The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-11-13

DVOhc fSuttcCH Ht 1HE UNIV EtSALlSV UT
usually for sale in Chicago By Messrs. A. q
McClurg & Co., and s. a. MuIIUeH & Co., o.
edn be ordered through The Uniuersuitst Pub
LISTING House. Western Branch.
A WINTER IN CENTRAL. AMERICA AND MEXICO
By Helen j. Sanborn Boston: Lee 4
Shepard, publishers. Price, $l.5O.
This is just such volume as we might ex
pect from a bright and intelligent woman
with good powers of observation and a knach
of fresh descriptive writing. It is the record
of what occurred and was seen through wo-
mans pair of keen eyes, during an extended
tour through Central America and Mexico,
accompanied by her father, who was on a
business trip to these countries. Guatemala,
the largest and most important Central
American State, was the objective point of
the visit. The chapters devoted to this Gen.
trail American republic, the people and their
habits, ways and customs, social and relig-
ious, their amusements and occupations the
antiquities and political history of the coun-
try, its prominent public men, etc., are inter-
esting and instructive, combining consid-
VI Ouh OA-bHC-Wuy lulOTuudtiOu
told in very pleasing and readable manner.
Those relating to Mexico traverse much more
familiar ground, but are none the less inter-
esting. The origin of the volume was a series
of letters in the New England Grocer. Mr..
Sanborn made the trip to Central America
Sin search of Coffee" and Miss Sanborn
wrote home the letters which are now made
up into the chapters of this book. The re-
turn trip was made by way of New Mexico,
Colorado and Kansas. 1t is, on the whole,
very pleasant narrative of an interesting win
ter's sojourn in the tropics.
HISTORY OF THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO. By
William III. Prescott. vols. Small octave.
Price $2.25. John B. Alden: New York.
The expiration of the copyright on Pres
colts histories enables Mr.. Alden to publish
an edition of this celebrated work at pop
ular price. Mr.. Edwin p. Whipple speaks of
the Conquest of Mexico as,
"a history possessing the unity, variety
and interest of magnificent poem. 1t deals
with series of facts and exhibits a gallery
of characters, which to have invented would
place its creator by the side of Homer; and
which to realize and represent in the mode
Mr.. Prescott has done, required rare de-
gree of historical imagination"
bound and contains maps and illus
trations. It is good enough for all practical
purposes of the student who wishes books for
what they contain and not for a snowy ap-
pearance on the shelves. 1t will be boon
to many who have not included Prescott's
works in their collections on account of the
hitherto high price at which they have been
held.
We are also under obligations to Mr.. Alden
for the Biographical and Critical Miscella-
mics of Prescott, designed to accompany the
Histories. The volume contains the mastery
essays on Charles Brockden Brown, Cervan-
ties, Sir Walter Scott, Moliere, and italian
Narrative Poetry. 1t is bound in cloth and
also in imitation morocco, and in the latter
style, makes a very neat appearance.
John Parrmolee's Curse, by Julian Haw-
thorne, is very powerful story of the opium
habit. 1t may be called sensational, but we
opine any truthful narrative of an opium
eaters career would reveal unlocked for sem
sational features. The story runs along very
easily and can be read almost at single sit
ting; it is of character which will be read
when once begun. 1t may not rank as highly
In artistic merit as some of the former books
of the author,-there is not much analysis of
and no tiresome episodes of per-
sonal descriptions-but as a story the inter-
est is kept up from beginning to end. The
afflicted with the course" are John
Parmalee, bank cashier in a country town,
and his wife. The narrative involves the sad
story of how the opium habit destroyed the
family happiness and caused the separation
Of husband and wife, the latter wandering
away from home to the distant city where
for years she lived in wretchedness, to be re-
stored at last, when death had almost claimed
ner, through the fundamentally of their lit
tie daughter. In many portions of the story
The interest is painful as the reader follows
The history of the Inflated pair. The at
tempted bank robbery, and the way in which
It was foiled by the fidelity of the innocent
,hild, who becomes the custodian of the
treasure, and follows her crazed father to
New York, is one of the incidents on which
5he story turns and is depicted with the rare
skill of the story teller. Julian Hawthorne
IS sure of sympathetic following in all read
ers of John Parmalee's Curse. New York:
Jassell & Co.
Ten Dollars Enough, by Catharine Owen,
IS reprinted from Good Housekeeping, of
Springfield Mass, by Houghton, Miffiin &
Co., in a neat volume. If this story had
been written in the interest of cooking schools
It could not have served the purpose better
We are sure that no one can read without
a convert to the theory that
of cooking should form part of
avery girls education. The interest of the
story centers in young couple who spent
heir first year of married life in boarding,
the husband, reared in aflluence, felt
hat they could not afford to keep house on
he small sum of one hundred dollars per
month. But the young wife had aspirations
'or home of her own, and was not satisfied
With the inane life of boarding house. 1t
inally ended by persuading her husband into
aking ready furnished house in the sub
irbs of the city, and the demonstration of
he fact that she could put the cooking les
IONS she had received when girl into prac-
ice, set an attractive, well-supplied table
ln6 keep one servant, on ten dollars per
week. The way she made "Ten Dollars
enough" is evolved through the pages of the
tory in very charming manner, and nu-