Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
NEW BOOKS and MAGAZINES
Bookmaken Taking a Rest Since the
Closing Of the Holidays.
opIe READ PUTS FORTH A NEW ROMANCE
Nsw Encyclopedia for Busy People
and New Method of Teaching Art
and Manual Training-short List
Of Recent Magazines.


As usual during the early part OF Janu-
airy there have been very few new books
coming to hand. There are, however. some
quite recent works, a number OF them OF
considerable value, that either did not ar
rive In time or were overlooked In the mass
OF literature claiming attention Just prior
to the holidays. Among the works OF fiction
that might come under this head Is Opie
Reads latest story, "a Yankee from the
West" While the critics protested to see
something homogeneous in his An Arkansas
Planter" and The Waters OF Caney FORK
they have only good words for his latest
production. 1t Is, in fact, a strong and con-
sistent story told In the e~pigrammatic style
Of the author. The central figure Is a
young college-bred Connecticut Yankee, who
on the death Of his father drifts out into
the Dakotas and becomes a cowboy and des-
perado. To escape the penalty Of a robbery
he works his way eastward, and under an
assumed name rents a farm in Illinois. earns
the money to make full restitution for the
theft, and through the influence Of his love
for a noble girl enters upon a new and
honorable career in life. TIL m ele-
ment of the story is In the first introduce
ton to the reader Of the hero while in
search OF work near a small village In ILL
nois and the retention to the end OF the
secret of his career In the Dakotas. HIS
education, reticence, industry and cult
waited manners render him a subject OF gos-
sip and curiosity to his neighbors and IA
cilitate the introduction OF a number OF
quaint and interesting characters. Two or
three Of these characters are remarkably
we'll drawn. The rough, shrewd but kind
hearted widow from whom the hero rents a
farm Is a type Of Independent womanhood
not at all unusual In the farming communi-
ties Of the western states, and a better de-
1ineation Of 1t need not be looked for; and
the poor old professor, whose eccentricities
have reduced him from the faculty Of a
college to a clerkship in a planning mill, and
who finally, on losing his position, sacri-
fees his life, insured for $40, 900 for the
benefit OF his family, Is a character sadly
real and pathetic. Rand, McNally & Co.,
Chicago.
Another work that was Of q character to
attract attention. but that was overlooked In
the reviews In these columns prior to the
holidays, was "Pemberton, or One Hundred
Years Ago." by Henry Peterson. a histori-
cal romance Of the time Of the American
revolution. The scenes are for the most
part laid In Philadelphia and the vicinity
of Tappan and Tarrytown. Many prominent
officers in both the British and American
armies are made to play an important part
in the story. Among the British are Sir
Henry Clinton, Sir William Howe and Major
Andre: among the Americans, General
George Washington. Captain Allan McLane
and General Benedict Arnold. The plot In.
cludes q double love story. in which two
Eno1tch oicforo hornma anpQUad tho 0ldef
to an American patriot, the younger tc
Andre. Some Of the historical events as de-
scribed in the book are interestingly writ
ten, but weary the reader with too much de.
tail Of what every good American and loyal
Englishman knows we'll. The chapters
bearing upon the inception and execution
Of Arnold's treason and Andres sad end are
exceptionally we'll adapted to a historical
work, SO infinitely is the whole affair de.
scribed. An attractive addition to the worf
are the illustrations, the best being those o.
Mrs. Benedict Arnold and child, Benedic'
Arnold. Sir Henry Clinton. the Chew house
at Germantown and Allan McLane. Henr!
T. Coates & Co.. Philadelphia.
The scene Of "Ezekiel's SIM" by ]. II
Pearce. is laid on the Cornish coast and tn
chief characters are fishermen. Ezekie
makes his living by Grabbing" and Will
following his work finds the body Of
drowned man with a money belt on At
Through love of his daughters. whom h
wishes to see well dressed, he steals tn
money, and the book is devoted to showing
the curse which the ill-gotten gold brings
The story Is powerfully told and though tn
theme is old it has original features. Georg
H.. Richmond & Son. New York.