The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-17

are truer 10 the one time Ike Oh Ca1i-
fornians? Press Of Houghton, Mifflin
& Co., Boston, $1.25.
The Little Folks Publishing Com
pany, Springfield, Mass, has issued one
of the first of the holiday books for the
season Of 1891 1900 1t is Return of
the Fairies" and is by Charles ]. Bella
my, with Illustrations, quaint and, hui
morous, by Charles w. Reed. It is a
pretty muslin bound stiff cover small
quarto. Edward Box. author of THE
Ladies' Home Journal" says Of the
stories that .they have a charm about
them which is rarely met in stories OF
this kind and adds that they have
in them the absolute atmosphere of the
child world. We agree with that verdict.
There are six stories in the volume
bearing taking titles. as follows: Story
of a Christmas Eve" STORY OF the
Enchanted Cave" STORY of the Bad
Boy" STORY of the Golden Key" and
STORY of the Magic Mirror" Return
of the Fairies promises to have large
holiday sale, and will make delightful
birthday gift all the year round. 1t is
printed from large and clear type, with
wide margins. and the artistic design
on its cover cannot fail to please.
"Heronford'' is a strong, masterful
and intensely dramatic novel by s. r.
Keightley, author of THE Crimson
Sign," 1.-The Cavaliers" "The Silver
Cross" and other works of clean and
dramatic fiction. 1t is from the press
of Dodd, Mead & Co., New York 1t
is quite out of the question that a
sketch of the story should be given
in this notice To do so would be but
to mutilate a romantic and satisfying
work Of pure fiction. 1t has no histori-
| cal significance. is not a philosOphic
work, nor one wound in with the in
tricacies of new doctrines or theories.
1t is just a straightforward, deeply in
teresting and absorbing story, we'll told
and with diction and plot unexception-
able, though the latter will excite many
an adverse comment-one of the best
proofs of it's merit.
The reader must be supposed to know
who Elizabeth w. Champney is, to be
somewhat familiar, or, at least, to
have good knowledge of her literary
successes. She is one of the few sue
cessful writer's of the day for young
people. 1t is in that field her great
triumphs have been won. For instance.
who has not heard of the Winnie books
and who that mingles with reading
children have not heard them Sxnress
their gratitude to Elizabeth Cnampney?
She is out now with another volume
for young people, not babes or very
little people, but for the teen youths,
whose taste for historical information
she quickens and stimulates in PA
thence, a Daughter of the Mayflower."
1t takes the young people back to the
days of the romance of Sherwood For
est, of Good Queen Bess, of Sir Philip
Sidney, of Raleigh and the departure
of the Puritans from Holland and
their landing on Plymouth Rock. 1t is
richly illustrated, beautiful story
beautifully told, and in broad sense
truthfully told-in the sense that all
historical stories which are true to the
main purpose are truthful. Press of
Dodd, Mead & Co., New York.
=
Marion Harland's latest work is lust
out from the press of George P. Put
octave, well bound and richly embellish-
ed in blue and gold and profusely illus
trated with half tones and process
plates. 1t is entitled More Colonial
Homesteads and Their Stories It
tells us the stories Of a host of the
famous early homes of the country, like
the johnson Hall home of Johnstown,
New York; Morven, the Stockton
homestead of Princeton, New Jersey;
the Schuyler Jhemesteads Of Albany,
and so on. These stories are histories.
They add valuables to the history Of
the country by going into details which
the general historian cannot treat They
lay no claim to newness, but they res
cue and put into living light family
history that is part and parcel of the
concern of our land, and tell us of the
inner lives of the men and women who
have helped to build it to these fair
proportions. There are eighty-one IL
Illustrations in this handsome book, and
it is the second of the same order, hav-
ing been preceded by Some Colonial
Homesteads" This volume, however,
concludes the series, we believe 1t is
a book that belongs on the shelf of
every we'll selected library.
Smith Brunt, a Story of the Old
Navy" is by Waldron Knitting Post
and is from the press of G. P Putnam's
Sons, New York: $1.5O It's author says
of it: This book is not a product of
the recent war with Spain It was
nearly all written more than a year
ago, and conceived long. before that.
The United States navy existed prior
to 1893, though apparently undiscover-
ed till then by some persons. Before
that date also there have been good
people in England, very like our worthy
selves" The volume is an historical
novel dealing with our navy in it's early
days. Lawrence is prominent char
acter; most OF his contemporaries r1g-
ure Ill the volume, and the mystery Of
Somers and his crew at TripoIi forms
part of the story. While endeavoring
to preserve the spirit and traditions of
the old navy. the author has also tried,
and successfully, to bring out strongly
the abominable side of war, particular
iy war between kindred people The
story follows the adventures of young
Lieutenant and of a little midshipman
The opening and closing scenes are laid
in and about the Great South Bay, and
some of the principal characters hail
from Long Island.