The herald., 1893-07-30

interesting books is by Rudyard Kip
ling. entitled Many Inventions. Whether
one likes or dislikes the kind, there are
no short stories more likely to be read
in book form than Kipling's. If there
were nothing to them but the strange
ness, to Americans, of all the scenes and
most of the people and their doings,
they would Compel attention, though
some readers found themselves at times
shocked and disgusted. The volume
above named is collection OF the latest
and some OF the best of Mr.. Kipling's
Hork; it ia less "scrappy" than some
earlier volumes, and the contents are ar
ranged with an eye to contrast. There
are 15 tales, all quite long, for short
stories, the book containing more than
400 pages. Among them are an amusing
and ekillfully told experience OF mono
maniac who kept a lighthouse; Private
Mulvaney's yarn of how he scraped ac-
quaintance with an elephant; wise
Hindoo's impressions OF London. which
is quite as uncomplimentary 81 say.
thing Kipling ever said about America !;
q strange study of reincarnation OF
ignorant little bank clerk recital OF
the uncanny experiences of ships crew
who sailed over a submarine volcano
at the instant of eruption, O weird and
powerful tale of battlefield where the
dead rose at night and marched with
the living-a genuine Indian fever
dream, some strange adventures wit h q
yeritable fawn of the jungle, and still
another yarn, in unusual vein, by the
voluble Mulvaney-the story of lady
killer 30 determined that he lost rank,
social standing and everything through
his vice, and died wretchedly and
dramatically. The only love story in
the book is that of London coster-
monEer's deserted wife, woman quite
as common as anyone could imagine,
vet who lived a useful life and hoped
for the return of the brute whom she
loved, and received death as the re-
ward of her constancy. There is no.
where the faintest indication that any
of the authors own special views, ex.
cept that of the rotten social life OF
India, is in danger of being worked out.
xxx
Lee & Shepard of Boston have iseued
q new book which will be eagerly sought
for by book lovers. 1t is Lowell the
Poet and the Man, By Francis II. Under
wood. For two years or more the
monthly dinners of the Atlantic con-
tributors occurred on the day of publi-
cation. They were generally at Park
er's, but one was at Fontarive's in Win.
ter Place and one at Porter's in North
Cambridge. 1t is q misfortune that no
notes were kept of the tab1e-talk. The
gatherings were memorable, and would
have been memorable in any city of the
world. The description in this volume
is very vivid and the reader can imagine
easily the bright, powerful and inspired
faces that surrounded the ellipse al
most like a eight of yesterday. Each
guest in turn seems to fix his eyes upon
the on.looker in this miraculous camera.
The group is immortal; the separate
faces so many varying expressions of
genius. Brilliant lights and softly ID
minous shades seem to play around the
table, until the colors and forms are
mingled as in the heart of picture by
Turner. There was Holmes in the flush
of his new fame as the autocrat-a
man whose genius famed ont in
his speech and expression as clearly
as in his original and sparkling works.
There was Lowell, with features of sim
gularity and eyes which dazzled and
charmed. In merriment he was irre-
sistible; in higher moods his face shone
like a soul made visible. There was
Emerson, thoughtful, but shrewdly OBJ
servant, and with the placid look of an
optimistic philosopher. whose smile was
q benediction Longfellew, with head
which Phidias might have modelled, by
turns calm or radiant, seldom speaking,
I,-k Ii 10
glowing with good-humor, simple in
phrase and massive in intellect; Whit
tier, with noble head and deep-set, brill
liant eyes, grown spare and taciturn
from ill-health, an acetic at table, eager
only for intellectual enjoyment; Quincy,
with patrician air, curious learning and
felicity in epigrsm; Dwight, with the
eky-reeching architecture OF Beethoven's
symphonies in his BRAIN FELTON,,
Greek to his fingers ends, happy in
wise discourse and in Homeric laughter :
Motley, the stateliest man of his time,
inst about to depart for Europe. there to
carry on his lifelong work; Norton, the
lecturer on art, future editor of Carlyle's
letters; Cabot, veteran contributor to
the Dial; Whipple, with two-storied
head and bulbous speotacles, keen critic
and good talker. OF those mentioned,
Holmes, Dwight, Cabot and Norton
alone survive. And 80 the pen portrait
OF these men. their times and surround
ings, stands out in clear cut relief in the
pages of this book snd as you read they
become your companions, you sit at the
same table, you laugh at their jokes and
witticisms, and become "hail fellow.
well met" closing the book with fond
"adios" for the present'-but not last
farewell.
One of TAFT. Sons & Co.'s later publ
cations is Orioles Daughter, by Jessie
FothergTll. Like Cosmopolis, this most
interesting book-the last written before
her death by the gifted author of The
First Violin-opens in the city of Rome,
and, as in the case of Bourgeois chef
d'euvre, it ia the moral rniasma of that
tainted city, which threatens to the
point OF destruction one or two very
beautiful lives. The story ia one OF
Wild oats. sown in youth and and reaped
in middle life in bitter penitence of soul;
OF an innocent and beautiful daughter
sacrificed in marriage by an unnatural
mother to wealthy and repulsive rore
OF human soul scared into indiffsrencs
by the horrid contact, and of great
temptation-the natural outcome of the
eituation-esceped as by fire. Life ia
Rome is sketched with mastery and
sympathetic touch, and when the scene
-