The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-12
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+ BOOKS Of THE DAY.
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Observation-Disclosures.

uous federation n was not kind or wise TO
leave this difficult problem unsolved.
1t is 10 easy thing 10 draw a picture OF
chiid-life. and Sarah Grand has il in her
to do ii very well. Beth as q child Is In
teresting ard weil-drawn. save for the
authors fatal practice Of preaching even
out Of the mouths OF babes and Stockings
The opening pages. where Beth's mother,
already enfeebisd by child-bearing. and
on the eve Of Be;h's expected birth is
buIiied by her husband. who curses be-
cause she has forgotten 10 order supply
Of whisky. who roars at the other children
and storms AZ the food that is set before
him. are strong, IL brutal portraiture.
and the story of Betas early
years Is almost cruelty pathetic.
But the rest OF the book Is dis
appointing and sometimes exasperating.
If We did not have in mind the dedication
OF the Heavenly Twins and know what
an Immaculate gentleman Mr.. Grand is.
We would be inclined 10 think thar her I'M
reasonable generalization was the result
Of an unfortunate personal experience.
Indeed. in many respects the Beth Book
il fairly good expression of what is best
and worst In the feminine temperament
ness Of observation and pathetic sensitive
ness. combined with wrong headedness.
unfairness and morbidity.
ASTORIA. BY Washington Irving. G.
Putnam's Sons.
Two years ago the publishing house of
q. Z. Putnam brought out Washington
Irving's "Taies of a Traveller" in the
~,
most elegant volumes offered to the
Christmas trade. Last Christmas brace
bridge Hall" was chosen as the Irving
feature. This year. on the same lavish
scale and with equal attention to all the
Details Of bookmaking. it publishes "As-
toria." that interesting collection Of adj
ventures during the early exploration of
the Northwest. adventures which opened
up the country to settlement. Years ago
Astoria" was read as sort OF standard
history OF early development. while today
ii is mostly read for the purity of the
writer's style and his fine enthusiasm for
hardy pioneer life.
This edition. for no apparent reason. Is
called the Tacoma edition. AS everyone
knows. the book was named after the
trading post Astoria. and it's material was
found In the numerous journals and let
tiers of the members of John Jacob AS
tors great fur-tradlng company. 1t seems
strange that the edition should have been
named after a mountain, far distant and
invisible most OF the time, when the whole
story centers about the great Columbia
and In clear view of the beautiful Mount
Hood.
The two large volumes are beautifully
printed. each leaf framed in the ara
besqne border. which has been a feature
of the Irving books as they have come
from the Knickerbocker Press. The cover
is white buckram. ornamented with de-
signs of eagle feathers and spearheads.
The illustrations. which are very fine, are
made by X. r. Zogbaum and j. c. Beard
and are taken from old paintings, prints.
engravings and photographs. Some OF the
best Illustrations show Mount Hood, the
Dalles. the Cascades. the Needles and
Multnomah falls.
THE TEACUP CLUB. BY Eliza Will
liGms Way e. Williams, Chicago: SIS.
THE Teacup Club" is theh title of
frothy little book, portion of which
originally appeared in the New York Jour
nal IL Is an account of some girls who
start club for the purpose of discussing
u
problems and other large questions The
discussions. however. get no further than
their announcements because OF the girls
interest in new gowns. gossip and per-
sonal enui,y generally.
The style OF the book may be known
by the way In which the characters are
designated. The biue-eyed girl. the gill
with dimple in her chin. the girl with a
Roman nose. Meaning TO be funny, 1t
shows all that is unlovely In the line OF
featherbrain feminini,y. The account of
feminine vanity. jealousy, ana small in
triguiug does not MAKE laughable fun.
The book is one of the numerous imi;a-
items of the Dolly Dialogues" but 1t
completely lacks the brightness and
sparkle OF Anthony Hopes nonsense.
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POEMS Fly O. F. PEARRE. Published
by Mrs. u. +. Pearre, Pontiac, Ill.
4 very pretty little book just out is a
volume OF poems by q. f. Pearre Some
# the shorter poems dealing with home
Is topics have already appeared In some
OF tha leading periodicals, such as My
Neighbor Jim pat Mcbride & Co"
The Moon Of Flowers" exc. MI Pearre's
poems SO not cover a wide range. but the
sentiment throughout is good and help
fuL The author lived close TO nature.
and the song-bird. abe murmuring brook.
the whispering branches OF forest trees.
the tempest, the changing Of lie seasons.
we'e 20 him sources Of inspiration.
The volume Of poems Is published nv
his wife with The hope that they may ell
evate and cheer the lives OF those who
read them.
THE SNOW PEARLS. A poem. By
Ella Higsiuson. Illustrated hy Maud
Miner Biglow. Price 500 I.owmaa (
Hanford
One a. the most beautiful holiday hooks
that has come 20 our notice this season
"a thss entitled The Snow Pearls being
a poem by Ella Higginxcn. illustrated nv
Maud Miner BiEiow. bowman < Ham
ford are tire publishers. and the entire
gct-up q The hook print. paper. TILE
page, cover Is pa excellence The cover
design - simple and beautiful \ sketch
az the o,yuaics. The Snow Pearls" ,r-
co background 81 blue cloth. The H.
iustFators ara exquisite and in each in
stance carry cur Mrs. Higginson's pen
picture most tremendously The book Is
4 wosk of att in ,ry particular.
UNCLE ROBERTS GEOGRAPHY. ~
ir%0cfs W. Parker Appletou's Home
Reading Rocks, - cents.
How - rob textbook CT terror Tor
tho youthful reader seems 70 have 4,<.
cleveT'y solved by Francis ". Parker =,
his contribution 20 AppIeipas Home
Reading Books. called "TFneie Roberts
Visit" In 3 bright sua entertaining
nay IN ;hs farm GO talks with children
eesyhy~4 vefs.ess-sfa Ia