The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-20
THE CRITICS COLUMN.
DEVOTED TO COMMENT UPON CUR
RENT PUBLICATIONS.
Mrs. Cringan's Instructions In Cook
ing"-" Pastoral Played Out "-Other
New Books.

Mrs. John w. cringan, Teacher OF
Cooking In the Richmond High
School and the Miller Manual Labor
School. Albemarle county, Va J. H.
Hnl Publishing Company
For sale by West, Johnston a. Co.
In our opinion. this Cook Book. ~ Mrs
Cringan. whose name upon its first page
insures it i'm the interest Of Richmonders,
Is the best We have ever seen. We tnow
or no other that gives so much practical
information in such simple and conieas-
ed shape, not only for the woman OF
abundant means, but for the one with
a modest pocket book. who must make
up in ingenuity and thrift what she
lacks I'm cash. Mrs. Cringan has On nu-
merOus occasions, notably NJ the White.
with its little colony of charming nco-
pie last summer a year ago, furnished
her friends opportunities TO prove her
sive way which an old proverb declares
the best OF abby eating them. They
agree that no better basis for confidence
In her book, with its instructions, 10
more satisfactory letter of credit-couli
have been given, and the natural resdls is
that already, fresh upon the market as
1t IS, the demand for IL is general. and
daily increasing even outside the state
within whose limits we must expect some
partiality TO it, because IL is Mrs. Crin-
gan's.
Its receipts are given so explicitly that
they leave no excuse whatever for fall
ure; and not the least valuable of its
departments is that headed "Explana-
tons and Definitions" As a whole, the
book IS certainly admirable rejecting
credit not upon Mrs. Cringan's skill in
revealing delicious secrets in gastro1o-
my only, but upon her intelligent percep
ton OF what VIII be OF practical value
TO the mass of house keepers The book
deserves all the popularity it Is enjoy
ing.
"A PASTORAL PLAYED our" BY
Mary l.. Ren1aif1 tfggCan Publish
ing Company. New York. 81 cents.
For sale by Hunter & Co.
There is a not considerable difference
Of opinion regarding the merits OF this
novel. but We DO not see why there
should be To us n seems totally lacking
in tho farce which challenges n -'cism.
II has been said by some that had Il
been published before those Heaven
ly Twins whose appearance upon the
literary horizon was fhe signal for a
fairly electrical sensation. 1t would haye
been accorded even a greater enthusiasm.
The people who say this, however, are
decidedly In the minority, where may
they long remain When such a book as
this is considered I'm any way exception
al. unless II be exceptionally poor, II
will be time indeed 10 begin TO dust some
OF the books written long ago. afler
Miss Harraden.
The story is that Of girl with tho
transcendent beauty which the cheap
novelist Is fond OF retailing at ten or
twenty cents copy-the beauty that rs
perhaps most aptly described as patent
ire and water proof, warranted not TO
shrink-frOm any OF those things which
a culture as-oid az the Bible tells us
is the purest womanhood. The new nov
clst abhors such old fashions. and de-
clares their followers narrow.
This girl lives in a quiet country house
with a gentle old northumberland
, D.. fsshlon. To the quiet home comes
handsome and talented male traveller
whose Views social, matrimonial, etc,
are OF the revolutionary type.
These two people introduce a very weak
and thoroughly unwholesome story by a
union without the marriage tie. ne SIC
ceeding incidents In IL may be styled 80
many efforts Of the author TO prove tho
herOine's entire nobility Of soul and 10
make matters comfortable for h.r IN
the end. which Is not the end Of si-l-
liar stories in everyday life. 1t Is de-
plcrable that such literature as ms con-
! tinues to be thrust upon the market.
A CHOSEN FEW SHORT STORIES: BY
Frank r. stockton. Chas. Scribners
Sons. New York N.3.
New York. 81 =.
For sale by West, Johnston x %.
All OF these sketches by MIR. Stock
ton are delightful Their humor Is rever
fippant nor coarse, and they ave an
elusive attraction that defies analysis
As he himself says, the stories were
chosen. by virtue of "a sort of literary
| civil service examination I'm order that
they might be grouped together as rep
| rcsentatives class of the authors best
known work in this line
Several of them have points Of pecu-
liar interest TO the author for Instance,
Negative Gravity ONE OF the most
laugtable Of the series, was composed IN
Switzerland when the author was tenn
pOrarly confined 10 the house In full
view Of unreachable Alps.
Ills Wife's Deceased Sister was sug-
gested by an editorial disposition TO COM
pare all the authors WORK with one pre-
yious production, and to discard every
thing which did not accord exactly with
the particular story which had been Sc
lected as a standard OF merit.
"The Lady or The Tigers was PRINT
ed I'm the hope that the author might
receive the cheerful cooperation O.
some OF his readers in a satisfactory So
luton Of the problem contained In the
little story; but, although he has had
much valuable assistance in this d.
rection ne has he says. also been the
recipient Of a great deal Of scolding.
After reading several stories by Clark
Russell the authors mind was led to
consider the possibility or inVenting some
sort of shipWreck which had never yet
been made the subject OF a story. His
| efforts i'm this line resulted In THE Re-
markable Wreck Of the Thomas Hyke'."
a Piece Of Red Calico IS a descrip-
ton, with exaggerated points, OF an act
uai experience.
cAP'N THusTLETOP: BY Sophie Sweat,
author Of "Captain Polly" Flying
Hill Farm" Mate Of the Mary Ann"
etc. % pp. illustrated with four
pictures. SL25. W. A. Wilde & Co.,
Boston.
Sophie Sweat has won A remarkable
and deserved popularity for the strong
and wholesome stories Tor young people
which she has written. In her stores
she believes In introducing girls az wen
as boys, and IL is this feature or her
work that gives her stories their natural
ness and much Of their interest. I'm her
latest book. "Capn Thistletop," the prn-
cipal characters are boy and girl.
brother and sister newcomers in me
New England village OF Barberry Benz,
who are thrown INTO association with
another boy and girl, brother and sister,
who are natives Of the place. Each has
his own individuality. and the story por-
trays with remarkable ndellty the HE
and thought OF the average boy ana girl
Of to-day. The story OF their doings IL
very interesting and exciting. but there
is lesson taught which works itself
out IN the course or the story, naturally
and fOrcibly. Margaret r. Sangster says
Of Miss Sweat's work that she has the
knack OF telling a story SO naturally and
in so interesting a manner that you can
ro- put her books down until you are at
the very end OF the last chapter. and then
You sigh and wish there was sequel
The American Historical Register tthe
organ OF the Notwithstanding Socie-
ties) FOR October, has an attractive table
Of contents. The historic tour OF Latay-
cite through the United States In lsZ4 Is
continued This number tells, with scores
Of appropriate illustrations. OF his trip
up the Hudson. and visits 10 West Point,
Newburg, Albany Troy. etc. Major j.
c. Rosengarten gives much that Is new
about Gen. Comte de Rochambeau. Illus
trating his entertaining article with nu-
merous portraits. Mrs jenkins Richart.