The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-14
LITERATURE.

HBi X vclume.-(NeW Y 0rk: The Century
| SGYS Company. Quarto, cloth and gold,
1928 pages) The fourth volume of The
| Century Dictionary, issued by the Century
| Company of New York. contains the let
| tiers NJ TO p, inclusive, forming quartz
| of 1923 pages, illustrated, by nearly 1900
| cuts. The first volume was issued in Octo-
| Der, 1882 the fourth has followed in
| November, 1S90-almost within a year
and the other two volumes. completing the
work, will be published during 1S91-the
first early in the year and the second prob
ably by summer.
The present volume is the largest of the
series yet published and the richest in ma
terial-how rich only careful examination
of its pages and O comparison of them
with other works of the kind will show.
With each successive installment of the
Dictionary it has become more and more
clear that the original estimates were too
| small, both as regards the total of pages in
the completed book and the wealth of words
| and other leXicographlcal material which it
| would contain. The number $500, which
| was announced as the limit for the number
of pages, must be increased to at least 1000
and the number of words defined will be
| considerably in excess OF the 200, 600 at first
| promised, for the words contained in the
| first four volumes, now published two
thirds of the work, 1880 pages, are in round
| numbers 152 000
| 1t is thought that the total win not fall
| short of Do, 900 words. In this volume in
the eco pages devoted to the letter p there
are defined in round numbers 10000 words
| and 7000 PIN asses, involving the writing of
about $1,000 definitions and encyclopedic
articles. This one letter is fair sample of
| the work devoted TO the rest, and it shows
| how many words there are in the English
language; yet there are some writers who
| find there is a paucity Of words, and they
| are forced to borrow from foreign languages
to express their meaning.
The common English word put oc-
cupieS seven columns of the dictionary and
| its tire atment includes II definitions and 1863
| special phrases, which are illustrated by 100
! quotations ranging from the earliest period
| of English literature TO the present day, the
| definitions and quotations together exhibit
| ing the word In every important phase OF its
| idiomatic use. This treatment of put"
| liberal as it is, is in no sense encyclopedia,
| but is strictly photographic, being necessi-
| tated by an attempt really and thoroughly
| TO define the word 1t simply shows on a
| large scale what an immense amount of in
| formation about common words, neglected
| by other photographers, the editors of The
Century Dictionary are bringing to light.
The book aboundS not only with fresh dis
cussions of old words and new definitions of
familiar words illustrated by apt quotations,
but also with words which have been III the
literature of the language for perhaps scores
OF years but which are new" in the sense
that no dictionary has before recorded them.
My UNCLE BENJAMIN.-By Claude Till
ier Boston: Benjamin r. Tucker Cloth,
3l2 pages).' This Is French novel, written
early in the present century by an obscure
genius, child of The Revolution, and re-
Gently translated by the publisher, who in
his preface says: 81 resurrect a buried
treasure; novel unlike any other; novel,
as Charles M0ntselet says, which has no
equivalent in the literature of this century :;
novel which, despite the pesslmism with
which 1t opens and the pathoS with which it
cloSes-yes, even in these-must take rank
among the wittiest and most humorous ever
written 1t is novel of philosophy,
reality, progress, human nature, "a novel of
the heart and of the head, one that is anus
iDg, entertaining and profitable reading
Who TillIer, the author, was is told by him.
self, and the quoted paragraph shows the
character of the man:
i who jest aud laugh with you have passed
through HES seyerest trials was pupil assist
ant teacher, soldier aBG schoolmaster. with
these employments always combined that of
poet. The corporal, the school dh ector, tie III
bred children, the tender mothers and the rhyme
were my hye inexorabe enemies mat pursued
with somewhat pointed tooth ana nall. by Whom,
a number Of people carry scars, but shall never
say anything so bad of society as 1t has said Of
Inc.
A KEY TO THE SECRET VAULT.-By
Robert Wilson Murphy, MD. (oan Fran
cisco: by the author.) In a book of 100
pages the author, who has evidently given
the subject great deal of close study, pre-
sents "a solution of mans origin. the philos-
ophy of his present condition and bis future
Destiny and gives students of themes re-
curing careful study work that will en-
gross their attention. The author holds
that Job reveals great truth when he de-
claIeS that earth is commissioned to teach
man, and reveal also the method of the
taon Iba Lau - bo
author, us put into mans hands, the great
sIore-house of learning is opened. the secrets
are within mortal grasp; speak, interrogate,
desire TO know, free yourself from all preiu-
dice, lGOk at nature from the right stand
point and IN the right spirit, then she will
unfold her sacred scrolls and answer your
questions" The object of the book is to in
siruct the reader how TO use the secret key
and obtain all the knowledge that is written
in the book of nature.
1HE OLD MEETING-HoUsE AND VAcA-
TIoN PAPERs.-(New York: The w orthing-
ton Company. Cloth, 29S pages.) In hand
somely bound volume 6. Q. Cotton presents
| collection of the vacation papers, bumor-
GUS and others, written by Rev. A. NJ.
| Cotton, his brother, during an active minis
| try OF fifty years, and published from time
| to time in newspapers and magazines.
| These papers tell of the reverend gentle
mans early life with boyhood reco!lections
| OF 1920. of the Cotton tribe, of the old
Westinghouse in New England. and its con-
| gregation of nearly three-quarters of r GEN.
fury ago, of travel fifty years ago, of the old
Edwards Church, of the centennial celebra-
ito d, of the organization Of the Westhamp-
ton Congregational Church and of many
other topics of interest to those who came
from that section of the country in which
the writer preached the word of God. For
sale by the Bancroft Company.
WILLIAM e. DODGE, THE CHRISTIAN
MERCHANT.-By Carlos Martyr. New
York, Funk & Wagnalls. Cloth, 349 pages,
81 500 This volume, by the author Of "a
Lie OF John !.,, Milton History OF the
works, is a full and interesting biography Of
the late William Z. Dodge, a well-kn0wn
merchant, who vas noted for his Christianity
and philanthropy. The book. besides
sketch Of tho life and life work of the mer-
chant contains many passages from the
speeches and lectures delivered by him at
various times, and the whole is collection
OF facts which form shining example TO
young men, who. by perusing the pages, can
learn much of the secret of Successful
business and Christian life. The author
enhancing. and the interest in it is carried
from the beginning to the end.
HISTORY OF My PETs.-By Grace Green
wood. (New York: United States Book
Company. Cloth and gold, 300 pages, Illus
trated.) This is new edition of the writ
ings on this subject by this talented writer
1t has been enlarged ana is enriched with
new illustrations by Max F, Klepper. These
stories, all written in style that captivates
the juvenile heart and mind, were originally
told by the writer to her little nelhews and
nieces, and when she discovered that they
moved them to sympathy or laughter, and
also brought tears and smiles from other
little ones. she had them printed. In this
volume she has added dozen new stories.
and the whole makes up splendid volume
81. E.rl "a
have at one time or other been entertained
with sketches In print written by their
literary aunt-the literary aunt of all chill
dren-Grace Greenwood.
STUDIES IN Young LIFE.-By Bishop
John Ii. Vincent. New York: Funk &