The sun., 1897-01-09

Of the company put TO the blush several per-
sons Of distinction" who rashly consulted IL.
According 10 Mr.. Stevenson there is no copy of
the book In the British Museum. nor In the Paris
Bibliotheaue Rationale. nor in any public collec.
tion Of America, England. or France that he
can name. "One worn, but perfect, MS.
copy 10 to be found In Q private library
In the United States" From this the present
edition has presumably been complied. The
last century chronioler took his task In all Sc
riousness. and with solemn faith In its mys-
tories that Is refreshing TO contem plate In these
days OF doubt and unbelief; and his instruc-
tions as to ths forming Of the square and tho
mystic psrallelogram are interpreted with
many solemn saws. such as; And during all
that here ensueth Of Directions for your follow
ine, avoid foolish conversation and scottish
peasantres with those about you; having your
mind serious to your task" And again. when
eonnsellinR moderation In the number Of con-
sultations INDUCED In: TOO much Of any
good thing makes IL over common. biunts
the Appetite aud dulls the Apprehensivsnsss
OF the Reader. With fatigue. too. may come
Carelcssness aud, on good occasion. even Lying,
and besides let US respect the Supernatural"
Lastly. Ia set out the TAvola Of Signincanoles
and Influences" by the lisht Of which the cArds
In the paralloloEram are 70 be read. Here the
fair querist may learn how. under certain con-
ditions, the knavs Of diamonds may shield her
from the attentions OF the vain and amora-
tious man." while tho impressionabls youth
may. by paying timely heed TO the warning Of
the fateful Queen Of Spades, bs saved from the
Vaccinations OF tho female enemy. evil wish
Ing or evil-working." In the present edition the
phrasing has been amended. where II In in the
original hardly consonant with modern tAste;"
and the book may be recommended as likely TO
AFFORD Amusement TO those who take the troubls
TO work out the system II explains.
To writer gifted with poetic fancy and the
power Of expressing II In verso, few tasks could
ofer greater allurement than that OF depicting.
| In language worthy Of tho subject, the strange
and romantic civilization Of the IncAs. Mr..
Telford Groesbeck has taken as the subject Of
his poem, Tho Incas, the Children OF the
Sun" Putnams), day In the life of Huayna
Coapac, last Of the Inca sovsreigns who died
Just before the arrival of the Spaniards
| under Pizarro; the day Of sacrifice, with
which tho new year begins, and on
| whoh 10 held. In the holy city Of Cuzco.
the great feast Of Raymi. established In honor
OF the Sun. Mr. Grossbeck succeeds In giving
the reader . fair impression OF the rugged
grandeur Of the scenery Of the Andean slopes,
and the wondrous beauty Of the City OF the
sun, with Its terraces and hanging gardens. its
palaces, fortresses. and temples with their i'm
ages Of massive gold and silver. He Is cspe-
oially happy In his rendering OF some OF the
myths and superstitions OF this ancient race. as,
for example, In alludipg to tho beautiful Inca
| legend which relates that ChascA, the dawn.
being impreguated with tho heavenly light of
viracochs, the all.powerful god. dies each morn
in giving birth to the Sun. the Lord of Day. a
But when pure Chasca dies within her Eastern cave
pail Of clouds is thrown from heaven Ger her
grave.
From where the east wind wssps upon the mountain
And cuohi. here and there hangs rainbow .c.rrs Ger
head,
which CLEAN like eoiorsd wrsaths Of flowers for her
who's dead.
The poem 10 sxcellontly illustrated by Mr..
Eric Pape. and there 10 added o short history Of
the lncas, condensed from the writings OF Pres
oott Markham, Brinton. aud Z. @. Squier,
with . glossary. and an Introduction by Mr.
Clements r. Markham.
NJ. George dc yalllero prefaces . volume of
short stories entitled "Opals from Mexican
Mine" CSew Amsterdam Book Company with
this extract from an ancient NahuAte manu.
script in Querstaroi
Now, opais are the tears shed by Tonatiuh, the
Sun God. many ages ago. and which fell upon the
earth and have lodged In its bosom. turning Into
Jewels. II was prophssied by our fathers that men
would labor weArliy for thsm. and kinss would
pay great price OF gold therefor. Hence Il Ia
well know the virtues and portents OF these stones
and may wise mon ponder deeply upon what l. Chi
mapopoti. . descendant Of the high priest will say.
Now (of these stones) white, though veined
with red when held 70 the light and these portend
love aud death, and thers are some that sh m.
mer with the blue OF heaven, and these speak Of
love. Passion rings loud In those that are OF
the hue Of gold . II man take into his ha nd
that Is yellow, changing into eioudke gray and
sleep he will have strange dreams, . and IL IL
also that one may md handful Of divers hues
which may mean anything or nothing. a. one will
In De valliere's "opals" are Ave short stories
In each of which he has taken ~ his theme one OF
the portents Of the different stones enumerated
above. In tho 6rst, love: the second. love and
death; then passion. a strange dream, and
lastly - handful OF divers hues which may
mean anything or nothing. as one WILL" The
stories are interesting and we'll constructed. and
not without something Of the charm OF bright.
cloudless Mexican days and the mysticisms
and poetry OF the old Aztec legends; but they
arc marrsd by occasional sxaggeration and
artihciAlity, and . too obvious straIning for
effect. This sometimes leads the writer to
rather absurd lengths. such As describing the
Sierra as striking its purple teeth into tho
sky Of everlasting blue" and making ono Of the
heroines "crano her full white neck" and In
dulge In this sort Of airy persihage; I'VE can
Drehk tnrOuku tuo nhru CTubts OF herculty anu
envlronmens and challenge the laws and
powers of nature to combat. Call 1t spirit, self.
what you will. there 10 the kingdom Of tho
microcosm, In which the r. Is overload"
There is, however. much In each OF the stories
that moro than atones for these superficial
blemishes, and there are indications here and
there that would Justify US in the suspicion
that "GeorRe De valiiere" is tho pseudonym
OF some clever woman.
THE Chariot Of the FLESH" by Mr.. Hedley
Peek u.ongman's,, is a romance written In tho
form OF life history OF the hero, as narrated by
an extremely credulous and highly susceptible
friend and admirer. - had known Alan sgd
ney for some years before wo became at all In
innate. He fascinated, repelled. and puzzled
me. why would say to myself. is this man
so confoundedly unlike other men p" When
tho reader learns that Alan sydney not
only possesses tho power Of seeing through
doors and walls, and Of reading the
inmost thoughts of all those with whom ho
comes In ooutact, but can also ny or through
space or summon the spirits OF his friends At