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Ethics Civil and Political. By David Allyn Gorton, M.D. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. 54×8 in. 237 pages. $1.50, net.

Familiar Studies of Men and Books. By Robert Louis Stevenson. 2 vols. Illustrated. Herbert B. Turner & Co., Boston. 4×61⁄2 in. 226 pages. An extremely attractive edition of some of Mr. Stevenson's most characteristic papers; the two small volumes, printed from an unusually clear and effective type, on good paper, with illustrations, form one of the most convenient and altogether satisfactory editions of the essays, sketches, and studies which has yet appeared.

First Book of Forestry. By Filbert Roth. Illustrated. Ginn & Co., Boston. 52x71⁄2 in. 291 pages. 75c. (Postage, 10c.)

The early association of the author of this volume with the well-kept forests of Germany, his subsequent observations in the widely differing forest districts of our own country, and his years of experience in teaching the science, are all evidenced in a book which is not only elementary, but practical to every forester or student of forestry. The work is at once valuable as a text-book for schools, as a manual to be kept in country homes, and as a comprehensive work for any one's reading. Fortunately for the layman, the author expresses himself in non-technical and conversational language. The illustrations, while interesting, hardly match the value of the

text.

Flowers of Song from Many Lands: Being Short Poems and Detached Verses Gathered from Various Languages. Rendered into English by Frederic Rowland Marvin. The Pafraets Book Co., New York. 7x10 in. 138 pages.

The list of poetic fragments in this collection includes couplets, quotations, and somewhat longer selections from the German, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Scandinavian, Greenlandic, Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Sanscrit, Phoenician, Assyrian, Latin, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Ashanti, South Sea Islands, and Osage Indian literatures. Each specimen, says the collector, who in many cases is translator also, is characteristic of the soil and climate whence it was taken.

Fordwell Graham. By W. June Arlington. Allen, Lane & Scott, Philadelphia. 5x8 in. 414 pages. $1.25.

His Excellency's English Governess.

By

Sydney C. Grier. L. C. Page & Co., Boston. 5x7 in. 367 pages. $1.25.

In vivid presentation of life in the Orient lies the fascinating quality of Mr. Grier's novels. The heroine, a young lady of beauty, culture, and high social standing, becomes the feminine guardian of Azim Bey, the ten-year-old son of Ahmed Khemi Pasha, and takes up her residence in that gentleman's harem. She is not welcomed by the Pasha's mother, that lady having a mind to poison the poor little

Bey, who is by all odds the most entertaining person in the book. There is interesting exposition of zenana etiquette, gossip, bickerings, and jealousies, and an unusual view is given of its tyrannical hold over its lord and master, who had been commonly considered as the oppressor and never the oppressed. The relation of Turks, Armenians, and Kurds is pictured in not quite the ordinary way. Historical Introductions to the Rolls Series. By William Stubbs, D.D. Collected and Edited by Arthur Hassall, M.A. Longmans, Green & Co., New York. 6x9 in. 534 pages. $5. Reserved for later notice.

History of Over Sea (The). Done into English by William Morris. With Decorations by Louis Rhead. R. W. Russell, New York, 8x 10 in. 28 pages.

It is unfortunate that this very attractively made thin quarto was not published earlier. In its text, its illustration, and its binding it is emphatically a high-class holiday book, written in delightful English and sumptuously dressed. Of the class of prose writings to which "The History of Over Sea" belongs it is only necessary to say that they are written in that archaic English which Morris could use as well, probably, as any man of his generation, and that they represent the romantic side of his mind, his love of the mystical. The decorations for this volume are furnished by Mr. Louis Rhead, and the cover design is strongly suggestive of Persian book decoration.

The

How to Sing (Meine Gesangskunst). By Lilli Lehmann. Translated from the German by Richard Aldrich. Illustrated. The Macmillan Co., New York. 52x74 in. 281 pages. $1.50, net. To most readers the fact that this book was written by Mme. Lehmann, whose identification with a number of Wagner rôles has made her known almost personally to thousands, will give to it a real interest in spite of its technical character. A large part of the volume is taken up with careful and minute instructions, illustrated with diagrams. reviewer cannot help thinking that Mme. Lehmann has attempted to do through the medium of the printed page what can be done only by oral instruction. Nevertheless, the general sanity that is apparent in her fundamental principles is worth the attention of those who cannot find the details in her work very illuminating. She has little respect for the singer who yields to "indisposition." "If you wish to sing only when you are in good form,” she remarks, "you must excuse yourself ninetynine times out of a hundred." Some of her advice she would probably modify, if not reverse, in dealing with pupils of certain temperament. On one point her views are worth quoting. She is roundly-and, in our view, soundly-opposed to the artificial division of the voice into three registers. "It will be much more correct," she suggests, "to call every tone of every voice by the name of a new additional register, for in the end every tone will and must be taken in a different position of the organs, although the difference may be imperceptible, if it is to have its proper place in the whole." A few anecdotes and reminiscences give a readable quality to

the earlier pages. Behind the entire book is the authority of one whose mastery of the art of singing in the song recital as well as upon the operatic stage places her among the foremost singers of our time.

Hudson River (The): From Ocean to Source. By Edgar Mayhew Bacon. Illustrated. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. 6x 10 in. 590 pages. $4.50, net.

Mr. Bacon, the author of this handsomely made volume, has long been a devout student of the scenery, history, and legends of the region through which the Hudson River flows. His "Chronicles of Tarrytown," published some time ago, was the first fruit of his investigations, and bore evidence of his qualification, by reason not only of familiarity with the material with which he dealt but of vital interest in it, to become the recorder and historian of the Hudson River country. For his book is both a record and an impression. He describes, in effect, nearly the whole course of the river; but he does it in connection with its chief historical points and its personal associations. He conveys the physiognomy of the country, so to speak; he tells its early history in an informal and engaging fashion, and be associates it with the men who have lived near it, and with the events which have taken place at its different points. Beginning with the exploration of the river by the Englishman Hudson, in the Dutch ship Half Moon, under the authority of the Dutch East India Company, he traces the gradual ascent of the river and its slow settlement along either bank from New York to Troy. Disclaiming any attempt to make the historical narrative continuous, Mr. Bacon has so woven together the different chapters in the settlement of the river country and the incidents connecting it with different localities as to make a story which has unity if not continuity. He writes not only of the oldest New York, but of the newest New York; and the interest of his sketch proves that he has an eye for the many artistic effects about the metropolis which are often overlooked. He gives a very interesting account of the festivals and pageants which have taken place in New York. He describes the early settlers in the Hudson Valley; the early navigation, with the great changes which were introduced with the appearances of steam upon the river. He groups the incidents and history of the Revolution; he has two delightful chapters on "The Land of Irving' and the literary associations of the Hudson; he writes of West Point, of the old Dutch towns, and of many other aspects of his subject, not too heavily, and with a strong infusion of tradition and anecdote, much of which will be new to most readers; for Mr. Bacon has evidently put behind the work thorough examination of the sources of local history. The value of this handsome quarto does not depend solely on the attractiveness with which Mr. Bacon has invested the whole subject; it is a kind of foot-note to the more conventional histories, because it throws light upon the life and habits of the earliest settlers. It is a study in Dutch civilization in the New World, severe enough in intention to be accurate, but

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easy enough in temper to take in a great deal of humor, and to comment upon those characteristic customs and habits which, while they escape the attention of the formal historian, are full of significance. The book contains more than a hundred illustrations— reproductions of photographs, engravings, and drawings by Mr. Bacon, and with some very interesting reproductions of paintings by Boynton, Weir, Casilear, and Seavey. Each volume is accompanied by sectional maps of the river in a slip which will be of value to those readers who like to follow with the eye the country about which they are reading. The book is eminently readable in style. Its only serious defect is its uncomfortable weight

in the hand.

Introduction to the Talmud. By M. Mielziner, Ph.D., D.D. Funk & Wagnalls Co., New York. 54x8 in. 297 pages. $2, net.

As Christianity in its formal aspect has rested more on the great doctors of the Church than on the New Testament, so has Judaism rested on the great doctors of the Synagogue more than on the Old Testament. This is still true of Judaism, though there have been earnest pleas lately for that return to the ancient Scriptures which is so significant of the reforming Christianity of to-day. But to understand Judaism as it is, and why it is what it is, one must know something of the Talmud, just as one who would understand certain aspects of Christianity must know something of the early Church fathers and of the fathers of Protestantism. The large attention now given to Biblical study has drawn increased attention to the Talmud for its value in questions of Biblical exegesis and criticism. It is, indeed, a vast mine of learning and of speculation, much of it antiquated, but also with much precious metal embedded in unserviceable material. Professor Mielziner has facilitated the comprehension of an intricate subject by producing the first comprehensive work of its kind in our language. It is enriched by a copious bibliography of works in special departments of Talmudic lore. Readers who have some knowledge of Hebrew will find it more valuable than others.

Letters to Washington and Accompanying

Papers. Vol. V., 1774-1775. Published by the So-
ciety of the Colonial Dames of America. Edited by
Stanislaus Murray Hamilton. Houghton, Mifflin &
Co., Boston. 6x9 in. 288 pages. $5, net.

Life and Repentaunce of Marie Magdalene
(The). By Lewis Wager. (The Decennial Publi-
cations, Second Series, Vol. 1.) The University of
Chicago Press, Chicago. 6x9 in. 91 pages.
Manual of Zoology (A). By Richard Hertwig.
Translated and Edited by J. S. Kingsley. From the
Fifth German Edition. Henry Holt & Co., New
York. 534x8 in. 704 pages.

In a scientific aspect this is a splendid work. Professor Kingsley has edited, with modifications permitted by the author and with added illustrations, the treatise which holds in German schools the foremost place in its field, and has thus adapted it to the requirements of American students beginning the subject. Professor Hertwig is more admirable as a scientist than as a philosopher; perhaps it is well that he very seldom philosophizes in the

present work. He confesses frankly enough that the secret of life is inscrutable, the goal sought by science in the physical basis of life is indiscernibly distant," yet he does not hesitate to approve "the attempt to explain life as the summation of extremely complicated chemico-physical processes." These processes are doubtless essential to the manifestation of life, but it is quite a jump to infer from this that their summation is essential to the existence of life. These processes go on destructively in a dead organism. What is it that sets them going constructively in a living organism? Memorable Places Among the Holy Hills. By Robert Laird Stewart, D.D. The Fleming H. Revell Co., New York. 5x8 in. 250 pages. $1, net. Availing himself of the explorations of recent travelers and discoverers as well as of his own, Dr. Stewart has made a book of real interest to readers of the Bible.

Perseus and Andromeda. Retold by Richard

Le Gallienne. Illustrated. R. H. Russell, New York. 52X82 in. 54 pages.

A free translation from Ovid, but amplified and treated in a poetic spirit. Reproductions of the Vatican Perseus, of Cellini's Perseus, of Burne-Jones's Medusa, and of the Vatican Minerva make interesting illustration. Reminiscences, Musical and Other. By Fanny

Reed. Illustrated. Knight & Millet, Boston. 5×8 in. 158 pages. $2.50.

The persons, eminent mainly in artistic circles, who are the subjects of the various chapters, are widely various, as may be indicated by the names of Liszt, the Marquise de Bloqueville, Coquelin, and Munkacsy. It is not easy to understand why so much that is merely biographical and appreciative should be included under the title Reminiscences. Scattered through the volume are a number of interesting and characteristic anecdotes. Sinless Christ (The). By George Tybout Purves, D.D., LL.D. (The Presbyterian Pulpit, No. 1.) For Whom Christ Died. By William R. Richards, D.D. (The Presbyterian Pulpit, No. II.) The Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia. 5x7% in. Per vol., 75c., net.

Presbyterians have begun to do what Unitarians have long been doing, but with this difference: instead of frequently publishing single Sermons of representative preachers, they are to issue from time to time small volumes, each containing eight sermons by the same author. The present volumes begin the series. Of their authors, Dr. Richards, recently succeeding Dr. Babcock in the Brick Church, New York, is less widely known; but for freshness and power it would be hard to find better sermons than he has presented here.

Socialism and Labor, and Other Arguments
Social, Political, and Patriotic. By Rt. Rev. J. L.
Spalding. A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago. 42x7
in. 225 pages. 80c., net.

Son of Destiny (A): The Story of Andrew
Jackson. By Mary C. Francis. The Federal Book
Co., New York. 54×8 in. 459 pages.
A badly written historical novel.
Spain and Her People. By Jeremiah Zimmer-

man, LL.D. Illustrated. George W. Jacobs & Co., Philadelphia. 5x8 in. 350 pages. $2, net. Dr. Zimmerman can hardly congratulate himself on possessing a particularly good literary style, but he can feel well satisfied at having

given to the world much interesting and valuable information concerning Spanish history, politics, and society. Actual conditions in Spain from the actual traveler's standpoint may be obtained with greater color and vividness from such works as Miss Bates's "Spanish Highways and Byways," Mr. Jacacci's "On the Trail of Don Quixote," above all, from Baron Davillier's L'Espagne." The chief merit of the present volume is in its explanation of recent conditions: such as the appallingly phlegmatic national spirit in the face of the loss of a hundred thousand men who fell during the recent insurrections and during the more recent Spanish-American war; and such as the loss of Spain's great colonial possessions, involving the abandonment by a hundred thousand colonials of their former homes and their return to the mother country. Yet there is much valor, probity, and generosity in the individual Spaniard, and these qualities as indicated by our author are as admirable as ever. The illustra tions are interesting and would well illustrate the text had they been better placed.. The picture of the Cordova mosque looks belated, twenty-five pages after the author had finished his description of Cordova and was claiming his reader's attention with Madrid and the Escorial; in like manner, an illustration of a Madrid square finds its space in the chapter on Segovia, while not until we are in the midst of the chapter on Saragossa are we favored with a view of the Escorial.

Text-Book of Nursing (A): For the Use of Training Schools, Families, and Private Students. By Clara Weeks-Shaw. (Third Edition, Thoroughly Revised and Enlarged.) Illustrated. D. Appleton & Co., New York. 5X7 in. 397 pages. $1.75 This book has stood the test of actual use, and has been found clear, complete, and admirably adapted for precisely the uses indicated in the sub-title.

Theism et als. By the Rev. Charles Caverno, A.M., LL.D. The Abbey Press, New York. 5x8 in. 246 pages.

Dr. Caverno writes clearly and incisively. Those who have met with his occasional articles on theism and other topics related to it, for which his present title employs the abbreviation used by lawyers, will welcome their collection in this volume. To him intel

ligence, ethics, and aesthetics are inseparable from theism. The scientist, the moralist, the artist, if whole-minded, must be theists. His chapter on "The Unity of Moral Dynamism" is a most desirable broadening of the popular conception of the agency of the Holy Spirit, which Dr. Caverno recognizes in the primary movings of untutored conscience as really as in the aspirations of the saint.

Under the Pine-Tree Flag. By Willis Boyd Allen. Illustrated. The Pilgrim Press, Boston. 5x7 in. 274 pages.

With Washington at Valley Forge. By W. Bert Foster. Illustrated. The Penn Publishing Co., Philadelphia. 5x7 in. 369 pages. 90c., net. The young hero is with the Revolutionary army at Brandywine and Valley Forge. His adventures are told in a way that will probably interest boys.

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