The herald., 1897-02-07
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EDITED by ENocn KNloNr
Ths Fairy Tales Of the Race


VINO told them first the poet or the sage,
These fairy tales that run from age to age?
The children of the north and of the south
Repeat them and repeat-they are in every
mouth.
Behold, they were not made as other songs;
No enc lone bard have they, but nameless
In sundered lands have toiled upon the
theme,
Whose fabric from the loom flows perfect,
without seam:
A perfect whole, yet wrought by hands d.
verse;
Tho shadowy warp from India or from
Perse;
Then, Greece gave beauty; Scandinavia
A changeful and mystic light upon the
welt.
Thou simple child, pleased with thy fairy
tale,
Thou lsnowest not what truth it might un-
veil;
For old it is as are those pictured SCROLLS
That in Egyptian tembs Shall serve re-
turning souls.
There has been dearth of books of all
sorts since the holidays, and dull trade
will last till spring fully opens. The
publishers are not idle, but they know
that, more than any other business, per-
haps, the book trade has its plainly
marked seasons, and that long rest
must follow the deluge of early winter.
A few strong books, on stirring themes,
find favor any time, but the bulk of new
volumes must have adventitious aids to
command a hearing.
Meantime the business of book review
ing is being faithfully attended to, with
out regard to the tides of business.
Never before has it been practicable or
possible to learn so much about books as
now. Not only are the old established
literary journals improving and enlarg-
ing, but new ones are constantly coming
into the field. AT small cost family can
have a worthy weekly or monthly jour-
nal from which can be gathered the
truth as what books to read or buy. And
the newspapers, too, of the better class.
now find a literary department one of
the most needed and attractive features.
1t is no longer true as it once was, that
the literary editor does not treat readers
and publishers honestly. No favortism
and no bias of any sort should ever be
possible in such a department as The
Herald has established and we are glad
to feel assured that the faithful readers
of these columns have faith in the opin-
ions expressed therein.
Great Romance
AS we have once before said of Quo
Vadis, it is great romance. The title,
"Quo Vadis," is taken from the words
ascribed to Peter when he
was leaving Rome, discouraged and met
Christ on the Appian way: "Quo vadis,
Domin ?''-"Whither goest thou, Mas
ter?" To which Christ is supposed to
have answered that he was going to
Rome to be crucified a second time be-
cause Peter had deserted. The author
makes use of the story and Peter returns
and is cruoified on the same day with
Paul.
Like all Sienkiewicz's novels. this
arge volume is full of analytical as we'll |
as descriptive matter: but after all there
IS nothing that the reader would leave |
out 1t is full also or dreadful happen
ngs, as BELTS the story of Neros crazed !
and cruel nature. and the terrible
scenes in burning Rome and the slaugh-
ter of the Christians. Nothing so strong
as this recital of those terrible events
has ever before been put in fiction FORM
and the best service we can do the read
ers of The Herald is to leave the story
TO unfold and declare itself to all who
may read it. 1t dwarfs most of the other
novels of the year.
THE CAREER OF CANDITA. By Geo.
Pastor. Appleton & Co.
This is number 20S of the ever well
come Town and Country Library SER
es, and is most interesting story. 1t |
ieals with some of the most difficult |
social problems of the day, which are |
treated In a straightforward yet FORUM |
ate way. 1t is a volume that we can !
commend for its earnest and honest as |
we'll as intelligent, treatment of most |
theme.
WHAT WOULD THE WORLD THINK. |
By Octavia Clouston. The Dodworth
Publishing Co.. New York.
This is a paper-covered novel which
tells of the downfall of a young and
faithless wife of New York banker
What would the world think if it knew
about that slumbering volcano? Well,
we should say, 1t were better not to tell
The world. This is a good book-to burn.
FACING THE FLAG. By Jules Verne.
F. Tennyson Neely, publisher.
This Is one of the most interesting Of
the lesser Verne romances and has for
It's scenes of action the region about
Pamlico Sound, on the North Carolina
coast. 1t is brimful of invention that at
once amuses and staggers the reader
The story is put in cheap and attractive
shape.
THAT AFFAIR NEXT DOOR. By An
ma Katharine Green (Mrs. Rohlfs).
@. 2. Putnam's Sons, New York
Here is most engaging story based
upon the mysteries of great city. It is
a romance of New York, and the next
door" where the scene opens, and about
which the conflicting currents OF the
story eddy, is the Van Burman mansion.
Granercy park. The volume is full of
action and Incident, and is equal in vigor
to anything the author has ever done
What she has done, in other volumes
the thousands of readers who remember
The LeaVenWorth Case and Marked
Personal need not be told It Is story
which, coming from such a hand and
from such publishers, might be taken on
trust with safety.
THE AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH,
by James Bryce. Macmillan com
pany.
This is an abridged edition of the great
work which has made Bryce an author
tty on American affairs. The present
volume Is designed as an introduction to
the study Of the government and institu-
tions of the United States in colleges ana
high schools. Everything has been
omitted from the larger work which does
not bear directly upon the constitution
ana the government. In other words
everything likely to be of service to
teachers and pupils in an elementary
course in civil government is preserved
In this carefully edited volume. II is n
concise survey Of the institutions of
our country which the author homes
Will not only help the work in the
schools but will stimulate in pupils "a
thoughtful patriotism" and quicken