The herald., 1898-07-03


In some trades there is great br.skness, in
others great depression. The effect on book
publishers and booksellers is instant and
immense, says a New York letter to the
Chicago Times-Herald. People undoubt-
edly read as much in war times as in the
calmer days of peace. A good many read
more, for everybody wants to know all the
newest details of the great happenings Of
thesdays-~But werEead newspapers and not
books. Or, II we do read books, we want
books about war, books which will give us
a smattering Of wars awful science and
qualify us at the same time to criticise the
board of strategy, which sits in Washing
ton, and the officers who walk the quarter
decks in foreign and perilous seas.
The plans of publishers have all been dis
arranged. Books that were to be brought
out at once are indefinitely postponed, and
the arrangements for the autumn are in
allegiance. 1t is not good policy to bring out
book and have to wait awhile for readers.
Nine out of ten of the successful books
succeed at once and win popularity because
of their first kind reception. Every pub
Usher hopes for this. Therefore. it would
be imprudent to bring out a work which in
normal times had great chance for success
when there is a certainty that in the pres
emit times the book would come out and es-
cape all notice
1t is, therefore, a very trying time for
both publishers and authors.
THE TENAL WAR. By Louis Tracy. New
York: The Macmillan company. Paper
covers, 464 pages. Price, rs cents.
10 s,
1.-THE Final War was evidently written sew
sral years ago, and the breaking out of hos
titles between the United States and Spain
vas its opportunity. The book presents
some startling condolences. Germany and
France declare war against Great Britain,
with Russia as their secret ally. The long
cherished idea of invading England is put
into execution, but Albion rallies as of old,
and hurls the invader from her shores. Ger
many and France are both invaded in turn,
Russia is forced from its secret alliance into
epen hostilities, and the United States Is
drawn into the vortex as an ally of Great
Britain. OF course, the Anglo-Saxon ele-
ment wins in the end, and It's triumph is
welcomed as 1.-The message of everlasting
peace"
The book is we'll written ard Is at times of
thrilling interest The ease with which the
English and American soldiers and sailors
outmaneuver and Outright their enemies
In the story-is rather ludicrous. The real
thing would not be so easy. But just now,
when the war spirit is on and when our con-
fict with Spain has been series of tri-
umphs. this feature will not be severely
criticised.
WAR TALES FROM M'CLURE'S. Being
true stories Of Camp and Battlefield.
New York, Doubleday & Mcclure Co
Limp covers, 1S9 pages; price, % cents.
The sketches included in this little book
have been published in McCiure's magazine
and are now reproduced In convenient
form. Gen. Miles, Capt. Musgrove Davis,
ryaj. A. r. Calhoun and Capt. T. ]. Mackey
are among the contributors.
O O o
APPLErONS GUIDE BOOK TO ALAS
KA, By Eliza Ruhannah Scidmore.
New York, D. Appleton & Co. Cloth,
maps and illustrations. 167 pages.
Price, 81.
The Appleton's have an enviable repu-
tation as publishers of complete and relia-
BILE guide books. The present volume is
new edition brought thoroughly up to date.
of the guide book published in 1898 and
again in 1896. Especial attention is paid
to the Yukon mining region and the various
routes leading to it. There is no better
work of the kind.
POEMS. By Edmund S. Holbrook. Chi
cago. Issued for Miss Florence Hol-
brook under the direction Of Way
williams. Cloth, gilt top, 2O6 pages.
The completion of this work has evident
" been a labor of love on the part OF
daughter who holds the memory Of her
father in the greatest love and respect
Mr. Holbrook is described as a lawyer,
soldier, poet, Democrat and friend of Lin
coln," an eloquent and honorable array of
titles. His verses are not those of great
poet but they are those of one who loved
his fellow man and who felt the fires of
poetical genius; who could best express
his dearest sentiments in rhyme. A nota
BILE selection in this book is an adaptation
Of 1.-The Star Spangled Banner" under the
title, "Our National flag" Mr.. Holbrook
held that the hymn by Key was burdened
by too much reference to locality and
to avoid this he extended the spirit of the
poem to a wider field while retaining much
of the original. 1t was daring expert
ment. The first verse follows
"See that banner unfurled from the hill
tops and spires,
The red, white and blue the bright stars
adjoining,
The eagle of freedom, the shield of our
sires,
As 1t floats DER our heads at the dawn of
the morning
Now 1t catches the CLEAN of the mornings
bright beam,
Now in beauty reflected from lakelet and
stream.
IT'S our Star Spangled Banner! Oh, long
may it wave,
the bravev'
THE HETERODOx MARRIAGE OF A
NEW WOMAN. By Mary Ives Todd.
New York: Robert Lewis Weed Compa-
NY Cloth, 207 pages; price, 81.
The title of the book Is against it to begin
with. 1t is one of the purpose" novels
that have come to be regarded with so
much suspicion. In marriage it holds affec-
ton the most important, and union in the
name of the law the least important factor
in matrimony; trusting an utterance by
Herbert Spencer to fit the case. The Chica-
go heroine and the Russian hero bring the
story to an end by uniting themselves in a
common-law marriage. If people like that
sort Of thing, this is the sort of thing they
like.
:.,.ss.f .ss. o o O