The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-23
NEW BOOK s.

Even the scissors have become Q useful adjunct
In book making.
And it is noteworthy that books 'sold only by
subscription are particularly trashy, notwith-
standing the "taking" character OF their titles.
One of these called ..Behind the Scenes IN Wash
ington,n a book with the most hideous tiIlepage
ever printed, is the worst specimen that has yet
come under our notice. 1t is big, coarse volume,
mostly made up OF newspaper clippings. While
pretending TO give an insight into political ana
Ocial life at the capital it reveals nothing what
ever that the readers Of the HERALD do not know
already, and where the compiler does not crib from
newspaper correspondents he extracts matter OF
dun detail from guide books and official records.
Another work Of like character Is L. d. lnger-
SOILS "Life and Times OF Horace Greeley" SO
thoroughly had the work Of detailing Mr.. Greeleys
career been accomplished by his previous bograph-
ers and by himself in his "Rec0llecti0ns OF Busy
Life" that we see no reason for Ingersolls book.
The recent novels are equally trashy.
And the titles continue as startling and mean
ingless as ever.
The Lippincotts publish translation OF a Ger
man romance, by Carl Datlcf, entitled "Must 1t
Be 7" We suppose companion volume will soon
follow, called al S'pOse So"
The same house has just issued novel OF every
day lie, the title page OF which asks "what viii
the World Say 2' We examined the last page OF
the book, to see ii the work concluded with the
standing promise of the charade column in the
weekly press. ANSWERS in our nextn
Az title Miss Edwards "A vagabond Heroinen
is much better than "Ought We to Visit Her ~
Sheldon Co. have issued it in book form. The
manuals on reading tell US tnat people ought to
read as inclinations prompt, SO we leave each
reader to answer for himself the question, "ought
we to read it ~
Miss Alcott is somewhat famous for the titles Of
her books, as .Words," Little Women,n 'Little
Men, and IAN Old-Fashioned Girl.n In the repu-
tation these nave brought she evidently sees
reason to expect patient and indulgent hearing
for crude and silly book OF hers which she CURLY
calls Work" 1t is published by ROBERTS Brothers.
1t Is novel without plan and story without
coherency. IL maunders helplessly and hopelessy
over such social problems as grasped in Joshua
Davidson" and ''The New Magdalen.n It begins
with nothing and ends as 1t begun. But 1t is wltha
good book for the woods or the seaslde. 1t has
some bright passages. IL will rest the mind by
beguiling most persons into thinking they are
thinking, and when 1t is read IL will not be difficult
to forget that it ever was written. What more can
be desired in Summer book ?
Another odd title for q book were 1t not SO pain
fully apparent that it is copied from Mr.. Blacks
and Fine Linen" Mr. Fawcett's book is q novel OF
New York society. 1t is In the form of diary and
is written in the first person singular. The first
chapters are exceedingly dull reading; the con-
GLIDING half OF the book tells the whole story and
at least holds the attention OF the reader This Is
what there is OF the plot:-Mrs. JefYreys OF Fifth
avenue. is lady of wealth and fashion, who at
tanned and holds her place in society by skilful
manGuvring. She has a daughter Helen and Miss
Helen has two admirers, Melville Delano and
Fuller Dobel. Mr.. DObell's name is worth buying,
and so Mrs. Jereys buys it for her daughter, pay
ing her daughters husband stipulated price as
the terms OF the marriage. One OF the conditions
Is that he shall forsake Edith Everdell, who has
long been his mistress. Miss Helen OF course
knew nothing OF oil this, but after their marriage
she learned that DobelI was receiving her price
and holding on to the other woman. He even took
his Edith to the Opera ball at the Academy of Mu
sic, where his wife followed them, and where there
was disgraceful scene, resulting In a duel with
Delano. Dobell was desperately wounded and car.
ried to the house Of his Mistress where his wife,
transformed as a nurse was mis- constant attend.
ant, and was finally able to expose the duplicity OF
the Mistress Comment such a tale seems al
most unnecessary. ltwould be wicked :, Il were
NV aosuru, :. "ou'u verong to the class
VI opsCehe --.tnre II IL were not so frivolous
Ihac gentleman or Mr. Fawcett's taste and abili.
t'cs should write such book is not simply surpris
lns-" " insxplicable. Every incident in the story
y ne.. only improbable, but impossible Not the
most INSCRIPTIONS Of New YORK mothers would
dare to barter away daughter with the DISPOSE
ton OF mistress as part OF the bargain. No man
would fight duel with another II a dissolute wo-
man was the cause Of the quarrel between them.
iea thnoa
the house OF Edith Everde are within the range OF
Consequently, Mr.. Fawcett's novel is
pernicious, nasty-a wrong to So
ciety and a wrong to himself and to literature Mr..
Fawcctt can do better work than to devote his
powers to the delineation OF base women and baser
men, and we are sorry to find him assisting in the
degradation OF fiction.
Harpers library Of select novels contains nearly
four hundred titles, many Of them very remark
able, but none SO unmeaniag as the latest addi
ton. Annie Thomas "He Cometh Not, She Said"
But about the worst title yet for book is
"Whiskey Drips.' 1t details the Official expert
ences Of Detective Brooks, OF ne revenue service,
who was assaulted and shot In Philadelphia In
1869, by some roughs employed by the whiskey
ring, and is published by William H. Evans Il Co.
Though loosely written the book will have some in
terest 10 people who care to learn how the great
whiskey frauds were accomplished.
number of books have recently been published
which have interest and value for special readers.
Among these is Dean Ramsay's "reminiscences
OF Scottish Life and Character published by L. d.
Robertson, New York. Ii is work too well known
to require comment now
Ihebaud's Irish Race in the Past and the Pres
ent," published by D. Appleton 4 Co., is an ex.
haustve work on this subject, and commends itself
to all students OF Ireland and the IRISH
work OF almost equal interest to the same class
OF readers is the second series OF Father Burke's
Sermons" published by p NJ. Haverty.
Cardinal Wisemans "Essaysn have Just been pub.
lished as the concluding volumes of o'Sheas edition
OF the works OF the eminent prelate The collection
is timely, valuable one and il worth is priced it
will have a large sale
G. p. Putnams Sons have published Mr. Bryan rs
"orations and Addresses these being mostly OF a
CONNIE m orative character including Thomas