The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-21
SOME SUMNER BOOKS.
New Works That Are Nourishing the
Midsummer Mind.

Some things are not the IolDleS liIey
appear to be. The great portion OF hu-
mainly that has reading as habit falls
into a jumbled mass of wisdom, frlvollty
and pedantry which during the torrld
months hurriedly seeks shelter under the
benefcent and iIlimitable heading ''sum-
mer reading" The sage drops his PRIOR
and seizes upon a volume where the
villain prospers in the tenth chapter and
is ingloriously crushed in the flfteenth;
the skinner and the skipper, whose nu-
triton is always light, hunts. for some
thing still lighter; the theologist puts
aside his concordance for some new IN
vention or historical romance; and SO on
each in his own peculiar way succumoS
to the high temperature Of the air and
the small working power Of the BRAN.
This is not a necessarily reprehensible
state of affairs. AS humanity Is cor
structed, the man who can pore over
Kant at SO degrees in the shade is more
Of freak than genius.
This year has not been very proilhc
one in literary crazes. None OF the
spring publications were in the least
touched with more than common popu-
larity. But with the host of summer
books that are meant to be read IN
swinging hammocks, near purilng
brooks, and on the grass under spreading
trees, come some very unique works.
Take ''Tourmalin's Time Chesque" by
LIE Anstey, the author of Vice Versa. Ii
you want to laugh and laugh heartily,
this is the book for you. Mr.. Anstey's
humor is always new and always fresh,
and the absurdity of the story Is charm
ing. However rediculously funny this
work, one cannot help reading it with
out remembering at every turn that the
story is evolved by the most arduous
work on the part of the author, and
what is the matter of a charming hour
to read. was the work of laborious weeks
to write. This is published by Charles
H. Sergel &, Co., of Chicago.
The Worthington company of New
York have new work out by John K.
Musick, which is a palpable endeavor
to take time by the forelock
in the worlds fair matter. This book is
called Columbia, A Story Of the Dis
covery of America" 1t recites the pre-
ceding failures of Columbus, sends him
to America gallantly, artfully selects a
Castilian noble for the villain OF the
story, but makes most beggarly sort OF
one out of him, sandwiches in a love
story, but after all concludes in a way
that is not disappointing by transporting
the whole kit and posse save Columbus
to America. The illustrations are many
and good.
"Masters and Men" from the house of
Sergel & Company, by Eugene Hall.
This work in the form of a romance at
tempts to solve the conflict between the
laborer and his employer. The whole
offers the remedy found in the usual
economic panacea, which is right, that
the most good for both can be accom-
plished by the hearty cooperation of
master and man and reciprocal feeling
for each others welfare. People who
would turn pale at the sight of Pollti-
cal Economy can read this book in off
hours, have a good story and besides
crystalize a very important economic
principle in their minds.
A rather remarkable coincidence is the
appearance of another work the same
week with the above with title that is
all but the same-'Master and Man, by
a different author, 0. O. B. Strayer, and
different publisher, j. S. Ogilvie. This
work deals with the late civil war, and
is in no danger of being dramatized, as
after the first scene of the first act the
stage would not be seen for gunpowder
smoke. A northern man is in love with
a southern beauty when the war breaks
out. He also chums with her brother.
After awhile, however, they come to
take sides and pop away at each other IN
true brother-in-law spirit,
Rand, McNally & Co. have published
Pierre Lofts ''The Romano of a Child. u
Lott is the New French academician and
has many admirers. "Ouida," the dain-
ty-footed, strange American-hating wo-
man, says he is far superior to that
Englishman, Rider Haggard. This will
be something for "Ouida, to prove.
The Romance of a Child" Is rather
pleasant "reminiscences, that is all. The
whole book is really not worth one page
of the childhood of David Copperfield.
Mademeiselle Ike is rather taking
title of book by Lance Halconer, pub
lished by Charles II. Sergel and COM
pany. As bright and brisk as its name,
it will postpone many summer after
moons nap to bed time and cool many a
head with mental absorption better than
a. fan could do it.
Charles H. Kerr, of Chicago, publishes
Arson Wiel Hancocks The Genius OF
Gallilee." While this work is not great,
it is praseworthy and bears the sigma
ture of much painstaking research and
studiOus construction. 1t makes Christ
a genius and ascribes the miracles to the
chicanerv of the apostles, or to the sec
ond century scribes. While TO great
many to rob Christ of his
wonders is most unsatisfactory
still the story is lngenlously
constructed, and if possible, makes some
Of the biblical characters nearer and
dearer than ever. Part Of the story Is
laid in Rome and is quite complete IN
the spirit of the Roman empire, always
a prolific epoch for fiction. Mr.. Hancock
lives in Omaha, and from this work,
would appear to aspire to be the Amen
can Roman.
Another of Mr.. Hancock's works from
c. H. Sergal and company IS ODD
Abraham Jackson and family. This IS
ceverlv written and being clean and
| characteristic deserves warm reception
in the west. 1t is an episode IN the evo-
luton OF Nebraska dug-outS.
A Kansas man, Cyrus Cole. of Garden
City, is out in second edition OF his
| 6. A,,rn-nr,hora' from, Charles u. kerY