St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-26
BOOK TALKS.

One of the most exquisite books that
have been issued for the holiday trade
this year is sent by Frederick W.StokeS
& Co., containing poems by DobSon,
Locker and Praed. with fac-similes of
watef-color paintings by Maud Hum
phrey, together with illustrations in
black and white by various artists.
ALI that is dainty, old ana artistic is found
in these water-color pictures. No stretch
of imagination could make them I'm de
steele girls. The delicate high-bred air
that the cushioned hair and Pompadour
colors and mincing steps in high-heeled
shoes gave to the ladies fair of our
grandmothers' day. is here repro
duced to fit the spirit of the tendercst
love poems penned this century. They
have even thes faint oId-world favor
that went out with patches and far
thingales. but that still find an echoIin
the heart of hearts of their nineteenth
century daughters. Miss Humphrey
has caught the spirit of the poems and
given it back IN these delight
ful pictures. You are just a
porcelain trife, belle marquIse, Iex-
presses the idea exactly. Those dainty
ways that belong with the old sedan
chair and the gay attire Of the men Of
long ago may not have been quite so
sincere as are the manners of the men
and women whom one meets every day
in street cars or elevators in these nine
teenth century days. but they certainly
touch ones imagination more delicately,
and are far more picturesque. The
time may come when people will have
grown so sordid that such a poem as "A
Letter of Advice" by Praed. or Dickens
..Rotten Row." or that other, "At Her
Window" will not touch their hearts;
but let us he thankful that they have
not come to that deplorable pass yet.
One of the sweetest. il not the sweetest,
things in the book is song Of the four
seasons. with its four tender little pict
ures in black and white. Each one
satches the spirit of the time and en-
calms it in ink, for the pleasure of the
bapDy poSsesSor. who also possesses a
boul wise enough to understand.
-
'sThe Son of NAM is very peculiar
book. 1t is in two volumes. The first
seems to be sort of autobiography Of
the author, Harold Broderick, OF Inver-
cargil, South New Zealand. He must
have been an unusual boy, for he was
very fond of sports, and yet he says, II
used to sit quite still when we had
visitors" He seems to have had good
deal OF trouble with his relatives, who
not unnaturaliy, in view OF his claims,
thought him crazy, and spent large
part Of his time in sailing to England
from New Zealand and then from Eng
land back to New Zealand again. The
idea seems to be that the name ''Son of
man." used as we popularity use it, is
missioner, for he says, 1.-THE term son Of
man is used as a collective term in the
Bible," and applies to all men. His
theory of life is not very hopeful one;
he says that it is God Himself who
temptS sinners. "Ihere is no such
place as heaven, but humanity is now
living in God, and He does with them as
He Will. Then he makes few prophe-
cies: "ln time TO come there Shall be no
taxes; there shall be no marriage
rites; there shall be no public praying;
there shall be no wise men," Pub
lished by Laird q Lee, Chicago.
No woman has done SO much to teach
women the beauty of so living that
they may have sound mind, in a sound
body as Mrs. JenneSS- Miller The
dainty little book. Mother and Babe"
with its soft, white covers, is a guide
that all mothers, and more especially
all eXpectant young mothers, should
possess. The rules she here lays down
for their daily living are the rules by
which she prepared herself, body and
soul, for that great and sweet mystery
of motherhood. And her safety and
comparative comfort are well described
here. We are so bound about by prec-
edent and inherited prejudice and
wrong thinking that this time, that
should be the happiest and sweetest
time in woman's life, is instead
time Of fear, and perhaps OF shame
facedness. Let all women join with
Mrs. Miller to make his a holy time, land
in few years humanity would be so Ell
evated that half OF the social problems
that are now veXing the minds OF good
people would answer themselves.
Tucked away in the pockets of this lit
tie book are patterns for those mater
nifty dresses of which she told in her
lectures here last. spring, and also pat
terms for that first little wardrobe that
holds so much of mothers
love and hopes, stitched in
with prayer to bring blessing
to the helpless little creature confided
to her love and care. All that science
and reason can do has been done to
make these garments perfect for the
uses to which they shall be put. Sold
by JennesS-Miller Publishing company,
Washington. d. G. Price, 81.
The bound volumes of Century and
ST Nicholas that have reached our
table this year are uniform with those
received last year.
Seneca E. Truesdell has found new
field of romance in the stories of the
early settlers of this wild Northwest.
He tells of these things as one who has
lived there, He is true interpreter Of
the scenes and times that are fast dying
out. The Indian has no romantic halo
for him. He has seen them in all their
wretchedness, cruelty .and craft; yet
their few redeeming traits he sees and
portrays with a judicial. rather than a
romantic pen. The curious c0ntradic-
tions of Indian character are we'll por-
trayed in ''Inkapadoota's Son" One of
the rarer traits Of this strange people
gives the m olive to the most pathetic of
all these stories, though it has rather a
repellant name, "Eatin' Billed Dog"
These stories are all well told, and are a
promise of better things by and by. Pub
liSned by Pioneer Press company. Trade
supplied by d. d. Merrill u Co.
DEDTNNJCaIS PECEIVEn