Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-18
NEW BOOKS.
MRS. HODGSON-BURNErT,S LAT.
EST NOVEL.
With the Salvation Army-Maga.
zines and Papers-Current
Literature.

Literature.
Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnetts new
novel, from the press of Charles Scribner's
Sons, New York, is at hand from the Ban
croft Company, San Francisco 1t is en-
titled The Pretty Sister of jose" 1t is
handsomely illustrated by C. s. Reinhart
with life-like sketches that greatly brighten
the story. As a novel, it really is scarcely
entitled to the designation. There is but
the faintest suspicion of plot-rather, let
us say, but weak apology. Indeed, the
whole story can be told in a sentence or
two. A willful, petted, beautiful and petite
peasant girl of Spain, adored by stupid
brother, who is her guardian and permits
her to do as she wills, is loved by bull
tighter, whose prowess and physical beauty
have made him famous. She has been told
so much of this Spanish lady killer that she
resolves If ever he approaches her to ignore
him. He espies her at an entertainment,
and she scornfully refuses to acknowledge
the introduction he secures. He follows
and woos her, and she not only refuses to
look upon him. but never answers his
pleading, even though her brother inter-
venes for him; then he leaves the town,
and she suddenly discovers that he has
place in her heart. She mourns until he
returns with the rumor at his heels
that he is to wed another. Thereupon the
capricious beauty rests not until she has
disclosed the love she had so long denied;
and an accident to the object of her secret
affection imperilling his life. she flies to
his bedside, confesses her heart is his,
nurses him back to life and marries him,
of course. And that is all there is of the
plot, an old one that in one form or an
other has done duty for centuries. But
there is saving grace in the book, one soil
tary virtue, and only one--the delightful
character sketch of the willful, petted
beauty, who still is tender, innocent, and
SO charming and affectionate, that no one
can help loving her. 1t is bit of word
painting that is rare portraiture, since one
does not need to exercise the Imagination
ever so little to see her, for the picture Mrs
Burnett draws is SO clear, strong, natural
and individual. The book for this one de-
ightful sketch redeems itself from its pow
erty of interest in all other respects.
Mrs Frank Leslie has sold the Frank
Leslie Illustrated" paper to the Judge Pub
fishing Company, New York, and the jour-
nal has passed 10 the management OF w.
J. Arkell. late of the Albany Journal. and
Russell B. Harrison. son of the President
The issue of May 18th is in honor of the
late centennial celebration, and is a special
number OF thirty-one pages, with an
illuminated cover in gold and brown. The
illustrations are all excellent and many
of them OF great superiority. The new
proprletors and managers announce that
the journal will remain independent in
character, strongly American in tone, and
will keep its columns open to free debate
of pubic subjects over the full signature of
contributors. Opening the ball of this new
departure is al article by Hon. Thomas G.
Plat, on Practical Politics. in which he
assails civil service reform as advocated by
George William Curtis and others of
that school. For these free lance
papers the publishers and managers
disavow responsibility; neither approving
nor disappearing by expression anything
SO published. The paper shows evidence
IN several respects of change OF manage
ment and of broad and vigorous policy
The Philadelphia Medical Journal"
Gould d Woolley, Philadelphia, in its May
issue, now at hand, shows marked i'm
proyement in all departments over previ-
GUS issues, it having changed hands and
received new vitality. The literary portion
includes portrait and interesting sketch of
Won Bulow; an Educational Department,
edited by DR.. Hugh A. Clark, of the Uni
yersity OF Pennsylvania musical news,
reports of concerts, charming story en-
titled A Musical Interlnde;;' articles on
the banjo; band news; musical biography;
sketches and anecdotes interesting and
valuable to all, The musical numbers are
:. Gavotte Antique" by f. W. E. Dieder-
ichs; Breath of Spring Polka" the
number, Joys Of Spring" by Adam Gel
bel, and the Eight O'clock Club Polka"
for the banjo, by Armstrong.
tpoforOon,o AL r.
June. is one of the earliest of the months
magazines. 1t is an attractive number The
steel engraving, Across the Sands" is a
lovely picture; and the full-page wood illus
tration, A Fishing Lesson is good ex-
ample. A large fashion plate is given,
and there are dozens OF effective mod
els for various articles of dress. The stor-
les appear as usual; Howard Seely contrib
utes one of his characteristic Southwestern
sketches, . Heartbreaker OF Chincapin, u
and Miss Alice Bowman commences a Sc
rial which promises excellently. Amateur
gardeners will find valuable information in
an article on " Rose Culture" and this
months installment OF the Talks by
Trained Nurse, ought 10 be generally read
Facts about the Salvation ARMY" is a
work by Nora Marks, formerly writer on
the Chicago Tribune. She was instructed
to unite with the Salvation Army, observe
its methods and write up the result. She
finds the Army 10 be, as whole, useful,
earnest and &c fill q gap. There are hypo-
critics in it, but in the great majority of
cases its followers are sincere, devoted and
doing good work. 1t is a vast and we'll
organized body, self.denying and humane
The experiences of the reporter are writ
ten in the form of narrative that is not
devoid of the interest that attaches to a
well-told story. Rand, McNaily & Co.,
Chicago.
The g English Illustrated Magazine" for
May, Macmillan e. Co, New York;, is at
hand. Perhaps the most interesting of its
papers is that by G. Blake Walker, IL
Illustrated by Margery May, that intro
duces the reader into the mysteries
and depths of an English coal mine.
There is a quaint poem, in antique and
fanciful type, with equally odd illustra-
lions, & A Cat Without Tail" by Kate
Carter. The serials are by F. Marion Craw-
ford, ". Clark Russell and Arthur Patter-
son. The illustrations are plentiful, and
strong in design and execution. notably
that hv Gardner from Saui's Study of a
Head"
The Home Maker" for May Home
Maker Publishing Company, New York;,
is well filed with useful and interesting
matter. and is freely illustrated. The de-
partments address themselves TO all mat
tiers of the household, domestic economy,
etc, proper to be discussed in a journal.
The fiction is very good, better than any we
have seen in this class of periodicals. There
are historical articles, and papers on deco
ration, literature, kitchen economy, home
work, the nursery, fashion, and art instruc-
ton in the home. 1t is an admirable jour-
nal, and its contributions are from among
the best writers of the day.
Ideal of the Republic" is the title of
the latest of the " Knickerbocker Nuggets"
series, G. p Putnam's Sons. New York. II
is handsome volume with brilliantly IL
Illuminated covers, uniform with the unique
style of binding of the series. The con-
tents are the Declaration of Independence;
The Constitution of the United States;
Washington's inaugural and farewell adj