Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-20

Worlds" attracted a great deal Of atten-
ton. II was Wild and weird and had about
II the unreasonableness OF q Jules Verne
romance, but Il was so we'll done that
every reader was fascinated. So in these
thirty stories he has called strange" there
is always that strangeness that could come
only In fiction, but the building has been so
well done that the Structure Is admirable.
The first Of these strange stories is one
about an orchid hunter. and herein the
author reveals one source Of his strength
in that he shows himself to be thoroughly
familiar with the fad OF orchid collecting.
Inc hero Is an ardent seeker after strange
pants and his wish that he might find
something different from anything else is
az last gratihed In a way that he will not
forget. But this is not stranger than some
Oh tue other stories. For instance, the story
In the Abyss is that of a diver who con-
trlved n strange machine for taking him
to the bottom Of the sea and he describes
his sensations after a first Journey into
the depths OF the ocean. It is all strange
and yet realistic. All of the stories in the
volume are characterized by that closeness
OF construction that marks the true story
teller-no words wasted. no pages of mean
ingless sentences, no revamping OF old sit
udtiois' Harper u Bro, New YORK. Sl.bU.
Shifting Sands" by Frederick r. Burton,
Is one OF those strange detective stories that
makes no ~pretense of being such and yet is
as fascinating as one professedly involving
some great secret to be ferreted out by
strange clews and the ~shrewdness of some
superior brain. In Shifting Sands the
robbery Is an unusual one. even more UNI
usual than the average robbery with which
q detective story starts out. and 1t involves
q great deal of domestic history. Some
thing is stolen from the house which is not
valuable for itself and could be of no value
whatever to any thief, and the family is
awakened at dead of night to hear the rela-
ton OF the story. In fact it was a double
robbery and nothing lost: but an earnest
search is made and finally that which is
stolen is found in. the most unexpected Of
places. 1t is a fine lot Of complications
that follows. Amateur detectives devise
explanations and follow slight olews which
turn out better than the larger ones of the
professionals. The story moves on rapidly
TO a bright end and everybody happy. Rand,
McNally & Co., Chicago. 81.
No name is more familiar to American
students of elocutlon and oratory than that
of s. s. Hamill of Chicago, who Is the author
Of many works bearing on modes of express
sion. Prof. Hamill has lately prepared
another text book on his ~favorite subject,
under the name Of Easy Lessons in Vocal
Culture and Vocal Expression" which ex-
plains fairly well the purpose and scope OF
the work. The book is intended for classes
in rammar and high schools where the
study Of expression is limited and yet the
best is desired. The lessons may be fol-
lOu,ad with proff nv fhoSa who mako "a
specially of vocal expression and also by
those who desire proficiency in vocal eX-
preston as 1t Ia used every day in business
or social conversation. The book is well
adapted to this purpose. Eaton & Mains,
New York. 60 cents.
The supply Of books on financial questions
was already quite sufficient, but room car
easily be made on the shelf for a thin vol
ume on Analysis of the Functions Of
Money" by Senator William NJ. Stewart. II
which the senator makes a clear eXplana.
ton Of the view of money taken by him
self and his associates in the agitation fol
unlimited coinage OF silver into money By
the United States. The book is highly rec
commended by the leading friends of the
bimetallism represented by the senator from
Nevada. William Ballantyne G. Sons, Wash
ington. SO cents.
H. L. Hastings, editor of the Christian
Boston, has published a compact volume
profusely illustrated on THE Wonderful
Law in which he discusses the Mosaic
law in all its various phases and defends
it from the attacks of infdels and others
AS a contribution to the controversy ove1
, the reliability of certain alleged revela
lions and the good arising from the OLE
laws under which the Hebrew nation flour
ished 1t Is valuable. but one need not ex
pect pleasant diversion in reading the book
Published by the author, Boston, Mass. 3
a Gems.
"Cast Thou the First Stone" Is a simpl,
, love story reprinted at this time becaus'
it was prophetic of the conflict Of nation
OF tho present year. 1t is by Marie Nor
ton and is given a subtitle of a 'story o
, Spanish intrigue and treachery, involving
our Mexican boundary line and 1t wa
plainly intended to show the dangers o
:, religious controversies among a people no
A too well informed of the nature of al
a things worldly and otherwise. 1t is highl,
commended by Bishop Faliows, Editor Stea
and others. Charles H. Kerr 4 Co., Chi
cago. 80 cents.
New books received:
Tales of the Trail, by Henry Inman, Gran
& Co., Topeka. 81.
+. The Game in Wall Street, by "Hoyle." j
= S. Ogilvie Publishing Co., New York. 81.
. The Determination of Sex, by DR.. Leopold
!, Schenk. The Werner Co., Chicago.
-Four Centuries of Spanish Rule in Cuba
by Italo Emilio Canini. Laird & Lee, Chi
cago. rs cents.
u "Whiz," a Story of the Mines, by Ameli
W. Holbrook. Laird & Lee, Chicago.
The State: Its Nature, Origin and Func
n lions, by l.. 7. Chamberlain. Baker & Tay
lor Co., New York. so cents.
Literary Notes.
> Emperor Williams f~orty-six portrait
taten In different places and reproduce
:, in the Cosmopolitan, comprise the mos
y notable addition to American literature i
recent weeks.
Prot. Parker of Grinnell, Ia, has not onl
Il discovered that five trustees OF Iowa col
lege are descendants of those who signe
q the Mayfower compact in 1920, but tina
the late J. b.. Grinnell was a descendan
of John Alden and Priscilla.
.e Charles scribner's Sons have Just secure
.e from England a volume of short storie
re by "2ack,' some of which are in the Coz
n nish dialect. The volume Is entitled elf