Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-13
IL.

Four books of travel: "At Susa," by
Madame Dieulafoy (Gibhie & Coz; "In
Scripture Lands" by Edward L. Wilson
(Charles Scribner's Sons, s. 50); "a Sum-
mer Holiday in Europe" oy Mary Eliza
beth Blake (Lee 6 Shepard, 81 25); The
Pacific Coast Tour" by Henry L. Finck
(Charles Seribner's Sons, 81 5O). That
takes US quite around the world-rom Susa
TO SIN Francisco, from Persia to Alaska.
g. L. Weldin s. Coz
The Susa book is big one and full of
illustrations. 1t is the record of a woman's
industrious digging in the iirt. She found
a city, and tells US here the whole story of
her wonderful find The queerest thing
about it is that :he city should ever have been
lost. "Shushan, the palace" was notable
city in Queen Esther's day. And it was no
mean town in Alexander's time, when he
had his big dinner party there, setting ta-
bles for some 5000 guests, and giving a cup
(like Mr. George Washington Childs), a cup
Of solid gold, to every one of them to take
away. But the ''city of the lilies" was lost,
nevertheless; ana the time came when peo-
pie walked over the place where men had
feasted, and ruled, and made money and
builded palaces-and wondered where the
town had stoodl
But we have found Susa. At least, this
brave, enterprising French woman has, and
her good husband (who is best known as
the husband of his wiie); and here is the
story OF discovery and pictures of all the
strange sights and people OF Persia, and all
about it. And in such a bright, scrappy,
energetic, graphic, Frenchy manner-in
little paragraphs, with abundant reports of
conversation. Whole pages and pages of it;
never forgetting, in the midst of the most
antique archology, to be delightfully."- inter-
eSting. Really a readable book of dis
covery!
But what remains to be said about
Europe? All intelligent people, upon re-
turning from three months journey there,
Immediately proceed to write book-so it
sometimes seems. AMI what can we say
more? But it is personality which is in
teresting. more interesting than all the
Alps from the Tyrol to Alaska. If the
writer has pleasant personality, looks at
old things in new ways, sees everything and
can describe it, then let us read. Really, there
are just as many different Europes as there
are different tourists. Mary Eliz beth Blake
made her visit last summer. She saw some
thing Of Ireland, France, Switzerland, and
London. And everywhere she saw sights
which Baedeker never dreamed of. AT
Berne, Tor example, she is attracted by the
universally of the bear, and especially by
that particularly sweet bear, constructed of
white sugar, which with tongue of reddest
peppermint, dashes voraciously across field
OF chocolate. In Paris she notices the CON-
Portable aprons of the children. In London,
she makes a pilgrimage to Chelsea to see
where Carlyle lived, and visits Toynbee
Hall. a bright, clever, clear-sighted woman,
who knows what to see and what to say, has
written this entertaining book.
Mr.. Wilson's papers saw light first in
.ScrlbRer'S Magazine. They are put together
here in a form which makes them into one
of the most attractively bound books of this
season. Within and without ''In Scripture
Lands" is a pleasure to the eve and the
hand. And everyS body who reads Scribner't
Magazine, knows what good read.
ing it is. This is just the
kind OF book which a Sunday school
class wants for gift for the teacher. Mr..
Wilson swell arranged the records of hi.
Journey so that the book runs along il
chronological order with the scripture mar.
rative, beginning with the lands of Nose,
and ending with the country of st. Paul.
conversion. The pictures, from photo
graphs, are the very best collection in reach
of the ordinary reader. The description,
are part geography, and part commentary
The writer evidently carried with him q
camera and Bible, and the result of the
combination is both attractive and useful
AT the end of the book is an alphabetical
list of the illustrations, with references tt
text, and chronological order of events il
Bible history with a reference to the page
on which the scenes are described. One
looks back again over the pictures. They
are most excellent, worth taking good, Ions
look at, every one of them. No book quit
like this has appeared in these recent day.
OF advance in illustration.
The pictures, too, are most attractive
feature of the Pacific Coast Scenic Tour
another book whose look is pleasant to al
people who love q well-bound book. Th,
tour runs along the coast from San Diego
mp to sitks. The author is enthusiastic