The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 26, 1901, Page 4

THE SUNDAY CALL. is almost impossible to believe that | =0 bright and cheery a novel as “Juletty” could be from the pen of an invalid. It breathes of the field, of the hunt, of the life and deeds of strong men and women; and although it has its tragic side, still there is not one touch of the morbidity that generally comes from the sickroom. Mrs. Lucy Cleaver McElroy knows her ¥entucky and its people well. Her types are drawn with a skilled hand and her % e for the action of the story is well ted. The “Pennyrile” district, with its mountains and forests, its ponds and streams, and the mysterious caves, gives ideal place for the mconshiner with till of “mountain dew.” For Mrs. roy's story concerns itself with the adventures of a United States Marshal ard his last effort against moonshiners. This attempt results fatally, but not in that sense of the word fatal generally zccepted. The author cleverly reserves ur:til the last page her final surprise—and it is worth waiting for. The United States Marshal, son of old Kentucky mountain stock, tells the story himself; possibly for this reason he does not make exactly the ideal hero. It is hard for the truly heroic to keep center stage fdr themselves and do it gracefully. any event, the characters of the men who show out most strikingly are those of the grandfather and of Juletty's cousin, Al Lincque. The grandfather is a distinct and fine type. Rough as an uncut diamond, a swearer of prodigious oaths, constantly mbling, and vet with his hand ever in his pocket to help the poor or his arm always ready to strike for a friend. Although Al Lincque occupies the un- euviable role of villain, he is of the mold thai goes to make heroes. His is the hand that does most for the illicit still and comes very near being the death of our ~evenue officer, yet his is the arm also that saves Juleity from death. His na- ture is so great and so self-sacrificing that he gives up the woman he loves because he realizes he has not the education nor reficcment sufficient to be her mate. Al- though we know that he is in the wrong that had he lived he would have n human life without compunction, we cannot but admire this honest, ged nature which is true and consist- t to its own standards, but not accord- to the conventions of a Christian e are not a great number of char- in the book, but all of them pos- sess distinctive inaividuality. Old Mitch, the devoted servant of the grandfather, is a study in himself. He his own opinions on the matter of i s and it is amusing to see him helping his master's grandson to ex- piore the caves in a search for contraband liguor when all the time he himself is one of the helpers in the still and is having a quiet little laugh at what he considers honest deception. Regarding moonshiners the author says: © the illicit distiller of Kentucky law is simply an autocratic usurpation of power by a wayward but powerful set of men. His idea is that evéry man should be a law unto himself, controlling, de- tending and caring for his own, and devil take the weakest. He considers it mert- torious when he evades or thwarts such * or expressed in the language of nt moonshiner: ‘Don’t nothin’ pay in Kentucky sence cver’ durned rigger's got er crap uv some- thin' er nother. Ev' white man's fam- bicy’s gotter live, an’ er heap uv ’em can’t make both ends meet no way ’cep'in’ makir’ er leetle brandy.” ” The story begins with a snap right from the start. One of the Kentucky moun- taineers whose distant relative has been interfered with by our friend the Mar- shal puts a bullet through that officer's arm with no other remark than the cool draw ““Thar, dam yer!” “Take thet, an’ nex’ time doncher be so dam smart!” The young man goes to his grandfath- er's home in the mountains to recuperate and there finds evidences of a large still in the neighborhood. He is not now on duty; nevertheless the Whiff of a whisky scent is manna to his detective nostrils and he cannot help laying plans to cap- ture the outfit. He again meets Juletty, an early flame of his, and finds her even more beautiful than in the early days when as a boy on the plantation he had given her a lover's ring. \ The connection between the hero’s love for Juletty and his desire to capture the chief of the moonshiners is closer than he deems and the intricacies of the de- velopments which crowd into his life make breathless reading. There are several chapters which are not in a strict sense part of the story as a romance, yet for local color and atmos- phere they play an important part. One is the lynching of a negro after an excit- ing chase with bloodhounds. A descrip- tion of this kind is a delicate matter to handle. It is 50 apt to be overérawn or lurid, but in this instance it is presented as a reality and without the slightest ef- fort at gallery play. Another fine bit of description is that of the fox hunt, which tells of the old master of hunt who can “say from the baying of his dogs just when the.game is started and where it is. One chapter ‘tells of the death of young Tom Morgan, brother of the great raider Morgan, which though not a part of the present plot, loses none of its interest as a bit of unwritten history. “Juletty” makes a pleasant two hours’ reading and will appeal to those who have enjoyed the works of James Lane Allen and John Fox Jr. (Published by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., New York. Price $150.) B. G. LATHROP. French Academy and Pierre Corneille. Iecn H. Vincent has written two more books of interest to students of French literature, which will be appreciated by those who enjoyed his excellent work of last year on the Hotel de Ramboulllet. These volumes are published by Hough- ton, Mifflin & Co., Boston, and are “The French Academy” and “Pierre Cornetlle.” Mr. Vincent does mot pretend to have given exhaustive histories in these books, but they contain ruch of interest and in- formation to the student of literature in France during the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries. At the end of each work is given a bibliographical appendix, which gives a list of the best books for the further information of those who would go deeper into the subjects. In “The French Academy” Mr. Vincent gives a clear account of its origin, which he ascribes largely to the influence of the Hotel de Rambouillet and the conver- sations that took place in its blue room, although the honor, he says, must prob- ably be shared with Malherbe. Malherbe held literary court in an ill furnished apartment and was known as the “tyrant of words and syllables.” Certain it is that in 1629, at the house of M. Valentin Conrart, a young man liv- ing in the Rue des Viellies-Etuves, near Rue Saint Martin, the eight members of the French Academy first met. The meet- ings were held once a week in the after- noons, and were carried on with all the informality of a gathering of friends. There were no parliamentary restrictions or binding rules to adhere to. The mem- bers were nearly all of the same sopial grade—that is, from. the middle class— were all devoted to the French language, and zealous to improve it and their own usage of it. What, if anything, might have come of this ideal association had not Bois-Robert, a favorite of Richelieu, been admitted into its circle can scarcely be imagined. It was, however, through his influence and much against the desires of the main body of the society that the Cardinal be- came Interested in the enterprise and ex- tended not only his patronage but his offer to have conferred upon it, through his influence, letters patent, making it a public institution. In spite of what might have been the individual wishes of the members, this offer was accepted—be- cause it could not well be refused—and In 163 the -Academie Francaise became an established fact with Richelieu at its head. The meetings were no longer marked by the delightful informality of earlier days. To give ‘“‘order and form"” to them, the academicians provided themselves with officers, consisting of a director and a chancellor, to be chesen by lot for a term of two months each; a secretary, to be chosen by ballot, and to hold the position for life, the entire membership to include forty. These preliminaries being settled, the academy set itself to the execution of its main object, that of preparing a diction- ary, a grammar, a treatise on rhetoric, and one on poetry. It would be interest- ing to follow Mr. Vincent in his clear summary of the trials and vicissitudes ex- perienced during the progress of these undertakings. Only the dictionary has ever seen the light of day, the first edi- tion of that not appearing, however, until 1654. That the Academie I'rancaise has out- lived two centuries speaks well for the firm rock upon which it was founded. It has passed safely through the crisis of the Frénch revolution, and to-day is an inde- pendent institution, representing the high- est and best culture of France. Pierre Corneille, one of the earliest of the French dramatists, and also a member (although in late life) of the Academie Francaise, lived also in the seventeenth century, having been born at Rouen in 1606. At 18 he was admitted to the bar, but although for twenty years he prac- ticed law, the work was ever uncongenial, and he joyfully resigned it. The poet was only 23 when he wrote his first play, “Melite ou les Fausses Lettres,” a comedy in five acts, and in verse. The chief work which threw upon Corneille the bright light of public interest was his drama of “The Cid,” taken from the Spanish legend repeated to him by M. de Chalon, one time secretary to Marie de Medicis. But if this drama brought him much glory, it brought him at the same time much censure, for Richelieu, who was himself an ardent worshipper of the muse and was known to write also, as well as many other of the minor poets and dramatists, grew jealous of his suc- cess, and there ensued such a war of abusive pamphlets as has never been seen in France since. An attack more venom- ous than any of its predecessors, and signed by George de Scudery, a brother of Madelaine de Scudery, one of the pre- cieuses who flourished at that time, brought. forth the intercession of Riche- lieu. He urged that the judgment of the French Academy be brought to bear upon the work. Corneille reluctantly consented to submit the drama to their mercies, and after a careful and minute study of the play their opinion was rendered—by no means complimentary, vet far more len- jent than the Cardinal might haye de- sired. After the publication of “The Cid,” which at this distant date is still popular- ly accepted as the cornerstone for the wealth of real dramatic literature that has followed—indeed, Moliere freely con- fesses that but for Corneille’s guidance he might never have acomplished his own masterpieces —Corneille wrote many dramas, the most noteworthy of which was perhaps “Horace.” It was in the Galerie du Palais that Corneflle first origi- nated the idea of realism in scenery upon the stage. Of necessity, we must pass over many points which Mr. Vincent dwells upon with interest, such as Cornellle’s short membership - among the famous ‘‘five au- thors” engaged by Richelieu to collaborate and jointly produce dramas under his patronage in the salle du theater of the Palais Cardinal. Of his private life little is known. He seems to have appeared sel- dom in the social life of his period, being shy and, in spite of his long residence in Paris, something of a provincial:- That the criticism of his own day, and even of the present day, has often been adverse and even harsh cannot be denied, yvet Cor- neille may justly be called the father of the higher French drama. (Price $1 each.) The Illustrated American Stage. R. H. Russell of New York has just pub- lished a most attractive volume, “The Il- lustrated American Stage—A Pictorial Re- view of the Most Notable Theatrical Suc- cesses, Together With Many Drawin and Portraits of Celebrated Players,"” This book consists of many of the best theatrical souvenirs vhich have been com- ing from the press of Mr. Russell and will prove very welcome to readers and lovers of the stage, who can now obtain them in a permanent form. Thée volume has been given a durable and attractive binding—otherwise ibe souvenirs which £0 to make up its contents are the same as those issued with paper cover. The first set in the book is Maude Adams in “L’Aiglon,” with fine reproduc- tions of the most dramatic scenes of the play and excellent portraits of Miss Adams. Next is given a series of views of Mary Mannering as Janice Meredith. When one sees through the pictures the charming personality and womanly grace of Miss Mannering it is not to be wondered at her success. Another dramatization of a popular his- torical novel is given in John Drew as Richard Carvel. Ali these pictures have a double interest for they not only per- petuate excellent likcnesses and poses of leading stage favorites, but they serve as mental reminders of the most striking scenes in the best iiction of the day. An interesting series of views follows of Annie Russell in “A Royal Family,” ss produced at the Lyceum Theater, New York. A splendid series of character studies shows William Giilette as Sherlock Holmes. Mr. Gillette certainly looks the part as well as he acts it. He has the ideal type of face for the hero of Mr. Doyle’s novel—the square, strong face and searching eyes. Julia Marlowe appears in ‘““When Knighthood Was in Flower,” and there is also given a collection of pictures rep- resenting Miss Marlowe {n others of her most notable impersonations. There is a charming portrait of her as Barbara Frietchie, one as Colinette, as Viola, as Juliet, as Lydia Languish, as Constance, and then some haif-dozen smaller pho- tographs of other roles. The three-act comedy of “Brother Offi- cers” also recelves some space. One of the most interesting parts of the volume is that devored to Miss Nethersoie in some of the characters of her reper- toire. In addition to half-tone reproduc- tlons of photographs are given some ar- tistic drawings of her by C. Allan Gilbert, Malcolm Strauss and Forrest Halsey. Strauss has a splendid head of her done in charcoal, but tha full-length portrait from life by Forrest Halsey of Miss Nethersole as Fanny le Grand In “Sapho” is really worth cutting out and framing only that it would be a shame to mutilate the book. In the section devored to Maude- Adams in “The Little Minister” C. Allan Gilbert contributes some fine studies and thers is a head by Ernest Haskell and a full- length by Malcolm Strauss of Miss Adams in “Rosemary” that are also deserving of the permanence of mural decoration un- der glass. The drawings of her as Jullet are particularly well done. Cissie Loftus also has a page and then follow those splendid drawings by Gibson of scenes in ‘“Rupert of Hentzau” and “The Prisoner-af Zenda.''s ™~ On the last pages $pace is given to Max- ine Elliott in “Nathan Hale" and there are some fine heads of Adelaide Nellson, Mary Anderson, Mrs. Potter, Ada Rehan, Modjeska, Sarah Bernhardt, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry. Coquelin and Mansfield appear in “Cyrano de Bergerac,” and there are some studies of Henry Miller as Sidney Carton, while the last page Is a study of Clara Lipman, from a draw- ing by Archie Gunn. (Published by R. H. Russell, New York. Price $2 50.) Y SRRl S The Bohemian. The Bohemian, a little magazine that lives up to its name, enters with June on the first number of its second volume. This number should prove a good begin- ning for a new year. Though its stories arc not long, they all possess the merit of exceptional strength and interest. The first one of the present issue is a sketch by Willilam Arnold, “An Olive {Branch,” in which occurs a brief but pointed dia- logue between a young couple that decid- ed on their marriage day to keep their individual friends and live a life of inde- pendence. ~An incident has happened which shows that the scheme is not at all times practicable and the path of true love seems on the verge of obliteration, but the author cleverly sets all right with site an artistic touch. mber 19,” by S. L. Bacon, is a long v condensed in four short pages. The climax is not just what the reader ex- pects, but the sketch as a whole probably gains strength through that very point. “When Rivals Meet,” by Edward Pay- son Jackson and Everit Bogert Terhune, tells in dialogue of the love of Plerre and Jean for the gay Lisette. It is Bohemian Paris done to a turn. The rivals meet just as they are about to try another world through the medium of a rope’s ncose. and their decision to make merry with the flowing bowl instead of resting in suicides’ graves is quite characteris- tically French. “A Blasphemous Christian” is a well told incident in the life of a newspaper publisher, who meets his temptation, but is streng under the test. The Bohemian is filled with complete stories of this kind that are just the thing for short reading when there Is not time nor inclination offered for the perusal of a book. The pages are further lightened with good verses. This little magazine as an artistic and literary success is de- se1ving of a prosperous new year and will doubtless make many friends. Vedanta Philosophy. The Swami Vivekananda, a Sannyasin who lectured in San Francisco on Hindoo philosophy, has just written a hook en- titled “My Master,” which gives an ac- count of the life and work of Param- hamsa, a Brahmin ascetic under whom Vivekananda and his brother Sannyasins studied the Vedas. Emerson and all of the transcendental school of Concord and Brook Farm, from which. came half of the names of the American style formers, were eager stu- dents of the Vedas, as is evidenced by the admissions of both Emerson and Thoreau. Paramhamsa was the greatest modern expounder of the Vedas in India. The book marks another short step in the long way to our comprehension of the spirit that sways the mysterious East. That they have understood more of us than we of them is shown by the Swami's comparisons. Those who remember the forceful ap- pearance of Vivekananda when he was here will not be astonished at the streng expressions which he gives, such as the following: ' “The babyy in his childishness thinks that his doll is the only possession to be coveted in the whole universe. So a na- tion which Is great in the possession of material powers thinks that they are all that is to be coveted, and that if there are other nations which do not care to possess these powers they, as nations, are not st to live. “To the Oriental the world of upirit is as real as to the Occlidental is the world of senses. In the spiritual the Oriental finds everything he wants or hopes for, and he laughs to think that grown up men and women should make so much of a handful of matter which they will have to leave sooner or later. Each calls the oth- er a dreamer, but the Oriental ideal is as necessary for the progress of the human race as is the Occidental, and, I think, more necessary. “Machines never made mankind happy and never will muke. “Why should a man who can send a current of electricity through = wire be called 'a very great man? Does not na- ture do a million times more than that ev- ery moment? Why not then fall down and worship nature. “Asia produces giants in spirituality as the Occident produces glants in science. “Just as in the West even the man in the street wants to trace his descent from some robber baron of the middle ages, so in India even an Emperor on the throne ‘wants to trace his descent from some beg- gar sage in the forest: from a man who wore the bark of a tree, lived on the iruits of the forest and communed with God. “It has been held from the most ancient times in our country’that it is a degener- ating occupation to become a temrple priest from the fact that they take money for their work, which is making :nerchan- dise of sacred things. “Few understand the power of thought. If a man goes into a cave, shuts himself in and thinks one really great thought and dies, that thought will penetrate the adamantine walls of that cave, vibrale dream is realized. He does achieve wealth. But with his wealth comes a great benefit to the world. He finds the means, in human blood, of benefiting all mankin of making all the world good-nature There is no longer any display of human temper. It may still exist in the human being—for of what use would man be without a temper?—but its display be- comes too great in its suffering for those ‘who patronize the temper cure to desire to lose it. The story thus has its moral. (Published by the Abbey Press, New York. Price 50 cents.) . Blue Shirt and Khaki. A compariscn of the relative character- istics of the American and British mili- tary systems ana personnsl is of such obvious and timely interest that it is strange that it has not been undertaken before. The author of “Blue Shirt and Khaki,” James F. J. Archibald, is admirably fitted for making this comparison. A man of wide acqaintance in army circles, for sev- eral years he went as an observer and correspondent of the Indian campaigns and practice marches of our Western troops. He accompanied as correspondent the Japanese army in its invasion of Chi- na in 189. He saw all the fighting about Santiago and served on the general stafl during the first occupation of Havana; indeed, he was the first American wound- ed In the Spanish war, being a member of the “Gussie” e tion. He has been a student of the home maneuvers of both — e ¢ MRS. LUCY CLERVER MCELROY. born in Lebanon, Ky, and has lived all her life in that State. mns‘ LUCY CLEAVER McELROY, the author of “Juletty,” was Her recent book, which is reviewed on another part of this page, is all the more remarkable when we consider that the greater part of it was writte: dimm the bed of an invalid. As a girl Mrs. McElroy joined in all her father’s sports and lived an out-of-doors life. This manner of living she kept up after her marriage, and it was while riding to hounds with her husband that she was thrown from her horse and made an invalid for life. She wrote “Juletty” under the most trying of cir- cumstances. While the author lay cn her back or when scarce able to hold a pen, she picked out the words with one hand on a typewriter. Yet her writing is decidedly the reverse from morbid, as such a deplor- able state of health would warrant. She writes with a fullness of life and joyousness that any lover of field sports might envy. o through space and at last penetrate the whole human race. “Religlon does not consist in erecting temples or attending worship.” (Published by the Baker & Tavlor Company, New York. Price 50 cents.) Racing Rhymes. There are some splendid lines in a little volume entitled ‘“‘Racing Rhymes and Other Verses.”” by the late Adam Lindsay Gordon. These hase been selected and arranged by T. O. Guen and published in the usual good taste of R. H. Russell, the New York publisher. Mr. Gordon possessed the art and gen- ius of the true poet. the metrical swing and perfect poise that show the practiced hand of the master of poesy and yet the mechanical process of rhythm in no way hampers the expres- sion of the thought. His lines are pregnant with the sentl- ment of a true lover of nature—one who appreciates the life-giving dash afield on the back of some superb thoroughbred with the crisp air of dawn whistling about his ears, following the hounds with merry clatter and din, or even swinging a good blade in the grim pursuits of war. Here is a verse from “The Romance of Britomarte,” which will give a glimpse of the author’s power of word painting. The picture set forth in the last two lines is not very cheerful, but it would be diffi- cult to find a better selection of words for the expression of the thought: Not a bullet told upon Britomarte; Suddenly snorting, she launched along; So the osprey dives where the seagulls dart, So the falcon swoops where the kestrels throng; And full in my front one pistol flash'd, And right in my path their sergeant got. How our jackboots jarr'd, how our stirrups clash’d, While the mare like a meteor past him shot; But I clove his skull with a hackstroke clean, For the glory of God and of Gwendoline. Ten Years in Cossack Slavery. “Ten Years in Cossack Slavery” is a novel by Jullan Jasfencyk on the tyranny by the emissaries of the Czar in Siberia and the sufferings of a patriotic Pole. Mrs. Mankowskl, the translator, is a dill- gent and successful student of Polish let- ters and has faithfully and graphically rendered the original into English in this version. The condition of Poland, and incidentally of Russla, is here vividly por- scribed; while at the same time life in the penal colonies of Siberia is so por- trayed that the reader readily fancies himself an inmate of them. Thrilling pas- sages abound and the recital, though based on truth, reads like Dumas’ account of the earlier adventures of Edmond Dantes before he escaped from the living tomb in Marseilles. (Published by The Abbey Press, New York. Price §1 25.) The Temper Cure. “The Temper Cure,” by Stanley Ea- wards Johnson, is essentially a work of the imagination and a bit of fiction, be- yond the possibilities perhaps of the world of fact, still it has its serious as well as its comic vein. The hero, a poor physician, has a dream of life which is in itself es- sentially selfish. His life ambition is to be rich, rich almost beyond the dreams of avarice. tractive as one can well imagine, and the idea of his even having a patient amounts almost to the impossible. Yet his life His verses have all - He is as misshapen and unat- - -+ the United States and the British armies. At the outbreak of the Boer war he went to Pretoria, and later, with Lord Roberts, took part in the campaign of the British troops, The book fs a keen, sane and compre- hensive review of the observations of a military specfalists who have been eying the aperations of armies for a long time, and has evidently been impartial in his conclusions. The new recruit, the com- mon scldier in the fleld, the officers, strat- egy and tactics, the commissariat, trans- portation by land and sea, all receive de- tafled treatment. These discussions are illustrated by incidents. The many plc- tures, most of them taken in South Afri- ca, are of singular clearness and value. There are over 100 illustrations from pho- tographs taken by the author. In the author’s comparison of recruits and common soldiers the honors are with the Americans, who have a vastly higher type of individual soldier, and one who is the most resourceful of the world's fighting men. The officers of the British army ceme in for a scathing exposure of inefficiency, the reasons for which are in- herent in the British system. In this re- spect the American officer is far the su- perfor of the British. In tactics also the Americans show to much better advant- age. In facilitles for handling troops on a large scale the British are much ahead of us; and yet whenever the practical problems of a campaign become personal to officer or soldier the American again goes ahead. Although the honors seem to be sogreatly with the Americans, the exceeding value and high standard of the British army is fairly presented, and its deficiencies are regarded with regret rath- er than exultation. The two concluding chapters are devot- ed to the fall of Pretoria and its occupa- tion by the British. (Published by Silver, Burdette & Co., New York. Price $1 50.) Story of Little Nell. “The Story of Little Nell,” by Charles Dickens, and edited with an introduction by Jane Gordon, is the latest addition (o the series of Eclectic School Readings, so ‘widely and favorably known to teachers. It comprises the groundwork and much the larger portion of “The Old Curiosity Shop,” and fs given in the present vol- ume Jjust as Dickens wrote it, but freed from the various episodes and other pas- sages originally employed to introduce other characters. The story, thus abridg- ed and confined solely to the relation of the pathetic adventures of its heroine, will appeal especially to young.readers. 5 The Bilioustine. clever satire which originally aj in A ppeared BERT LESION ‘TAYLOR'S ‘‘LINE-0-TVr OR TW" COLUMN, on the editorial page of the CHICAGO TRIB- UNE, attracting wide attention. Every reader acquainted with the Aurora_output will enjoy reading and want to possess a copy of this unique booklet. FRA McGINNIS AND THE BOY GRAFTERS will be famous the world over. Send at once if you wish to own a copy. They will quickly command & premium. Every copy tied with a string by hand. Brown paper; 24 pp.; price %c. Booksellers and Newsdealers supplied. G puian WILLIAM . LORD, Fu:lisher, Evanston, Ill. They cannot fail to perceive its beauty and its pathos, nor to admire the cour- age, the self-denial and the simple good- ness of little Nell herself. (Published by the American Book Company, New York. Price 50 cents.) Oral Lessons in Hygiene. The American Book Company has just published an “Oral Lesson Book in Hy- glene,” by Henrletta Amelia Mirick, A.B. (Wellesley), assistant editor School Physiology Journal, Boston. This book is intended for the use of teachers in pri- mary grades. While it is one of the New Century series of physiologies, it can be used to advantage with any book or se- ries which may be in the school. It shows by its suggested oral lessons for the first three years of school life that as much knowledge of the body and the law of its health as primary pupils are able to comprehend can be made inter- esting as well as of educational and practical value. Numerous attractive {llustrations add to the interest of the book and furnish ideas for the more helpful presentation of the subject to voung children. At the conclusion of the chapters are brief memory points, sum- marizing in the clearest and most force- ful manner the more important features. (Price §1.) - Willie and His Pa. For,years F. Opper has been srinding out funny stuff with pen and pencil. The most remarkable part of it all is that Mr. Opper is a himorist who turns out not only quantity but the best of quality. He has made people laugh for so long a time that now it is a cause for wonder by many how he can keep on doing the same ex- cellent work. Nevértheless, his brain is as prolific as ever and, in fact, ne seems to be surpassing himself and becoming funnier every day. His latest bound collection of drawings is “Willie and His Papa—And the Rest of the Family.” As humorous drawings these are well abreast of Mr. Opper’s best work. They will appeal most strongly to the risibilities not only of men but of women and childrén. Mr. Opper has a pe- culiar knack of putting expressions on the faces of his comics that is inimitable. The book Is a handsome quarto volume, about 8%x8% Inches, with {lluminated board covers, containing nearly 100 pages in black and white. (Published by Gros- set & Dunlap, New York. Price §1.) ‘What Is a Kindergarten? George Hansen, landscape architect, Berkeley, Cal., has written a unique little book on “What Is a Kindergarten?” Mr. Hansen explains: “I have nothing to suggest toward the teachings in the schoolroom. My purpose is to eXemplify how our task of forming the child’s mind millinery 1s also illustrated in colors. The protlems of moving day and after are dealt with very thoroughly by Margaret Hall, and the etiquetts required on the part of those who have moved into a new neighborhood is indicated by Mrs. Frank Learned in her “Social Obse.rvance__De- partment.” ‘“Pastimes for Children,” all sorts of fancy needlework for summer hours, indoor decorations and other vdried interests come in for attention. The won- derful benefactions of Baroness Clara de Hirsch, who aided her husband in giving away $100,000,000, are described and illus- trated by Sara K. Bolton. The short storfes of the month are by Elmore Elliott Peake and Willlam McLeod Raine. A collection of antique silver Is described in a speelal article devoted to the subject by N. Hudson Moore. The llustrated *“Cookery” deals with birthday parties and is very beautiful. Harper & Brothers have secured for the July issue of their “American Contem- porary Novels” series a first book by a new writer of unusual and striking im- portance. “The Manager of the B. & A.” by Vaughan Kester, is said to be a remarkable performance for a flrst work of fiction by a young writer. It Is also refreshing to learn~that this novel is more concerned with the romance of busi- pess than with the pale sentimentality that takes the place of genuine passion in so much of the fiction of to-day. Mr. Kester contributed a short story called “The Mills of the Little Tin Gods” to the Cosmopolitan about three years ago, which attracted marked attention at the time, ‘and evoked comment . from more than one eminent critic. There was an indication in that story that Mr. Kester “sensed,” so to speak, the feeling and at- mosphere of business life as few have done it, and there was the promise that if he developed this peculiar sensibility he would achieve something In a fleld which to-day presents, in our country at least, one of the mest fruitful .for the young novelist. “The Manager of the B. & A.” is said to be a fyrther evidence of Mr. Kester's power in the right direction. The scene of the story is laid in a little tewn in the lumber region of Michigan, and the hero is the manager of a small branch railroad which is on the verge of btankruptcy when he takes charge of it. The plot of the story is original, and sit- uation follows situation in rapid succes- sion In the trying experiences which the manager of the B. & A. has to undergo in his efforts to build up the road and in- cidentally to triumph in his wooing. Frederick Palmer, whose vigorous stories about the American soldier and sailer in “The Ways of the Service” are becoming so popular, is a graduate of Al- legheny Universtty, Meadville, Pa. He 13 not yet 35 years old. He began his news- can be rendered easier and more correct— Paper career as a writer of special articles I want to do such through the agency of outdoor exercise among plants and flowers, and I give a list of those which are the most important, mentioning also some which are to be avoided.” He has a great d=al to say in a small space about the proper laying out of grounds on these lines. He also adve- cates toy gardens in which the children can at an early age assoclate themselves with the mysteries of plant life by prac- tical experience as gardeners. (Published by Elder & Shepard, San Francisco. Price 50 cents.) Lord and Thomas Directory for 1901. An interesting little volume which will prove of great value to all who are in- terested In the subject of newspaper or magazine advertising is the annual edition of the “Pocket Directory of the American Press for 1901,” which has just been issued by Lord & Thomas, the well-known ad- vertising' agents of Chicago and New York. In a compact and convenient form this little volume contains a vast amount of reliable information relative to adver- tising mediums, so arranged and classified as to be easily referred to. The book is typographically perfect and with its neat flexible binding, gilt edges and convenient size could not be improved upon in ap- pearance. / It ‘'should have a piace on the desk of every business man interested in general advertising. The Pacific Churchman. This little semi-monthly bas made 2 new departure by introducing into its columns a children’s corner. Anecdotes that are fact, sketches that are fiction and. items of news that are of interest to boys and girls all will appear in this column. The magazine continues its church news, of interest to Episcopalians all over the country. Mrs. E. R. Oliver, who has taken the entire charge of it since her husband's death, both as edito] nd pub- lisger, is reaching out for neWPkinds of material. The current number contalns a full-page article, with pictures, on the Pan-American Exfosition. Among the regular editorial contributors are Bishops Nichols, Johnson and Moreland. (The Pa- cific Churchman, 731 California street, San Franeisco.) Pharaoh, “Pharaoh” is a historical nbvel of ancient Egypt by Bolesbaus Prus. It has been ‘ably translated by Mary de Man- kowski and published by the Abbey Press, New York. While a story, it yet pos- sesses an historical basis and gives many curious incidents connected with the life of the Pharaohs. The characters are drawn with graphic skill. They live and breathe. The ancient life is resurrected. We seem ourselves to be transported back under the shadow of the pyramids, and to find the Sphinx a daily companion. The household customs, the statecraft, the religious worship of the Egyptians are exhibited in their true colors. (Price $1 25.) From Clouds to Sunshine. “From Clouds to Sunshine, or the Evo- lution of a Soul,” by E. Thomas Kaven, is a psychological study and a religious novel combined. The hero, while at col- lege, loses his Christiam faith as the re- sult of certain materializing tendencies of university life and signalizes his gradua- tion by delivering an address in which he denies the solidity of the human race, His father_ a rational Christian and deep thinker, although a successful business man, is distressed by this shipwreck of his son’s faith, and he hits upon a plan of- foreign study and travel which brings the sturdy young feliow out of the clouds into the sunshine again. (Published by the Abbey Press, New York. Price §L) PRASA AN Literary Notes. E. F. Benson's forthcoming novel, “The Luck of the Vails,” is reported to repre- sent a new departure for the author, which promises to win as much popular- jty in another field as he gained by “Dodo.” His new novel is to be published probably in May by D. Appleton & Co. Among the books Doubleday, Page & Co. are just publishing are the following: «The Niagara Book,” a “guide” of consid- erable literary cxcellence, in an elaborate- ly fllustrated edition for the Pan-Ameri- can Exposition year; Part.III of *“The Furniture of Our Forefathers,” which deals with -the period of the seventeenth century in New England; “The Diary of a Freshman,” by the author of “Harvard Episodes,” Charles M. Flandrau; “Mas- ters of Men,” 2 stirring novel of the sea, by Morgan Robertson, a foremost writer of sea stories, and “The Good Red Earth,” by Eden Phillpotts. The June Delineator covers many varied interests of the home. It shows the latest styles for ladies, misses, girls and little folks, several pages being illustrated in colors so as to give a correct idea of color combinations. The ever-practical dress- making article describes the construction .of the new Di Vernon waist. Summer- time comes in for its share of attention by special articles being devoted to ma- terial for cycling skirts, to summer dress fabrics and to a number of new and pretty surf habits or bathing suits. Summer for the Sunday edition of the New York Press. He made his personality ielt and in a few years was sent abroad by the Press as its regular London correspon- dent. He not only reported the news promptly, but he was sent out as war cor- respondent. He foretold the fact that the Greeks were so 1ll prepared for war that they were practically defeated vefore a shot was fired. His guick perception of what was almost grotesque in Greece's method of making ready for the struggle did much to make the mind of the public famillar with the vital fact that the Greeks of to-day were not the Greeks of Thermopylae. Pafmer accompanied the Greek army, saw the early battle from the trenches where he lay with the G: ldiers, and finally, when the battle of Volo was fought and decided so disastrously to the Greeks, he rode as hard as he could ride to the sea and sent his paper a cable dis- patch which turned out to be one of the great news “beats’ of the year. At the close of the war he returned to London and resumed his correspondence,, from which, however, he was called to America to make a journey into the mys- terious Klondike country. He got there so quickly and traveled so lightly equipped, carrying only the most necessary articles. that he managed to get over the route and back again before most other correspon- dents were falrly started. He was thus able to relate the first really authentic story of the Klondike, describing with precision the various routes and tralls and the extreme difficulties of the gold hant long before others had authoritative tales to tell. ‘When Palmer got back from the Klon- dike the war with Spain was practically ended. However, he started immediately for the Philippines, where he saw a great deal of the early fighting with the insur- gents, and when the Chinese trouble broke out he left Manila immediately for the scene and accompanied the relef col- umn on its memorable march to Peking. It was in these experiences that Palmer gained his knowledge of men and war. The experience of the Greek war enabled him to see with understanding eyes the operations of the Philippine war. Hav- ing already lald his foundation he was able to devete much of his time to the study of men and women and.the soclal and other minor aspects of the nation at war. In this way he made the studies which have resulted in the delightful stories which are finding now so large an audience. —_— SIRIUS—By Ellep Thorneycroft Fow- ler. D. Appleton & Co., New York. $150. THE ETHICS OF JUDAISM, Part II— By M. Lazarus, Ph.D. The Jewish Publl- cation Society of America, Philadelphia. PHAROAH—By Mary de Mankowski. The Abbey Press, New York. $125. TEN YEARS IN COSSACK SLAVERY OR BLACK RUSSIA—By Mary de Man- kowski. The Abbey Press, New York. $125. THE ROSE OF DAWN—By Helen Hay. R. H. Russell, New York. RACING RHYMES AND OTHER VERSES—By Adam Lindsay Gordon. R. H. Russell, New York. THE MIND AND ITS MACHINERY— By V. P. English, M.D. Ohio State Pub- lishing Company, Cleveland, Ohio. 3L THE AMERICAN HUSBAND IN PARIS—By Anna Bowman Dodd. Little, Brown & Co., Boston. $1. RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM RENDERED INTO ENGLISH VERSE— By Edward FltzGerald. with illustrations by Herbert Cole. John Lane, New York. Cloth 50 cents, leather 75 cents. MONONIA—By Justin McCarthy. Small, Mhynard & Co., Boston. $130. EL CAPITAN VENENO—By Pedro A. de Alarcon. American Book Company, New York. 50 cents. THE STORY OF LITTLE NELL—-By Charles Dickens. American Book Com- pany, New York. 50 cents. HiS LETTERS—By Julien Gordon. D. Apvleton & Co., New York. $150. THE BENCH AND BAR AS MAKERS OF THE REPUBLIC—By Hon. W. W. Goodrieh™ E. B. Treat & Co., New York. 5 cents. STUDIES IN ESCHATOLOGY OR EX- ISTENCE AFTER DEATH—By Ulysses §. Bartz. The Abbey Press, New York. 50 cents. The Books Reviewed ON THIS PAGE Can B Obtaiaed at 'ROBERTSON’S | 126 POST STREET, SAN FRANCISCO. Prices are always in the Reading Notices. Postage is free. A" M. ROBERTSON.