The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-10
THE BOOK TABLE.
AN ELUSIVE LOVER-TEE CTS
EEROS CUBAN BOOK.
The New PuritanisEl-Seven Stor-
les by Bret Karte-EioWers OF
California, Etc.


A year or more ago the Recofu-
Union took sincere pleasure in motto
ing q work descriptive of the Madeira
Islands and some children's books by
A. j. DreXel Biddle. a writer who pos
sesses the art tEe few have of writing
entertainingly for little ones. Mr.. Bid
ole is a travelled man, who has made IL
the business of his life 20 see much Of
the world He is likewise an observing
man and thinking one. His reflec-
lions. therefore, are, since he is Sch0l-
arly. sensible, often profound, and his
expression at all times graceful. One
of the latest of his books is The Sec
ond Froggy Fairy Book" The first
which appeared last year, was a
charming thing, and the second falls
nothing behind it. The story is told
with the spirit and fancifulness which
enchain the attention of children and
make them love the author who gives
them such relishable entertainment.
The volume, a very handsome one, Is
illustrated from drawings by Anne
Pennock, and is from the press of
Drexel Biddle. publisher, Philadelphia.
AllOlHcG NOluilS dt manu- Is ny iilt SCiIiG
author. and is entitled The Flowers of
Life" 1t is daintily done in linen and
gold illuminated covers. It's contents
consist of a series of essays, literary
etchings and sketches by Mr.. Biddle.
some of which have been reprinted
from magazines to which he has con-
tributed and others are revised from
a brochure of his entitled AN AlIegory
and Three Essays" The essay "Opin-
jon' and the sketch THE Life of an
Ephemeron," are charming papers,
graceful, thoughtful, poeticaI and de-
hghtfully restful In all he writes Mr..
Biddle endeavors to enforce moral les
sons and to lift the mind to high pur-
pose and to the level of better things.
His literary criticisms are especially
sound, and ought to have wide reading
''Shanty-town Sketches" is another
book by Mr.. Biddle, in which he de-
monstrates that he has a rich fund of
humor, and relaXes occasionally. In
dialect writing he is entirely success
full, in the very amusing paper entitled
~ Blather'S Lecture on Ornithology,"
as also in the etching, AT the Thea
ter, From the Gallery Standpoint"
From William Doxey, publisher. San
Francisco, We have a volume of over
400 pages, entitled The Wild Flowers
of California: Their Names, Haunts
and Habits" 1t is by Mary Elizabeth
Parsons. and the drawings are by Mar
gar,et w Buck. The title discloses the
character of the book, but does not
give an adequate idea of it's elaborate
iS- bA h. rf,,sly
on the fora of California that has yet
appeared and it seems TO cover the
entire field 1t is a scientific work. in
fact, not a poetical or sentimental one.
Indeed. it is a text-b book, a glossary, a
lexicon ana a general guide. 1t is a
very valuable contribution to the prac-
tical knowledge of the day. The illus
trations of flowers. plants and herbs
are very many. and are all well drawn.
strongly given. SO that one could scarce
fail to identify a flower or plant by
means Of these pictorial guides.
Tales of Trail and Town" is a new
volume by Bret Harte. Houghton, Milf
fin q Co, Boston, Svo 81 -. There
are seven of these short stories by this
popular author, and the three we have
read maintain his reputation for dra-
matte effects in recital. They are quite
as good as anything Mr.. Harte has
given us in the last eight years or so.
The longest of the stories, Ancestors
of Peter Atherly." has the scenes of its
activity in California in part and upon
the great plains. Another, The Judg-
ment of Bolinas Plain" is wholly Cali
fornian, and a very tragic love story it
is, coarse and untutored as are its
chief characters, Beasley and his wife.
the acrobat and the deputy Sheriff who
met death for a woman's smile. Al
kali Dick "A Night on the Divide. y
1.-TWO Americans" and THE Youngest