The sun., 1896-07-25
NEW BOOKS.
Brier Reviews OF Importnut and Intercut-
Ing New Pnblieations.

rubJ buhii iSiHnu Thlscu us NuOAS hOoN Oh
the port. then another soon appeared on the
starboard sidc until A. last they wero so nu-
merous and ciose together that they gave one an
idea Mt distance OF continuous line OF shore"
This Is q bit OF description from A Voyage to
viking Land" by Thomas SedRwick Steele
Estes & Lauriat, Boston,. Mr.. Steele was ono
OF party Of 100 souls, ninety OF whom
were wide-awake, vivacious, never-behindhand
Americans tho remainder being Eood-natured
Germans" He belonged. OF course, TO the
major division Of this company; that is he
was an American, wide-awnke, vivacious,
never behindhand, and not German dis
tlnguished by tho single characteristic of
mere good nature. The Norwegian coast was
coming into view. and It curiously presented
itself in tho form of two small islands which
presently came to be numerous and close to-
Rether. One may sail long way and look In
vain for two small islands doing anything rs re-
marknble rs this. and Mr.. Steele very naturally
made q note Of the occurrence. There was gratl-
hcation for the palate and for tho ear as we'll 40
for the eye. -Four well-served excellent meals
per day." Mr.. Steele records ito say nothing of
the many lunches sent OF with the pansenr
when on Shore appealed to our gastronomio
tastes. and for the musical part Of our nature
band OF fourteen pieces had been provided"
After the two small islands had raised their,
rocky heads and become numerous aNorweglan
pilot came aboard and the ship entered the
Hardanger Fjord. This" says Mr.. Steele, us
one OF tho finest fjorls in Norway. some hold
ing 1t to be the finest, and tho COLI
stant Obs. and 'Ahs' of the assembled pas
senEers on deck attested to their full enjoyment
of the many beauties that continually opened
before u.s." Probably the forty German passen-
gers enjoyed 1t in their simple way; In the lively
intelligence of at least one of the Americans 1t
awoke the instinct and set in operation the
powers Of analysis and comparison. such
grand old mountain peaks" says Mr.. Steele.
coming to sharp. bold point, Just rs noun
ta!ns always should. and not like the oval. un-
satisfactory top OF Mount Blanc: In fact. this is
| one OF the pleasing peculiarties Of the Norway
mountains" But the mountains, after all, were
hardly as remarkable as the waterfalls. "Then
such an innumerable display OF waterfalls" /"
Mr.. Steele records, mot one or even dozen In
sight at once, but hundreds of them coursing
down the mountain sides. any one OF which
would we'll repay visit" 1t seems TO us as
though the waterfalls. OF which not one was
in sight ut once. must have been quite as SUR
prising as the two islands which became numer-
Gus. They must have baftied even the wide-
awake, vivacious Americans, leaving them be-
hindhand for once. and we cannot but think that
1t better In the circumstances TO be to
the limitations OF the German passengers who
had nothing at all to do with the waterfalls. OF
course. except to take them good naturedly
The excursionists got to Odde Just in the nick OF
time: within thirty days after our visit" says
| Mr. Steele. IAN English lady was heating her
| curling irons over spirit lamp. which ex-
| ploded, setting fire to the hotel and ad-
Joining houses consuming half the town"
| In another case there is no record OF
| any such providential interposition and delay
In behalf Of the excurslonists; no English lady.
heating her curling tongs. set fire to the North
| Cape, and Mr. Steele had no need to hurry in
order to make acquaintance with that majestic
| landmark. The midnight sun. too. was alto
| gether accommodating. We feel ourselves ir-
resisibly impelled to quote Mr. Steele's account
of the midnight sun. which is both laconic and
| spirited. 1t will be observed that the account
| includes. also. some report OF the midnight
| moon. Tho whistle blew" says Mr.. Steele
1T was Just 1910 A. n. We gazcd ut the sun;
| its extreme edge barely touched the surface OF
| the calm sea, and. its lurid reflections shot
| across the waters. we all exclaimed with
| delight at the wonderful exhibition OF tho God
| of Day ruling supreme for the entire twenty
| four hours" Not Strabo and not Copernicus had
| ever beheld n thing like this which was beheld
! comfortably BY the ninety Americans and the
| forty good -natured Germans who made up Mr..
| Steeles party. And now" continues Mr.
| Steele what was our surprise when, on turn
| ing around. we discovered the full grown moon
| in the opposite heaven. and Mt almost the same
| position on the horizon striving its best, with
| its borrowed light. to compete with its ad
| versary. Such a condition Of circumstances
| seldom falls to the lot of tourists to these
| regions and all most heartily congrat-
ulated one another tho fortunate event."
| Fortunate. indeed! The ship turned about
| presently and sailed toward the opposite
heaven and toward the moon, and It fetched up
| in dre tina at HamburV nj which oDulent n
port on q still night one may hear. almost the
differentiated music OF the Seven Musicians OF
the Town of Bremen. Mr.. Steele carried cam
era, and his book is amply illustrated. One OF
his pictures shows US the God of Day ruling
supreme for the entire twenty-four hours" Mr..
Steele wide awake at 1910 a. NJ, and
snapped Off the deity Just as he touched tho
surface OF the calm sea. 1t seems to US to be q
great thing to have trapped the midnight sun,
| and to have Gagged 1t securely in an attractive Q
and impressive book. We hope the forty Ger
| man passengers, when they come to understand
| what has happened. and to be aware Of what
| Mr. Steele has alertly done, will find them
| selves able to continue In their charac teristlc
| habit, and to be good -natured aboutit.
Probably the reader will not feel that Tho
| Secret OF Mankind" has been wholly revealed
| In the anonymous romance published under
! that title by tho Messrs. Putnam. He will have
| merely, and. We dare say. his entertainment in
| it's perusal will depend somewhat upon his
| habit in study and reading. and upon the direc-
| tion in which his curiosity has been naturally
| and agreeably INDUCED. Eternal Being Is not
an interfcrent 1t is not even transcendent. But
| this desire to be. and being, to continue: this
| principle whereby Survival Is attained. Is immi-
| nent in each of tho parts as It is In the
| ALL" That 10 bit or tho dialogue
| In THE Secret of Mankind" and 1t seems
to us to be fairly representative of the contents
| OF the All pages included In the book. AS we
| say. tho avidity with which a romance of this
| character is devoured depends good deal upon
the habit and inclination Of the appetite 1t
seems to be true OF some people that the more
| they are mystiied tho more they are satisfied.
There would be no paradox II there were nobody
| to Justify 1t; but this need hardly be said. We
have called Tho Secret OF Mankind" a ro-
nance. Perhaps we have erred In this; but the
| book certainly las tho romantic form. We