The sun., 1896-10-17
NEW BOOKS.
nr,sf Reviews OF Iuportaut sad Interest-
Ing New Publications.

like 600 brief essays upon literary, social, and
other themes. From an examination OF these
we are prepared to say that Mr.. Mathews, In
our opinion, is a safe thinker. almost certain to
reach conclusions that are indlsputahly sound.
ON page 10, for instance. We hnd an essay on
the word III" This Mr. Mathews says, is
a very small word, a monosyllable OF two let
tors only, yet how Immense Is that 'if'!" No
body we dare say, will deny the Justice OF Mr..
Mathews's impressions OF this word. Mr. Box
of philadelphia, a most distinguished loRician.
who has. rs we remember. never been rofuted.
or even contradicted. shares with Mr..
Mathews. we believe. this lucid and
true conception of the monosyllable In
question, II is curious It Is appalling TO
the thought, what n mountain OF obstruction 10
suggested in this combination OF mere thir-
teenth OF the English alphabet As MIR.
Mathews sarcastically quotes, "T my aunt had
heen a man. she would have been my uncle"
In treating of the word If" Mr.. Mathews bases
his observations upon something that he found
in a newspaper. A newspaper writer" he
says speaking Of tho late Thomas J. Potter.
who as general manager Of tho Union Pacific
Railway received an annual salary OF $4,000.
says that he began his career twenty five years
ago as a lineman on an Iowa railway at s45 per
month. He worked his way up It 10 added.
from the latter position to the former. and there
IA not young man on any railroad In tho United
States for whom the same result Is not possible
~ he should put into his work tho same
amount of brains and zeal which Mr..
Potter did" Mr. Mathews finds this
"if' too big to be reasonable, and he proceeds
TO demoish the unfortunate who employed 1t.
Undoubtedly. II he had chosen. no could have
demolished Archimed.s, that person of extrnv-
agant imagination. who. 1t is well known. was
guilty Of an If" that was considerably bigger.
"To tell syoung man." says Mr.. Mathews,
that he can become millionaire, railroad
king &C.. If he will put into his work the same
amount OF brains and zeal a. A or B did before
he became a millionaire or railroad king. is the
yerlest drivel." 1t is to DO hoped, by every per-
son with a kindly heart, that Mr.. Box Is not the
newspaper writer who is thus put down. Per-
haps we may venture to hope, even, that there
10 not more immediate victim; for. after ALL 1t
does not seem to DO entirely unreasonable to
suppose that Mr.. Mathews may himself have
written the quoted newspaper paragraph and
forgotten it. This question of III" when we
come to consider 1t profoundly, is not backed up
against u wall. 1t is approschable by logicians
on two sides, and one coming to 1t upon either
side may be inspired by reflections that are suf-
nciently valuable and obvious. In essay
upon Conscience and Umbrellas Mr.. Mathews
brellas are easily parted. "Umbrellas." he
says. have no adhesiveness, no tsnacity. No
sooner have you begun to cultivate their ac-
Quain is out of the question
than, like q pick pocket at sight of . constable,
like q sailors money on shore, or q five dollar
bill changed into silver, they vanish from sight"
There. It seems to us. is Q most comprehensive
and vivid presentation of the principal facts
compiled by generations Of hum orists regarding
umbrellas They have mo adhesivenesa, no
tenacity." They are not riveted to the um brella
stand. nor do they stay put" in q corner of the
popular restaurant. Mr.. Mathews, we believe,
does not dwell at any length upon the ridiculous
circumstance OF green umbrellas. or upon the
proclivity of umbrellas to go inside out in q
strong wind. Neither does he consider the ad-
vantages Of oilskins and rubber boots over
umbrellas on Ghipboard. or the value of um-
brellas weapons. Perhaps he will supplement
his essay at another time with some reflections
upon these important ramifcations of the gen.
eral theme. We hope So
II It Is proper to suppose that good realism In
wolves n scrupulous accuracy in the picture. and
good romantcism a sustained vigor ana interest
In the narrative, no matter whether or not it
would be believed by Jury. We are at o loss to
think how it is possible, from either point of
view, to bestow the highest praise upon Jeanie
brakes story. Tho Metropolitans" Century
Company. That is not to say, It will be OBJ
served. that the praise properly to be accorded
TO this tale is not considerable. but only that the
reader. whether of the realistic or the romantic
would be likely TO pause and Ques-
tion now and then. We have certainly
observed. upon occasion, unquestionable
subtleties of fancy and speech among
coachmen. hut We are free to say that the dia-
logue between Mr. Pundit's coachman and Lady
Melons coachman in the rear premises of the
Golden Rod Inn. Staten Island. on the occasion
of the Hunt Clubs fifth annual ball. fails to
suggest itself to US as verisimilar or even pos
sible. Two competent coachmen, surviving for
superiority In repartee, would certainly pro-
duce something not in the least like this; and
we believe that tho story contains some other
dialogue OF a sort that one finds occasionally In
\ book, but not often out OF it For instance,
suppose that an editor In real life. and on duty
In his office. were to talk as Mr.. Penrose
talks on page A, what in tho world would he |
done TO him, and how would 1t be possible for
the paper to como outr Again. the realsts |
will protest that there 10 no club. mainly |
for Journalists" open only after midnight, and
situated in the neighborhood of Trinity
graveyard" where the book reviewers and the
reporters exchange essays over their chops and |
beer, and where the quiet old stock reporter
servation. charged with professional flavor. to |
round of the chapter But, after ALL what do |
these few things matter? The novel reader is |
q friendly and generous soul, ready and eager |
to Ike a story, and not looking for hairs to |
split. May he like The Mstropolitans." We |
should not be surprised to learn that he was |
quite captiyated by It, |
There have been few more interesting volumes |
OF "reminiscences published. of late years. than |
My Long. Long Life" by Mary Cowden Clarke |
Dodd' Mead g. Coz Born in London eighty |
feVen years ago Mary Novello, MS the daughter
OF the distinguished musician Vincent Novello, |
was from earliest childhood, surrounded by an |
atmosphere OF culture and refinement Her |
iather's home in Oxford row was a favorite |
meeting place OF a group of writers and mu-
s'clahs whose names are endeared TO readers
ana music lovers throughout the world. Shelley, |
Meats, Charles and Mary Lamb. Leigh Hunt, |
p'eKens, Mendelssohn these are but a few of |
~hon Mrs. Cowden Clarke recalls delightful
memories. Her pages are written with the ease
ana hnish natural to one who has devoted a
i""g HE to literature, and there arc many