The herald., 1897-05-16
and the manuscript was sold in London
some years ago for $1,000.

l.
MISS ARCHER ARCHER. BY Clara
Louise Burnham, author of DR. La
timer" "A Sane Lunatic," ietc.
Houghton, Miffiin & Co.
Miss Burnham does not appeal to us
with pleas for doctrines, fads or whims.
Nor is she sensationalist. There is not
page in any of her many books which
could by any possibility belong to any
of the lurid novels Of the day. She just
tells lis good old-fashioned stories that
bristle with incident and bubble with
healthful amusement In this newest
volume she is lavish of provision for
the readers entertainment. The scene
are laid mainly in that fascinating
coast region around Casco bay, in Maine,
with season or two at Old Point Com
fort. Virginia. The gentlest fun of the
book is at the expense of Mrs. Archer,
the matrimonial promoter; and the most
distressing passage is that which tells of
Roger Gerard's displaced knee pan, and
how Nathalie Dexter pulled his leg so
gravely and yet so delightfully."- that 1t
was made right again.
The interest not only never lags, but
the reader has to have all his wits about
him to keep track of what is going on.
One pair of lovers, If they be of. the ap-
proved sort, will do for the average
story; but there are two pairs here, and
these, with the outside talent, make up
three-ringed circus of rare merit. It
is never the business of the reviewer to
parade the details Of a story of this sort,
or even to trace the plot much less is
it his business to try and discover mo-
tive or a moral. But it is the reviewers S
business to say whether it be worth
reading, and we can answer as to this
one, very emphaticaly, that it is. In
deed. 1t is brimming with wit, with
worldly wisdom and, what is better,
with the very. best sort Of fun. Priscilla
Toothaker alone Is worth the price of
admission.
LADS LOVE, by s. R. Crockett, author
of "Cleg Kelly" bog Myrtle and
Peat" "The Lilac Sunbonnet," etc.
illustrated, 12mo, cloth, $3.50. Apple
ton & Co.
In this story Mr.. Crockett is back
among the old Galloway scenes and is at
his best in the lighter vein he assumes
SO well. The story Is more like ''The
Lilac Sunbonnet' than any other of the
authors books, and that means that
1t has genial atmosphere, with touches
of humor and pathos here and there. 1t
is not a great story, nor strikingly new,
but rather, as the author says in a pre-
fatory note, 1t has "a somewhat peculiar
and composite flavor, resulting from an
attempt to epitomize the various hui
mors. idyls. loves and tragedies of moor
land life in Scotland well-nigh half a
century ago." One feels that the places
are real but most of the rest is wholly
fanciful.
AS we said, 1t is in lighter vein, and
the peculir dialect becomes somewhat
| wearying at times; but the variety of
characterization is great and the gen.
eral tone buoyanr. 1t is to be feared,
however, that the business Of bringing
out Scotch in all its possible shapes
may soon involve risk. We have had
a steady pour now for about three years.
The title of the book is one of the
names of that very pungent shrub
known the world over as southern-wood.
80 dear to our grandmothers, and sprigs
of which were so generally worn by
lovers upon counting days in the olden
ti-~-