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

cellent.
BOOK TALRS.
1.-The Cipher Dlspatch,' written
by Robert Byr, is a very inter-
esting story. 1t tells of good man
whose later days, after a 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
complicate the situation. The nero Is a
hero on the German plan, which Is
somewhat different from the Anerl-
can ideal of that ott-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 possible and acting III opposition
10 her wishes III every Way. rms may
not seem, to the average reader, very
likely way to win lady's heart. but
in this case it succeeds, and when the
lover, son OF the misiudged man,
threatens to kill the husband, the wife
declares that she loves him and all Is
cleared up. The minor villain OF the
story bears the blame OF the improper
use of the cipher dispatch, and taxes
the only honorable way that pu0iic sen
timent leaves him out OF the dlflculty
by shooting himself. The welded pair
live happy ever atterWard.
There are many books in this day OF
fast living that the world can readily
spare. Lii tact, they have no good ex-
cuse for being. The mission OF BOOKS Is
to teach or to amuSe, and If book DOES
neither, it has 10 right to be. why
anv one should take pleasure in throw
ing in the way OF clean people a BOOK
that represents only the worst phases or
humanity is IL constant wonder to right
thinking people
1t NAV be that such books convey q
picture Of some sort OF fashionable HE.
but that they, in any sense pot-
tray any appreciaule number OF Ameri-
cans in any circle do not believe. 1t
it is so it were batter to leave them Sc
vrrely alone than to waste time and INK
and paper in depicting them. lie piet-
ures are disgusting, and the very thlh
veneer of honor that covers the heroes
of such stories as the Loyalty OF Lang
streth," by John r. V. Gililat, only
serves to heighten ones surprise tnat
the story should have been Thought
worth telling. Ii is said TO be the story
vi Il CCttdiu ldSb SCI III LNC w l. VI IL oOS'Ses
in which nothing is sacred, and nobody
revered This Quotatlon from ''Notre
Dame Ges Sept DouleulS" that opens
the book is a text from which such q
story could be written, and the nero
Langstreth, after disappointing one In
every way, Goes the only manly act OF
his life when he puts bullet through
his handsome head. This Is the text:
s.For the crown of our life as it closes
Is darkness-the fruit OF it dust;
No lhOrns go as deep as the rose s,
And love is more cruel than lust.
Time turns the old days to deriSIon,
Our loves into corpses or wives;
And marriage and death and division,
Make barren our lives. "
A dainty little book is this one issued
by A. G. McCurg Il 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 all 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
Lilac" and "A Duet III Winter are
perhaps the best, such tender spirit
Dreathes through the lines. "a Ballad
of Islander Beg" is the best among the
narrative poems, and contains i'll this
NGEoG d lCoSOu w iAiOSiSio OA~a eS eAAS
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 we'll George Castriot's mother knew
That Jesu grants when mothers sue"
I'm ''other poems" "A Country Priests
Week" paints picture OF good father
whose flock is to him all OF interest that
other mems families are to them. The
duties OF each passing day range from
the lghteSt t0ucn of comedy through
the long gamut Of human feelings to the
deepest reach of SaIde5t tragedy.
When one comes across new chilu'S
book the years that have craven lines
on the face and sprinkled frost in the
hair are regretted with feeling 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
tingly illustrated by Helen Maitland.
A little princess of OkirShee, an island
where rybody 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
choose fitting male. Among them
comes Prince TiD-Top. real American
prince. No little girl, either princess
or commoner. could resist this lovely
and lovable little prince, so Cerulea
ichooses 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"
'.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
girls-handsome little Barbara, modest
little Sara and pert, but loving Pip-and
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. beng 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 CON-
piling book of .'ReferenceS for Liter
arv Workers, With lntroductions to
Topics and Questions tor Debate The
rather ienetuy title covers tile whole
"A rti