The times., 1898-07-03

intricacies of military operations, and
on his canvas grand panorama of Eng
lish, French, German, Italian, Russian,
and East Indian troops appear. 1t is al
together too much for one man to handle
with ease, and although some of the
chapters are fine, notably that in which
the American fleet comes to the rescue
OF the English, and the Anglo-Americau
alliance is cemented, things become
rather mixed in the last pages. There is
also considerable amusement, for an
American, in the figures of American Off
GERS of the army and navy who appear
upon the scene. An Admiral Manan (eyi-
IDENTIFY intended for Mahan) who expresses
himself TO the effect that he guesses he
knows the American people pretty well
by this time, is more stage Yankee than
anything else, and there is somewhat
apocryphal Wild Westerner who arms
and equips regiment-or is ii a divis-
ion?- and brings it across the continent
in two days and half. Meanwhile a
Pennsylvania % Congressman named
jeremiah Sloker, makes a stirring speech
in favor of the Anglo-American alliance,
which brings down the House and the
Monroe doctrine at one and the same
time. This is a sample OF it:
Are we such hoodoos that we have only one
string to play on and like superannuate1 he
dler ding away at ii till eyeryone's distracted? /?
Who was Monroe? An excellent gentleman who
made very sound remark. We appreciated his
remars and we treasured it up. But | guess
he's dead. 1t is quite time TO dandle fresh
baby in the face of Europe. 1t is quite as easy
10 make a new doctrine which viii have just rs
much authority. !, sir, am, ] trust, an excellent
gentleman. And l will make a very sound re-
mark daughter ard ehecrs) And you may
call it, If you like the jeremiah p Sloker Doc
trine. And this is what my doctrine is: II IS
our duty, sir, TO remember the claims OF kin
dred to succor brethren, TO assist those
hard pressed in unjust war, TO fight for truth and
liberty.
And then Mr.. Tracy takes occasion to
say that the whole House, save for
small knot of Ministerialists,' was en-
thusiastic. He seems to have discovered
a new American political party Alto
gether this book is amusing, though not
precisely in the way i'll which its au-
thor possibly intended.
THE Great Polar Current IS a little
book recently issued, and made up OF
three or four papers on the subject by
Henry Mellen Prentiss. They are clever
ly written. and Mr. Prentiss reviews the
work of De Long, Nansen and Peary in an
interesting way. He believes that the
great Arctic current Of which the con-
meeting link was discovered by Nansen,
begins north of Bering Strait and Wran-
gell Land, flows northwesterly above the
New Siberian Islands. and northerly
across, around or very near The Pole, or
at least far 10 the north OF Franz josef
Land; thence southerly by Spitzbergen, by
the east coast of Greenland by Labrador
and by Newfoundland. until it meets the
Gulf Stream 1t is mis- opinion that its
influence is felt on the coast Of New Eng
land as far as Cape Cod. The book is
published by the Frederick A Stokes Com
pany, New York, and will be found on
sale at Ballantynes
THE Art Of Taxdermy'' IS a work by
John Rowley. evidently intended for the
! use of amateurs. although some of the
| instructions given are for Jobs which il
would not be well for an amateur 10 at
tempt. II is thorough and minute SCI
Of instructions on the subject Of stuffinS
birds animals and reptiles, from a zebra
to a field-mouse. The subject Sf mount
ing the specimens also receives attention,
and the reader Is told how 70 make flow
ers, grasses and fruits with which 70 sur
round the nest Of a bird or the stuffed
skin of a wild deer There are also in
structions as to the articulation Of skele-
tons, and formulae for the preparation
OF Daper-mache 70 be used in making
manikius. and for all sorts of chemical
substances useful In the preservation Of
would be valuable book even for per
son who did not contemplate making
large collection OF birds. II Is sort Of
naturalist's encyclopaedia. Il is publish
ed by D. Appleton & Co. New York.
Meg OF the Scarlet Foot" by W. Ed
wa;d ds Tirebuck (Iarper & Bros. New
Yorl0 IS a story OF life in a Lancashire
mining village. The heroine, while sciu
an infant, is deserted by her mother, and
no clew is left TO her identity except
the scarlet foot. which is her birthmark
She is adopted by Margit Mitigate. the
mother of Ark Mitigate. who figures as
the hero Meg, as she grows to woman
hood, has three lovers, and rebelling
against the necessity of a choice she
leaves the village and has a variey OF
more or less important adventures She
! finally marries Ark. after disaster in a
mining pit which kills her TWO other
lovers. There is good deal OF dialect
of somewhat meaningless kind. in the
book. and the diction is rather too alb
rupt and disjointed for perfect grace.
| There is nothing remarkable about the
romance, as romance, and the horse
play Of the villagers Is rather too rough
to be interesting.
Pagan Papers,, by Kenneth Gra-
hame John Lane: The Bodley Head.
New York;, is a collection of whimsical
and daintily-written essays on various
subjects. Possibly, the list of titles Is
the most fascinating page in the book.
Such names as THE Romance of the
Road 'Marginalia." "On Smoking.
THE White Poppy and 1.-The Fairy
Wicket" does Mr.. Grahame give to his
sketches. and the notions conveyed are
certainly charming. Candor compels one
to say. however, that the essays do not
bear out the promise of their titles.
There is a pretty phrase or so, but not
TO the purpose. The sketches are bits of
description and reflection cunningly mix
ed. and the only trouble with them is
that they are entirely composed of
style" Like a glass of soda water.
when one has finished there is nothing
left-scarcely a memory. Yet since
style is an essential part of literature.
little volume like this has its value
and II would be an excellent bit of read
ing for the young writer, who has COM
monty more ideas to express than words
in which to express them. THE unap-
peasable wind-sad, ceaseless as the cry
of warped humanity" There is a
phrase which strikes you at once, but
there is nothing behind 1t. 1t is the
empty picture frame without the
thought-picture. But these essays are
very artistic frames.
-Four Centuries of Spanish Rule in Gu
ba: or, Why We Went to War With
SPAIN" is historical sketch by Italo