The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-14
LITERATURE.

For THE DEFENsE-By B. L. FarjeOn.
(New York The John w. Lowell Company.
301 PIP, cloth and paper. b. l.. FaTieon,
who is one of the best descriptive writers of
the day, presents a very fOrcible story in
For the Defense" 1t is the story of a
young woman who has been led Hstray by a
base young fellow utterly without principle,
who finally deserted and at the last moment
spurned her. He moves IN good society be-
cause he is the son of judge, the one who
is at later period called upon to preside at
the trial Of the young woman for the muir
der Of her child. She is defended by an at
tOrney who knew her before she met her de-
ceiver; he proves that she not only did not kill
the child, but has it produced in court and
succeeds in fixing the onus Of a great wrong
upon the son Of the judge. The crime Is so
terrible in the eyes OF the magistrate that
he orders the officers to take bis son into
custody that the officers of the Crown may
deal with him as the enormity Of his crimes
merits The story is one of the best that
this author has written, and II is told in a
manner that cannot fail to hold the atten-
ton Of the reader until the concluding chap
ter is reached. The greater portion Of the
story is in the share of the testimony given
at the trial. but that is arranged In such s
manner that there is not one dry or unin-
teresting sentence in it. Offered by PayOt,
Upham Il Co.
WHAT IT CosTs, OR DEBTOR AND CRED
ITOR-By f. and l. E. Sullivan. Chicago:
Laird u Lee Illustrated, cloth and paper,
45i pp). To those who are fond of stories
of the war for the Union there Is in this
volume one that will interest them. 1t is
that Of number of young men. who, dur
ing the first call for volunteers, Joined the
Union ranks from Napoleon aud were at
tached to an Iowa regiment. The writers
present in a graphic style scenes of home,
of a father opposed to his son going 10 war
with kith and kin on the other side, OF love
and leaye-taking. of camp life aud battle, of
heroism and reward for fighting for the dear
old flag and the preservation Of the u nion,
and 1t closes with the assertion that Uncle
Sam Is still the debtor, the authors placing
in the mouth Of one Of the characters the
following words: 1.-The brave, loyal citi-
Zens who turned their backs upon weeping
families and pleasant homes to preserve
this Union can never be paid, but II their
suffering can be assuaged grateful nation
comes and reaches a hand to help her pre-
servers. Uncle Sam is still the debtor"
The text Is quite interesting but the pict-
ures are not up to the degree OF excellence
of those that have heretofore marked those
issued by this firm.
PRISONS OF AIR-By Moncure d. Conway.
New York: The John W. Lowell Com
pany. Cloth and paper. 30 pp0 Under the
title Of prisons Of Air" Mr.. Conway pre-
sents an exceedingly clever story. II opens
with scene in England, where q young
man, who was one of the wild young men
OF several centuries ago, SCOTS at gypsy
who was telling a friend Of his fortune.
She then holds the mirror up Tor him to
gaze at. and he discovers that for his con-
duct she has made it appear that there was
no happiness for him, and that her curse
would follow him for nine generations.
This is all depicted in the prologue. In the
story that follows the scene Is changed TO
the United States, at period after the War
of the Rebellion. 1t traces the descend
ants of the cursed youth of the prologue and
brings about a number of very pleasing
situations and final happy result. This
story is told in Mr.. COnway's pleasant man
ner. aud is one OF the best pieces OF 1cIon
he has written. 1t is offered by Payot Up
ham & Co.
lone hundred Theses on the Founda-
ton of Human knowledge" Is the title OF q
brochure written by Merwin- Marie Smell of
Washington, d. c., and published Tor the
author III the preface the author says
| The main object in view is the indication OF
clear and sure road through the labyrinth
| OF mutually destructive PHILOSOPHERS and
| isms which confuse the minds Of those
noblest of inquirers who dare to interrogate
| every teacher, and who are ready TO sacri-
| fee their ancestral iheOgonies on the altar
| of eternal truth, can they but discover its
| temple.
Mrs. Humphry Wards new novel. 1.-THE
| History of David Grieve," has proved so
| great success that the publishers, Mac
milan u Co., have decided TO issue new
J edition in two volumes 10 larger type than
| that used in the last
Magazines and Other Notes.
The third number OF THE Gold Dust
| Series, (" by Flora Haines Loughead. has just