The herald., 1897-05-23


message for mankind that should take
him upon the platform, and the attempt
of Major Pond to tour England with
him was ridiculous.
\ +
A GODDESS OF AFRICA. BY ST.
George Rathborne, author OF "Dr.
Jack" Her Rescue From the
Turks Masked In Mystery" etc.
F. Tennyson Nicely, New York.
This story ranges all the way from
tame bivouac on the desert or in the jun
gle to such dashipg affairs as DR.. Jame-
sons ride, and is full OF adventure and
strife, principally in the Matabele coun-
try.
The International Studio. the new IL
Illustrated magazine Of fine arts, is sure
to be success If one may judge by the
promise of itspages and the good words
spoken concerning 1t by the newspapers
of this county. The May number is the
third issue.
= +
GENERAL GRANT. BY James Grant
Wilson D. Appleton & Co.
This finf volume is the latest Of the
Great Commander" series, and Is like
ly to have much larger sale and read
ing than any Of its predece ssors. In the
first place. 1t is full volume-full Of
meat AID no padding, as was necessary
In ordfr to compress within the pre-
scribed size so much material In the
second place, no other man, all things
considered, could tell us so much that we
really want to know about Grant as his
old friend and companion, who UNDER
took this task. The volume reads all the
way through like inside history and yet
simply and fairly told, and not IS par
tEan or over-zealous friend might tell 1t.
Perhaps the most interesting chapter
rs that one which gives the generals let
tiers to hie old friend and neighbor Hon.
E. B. Washburne This correspondence
began in 1861 and lasted nearly twenty
years. or course, the most important of
these communications Of Grant are those
written in the troubled times when he
was in the midst of his perilouSduties at
the front. They tell few important things
that are entirely new, but between the
lines Of them all are things one can guess
that greatly help.
| The volume has elaborate maps and a
very full index. No other single-volume
biography Of the great soldier has ever
told us quite so truly andso fully his real
life and services, 1t seems to us, and we
take great pleasure in commencing it to
the public.
= = \
HIS FORTUNATE GRACE. BY Ger
trude Atherton, author of "a Nhirl
Asunder," Patience Sparhawk and
Her Times" etc. d. Appleton &
Company.
This book is more ignorant, vulgar.
inane and utterly unworthy than any
former volume by Mrs. Atherton-if
such thing be possible.
y 4 \
THE LANDLORD AT LIONS HEAD.
BY w. d. Howells. Harper & Bros.
For sale by Stoll & Thayer~
While we have always kept track of
Mr.. Howels in his general work-as who
does not?-we confess to the fact that
we have not till now read any of his long
stories since "a Modern Instance"
aroused something of irritation and an
tagonism. That story we never could
quite abide, somehow, much less praise.
1t had fine touches, and Barley Hub
bard was perhaps as true type of the
village publisher as we shall ever see
But yet, the volume was not up to the
mark, and not few admirers of Mr..
Howells fell away from him about that
time, as will be well remembered.
l., IL
again. This story Is on the old, broad
and wholesome basis, that realism
which does not offend or weary; for it
has a fine underlying stratum Of hope
and humor beneath all its strictness of
detail. 1t is the story of. the evolution
of the modern summer hotel, growing
from a very small beginning. An artist
paints a bit of mountain crest which out
lines a lions head, and out of this in time
is born The Lions Head Hotel-a Run
naysonce" hotel as the neighbors called
it. How the hard working and pinched
people who inha bited the old farmhouse
and ways finally grew out of it all and
into the new estate of taking boarders,
has never been told so we'll before; while
the lives of certain frequenters Of the
hotel and the neighborhood form the
basis Of the broader phases of the vol
ume.
One thing strikes the reader when
through with this book. 1t is that the
story has somehow told itself. The lives
Of the few actors have just worked out
have lived, and this
is the simple story of their lives. In
this there is strong resemblance be-
tween the methods of Howells and
James. But James writes episodes in
lives, while Howells writes the lives
themselves. There Is very little plot
and yet the happenings are many. The
reader could not guess how jeff Durgin
was ever going to find chance to get
even with Alan Leynde for the cowardly
blows in the face, but 1t came about
without the smallest straining Of things.
There is as much cunning in the order
of events as there is skill in relating
them. Indeed, 1t is strong piece of
literary work, and will prove leading
book OF the season. We confess that for
time we rather tired of Mr.. Howells,
but we confess also that we are not only |
reconciled to him, but that 1t seems like
milk and honey to come upon such a
!, oft or fxro Of