St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-30
BOOK TALRS.

CGllent.
BOOK TALRS.
1.-The Cipher Dispatch" written
by Robert Byr. is a very inter-
esting story. 1t tells of good man
whose later days. after long life OF
public service, were darkened by unjust
suspicion of treachery and dishonorable
BETRAYAL of state secrets to his country.
A luckless lover and a romantic girl
complcate the situation. The hero Is a
hero on the German plan, when Is
somewhat different from the Amerl-
can ideal of that oft-told-of
parsonage. He marrieS the heroine,
who hates him, of course, and proceeds TO
win her heart by being as cold'and dis
tant as n0sSble and acting iii opposition
10 her wishes III every way. rms may
not seem, to the average reader, q very
likely way to win 4 lady's heaft. DtC
in this case it succeeds, and Wheh the
lover, son OF the mlsJudged man,
threatens to Kill the husband, the Wite
declares that she loves hIm ana an Is
cleared up. The minor villain OF the
story bears the blame OF the improper
uSG vi IIlC ClpuCl NifSlIutNiAf Si'Nt
the ONLY honorable way that pubic sen
timent leaves him out of the difficulty
by shooting himself. The welded pair
live happy ever atterWard.
There are many books III this day or
fast living that the world can readily
spare. Lin fact, they have no good eX-
cuse for being The mission OF books Is
to teach or to amu5e, ana If book doeS
neither, it has no right to be. why
anv one should take pleasure in throw
ing in the way OF clean people Dook
that represents only the worst phases or
humanity is constant wonder TO riSht-
thinking people.
1t NAV be that such books convey
picture of some sort OF fashionable HE.
but that they, in any sense por-
tray any appreciaUle number or AmeTl.
cans in any circle do not believe. Ii
1t is so it were better to leave them Sc
VrrelY alone than to waste time ana INK
and paper i'll depicting them. Ihe pict-
urcS are disgusting, and the very thih
veneer of honor that covers the IefoeS
of such stories as the Loyalty OF Lang
streth," by John Il. V. Gilllat, only
serves to heighten ones surprise that
the story Shout! have been Thought
worth telling If is said TO be the story
of a certain fast set in New York society
in which nothing is sacred, and nobody
revered This quotatlon from "Nhre
Dame Ges Sept D0uIeuIs' that opens
the book is a text from which such q
story could be written, and the nero
Langstreth, after disappointing one III
everv way, Goes the only manly act OF
his life when he puts bullet through
his handsome head. This is the text:
For the crown of our life as it closes
Is darkness-the fruit OF it dust;
No thorns go as deep as the roses.
And love is more cruel than lust
Time turns the old days TO derISIon,
Our loves into c0rpses or wives;
And marriage and death and division,
Make barren our lives
dainty little book is this one issued
by A. G. McClurg u Co., and called
Songs and SOnnetS, ,and Other Poems"
by NJ. f. Egan. These poems have
delicate flavor that grows on one as they
read Through them ali breatheS spirit
of fervid piety that speaks OF the spirit
ual health Of the writer as we'll as his
poetic insight. Among the songs Like
a Lilac" and "a Duet III Winter are
perhaps the best. such tender spirit
breathe5 through the lines. "a Ballad
of Islander Beg" is the best among the
narrative poems, and contains i'll this
verse a lesson to mothers old as the
eternal hills:
.'Oh, thoughts of childhood do not die
Like thoughts of man aud youth;
And be they false or be they true.
They WORK us good or ruth;
And well George Castriots mother knew
That Jesu grants when mothers sue.
Tn sother poems" "A Country Priests
Week" paints picture OF good father
whose flock is to him all OF interest that
oIl,o, fa arn tn than fThp
duties of each passing day range from
the lightest toucn of comedy through
the long gamut of human feelings to the
deepest reach of Salde5t tragedy.
When one comes across new child'S
book the years that have craven lines
on the face and sprinkled frost in the
hair are regretted with feelingn not un-
like envy. A bright little book of this
kind tells of the adventures by sea and
vale of charming "Prlnce Tip-TOp,"
written by Marguerite Bouvet, and fit
ltingly Illustrated by Helen Maitland.
A little princess of Okirshee, an island
where everybody is young and care free
and happy, and where everybody has
blue hair, is TO choose husband. and
the princes of the world are summoned
to the court to be presented to the
Princess Cerulea. so that she may
sCIlOOSS Il HllittS euCh
comes Prince TiD-rop. real American
iprince. No little girl, either princess
or commoner, could resist this lovely
and lovable little prince, so Cerulea
chooses him, and, after troubles and
trials that always attend the path of
real lovers, they are wed, and, as people
do only in fairy land, "live happy ever
after"
s.Modest Little Sara" by A. st. Au-
byn, is a sweet little story with which
to while away an idle hour. The char
aeters are commonplace people who live
gentle, unselfish lives in college town
in England. A widowed mother, three
giris-handsome little Barbara, modest
little Sara and pert, but loving Pip-and
a brother Owen. who is selfish and
thoughtless, as the only boy in family
of women is apt TO be. make up the
family. Owen does his duty according
to his lights by his sisters, and brings
home shoals of students to- drink tea
with them. OF course, being boys, they
fell in love with Sara, at least two of
them so declare themselves, and of
what complications arise and how they
are satisfactorily settled the story tells.
Henry MatSon has earned the graft
tude of busy literary workers by com
piling book of references for Liter
arv Workers, With Introductions to
Topics and Questions tor Debate" The
rather lengtny title covers the whole
,yrntud The a diFfaranf dAna rtlnputS are