The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-23
BOOK TALK AND GOSSIP.
The Up-to-D Date Literature of
These Times.
WHAT BoOKsELLERsARE SHOWING
A short History of Marriage Written
by Tennessee Clafiin-Flora Annie
steers Delightful Stories OF Life In
India.

A. an ever-frtiitful field for the novelist
and story teller. The fascinating country
that has remained so thoroughly an un-
discovered land has now been drawn INTO
service to furnish the material for hum
dreds of interesting tales and narratives.
, The latest addition TO this list OF stories,
ssThe Flower of Forgiveness" by tlora
Annie Steel. has just been issued by Mac
milan a. Co, and those who have loved
and admired the true life characters OF
KipIing will find many of them repro
duced in Mrs. Steels book.
seThe Flower OF Forgiveness" is the ini-
fial story in this collection OF short narra-
tives and is pathetic little tale founded
upon the barrier of caste. "For the faith n"
is a fascinating story of life in this South
ern country while the song in "a Debt OF
Honor" is especially vivid with local
coIoring.
OF the sixteen stories In the book there
is not one that is not interesting; Mrs.
Steel has evidently been keen observer
and she must have had wide experience
among the people of India, for her charac-
ter studies have the stamp poftruthfulness. of
Such people must have existed, tor Sukya
in ''The Flower of Forgiveness" Gulabi
in ga Debt of Honor Lal in "Lal," end
Mussumat Nuttia in "The Village Legacy
are people of the country. They are not
the product of the imagination, but are
people who have lived and acted IN lie
just as they live and act in the pages OF
the book.
Mrs. Steel is delightful story teller.
She has caught the true feeling of the
people, and has produced characters tnat
are as interesting as those OF klpllpg' her
novel stories are true in their local color
ing and the book is one that VIII De en-
joyed by all who read 1t.
"THE FLowER or FORGIVENESS" BY Flora
Annie Steel. New York Macmillan a Go.
1894. Price 81. IL. Gregory has it,
! 7
Lady Cook, more familiarly known to
the people OF this country as tennessee
Claffin. furnishes the most valuable and
interesting paper in the April number OF
the Westminster Review. 1t is IA Short
History OF Marriage, and the writer
has succeeded in condensing what may be
regarded as very complete summary OF
the history OF this rite into dozen maga-
zine pages.
Taking the earliest form OF marriage,
which was really no marriage at all, Lady
Cook follows the form down through the
period of communal marriage, the
periods of capture and then of pur-
chase to the present time. Her
vivid description of the modes OF capture
and purchase in various countries are
intensely interesting, and every page is
filled with facts that are OF the greatest
value to the student OF social problems.
The origin and growth OF the religious
ceremonial is also considered, and the
present day forms in the crude ceremo-
nies of our barbaric ancestors.
The subject of marriage is one that has
never been sufficiently well investigated,
and while Lady Cooks study Is
step in the right direction, the
reader is compelled TO admit his
regret that it is not longer. To
attempt to cover the ground fully in
magazine article would OF course have
been impossible, but Lady Cook has made
aremarkably complete and comprehensive
study OF the subject.l
At the conclusion OF the article the
writer advances a number of important
suggestions that are in line with the sub
iect under discussion. As these
are her Own opinions the
reader may accept or reject them, but
A. must certainly be admitted that the
world would be better i'm many respects II
they were to be carried out. The subject
is one that il too seldom considered and
Lady Cooks article might be read with
profit by everyone.
"A SHORT HIsToRlSf A AARl.iAGE By Lady
for April. New York: The Leonard Scott
Publication Company.
7 I !
John Jacob Astor's new book, "a Jour
ney TO Other Worlds" which has just
been published by ID. Appleton a Co., has
caused sensation in literary circles.
A new edition of Masrten Martens
new novel, ''The Greater Glory" has al
ready been called for.
The already famous Dodo reappears in
the last pages of T.. Il. Benson's story,
"The Rubicon,"a book that promises TO
be fully as popular as its predecessor.
ID. Appleton a Go. are at work on new
edition of Kossuth's Memories of My
Exile"
"a Modern Wizard" by II. Ottolengui,
and"Red Cap ana Blue Jacket" by George
by Putnam for summer reading.
"The Exiles," Richard Harding Davis
latest story, appears in the May Harper's.
IL is a chapter OF an ex-assistant district
attorneys life, and the narrative is given
in Davis most fascinating manner.
''The Lament OF El Moulok" is the title
OF Thomas Bailey Aldrich's poem in the
May Harper, while William Dean Howells
presents the first instalment of his "First
Visit TO New England"
Mrs. Humphrey Wards popularity was
shown upon the publication OF MAR
celia second edition being called for
i'm advance OF the appearance OF the first.
Rev. s. Il. Crockett bids fair TO rival
even Stevenson and Barrie in popularity.
His second book, 'rhe Raiders" met with
great demand in advance of publica-
tion.
Flammarion, the great French as
tronomer, is the subject of R. ". Sherard's
article in the Mcclure for May. Other
features will be an article on "Wild
Beasts and Their Keepers" bv Cleveland
Monett; a California story by Bret Harte,
and a story OF the New South by Mary r.
Earle. General Grant Will be the subject
OF the "Human Document department.
Previous TO the appearance of "rhe Re-
jected symbol" Rev. Charles Edwards
had never attended socialistic meeting,
nor even had ever talked with n socialist
or anarchist. His conversion 10 the cause
of anarchy had been the result OF his own
study of human nature and the pubic
press.
s'In Varying Moods" by Beatrice IIar-
raden, the author of "Ships That Pass In
the Night Is one Of the newest novels TO
be published by q. p. Putnam's Sons.