The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-24
SOME HOLIDAY BOOKS.

Inc Now "iitns iSriuker anu AL
other Fine Book For Boys-George
Washington as His Contemporaries
Knew Him.
For our part, IL we were boy. and
should be asked to express ourself ~ 10
brace OF Christmas books ana should get
q glimpse of "Hans Brinker,n ss put out
once again by Charles scribnor's Sons,
and OF the ''I he American Boys Book of
SPORT" by ID. q. Beard, from the same
house, We feel confident thar We should
bs likely to say "them's 'um," o" "that's
the stuff" or something else that means
as much-and without much hesitation.
"Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates"
Is classic of literature for boys snd
girls beyond anything that has ever been
written, IL seems TO us. We have for
gotten how many years have passed since
we first "reviewed" the story Of the
Silver Skates, which happened TO be one
OF the sparse few books to be had from
the Sunday School library that wero worth
cracked marble. And IL We re-
member right the Sunday school teacher
mad read that same book In "her time"
1t has been brought out several times
since to delight new companies OF girls
and boys and now here 1t Is again, in an
edition more elegant than ever before, q
book most beautifully bound and printed
and packed fun OF the choicest of pic
lures by Mr.. Allen b. Doggett and Mary
Mapes Dodge's name still there as the
author just as il has been for so
many years. Indeed the name OF the
author is the only thing familiar to US In
the first glance of this beautiful book.
1t does not strike us as being more favor
ably situated and associated than II was
when we first saw 1t on our own Brinker
book-because nothing could exceed the
glory OF that But We know that to the
boys and girls who will see this new
volume our old book would look like
poor, battered stuff beside II. And so
Wen keep 1t out of the way and let the
new tangled BrinKer, brought up to he
standsrdof q generation that fairlywallows
In lov.ly print and picture, have right Of
way splendid story always. preston
& Rounds, Price $2.50.)
AS for the "American Boys Book of
Sport" that is so stirring q production
that 1t quite overw helms us. We cannot
fix in our mind just W hat would happen
to boy who found this wonderful
volume among his Christmas pile because
we have nothing to score on. We feel
one thing, though, ana feel 1t kecnly,
that 1t IL O burning shame that this book
wasn't writtea and printed and put in
our hands at least . matter of say twenty
years back. We guess that everything
that the American boy loves to do for
sport-and that is as often as not some
thing profitable to the boy as well a.
pleasure ble-must be in this took--from
spinning top to sailing full-rigged ship,
from 81 spy" that very likely was played
in the Garden of Eden to golf that Is
but recently imported to our land. And
Mr.. Beard, who illustrates his own
book himself, let's few pages get by him
without drawing picture on them. And
30 in respect to everything about 1t this
book Of outdoor games, sports and hand
icraft Is big, beautiful and bountiful be-
yond measure. Why the mere list of
things toll about covers seven closely
printed pages, the whole volume COM
prising nearly 500 pages. It's a glory,
truly. preston and Rounds. Price
s2.50)
The late Eugene Field wrote songs
that according to the testimony Of COM
poser Reginald De Koven made their
own music. Says Mr.. De Koven: "In all
Of FIELDS verse, in even the broardly
comic, there is a markedly lyrical quail
ity which invariably suggests musical
setting" To twenty of Mr.. Fields songs
then have Mr.. De Koven and his asso-
ciates ftted tuneful music in book OF
large size and elegant appearance "songs
OF Childhood" published by Ch irles Scri-q
ner's Sons and for sale by Prest on and
Rounds at $500.
Fifteen out of the twenty melodies
we're composed expressly for the unique
volume of music-the five old friends,
inclrding OF course the song of the Little
Peach. Each song is printed complete on
a page by itself, set in border, and
following such page is the full score of
panimsnt Best les Mr.. de Koven, tue
composers are Arthur Foote, q. W. Chad
wick, w. W. Gilchrist, Clayton Johns,
Gerrit Smith, G.. B. Hawley, Edgar 5.
Kelly and Hubbard II. smith. The
variety of these child songs is as wonder
fur as their individual beauties and TO
express the singer has been the aim of
the composer in each instance. A charm
ing cover completes an altogether charm
ing work.
"who was George Washington" The
question is commonly answered with a
suita bic, or unsuits ble "break down.:
"First in war, first in peace, first in the
hearts of his coun-try-mun
SO be was, and the more We learn about
him, the more closely we get to him, the
greater he looms before us. lie does not
diminish In the least with familiarity.
The writers who are now making for us