The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-16

Company, New oihf vi'e'' WI '"iN
bv West. Johnston a Co
The originality and cicverness OF pub
fishers all over the country express them
selves at this season IN an array OF
eouveuirs whose number, beauty ana
variety make Il dlflcUlt 10 decide upon
N superlatively handsome one where all
are cxquieItc In the Colonial Calendar
from Messrs. stokes utility and admirable
taste are united % a degree when wiz
make 90 popular both with practical ana
bcautv-Ioving purchasers. The calendar
- divided into six pages, the seFeta'
months OF the year being arrahseu -
twos The January and FEBRUARY va. VI
and APRIL May and June. July ana ~
80 sort.,,,t,rr and october. November
and Decera5er. are the divisions. pom
each fae, appears "a iac-slHhe VI "
yyafcr-co.or design. the character On
which aivps me Calendar nc name Inc
costumes OF all the figures IN the Plt'ures
are the quaint ones OF the 'oiohlai
utyiod. The background OF tdch repre-
septs fhe interior OF n room. whose fur
riftire and appointments are typical OF
rhe same era The whole makes, as We
have said. both q pretty and useful
thiug. upou whose design the publishers
are 10 Doe congratulated.
PICCINO. and other child stories, by
Frances HOdgsOn Burnett. Charles
Scribner's Sons. New York, $3.50 For
sale by West. Johnston q CO.
The late Dr. Hollands opinion Of Mrs.
Burnett as q shOrt-stOry writer, has,
since his discovery Of her in his capac-
ity as editor of a leading magazine, been
freshly endorsed by the reading public as
each OF her charming stories has made
SIS appearance The success Of Little
Lord FauntlerOy' has. as we all know.
been phenomenal and when we come
10 consider wherein the charm OF the
writer lies we ma IT to be in fairly
crystalline simplicity and "A pulsating ten
derncss In portraying All that is human.
The stories IN the present volume show
these essential characteristic qualities OF
Mrs Burnett. "Two Days in the Life OF
PiccinO" and How Fauntleroy Occurred
being especially enjoyable. The former
tells the story Of the adoption OF an
Italian peasant child of marvellous
beauty by a blase and chronically bored
English woman Of a rank nOber than her
qualities ana entirely lacking the mater
nal instinct She IS DESTROYS 10 be anus
ed and coming across the little beggar
with his great eyes luminous and his
dimples alluring in spite of a setting OF
dust and rags, concludes that here IS
an amusement that done up in kits.
sash. etc, viii be most artistic az well.
The story has 20 do with Piccino's entire
ard emphatic dissatisfaction with the
spIendor OF the palatial home, and, not
ably. with The daily bath and hair brush
ing; with his two days endurance Of lux
ury. and hnal escape from IL TO the wei
come squalor OF his peasant hut.
How Faunteroy Occurred IS the
story Of how the popular tale of the
democratic little lord came to be writ
ten, and is exquisnely told
The other stOri IS in the book are 1.-The
Captains Youngest" and Little Betty's
Kitten"
ROUND THE RED LAMP, by a. Conan
Doyle d. Appleton & co, New York.
For sale by West, Johnston 4 co.
There are widely various opinions re-
pardiug Nj. D0ylts literary qualities,
some finding him exceedingly tiresome,
others 81 shining light, etc. The present
volume of short stories is certainly eX-
tremely readable; "facts and fancies OF
medical life" told in a style that 10 us
seems original and interesting Mr. Doyle
explains the title Of the book i'm the T..
s. TO his preface. you ask" says he.
about the Red Lamp IL is the usual
sign 81 the general practitioner IN Eng
land"
u may be said reEarlius the volume
that IT. certainly possesses such Interest
as is in-,parable from what is novel, for
So is somewhat uncommon for the story
teller 20 go 10 the mental diaries Of the
medical men for data He explains HIM
self as follows. in an extract from a
correspondence with friend IN America:
"I quite recognize the force of your
objection that ana invalid or q woman in
weak health would get no good from
stories which attempt 10 treat some fea-
lures Of medical life with certain
amount Of realism. IL you deal with this
life az alI however and If you are anX-
iols 90 make your doctors something
more than N4rioucttcs. IL IS quite cs-
seut8l that You should paint the darker
side since D. is that which is principally
presented 70 the surgeon or physician.
He sees many beautiful things, it is true,
fortitude and heroism, love and self
s crihce. but they are All called forth Gas
our noblor qualities are always called
forth 10y bitter sorrow ana trial. One
cannot write OF medical life and be
merry over II.
Then why write Of IT, you may ask?
II a subject Is painful why treat it at all?
! answer that II is the province Of fic-
ton 10 treat painful things as well as
cheerful ones The story which wiles
away a weary hour fuldls an obviously
good purpose. but not more so. | hold.
than that which helps TO emphasize the
GTaVer side Of life 4 tale which may
startle the reader out Of his usual
grooves Of thought, and shocks him into
seriousness. plays the part Of the al
t'ratlve and tonic ia medicine. bitter 20
the taste but bracing In the result"
~ us much for Mr. pOyles views. We
think that ID win he conceded by all who
read this book OF his that il Is not mere
" interesting but in a number Of the
stories moral lesson conveyed with a
subtlety that Is indicative OF genius.
AT THE GATE OF sAMhRTA: By Wa
liam John Locke. u. AupletOn q co.
New York 30 cents For sale 10y West,
johnson q Co.
MIR. William John Locke writes un-
commonly like an hye;erical woman. His
heroine is most decidedly lacking in mem
tai balance. and her indulgence of her
wildly bohemian tendencies would, IN
matter-of-fact everyday life result in
complete social ostracism. The hero is
a fine. broad heavily built
angel: ne is by no means a type of your
human lover. So far as our opinion goes,
We think the heroine passes the gate of
Samaria by several feet when she tempts
her pantalooncd saint to take her 10
his heart during the lifetime Of her
certainly brutal husband. This novel
comes clearly under the head of injuri-
Gus. although weak fiction. It's central
figure As painted as g brilliant and beau
tIfuI woman who after outruRing the
propricties of he. finds happiness and
love. the William dying with the utmost
amiabHty Just at the right tine, etc.
The usually excellent Town and Coun-
fry" series ehouid not permit this class