The herald., 1897-04-04

FAMILY life OF the most remarkable genius
of his age. The style Is charming and
the whole management of the material
shows excellent judgment and taste.
1t is q book that will find its way to the
homes and hearts Of the lovers Of good
literature.
THE SPIRIT OF AN ILLINOIS TOWN
AND THE LITTLE RENAULT. BY
Mary. Hartwell. Catherwood, author
OF "The Lady of Fort ST. John." :"
"The Chase of st. Castin." "Old Kas-
kaskia," etc. 16mo. $1.25.
The first story relates to the Illinois
of about two generations ago. The in
teresting narrative is lighted up with
the charming heroine, the Spirit of the
Illinois town. 1.-THE Little Renault' is
a touching episode of Tonty's life in
Illinois in 1850. Indeed, the latter is a
charming little romance.
OF the main story in the volume much
can be said in its praise on general
grounds. The west is being now ex-
plotted in various forms of literature as
never before. The general newspapers
have essays, the local newspapers bris-
tie with points, while the magazines
are content with nothing less than
"studies'-and mighty interesting stud
les they are.
THE scene of the story is laid in Trail
City, which sprang up where two rail-
roads intersected, in region without
single natural advantage" and where
'in undrained sloughs the iris flags
stood In ranks and at a passing touch
millions of sensitive plants folded their
lace leaves and closed their black-eyed.
maize-colored blossoms"
The spirit Of the town is Kate Keene.
killed in the terrible cyclone, and for
whom the young editor of the little local
paper, who himself came near to dea tn
in the same dreadful visitation, cried out
dn his delirlum. H0heard her cry in the
storm, he longNd for 'the stainless love of
his stainless girl" and his poor friend
could only moan in his attempts to COM
fort him. "She was the grandest sight
under white flowers that you ever saw
living with the frozen smile. The women
say there wasn't a bruise on her, and I
don't. believe she knew she was hurt. I
said to myself again and again. as I
looked at her. THE spirit of an Illinois
town." She was, indeed. Sprung out
of hardship, buoyant and full of re-
sources. big-hearted, patient, great
how nightly she did express the soul
of the west!'
IL is strong story, full of western
spirit, equal in local interest to anything
Mr.. White has tol0 us of Kansas, and Of
a finer literary quality.
MUNICIPAL PROBLEMS, by Frank
j. Goodhow, LII. D.. professor of ad-
ministrative law. Columbia univer-
sity, author of Municipal Home
Rule" etc. Cloth, 16mo, $3.50
This splendid treatise upon one OF the
most important phases of government,
is a fitting supplement to the authors
we'll known preceding volume, "Muni-
cipaf Home Rule" In that volume the
attempt was made to ascertain what had
been the effects of the various consti-
tutionai provisions adopted in the Unit
ed States for the purpose of securing
municipal home rule, and what was the
success of the methods adopted in for
eign countries to insure municipal au-
tonomy. The author, believing that the
general scheme of government has great
influence on its organization and poll
tics. has attempted in this volume to
treat the city rather as part of the
governmental system than as an isolat-
ed phenomenon. He hopes. by showing
what the city really is, to throw light on
most of the important municipal prob
lens of the present day.
A history of municipal organization In
the Unitel States is given, full enough
for all needs. This shows. in general,
what the real position of the city Is to-
wards the county and state. The effect
of administrative control over Euro-
pean cities. especially those of England,
is shown in elaborate chapters. A sep
arate chapter Is given to the city coun-
ell and one to the city executive; and the
treatment of these two branches is very
just and discriminating.
Perhaps the most interesting portion
of the work, however, that Is, of the
preatest popular interest, is that treat
In Af ;.,fa of po1
ties with municipal government. This
is deplored as 1t should be. On the whole,
this is a very valuable and timely vol
anne.
THE DEvIL-TREE OF Ell DORADO
BY Frank Aubrey. New Amsterdam
Book company.
The scenes of this rather remarkable
book are laid In spot OF earth not here
tofore. to our knowledge, brought into
a novel. 1t is story relating to that
wonderfully rich region involved in the
venezuelan Question" the precise loca-
tion of the devil-tree being in old time
Roraima, and upon the site of the tra-
ditional city of Manoa, or, as the Span
iards called 1t. Ell Dorado. All that is
known about 1t Is that 1t was probably
within what is now designated as Brit
ish Guiana. We are told that the old city
great lake called "Parima," but nobody
can now actually show US such a lake,
and thus everything lapses into myth
and mystery.
But the author is very sure that there
was a great natural amphitheater in
the city. and in the midst Of it stood the
devil-tree. and that it had strange pow
er; even the power of action. 1t was
a gruesome thing. Its branches coiled
upon the top, which reminded the be-
holder of the snakes entwined round
the head of Medusa. They formed q
kind of crown, of a character suitable
to the frightful monster whose head
they encircled. Dreadful things hap
pened around this awful spot, and the
traditions seemed to have grown until
even human beings were said to have
been caught UP by the reaching branches
of the tree, and crushed in their folds.
as the victims of serpents are crushed.
It is weird. uncanny tale. but whose
fascination cannot be denied.
PERFECTION CITY. BY Mrs. Orpen.
author OF the chronicles of the Sid,"
etc. Appleton & Co,
and Country Library series. 1t Is a
story Of the prairie. with its happenings.
harsh and pleasant. There Is no END
to the variety of life and incident all
of which 1t is best to leave to the reader
as the story unrolls itself.
-nof psi zvbgkqj cmwyp shrduv
ROBERT THE BRUCE AND THE
STRUGGLE FOR SCOTTISH INDE-
PENDENCE. By Sir Herbert Max
well. New York: G. p. Putnam's