The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-18
BOOK CHAT.
ANw Book of Travel by De Amicis, a
New Chambers R manc I, New Batch
of Curious Legal Stories, .snd Other
New Thugs.

New Chambers r manc New Batch
of Curious Legal Stories. ssnd Other
New Thugs.
"Io the law. sll things are possible
even justice, observes Rsncolpn Mason.
Esq, attorney -at-law. But this interest
ing individual devotss himself in three
ont of five tales compriseds in book en-
| titled THE Man of Last Resort" 10
demonstrating certain possibi lities Of
the law whereby justice Is eyaded. In
the Juntt tale-ths episode OF the above
I quotation-the man Of last resort rescues
| justice by the scruff Of her neck when the
! legal machinery left 10 itself would havo
accomplished what every reader will be
| prepared TO believe Is injustice.
These curious legal stories in 1.-The
| Man OF Last kesort or the Clients of
Randolph Mason, are by Melville Davis
son Post and arc published by q. Il. Put
MANS soma (F0r sale by Gregory. The
| first demonstrates that under certain con-
| ditions he law will defend the borrower
F.. OF IA sum of money and justify him in re
| fusins TO pay the debt even though 1t Is
L
perfectly intelligiblo provision in will
may yet te SIDE tracked ana rendered
| null i'm the law; the third Is an illustra-
! tion OF the fact that tho law may be in
! Soked TO free "A murderer against whom
| there Is sufficient evidence to convict;
| the fourth shows how 10 stave OF a judg
ment indefinitely. They are clever and
nj oh lv i,,r
ing tho eyes OF tho laymen rather wide to
| the fact that all things are indeed posi-
| BILE TO the law and that justice has not
| necessarily monopoly OF its advantages.
The reader who follows Randolph
Mason through these four tales, however,
| is bound tO bo left STRANDED by the eth
| one and ID suspect taat the legal coiupli-
cation therein Contained would prove
rather too much FOR oven the man OF last
resort.
Mr.. RoIert w. Chambers works with
strong Calcium light u brighton his
effects. His colors are vivid. The ending
OF his chapters Is apt TO give one the i'm
preston of the curtain ringing down on
| stage climax. lie Is lavish with prop
critics and accessories, scenery anu mount
ings.
Iue Franco Prussian war. was Just the
weird, concentrated ana spirited drama
tnat, il may be imagined, Mr.. Chamb bcrs
himself mighJ have written out of MS
head II history mad not conveniently fur
Dished II for tlo use OF any and oil
writers who might choose TO pick IL up.
With that brieI ana garish action that
tipped over one empire and set un another
running through his story or Lorraine
Mr. Chambers furDisned brilliant
romance-an American war correspondent
FOR hero, fair daughter of Lorraine for
"A heroine, German Uhlan anu an
American girl. the war correspondence
sister, also loyeTs-various types Ot
trenUhmen, all picturesque, ana French
women. boom of cannon, rattle OF steel,
galloping horses, braying bugles, chateau
and forest, ALL indeed, that the most
critical lever OF smart romance could
possibly hope fer makes Lorraine"
mighty readatle and singulnrly fetching
book. For all his Tree use of trappings
and calcium light MIR. Chambers is never
artificial. His breezy, manly humor and
his universal truth OF the sentiment lie
deals in makes him always convincing.
lhe heart OF the romance Is an exceed
ipgly realistic organ.
II is a remarkable tribute Indeed, that
With the thousands of books Of travel
available the English speaking world
shcuid furnish n market TO the Writings
Of u foreigner in translation. IT was per-
haps ID or go years ago that we had our
eyes opened To the benuties OF ths Italian
traveller Edmondo tie Amicis, whose So
iournings IN spain, Holland, CONSTANT
nople aud other far from unfamiliar
| places were Yet recounted IN n way tDat
| gave. them new delight. How pleasantly
| Wa recall the first that came under our
| hands-it was Spain, and a capital
illustration of the freshness and frankness
| of the writer is found IN the description OF
hA hItll huh .f I'M
| to be condemG cd, quite, indeed, the young
| traveller found a. Lad as tie common re-
ports of 10 In his own country But he
adds, he wanted to 60 agDiD-just
| the same And that is probably tho ex-
pgrience Of nine-tenths of the forete n RS
| wno are introduced 10 the bull-Dgat-
though, few, if any, traveller have cared
| to confess IL IN their writings.
| But the charm Of DE Amicis is that
| he feels every ything, sees everything, and
| then he coniessss IL all To his roader-at
| least that is tie effect of his writings.
| lhe reader has the feeling. not of listen.
| ing TO the story teller, but of being him
| self the traveller or AT least companion.
| q. Il. PuJnam's Sons have lust issued
| 10y this author "On Blue Water f" trans
! lated by Mr.. Jacob Is. Brown. 1t tells
| Of voyage from Genoa To Buenos Ayres
| in IN emigrant steamer. IL is a delight
| ful book-ouriOusiy good reading. i'm
mensely entertii ming. It is elegantly
printed, lavisSly illustrated ana richly
bound, is thn volume Altogether one
OF the most attractive books in every fea.
| turo that the season has produced (Eor
sale 10y Gregory. Price &. %
Under tha title "Ihe Interest OF
! America in Sea Power, Present and Fu.
ture u" eight papers by Captain Mahan
that originally appeared IN magazines,
are collected ana published bv Little,
| Brown n Co. The Oldest Of these Iapers
| dates back TO 1870 ana the latest appeared
! this fall. The papers are republished
! practically as originally proparrG with no
! attempt To bring them 10 data or weld
| them togethur. some day, therefore, they
| may have peculiar interest aside from the
| pro~eut lnstructlyeneSS as CAPTAIN Ma
| han uses his material In tho asuects of