The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-06

book are occupied with an account OF
] his personal journeyings Then follow
half q dozen stories Of Chinese life, In
| which are embodied what he saw and
! learned 'of the surroundings and Gus
toms Of the people where they are. as
they have always been--that is. where
they are not affected by foreign inf1u-
ences The stories are less good than
the Introductory sketch, but all are full
OF color, and throw new lights upon
unknown China. The illustrations by
G. ID. Weldon are by no means the
least attractive part Of the book.
csAlone in China by Julian Ralph Har-
| per G. Bros. $3.50 For sale by the st.
Paul Book and Stationery company
In current economic discussion, few
topics are more vital than an examin-
alton of the theory Of wages fund.
! Prof. Taussig has made his contribu-
! ton to the subject. In the first part
/ of his book he expOundS his own views,
| notably setting forth the dictum that
| current wages are not drawn from
current production. but in the complex
relation OF machinery. raw material,
and finished product. found in modern
! processes, wages must be largely paid
| from the accumulation of past labor.
! He argues that wages are not truly
| measured in money. but in commodi-
| ties that show the purchasing power of
wages it seems manifest that there
is certain elasticity possible in the
relation of wages to profit, but any
real elasticity of permanent charac-
| ter must arise from the methods and
appliances that affect production It
self.
The second part of the book deals
with the history of the question, and
| presents fair view of the opinions of
Adam Smith, Ricardo, John Stuart
Mill their connectors and successors,
an excursion into German opinion, and
| finally an account of contemporaneou5
| opinion. 1t is thoroughly disable ana
useful re-study Of the question.
c'Wages and Capital" by F. w Taussig
D. Appleton & Co., New York s100. For
sale by the st. Paul Book and Stationery
company.)
James or Virtue Rewarded" is an
admirably written tale of ironic in
tent by an anonymous English writer.
; At times in the picture of society In
an English town, one is reminded OF
Miss Austen's style and point of view,
but Miss Austen was always kindly at
heart and her gibes at humanity were
more wholesome and less bitter. Except
| the somewhat shadowy Waltons there
are no nice" people in this ferociouS
account of the rise and subsequent
fall of James Howson, and one feels
he diSlikeS in human nature but not
what he likes. AS all healthy disap-
prevail must involve a counterbalanc-
ing admiration somewhere. this I'M
certainty on the part of an otherwise
very capable and entertaining writer
has a certain sickly, diSagreeable eff
feet. A book that is full of human
natures frailties, with never a glimpse
of it's strengths, is not thoroughly ac-
ceptable diet for mind or soul. We
advise the author of James to study
light and shade in literary effect with
especial reference to the office of light
in deepening shadow. With all its ex-
cellences of style and local color it will
probably not have the success to which
its mechanical merits entitle 1t. for IL
reads like the work of q cynical and
disappointed man to whom all his
neighbors seem either knaves or fools,
and the fact that fools predominant is
not, on the whole, largely reaSsuring.
(~James, or Virtue Rewarded" New York.
Stone Kimball. $780,
Too much can hardly be said in
praise Of Mr.. Gilbert Parker's strong,
fine and restrained work in "A Romany
of the Shows" Success has made Mr..
Parker, il anything, more careful of
his workmanship, more conscientious
in his output He is evidently one of
the few successful young writers Of
the day who consider their literary
good name q possession to cherish and
adorn, not one to trade. upon and offer
III exchange for pence Mr. Parker's
new volume is a collection of nine tales
of the North in which are recorded
further adventures of Pierre and his
people The stories, are, If possible,
| stronger, more. direct, more closely
! wrought than their predecessors, and
5Efere is oftener struck in them that note
icr11 aiaIa
is one of the best features of Mr.. Par
kers splendid work The book is one
to read and to re-read, for it does not
yield all Of its excellences at once, nor
to the careless reader. In dignity of
purpose, charm of expression and fine
craftsmanship, Mr. Parker is second
| only to Kipling.
GA Romany Of the SHOWS" by Gilbert
Parker. New York. Stone & Kimball.
$1.25.)
Mrs. Kate Douglas Wiggin is always
a delightful writer Her latest story,
Marin Lisa" proves her a daring
one as well, for she has actually ven
tured to write a novel with no love-
interest to speak of, and with a half
Witted child for a heroinee This may
not sound promising. but Marin
Lisa" is one of the most charming
books of the season, OVERLOOKING with
tenderness, with human sympathy,
with humor and shrewd observation.
One of the most refreshing features of
the story is the study of Mrs S. Cora
Grubb a lady whom, under some other
name or names, we have all met in
the. course of our lives, for. unfortu-
| nately, there are many of her Mrs.
Grubb. may be described as a profess
sional yearner. Also, she is a profess
SIGNAL .'j'iner." Bands, unions, leagues.
brOtherhoods, orders, clubs, classes,
oil Av-ca i'm 1Ilye
line, and in all she is a leader. She had
investigated everything that there is
to be investigated, and knew all
about single tax, suffrage, theosophy.
deiSarte, vegetarianism, mental heal
Ing, palmistry, astrology, spiritualisn,
hypnotism and the rest. Of course it
often happened that Mr. Grubb had
greatness is frequently paid by the
relatives of the great. who possibly
regard the price of their vicarious fame
as high. 1t is easy enough to carica-
ture the type Of character represented
by Mrs. Grub, and Mrs. Virgins sue
cess lies in the fact that she has stop.
ped short Of caricature and drawn a
credible, human. and very entertain
ing, if much mistaken, woman.
c'Marm Lisa by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Houghton Mifiin & Co. ST. For sale BY the
st. Paul Book and Stationery company
The Macmillan company issue a vol
ume of Kipling's tales under the title
Of Soldier Stories" The collection in
cludes with the Main Guard" ssThe
Man Who VAS THE Drums of the.
Fore and Aft" THE Counting of Dinah
Shadd;" The Taking of Lungtungpen;"
THE Incarnation of Krishna Null
vaney," and THE Madness of Private
| Ortheris." To name these stories is to
| praise them, for their fame has gone