The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-06
BOOK STORE CHAT.
New Flcilon--Mr. FIELDS Revolutionary
D.fences OF Rhode Island"

Charles Scribner's Sons, publish, and
Preston az Rounds have for sale two
more volumes from the pen OF the late
Robert Louis Stevenson. One is sin the
SouthSeas" being an account OF experience
es and observations in the Marquesas, Pan
motus and Gilbert Islands in the course
OF two cruises on the yacht Casco (1SSS)
and the schooner Equator (lSS9). The
letters Of Stevenson TO magazine and
newspaper, recounting the experiences OF
these two voyages are now brought to-
gether in book form for the first time.
price sl.50).
Among the South Sea islands sre.to be
found the Edens, the Gardens OF Para
disc, that still remain to the cart h. Here,
IL anywhere, is to be viewed man In his
primitive state, though since Stevenson
wrote, the primitive state OF man is about
gone even from the paradise islands OF
the South Seas for the march of events,
the revolution of civilization, the over
hauling of the primitive state by protect
crate have been rapid within the past
half dozen years. 1t Is we'll that there was
a Stevenson to fix the impression and ex-
press II to every voyager who has known
and loved the places and the pc eople OF the
South Seas, association with which and
with whom is ever q treasure OF memory
and the longing to review 1t never
dies. See Naples and die-see the South
Seas and stay there and live forever
where everything invites to lifel re-
porter OF exquisite style. was Stevenson.
He was thoroughly enthrslled, As hun
dreds have been by the atmosphere OF
the South Seas and the charm OF the
island life and the island people. These
letters are rare delight 10 whomever
knows before the reading what Stevenson
saw and felt. And to the lover OF good
reading, the kind that will transport
you from common earth, the South Seas
book is like favoiits poet for q compau-
ion at all hours and for all time.
"Fables," by Stevenson. is offered by
the editor with what would seem to be
an unnecessary apology. The volume is
uniform in, style with the "Valima Let
tes''-16mo, price 81, and the Stevenson
fables are s'quainr lot of writing. Some
of them, the reader is likely to W on der
after he has smiled in process OF perusal
what they are all about. For the most
part they seem to be less than thought
full while more than thoughtless. If
the customary "moral' OF Esop were
attached to them 1t would, perhaps, In
most cases have to be discursive and OF
considerably creator length than the re-
spective fables, and even then would
stand a chance OF failing tc arrive at a
decision. Most OF them are delicious
eburdities, even for fables, and suggest
that the author amused himself i'm
mensely in thus fixing In words tho kind
of ideas that wake up in the human
brain and die before maturity.
Archibald Forbes, the dean, we believe,
OF the fraternity of war correspondents,
at all eventf the most generally known of
them, has written a great deal on matters
associated with or springipg from his
actual reportorial work in the field. A
num Der OF his articles are collected in
book entitled Camps, Quarters and
Casual Places" PUBLISHED by the Macmil-
for s1.75. There are nineteen of these
articles, comprising personal experiences,
stories, studies, essays, descriptive
sketches and instructive rches-the
titles, as "German War Progress, A Vor-
sion of Balaclava," "The Campaign of
Today" "The Inner History of the
Waterloo Campaign, "The Warfare of
, nf h.
jects selected, governed apparently with
the idea OF variety. MIR. Forbes Is always
an entertaining writer. He makes a
su bject interesting whether the reader
bas an original interest in IL or not. And
there is heap OF readable matter in the
book.
"Blind Leaders of the Blind" by
James II. Cooke, NJ. ID. (Boston: Lee &
shepard), is a book of some 4S0 pages,
plainly but substantially bound in cloth
and printed on good paper and in excel
lent type. As 10 the contents Of the
book, 1t may be designated n biographi-
cnI novel dealing with certain social and
economic evils in our own country, and
az the same time telling with a pleasant
compIaconey the story of the struggles and
successes OF blind BOY from the south,
who, by his own talent. energy and love
OF knowledge. masters both an academic
and a professional course OF study and
then makes decided success in law and
mairimony in the metropolis OF New
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