The record-union., 1896-12-27

IAN Itinerant House and Other
Stories" is by Emma Frances Dawson,
with illustrations by Ernest C. Peixotto,
San Francisco. William Doxey, pub
Usher. Full-bound, uncut pages. Some
of the tales in this charming volume
appeared in ''The Californian" in the
'Argonaut" and the Wasp" One of
them won a prize offered by the Short
Story Magazine" New York, but some
Of the best pages of the volume We're
written for this book. Miss Dawson has
long been known to Californians as
writer of short stories, striking and
original in character. Some Of these
have attracted much attention in
magazine print. The best and most re-
markable Of her stories are collected In
this volume. Current Literature" says:
'tShe stands in the front rank in the lit
erary development of California and
richly deserves all the recognition and
success that can come to her. She Is
something more than clever woman" "
NJ B. Anderson, Professor of English
Literature in Stanford University, says
of her: 'In order to find Miss Dawson 5
equal in her own special field, the critic
must go back to Poe and to Hawthorne.
One or two of her stories and three or
four of her poems bear the classic stamp
and will live in literature ages after
most of the writings which now engage
the attention Of the public shall have
passed away"
The color of California and the mel
lif1uous flow of it's Indian and Spanish
nomenclature are gifts to the romancer
and poet of the Pacific Coast. Miss
Dawson 'uses the brush and touches
the lutte" with judicious hand. With
her it is pre-eminently the color Of San
Francisco-the gray Of the sea fog, the
electric glow of the sunshine, the dim,
dreamful mysteries of the romance past,
the majesty of the eucalyptus and the
palm, and the overpowering perfume of
the flowers that clothe it's hundred hills.
These are fit setting for Miss Dawson S
weird and mystic tales in which the
known and unknown. the possible and
the seemingly impossible are skillfully
blended.
we have Loves Demense, Garland of
Contemporary Love Poems, Gathered
From Many Sources" 1t is by George
H Ellwanger, author of THE Garden s
Story" 'The Story of My House" In
Gold and Silver" and "Idyllists of the
Country side" It is in two small very
handsome volumes, admirable for Ii
brary shelf or a holiday present, and
with richly embellished covers in white,
pale-green and gold. 1t is an admirable
collection, selected with exquisite taste
and a sense of fitness. The poems are
all from modern and largely from liv-
ing poets. AS the compiler we'll puts 1t,
the dominant chord as lyrical and in
the general nuisance the minor prevails
over the major key" Mr.. Ellwanger
has placed some of his own poems in
the collection, and they well deserve
such enshrinement.
From the Macmillan Company, New
York and London, we have Mrs. Hum
phrey Wards novel, "Sir George Tres
sadly" 1t Is in two volumes uniform
with "Marcella-" 1t is stronger than
Marcella, and we must think it the best
thing that has come from her pen,
though conscious that such expression
flies in the face of the preconcep
tions of those who esteem Robert Els
mere" the supreme work of Mrs. Wards
life 1t is less philosophical, doubtless,
less argumentative and much less the
illogical, but it is a better story, fuller
of human interest. and has a more rapid
movement and is certainly graced by
Il in ht1nl Il
ram, SD
From the Macmillan Company, 66
Fifth Avenue, New York, we have a
beautiful, full-gold edges. Illuminated
cover in gold, freely and richly illus
trated copy of Irving's "Alhambra-" 1t
is an elegant volume and for a holiday
present we can conceive of no better
in book form. The illustrations are all
by Joseph Pennell. and the introduction
by his wife is a very graceful paper on
the Alhambra as seen by the lady and
a rare, rich tribute to Irving The vol
ume sells at So
1.-THE Earth and It's Story" a first
book of geology, by Angelo Heilprin,
Professor of Geology in the Academy
OF Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
Sixty-four full-page illustrations, II
mo-, 267 pages, cloth. Introductory
price, 81. Silver, Burdett & Co., pub
fishers Boston and New York. AS an
elementary textbook on geology this
book, by a geologist who is acknowl-
edged as a high authority in the sci
ence, is unique and superior Of its kind
II treats of all the general facts of geol-
ogy without being too technical or anal
ytical. A beginner can understand II,
and nothing is omitted which is vitally
essential to complete popular trea-
tise. Its 267 pages contain, the story of
rocks and how they are made, their
stratifcaaion and the wonders they
contain. The student learns how mount
aims are formed by foldings, overturn-
iug breaking and other upheavals. He
is taught the origin, growth and char