The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-12

ton OF taking long rest, and is at work
on new historical romance. Weyman is
a very careful workman and frequently
spends week in constructing and writing
a chapter.
Richard Henry stoddard is of the
opinion that the well-bred persons in Will
liam Blacks serial "Driseis,' now appear
ing in Harper's Magazine, are a welcome
addition to the characters of fiction. The
tale itself moves as blithely as holiday
pageant and is in pleasant contrast to the
morbid literature that fills so many book
covers at the present day.
Helen Mathers wrote her novel, 'Comin'
Thro' the Rye" in bit of plque. Her
father, who was strict disciplinarian, de-
MED her some cherished wish, and she
paid him off by depicting the family mar
tinet in her book. She was greatly sur
prlsed when her novel was accepted by the
publishers. and went about in an agony OF
fear lest her father should discover the
author.
a striking contribution to the literature
of the new year will be that of Slatin
Pasha. Before the Mahdi's victories in
the SOudan he was Governor of Darfur
and in command of large military forces.
lie fought twenty-seven pitched battles
before surrepdering and has given vivid
account of them. He was present during
the siege of Khartoum, and to his feet
Gordons head was brought within an
hour of the city's fall. Fire and Sword
in the Soudan" will be illustrated with
maps and thirty-two engravings.
In his new "Recollections of Napoleon
Ill" Sir William Fraser says that the
Emperor looked like sick eagle-''his eyes
small and not at all prominent, his head
held slightly at one side, an appearance
of abstraction about him." His chief re-
semblance, to the Bonaparte family
was in his back. One good saying
of the Emperor is recorded. When
Nicholas l of Russia congratulated him
on coming to the throne. he addressed
him as my friend" instead of INV
| brother" the usual royal phrase. "This
is most fattering," said the Emperor.
eve choose our friends; we cannot choose
our relatives
Dean Holes book giving his impressions
OF this country, just out, contains some
stance, that in prohibition towns liquor is
| generally dispensed in teapots, and
! tells about a guest in a hotel who
upon calling for something to drink
was told by the landlord: "You
will find a little tap near your dressing.
table IN your room, which will put you in
| communication with the old rye, and you
can take what you please for yourself and
your friends, as there is meter on the
other side of the WALL 1t cannot be sup.
posed that this was personal experience
of the good dean, and it looks, therefore
as If some wag had been 'stuffing" him.
1t is not too much to say that 'sThe
Traveller" of San Francisco is one of the
handsomest journals published in thi;
country. The January number appear:
with photograph in colors as fronts
piece, giving a graphic picture of the vol
cano of Kilauea at the Hawaiian Islands
Chief among the contents is an entertain
ing sketch on palmistry, with illustrations
by Jane Seymour Klink; Arthur mixers
ley contributes bright sketch, giving an
account of his experience at Oxford; w
V. Bryan has two-page article OH the
Injuries of mountain railways Santa Bar
baIa, by H. Edwards, is quite a unique
sketch, and Mrs. E. S. Marshall contrib