The herald., 1893-12-24
[pY L. BEgYMER. ]

ring again with q merry, merry swing,
hailing the advent Of the patron saint OF
every expectsnt child. For who is not,
or would not be, child at the season
when Santa Claus makes his rounds?
The toddler, the school boy, the active
business man, the stern and sober judge.
Ga we'll as the toothless graybeard, all
are OF ono age in the crowd that presses
eagerly avound the blazing fir tree. 1t
is in the air, and dead to love, indeed,
must be he who fails to catch even a
spark from the blazing yule-log at
Christmastide wherewith to illumine
his higher and better self, il but for a
few brief moments.
And there are 30 many pretty, dainty
and ssrviceable books to adorn tho
Christmas trees and make both the
giver and receiver happy. The choice Of
books this year is greater than ever be-
fore. Among the prettiest ones is a fat
quarto edition of Owen Meredith's
Lucille (from the press Of F. A. Stokes &
Coz, containing twelve fac-aimiles OF
water-color designs by Thomas McIl-
vaine, and the same number of half-page
.half-tone engravings after original de-
signs. 1t is pretty book, neatly bound
in parti-colored cloth with vignetted
head on the front cover, and is in every
way q suitable Christmas present. The
subject, although old. is ever new and
has many admirers.
x~x
One of Lee and Shepard's pretty
Christmas books is by the noted artist
and author of Natures Hallelujah, A
Bunch of Violets and From an Old Love
Letter. Miss Irene E. Jerome, whose
exquisite works Of art have been among
the leading holiday books for the past
five years, has this year departed some
what from the former motif of her work,
but not from the exquisite taste and
artistic supremacy that have made this
gifted lady a cherished favorite in 30
many thousands of cultivated homes.
This new hook is entitled Have Called
You FIR 8. The text relates to some
quality or aspect OF Friendship, and
consists partly of sentences from Scrip
ture and partly Of brief sayings and
poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Helen
Hunt Jackson, John W. Chadwick,
Paul Fl. Hayne, W. @. Gannett, Charles
furnish q treasury OF literary gems on
the subject of friendship that are richly
worthy the lovely artistic setting that
Ss;a, iayoraa hs- ts1rst
each page is, as it were, framed in an
artistic design, in which the grace of
form. with lines or disks OF chsete gliding
and flowers in lovely colors make q
picture of glowing harmony, like the
frontispiece of an illuminated missal in
its vivid and contrasting colors Of scarlet
and purple and gold. The flowers are
pansies, but vary in hue from page to
page. Sometimes they are set like
gems upon solid gold ground: some-
timee they are airy, natural and free. 1t
is seldom that the eye rests upon more
brilliant yet reposeful groups of color
than in these pages. All of the artistic
work are fac-similes of the authors
original designs in color and gold, and
between wor kmanship and design lie
the most perfect harmony. 1t ia net a
book merely for the idle moment, but
its sweet and holy sentiment and its de-
lightful freshness Of color and delicacy
OF design combine to make it perpetual
source OF ofpleaaure. The beautiful print
ing on heavy. fine paper, the delicate
binding in full gilt. with lovely cover
designed by the author, add their i'm.
portant share to the exquisite harmony
OF the entire volume, which is among
the choicest books OF the holiday season.
~.
Another favorite line of Lee & Shep-
ards illustrated books is the Maude
Humphrey Ivorines, consisting of illus
trated hymns and poems, printed in
delicate colors on imitation ivory. If
the artists name were not sufficient
guaranty, the beauty of each design, the
strength OF the drawing, the delicacy of
the coloring. the grace of the lettering
and the perfection of all the mechanical
processes would place this series far in
advance of any similar works. The
background is an imitation of fine.
grained ivory, and different tone of
color pervades each design. The books
are pfinted on the best quality OF fine
cut paper at the University Press. The
pamela are beveled and gilt. Each book
has gilt edges. Among the titles are
noticeable the following: Home, Sweet
Home, The Lord Is My Shepherd, Rock
of Ages, Hannah Jane, Dora, by Tenny-
son, and many other popular poeme.
~
Another strong book in the style of
the new western school of literature is
Opie Reads new novel "a Tennessee
vNNBSt PdOiiuhOu ny LulIu duu Lo0 Oh
Chicago. In this sturdy western study
tnere is a great deal to commend, if not
to praise. Mr.. Read is strong western
writer, with fine eye for character and
q talent for depicting the peculiarities OF
the people of the west and southwest.
His Judge Thrapwell ia fine old south
.ern gentleman, big-hearted, generous,
hospitsble, q good friend and relent-
less foe, full of love, full of hate, courte-
Gus, charitable and kind man such as
the peculiar conditions and traditions of
the south alone could produce. Mr..
Reads portraiture of this type is excel
lent, as ali who have ever mixed with
southerners will agree ON becoming ia
miliar with it, The old man is the soul
OF kindness in his own home, even with
9 shrew for wife, and mission of hate
and revenge TO brood over. The strength
OF mind and character of the Judge. his
indomitable purpose in living to meet
the man whom he intends to kill. tho
incident of the oak tree, and the climax
OF the feud, show great force and power
IN the writer, and promise much for the
future OF Opie Read az novelist.
1t Is in the lighter phases OF the storv
that Mr.. Reads style is best seen. Tht
characters are all interesting, and the
dialogue 10 individual. The author