The morning call., 1892-08-28
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

u1Oult UDulUa 11UuUs
A WOMAN FROM MARs-There are
times when one realizes how unfortunate it
is that books. or the general run of books
must be bought before they can be read
III II ere otherwise "a Woman From
Mars, while Ii might now and again have
found reader. would assuredlY never have
found purchaser. AS il is, the title being
rather fetching one, the more especially
since the whole civilized world is now look
ing with vivid interest upon the red planet
| so close TO the earth. the book has already
gained wide circle of readers 1t Is safe
To say, too, that not one person who has
read 1t has quit the reading with any sort
OIL satisfaction. The book is forced, un-
natural, not even well written, and II
leaves bad taste. Communication be-
tween the planets, even the passing of an
individual from Que planet to another, is
not new IN imaginative literature. 1t was
decidedly novel idea TO bring about this
| passing by the occult forces of esoteric
| Buddhlsm-Only the writer of "A Woman
| from Mars" does not seem TO have known
anything about the methods of action Of
| those occult forces, OF about anything else
| Tor the matter OF that. Then. when Ii came
10 stirring lot OF modern spiTitualism and
| orthodox Christianity into the mess, and
| leayen the whole with double love story,
having as seasoning Chsrch OF England
clergyman who talks like an American
rOwdy, and couple Of young Americans
who talk like Church Of England clergymeu,
with Chinese laUndryman from Chicago
acting as cook In Thibet and a Chinese
woman from Cham TaTtary wandering
barefoot about the forests of farther India
as sayory as the brew from the
witches caldron IN Macbeth, and
about as appellzing. Lastly. the notion OF
a man bringing back with him from Mars
the woman Of his choice, and bringing her
BACK inside himself, Is Just the one thing
needed to make the mess disgusting to the
last degree. Undoubtedly the writer
wanted TO touch the divine at this point,
crowning the work with the twain that 20
to the making up of the perfect one 1t Is
unfortunate that the perfect one among
men and women is not made that way.
Minikh, or Woman From Mars" by
Frances Worcester Doughty The BuTleigh-
Johnston Company. so Great Jones street,
New York.
THAT DAKOTA GIRL-This Is a good
story OF life in the West-not the. Wild West
but that vast region now covered with fields
OF golden grain aud rich In natural re-
sources, known as South Dakota. The girl
who figures as heroine of this tale is not dis
tinctlyely Dakota girl. she is but type
of young women the world over. Environ
ment has not changed her character With
trie more polish she would have found
admirers on Fifth avenue OF at Newport,
just as she did among her humble surround
ings. But the author is not illogical
She has evidently been a close student Of
human nature 1t may not seem Just right
but it is natural for Nitelie NJ Jarrawe to
prefer an accomplished man OF the world,
like Laurence MOlnayre. to q strong. honest
son Of the soil such as John Marion is
described to be. The parting of the two
men on the best of terms-One with a break
Ing heart, the other eated with vct0ry-is
trtle melOdramatic and less plausible than
the other incidents which make up this
novel of love and life in one of the Youngest
States in the Union. Published bv the
United States Book Company, New York.
For sale at Bancrofts.l
BARRACK- ROOM BALLADs-A popular
edition Of this volume of verses BY Rud-
yard KiDling has just been published OF
the merits and defects of these poems little
remains TO be said. They have all been be-
lore the public for many IN onths, and the
verdict OF general approval has been set
upon them. While never reaching the
heights attained by true masters of song
MI. klpllng Is easily master of his theme
and the strength of his lines more than COM
pensates for their frequent lack OF grace.
These ballads are well worth TeRiing, and
several Of them will probably live when
some Of the authors more ambitious efforts
as story-teller are dimly remembered.
Published by the United States Book Com
pany. New York For sale at Bancroft's. ]
AcTEoN-In her latest novel. "Act con, {"
Laura Damtrey draws aside the veil which
in part eonceals some OF the ulcers gnawing
their way into modern society. The scene
Is laid in New York. but will apply to So
eety In any of our large cities. 1t is
doubtful TX any good motive is subseryed by
bringing to the surface the immoralties
which underlie the assumed mask Of virtue
IN ara nor N ILL.,.
ture little that is new can be told in that
line, and the success of the story lies in the
telling. The readers Interest is sustained
throughout by series of compromising
experiences, but from cover 10 cover ii Is a
question II one can find anything benef-
cial. New York: The HOvenden Com
pany. For sale by Payot, Upham Sc Col
MORTAL, THE MAHATMA-A wilder, more
improbable romance than this story by
Mabel Collins was never written. 1t was
evidently penned with the idea Of interesting
theOsophiSts. but there Is no indication that
its author Is one Of the elect. AS bit OF
literary work the book is not bad, but after
perusing few pages the reader will be glad
TO turn to the ARABIAN Nights" for some
thing plausible In the line of fiction. Pub
lished by Lowell. Gestefeld & Co., New
York
For THE SAKE OF THE FAMILY-'Fhis
Is an interesting volume OF light reading, in
which is very pretty picture of woman's
devotion. An accident at sea. lost lover.
a murder and a reunion of faithful pair
constitute the main features in the ma Tratiye.
which can be read without WEAKNESS. 1t
Is on par with the books now being turned
out voluminously by nearly all the Eastern
publishing houses. New York: The II o.
vendon Company. For sale by Payot, Up
ham IL Col
A Bright Boys Answer.
At recent Sunday-school service In
| Bath. Me-, the minister was illustrating the
necessity of Christian profession i'm order