it. He Is a great heavy game shot and has brought two other “‘dangerous men’* out With him. Next him Is an East London farmer. next him a fighting tea planter of Ceylon, next him a sporting baronet, next him a journalist, next him a cricketer whose name is a household word. Those are the men who press into the skir- mish line of England’s battle. And here are other men again, taller and sturdier than infantry of the line, grim, solid men, as straight as poplars. There is a ma- ple leaf, I think, upon their shoulder straps. and a British brigade s glad enough to have those maples beside them. For these are the Canadians, the men of Paardeberg, and thers behind them are thelr comrades in glory, the Shropshire Light Infantry, siinging along with @ touch of the spirit of their grand sporting colonel, the man who at forty-five is still the racquet champion of the British army. You see the dirty private with his rifle under hi arm and the skin hanging from his nose. There are two little stars upon his strained shoulders, If you could see them under the dirt. That is the dandy captain who used to grumble about the food on the P. & O. ““Noth- ing At to eat,”” he used to erv as he glanced at his menu. I wonder what he would say now? Well, he stands for his country, and England also may be a little less coddled and a little more adaptive before these brave, brave sons of hers have hoisted her flag over the ‘raad zaal” of Pretoria. (“War’s Brighter Side" is published by D. Appleton & Co., New York. Price $130.) Pleasures of the Telescope. Readers interested in astronomy who enjoyed the papers by Garrett P. Serviss, published in Appleton's Popular Science Monthly, will be glad to learn that they now have been printed in book form under the title “Pleasures of the Telescope.” This book will prove an fllusirated guide for amateur astronomers and a popular description of the chief wonders of the heavens for general readers. The author glves a complete series of star maps which will enable the amateur to become quite familiar with the heavens. These Maps have been drawn especially for the benefit of those who have only =mall tele- scopes at their command and not for those who have the equipment of an ob- servatory at hand—consequently they are easy of comprehension. In his ofening chapter Mr. Serviss bas something to say about the selection of a glass that will be of interest to the om- bryo astromer. His maps and studies of the moon are exceptionally good and can- not fall to be appreciated. (Published by D. Appleton and Company, New York. $150.) Psychology. “Text Book of Psychology,” by Danfel Putnam, LL.D., professor of psychology and pedagogy In the Michigan State Nor- mal College, is equally well adapted for the general reader and for the student. It presents in simple and direct language a clear exposition of the generally ac- cepted principles of psychology. The ex- istence of an entity which may prop- erly be called the mind or soul is rec- ognized; while at the same time the physiological aspects of psychology re- ceive due attention, an appendix giving helptul directions for psychological ex- periments and the necessary apparatus therefor. A chapter is devoted to the moral nature and moral law, the evil effects of hypnotism are clearly -indi- cated, and the subject of the emotions recelves more attentlon than is usual. The style s not involved, nor are a su- perabundance of technical forms of ex- pression used, but every division of psy- chology receives adequate treatment. Published by the American Book Com- pany, New York. Price $L New Edition of Adam Bede. John Lane, the New York and London publisher, is bringing out a new edition of George Ellot's story, “Adam Bede.” This volume is of most convenient form, for it is bound in flexible covers and is of a size convenient for carrying in the pocket, yet large enough and also elegant enough in cover to warrant a good posi- tion on the shelf of any library. The pa- per Is excellent and the typographical work large and clear. In form this pub- lication could be taken as a model for all books that have become standard works of fiction and need no elaborate cover nor illustrations nor freakish printing to make them sell. Tt is put on in this sim- ple and yet elegant style that it may be read with the least trouble and enjoyed anywhere, whether at home or, abroad. It is unfortunate that more standard works are not published in this present form of “Adiun Bede.” Book of Jade. Rotten rhymes by a literary corpse are what the “Book of Jade' contalns. Nobody but Doxey would be daring enough to risk its publication. Tt is the most decaved of all the dec- adent stuff of the decade. On reading the first part a man of 36 would decide that no person under 35 should be allowed to read it. On reading into the second half he weuld decide that he was too young and would skip. The first part contains stanzas about fresh corpses and wicked women: the second part deals with stale corpses and more wicked women. The book does not state whether it was written by an undertaker suffering from acute gangrene or by an opium smoker who had run out of dope and was hired by a crematory to paint the horrors of post-sepulchral existence of bodies In the tomb.- It has the same horrid fascination about it that a cadaver possesses for one who has a mental stomach strong enough to stand the sight. G The “Book of Jade” should be in the library of every morgue and Cabaret de la Mort. The lines entitled ‘“Mankind” are the mildest that the book contains, but they give a faint idea of its infelicity: They do not know that they are wholly dead, Nor that their bodies are to the world given o'er, They pass beneath the sky forever more; With their dead flesh the earth is cumbered. Each day they drink of wine and eat of bread, And do the things that they have dome before; And yet their hearts are rotten to the core, And from their eyes the light of life is fled. Surely the world is weary of their breath; They have no ears and they are dumb and blind; Long time their bodles hunger for the grave. How long. O God, shall these dead corpses rave? ‘When shall the earth be clean of human kind? When shall the sky cease to behold this death: The dedication of all of these tales of tomb rotting and epitaphs from moral cemeteries comes like a panshee wail at the end of the book, when the reader finds that it Is dedicated to himseif and that the author threatens to write another. (Published by Doxey, New York. Frice §1.) A Pictorial Souvenir. R. H. Russell, the New York publisher. has just brought out a very swell pictorial souvenir of ‘“Weber & Field's” of New York. In addition to a catchy poster cover printed in delicate tints, Archie Gunn has contributed some very clever wash drawings of stage celebrities and wcenes behind the curtain. His snapshots of the brush include such well-known peo- ple as Lillian Russell; Fay Templeton, De Wolf Hopper, David Warfleld, Bessie There are also some interesting photographic heads of actresses ‘and two photos by Sarony, one of Joseph M. Weber and the other of Lew M. Flelds—both in costume. John Henry. The experiences of John Henry are fash- loned after those of “Billy Baxter,” but fall ignominiously before the delightful f the latter. The slang is too fil’é’fxfifin‘lea; in fact, to the uninitiated it is often unintelligible. The book would better be read aloud, as all that class of literature gains by so doing, and many readers ana listeners may perhaps find enjoyment in the experiences of this same John Henry, who does not seem able to express himself in slang that has a partl- cle of piguancy or creates the merriment the author evidently intended. (Published by G. W. Dillingham & Co., New York.) —_— Literary Notes. Dodd, Mead & Co. will publish in the fall a book of short storfes by Caroline Duer, entitled “Uneonscious Comedians. Miss Duer’s stories in the Smart Set and other magazines have created so much interest that a volume of them In per- manent form was inevitable. The Mail and Express of New York savs that the Bowen-Merrill Company the publishers of Maurice Thompson's latest nevel, “Alice of Old Vincennes,” lead tho list of American publishers in the number of great success: discovered Dby them. For Mr. Thompson's book was preceded by ‘“When Knighthood Was in Flower and “The Redemption of David Corson. The last issue of Modern Mexico, St. Louis and Mexico City, appears in the form of a Pan-American Exposition num- ber, and represents by far the most cred- itable production that excellent publica- tion has ever turned out. The issue con- taips sixty-two pages, and is carefully edfted and lavishly illustrated through- out. A striking feature is the full-page reproduction of the equestrian portrait of President Diaz, by Cusachs, the cele- brated Spanish artist. Consfderable space in both English and Spanish departments {s devoted to Mexico's lnterests at the Buffalo exposition. Involving fine half- tone portraits of the commission appoint- ed to represent the republic at the great fair. Not the least Interesting of the articles in the May number of the International Monthly (Burlington, Vt.) is the vivacious sketch of' the great French actor and theater manager, Andre Antoine. Antoine was one of a group who acted trifing comedies for their own amusement. Out of such unpromisine materials he sue- ceeded in presenting to the critles of Paris a serfes of his plays which brought him into notice. His “Theatre Libre” becams famous. Temporary reverses came; but after an unsuccessful fight against an- clent tradition for a short, very short, time, as manager of the Odeon, he finally triumphed and the result is his well- known Theater Antoine and the rehabili- tation of the French stage. His energy. his appreciation of what was good in Yor- eign methods, has revolutionized the French theatep. The story of his strug- gles and success is well told. The need of a popular but definitive handbook of insect life, with accurate il- lustrations in colors, is to be met in the forthcoming new edition of Insect Life, by the eminent entomologist, Professor J. H. Comstock. The pictures are not from drawings, but are actual reproduc- tlons of nature approved by the author, who selected and arranged the specimens. Insect Life, with illustrations in natu- ral colors, will be published immediately by D. Appleton & Co. A work of interest to Latin students will be Professor Clarence Linton Mead- er’s semasiological study of “Is, Hic, Iste, Ipse.” to be published by the Macmillan Company. In a book of about 220 pages Professor Meader traces the history of the four pronouns through their manifold changes in meaning In all the branches of Latin literature, both Pagan and Chris- tian, from its beginning to the time of Isidore. The book is a thorough revision, with extensive additions, of the manu- seript . which served as a basis for the austract “Zur Geschichte der Pronomina Demonstrativa” which appeared in the Archiv fur lateinische hexikographie und Grammatik. “The Octopus” has gone into its tenth thousand, and Brentanos have put it on their list of the six best sélling books— and this before the book has been pub- lished three weeks. Considerable was ex- pected of Frank Norrls’ new novel, and, apparently, its readers are not disappoint- ed. Seldom it Is that a novel with a great theme—like the battle of the wheat growers and the railroads in “The Octo- pus”—furnishes the essentals of a popu- Jar novel. But this new success has that rare combination. “Camera Shots at Big Game,” by A. G. Wallihan, with an introduction by Theo- dore Roosevelt, is the subject of an an- nouncement for a proposed volume by Doubleday, Page & Co., very attractive to all “out-door” people. It will com- prise, perhaps, the most unique collection of photographs of wild animals, In their native haunts, ever taken—the master« pieces, in fact, of the indomitable Mr. Wallihan and his equally enterprising wife, secured through a perfod of twelve years, in breathless moments of adven- ture on plain and mountain. The camera hunt is becoming even more Interesting than the hunt that kills, and these photo- graphs of all sorts of game—animals and birds—taken just at the moment it is time “to shoot,” tell us why. Many of the re- productions are in the finest photogravura plates. v Rickard Harding Davis shows his ap- preciation of “Like Another Helen,” George Horton’s recent novel, in the fol- lowing letter: MARION, Mass., April 6, 1901.—My Dear Horten: It is a stunning story and, in spite of its success, is a stirring, real and well written novel. None of these quali- ties seem to be essential to success nowa- days, so that to possess them is eminent- Iy graceful of you. All of the people seem to want to-day is excitement. To give them something besides is certainly gen- erous. I congratulate you with the many others who have done so on your success, and again thank you for the pleasure I received in reading the description of Crete and the love troubles of the young soldier of fortune. Sincerely yours, RICHARD HARDING DAVIS A PRI Books Received. < { FROM A SWEDISH HOMESTEAD—By Selma Lagerlof. McClure, Phillips & Co., New York. IN SEARCH OF MADEMOISELLE— By George Gibbs. Henry T. Coates Com- pany, Philadelphia. $1 50. OUR FATE AND THE Margaret Mayo. $1 2. THE FOURTH ESTATE—By Rachel Challice. Brentano's, New York. $1 50. A DAUGHTER OF NEW FRANCE—By Mary Catherine Crowley. Little, Brown & Co., Bosten. $150. ORAL LESSON BOOK IN HYGIENE— By Henrietta Amelia Mirick, A. B. Amer- ican Book Company, New York. $§i BLUE SHIRT AND KHAKI—-By James F. J. Archibald. Silver, Burdett & Co., New York. 30. The Books Reviewed ON THIS PAGE Can Be Obtained at ROBERTSON’S, | 126 POST STREET, SAN FRANCISCO. ZODIAC—By Brentano's, New York. Prices are always in the Reading Notices. Postage is free. A. M. ROBERTSON.