The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-12
BOOK TALK AND GOSSIP.
The Up-to- Date Literature Of
These Times.
wHATsook SELLERS ARE SHOWING
Popular stories Published by Apple
ton, Including BaIestier's " Benefits
Forgot "-What Some OF the March
Magazines Have to Offer.

The publication of Wolcott Balestier's
Benefits Forgot " comes like memorial
to the talented young author who died
just at the moment when his name
had become familiar to the
readers of current literature. The
appearance OF his name in connection
with that of Rudyard Kipling on the
title page of most graphic study of life
in the far East and far West gave
him his first actual introduction to
the public, and Benefits Forgot"
added greatly to the gloryof his reputa-
tion. AS 1t appeared in one OF the maga-
zines it was enjoyed by thousands OF
readers, and it has now been placed in
more permanent form by ID. Appleton
& Co.
"Benefits Forgot' is thoroughly
American novel. Its scenes are chiefly
located in one of the far Western towns of
which Balestier loved to write, and his
people can be easily recognized as pro-
duct of the American soil. They love
and hate with the ardor of the people who
may be said to live on the outskirts OF civil
ization, but ifthey are guilty of errors 1t is
not because they lack an honesty OF pur-
pose. While there are exceptions to this
and the reader is able to admire and re-
spect them even in their weakness.
The story is about q struggle for the
almighty dollar, and the two or three love
stories that are carried through the book
only tend to increase the interest in the
narrative.
Balestier is a strong writer, and his
characters resemble those of Kipling in
being flesh and blood creations, who
stand out in the pages of the book with
all the force that the writer's imagina-
tion could impart to them. They live
and breathe, and the reader follows
them with unabated interest through the
scenes of the story.
Benefits Forgot" will be one OF the
great books of the day. 1t is story that
every one should buy and read.
BENEFITS FoRGoT," by wolcott Balestier.
New York. ID. Appleton e. Co.. 1904. Price.
Sl.J0. ii. Gregory has 1t.
I ! I
Mrs. Alexander's novel, "a Ward in
Chancery" is neither better nor worse than
her other works Of fiction. Her stories
are always more or less interesting to
certain class of readers and such persons
will find the pages of the new book marked
with the same charms that have made the
works of this author so popular.
"a Ward in Chancery" is simple story
| of a charming young woman's experience
at the home of her English guardian. She
| is of that nature that novelists love to
picture as the ideal French character, i'm
pulsive, either loving or hating with all
her heart, but keeping, through all
| changes and vicissitudes, the charming
little traits and personalities that show
her to be most genuine and honest young
| woman.
The story plays upon the old keys of
money and love and while there is scarcely
new feature or a novel situation to the
plot, the narrative is usually well
written and the action is animated and
pleasing. In fact, it is book by Mrs
Alexander, and to the average reader this
should be sufficiently clear description.
A WARD IN CHANcERY. BY Mr.. Alexander.
| New York; ID. Appleton & Co., ls9t II.
Gregory has It..
"Home and Country" for March is a par
| ticularly interesting number. "The Ban
shee" Is a thrilling Irish ghostl story,
while other entertaining stories are
written by Harrison d. Mason, Sam
uel A. Risley, Sophia A. Kane, William
| c. Crane and F. j. Amy. Thomas Pease
writes about the life and duties of jock
eys, Sidney Miller Rowles says something
new about the history of numbers, and
there are other interesting and
valuable articles by Samuel Jaros,
Marie de la Nois, Rev. James H..
Ross, Frank Donaldson, Lumas Sorag,
| Thomas Bliss and others. Many OF the
poems are also excellent, one being beauti-
fully i.lustrated.
HOME AND COUNTRY, New York city.
I I I
! There is always host of good things in
the Humanitarian" and the March num-
ber Is no exception to the rule. The ar
ticlc on abnormal Children by Sir
Douglas Galton offers many suggestions
that might be considered with
advantage by those who are Interested in
a study OF the little ones. Rev. Arthur
Robins writes about sour Home Made
Heathen," while Mr.. Benefits story on
"Faust and Marguerite" Is strongly realis-
| tic. Among the other articles that are of
particular interest are, woman in Club
land" by Hon. Corale Glyn, and "Woman
and Natural Selection" by 3. A. X. Stra-
han, M. ID.
The IiuMASIrAnrAS. London, England.
7 I I
As usual the Southern Magazine Is
strong i'm fiction, although the article on
"scdan in TO-" by Bertha Won Taubcr-
Harper; "The White Woman OF the
South" by Evelyn Baker Dodd; "The
Gorilla and his Cousins" by James Webb,
Jr., M. d., and such literary and scientific
papers have sufficient merit to recommend
them to every reader. The new story,
"Gonc TO Coopertown," by G. w. Tyler,
promises well, and some OF the poems are
delightful.
Tmr SOUTHERN MAGAZINE. Louisville. Ky.
I I I
Adele NJ. Fields Forthcoming volume,
"a Corner OF Cathay," has the advantage