The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-21
THE LITERARY TABLE.
CUBA AND PORTO RICo-LITTLE
LEATHER BREECHES.
Life Beyond Observation-Disclosures
layan Tales-Little School Girls
-Woolf's Pen Sketches.

Cuba, It's Past, Present and Future"
By A D. Hail., New York: Street 4
Smith. One volume, with maps. A
brief, but direct, clear and very strong
statement of the case of the Cubans,
with lucid and evidently correct ac-
count of Cuban conditions. In the
same volume is an account of con-
ditions and society in Porto Rico, the
achievements of our army there, maps
of the country and cities, etc. 1t IS
apparently truthful recital, and it is
certainly well told.
Life Beyond Death" is by Rev. Minot
J. Savage, d. D. 1t is a review of the
worlds beliefs on the subject; a con-
sideration of present conditions or
thought and feeling leading to the ques
ton whether it can be demonstrated
as fact that there is life beyond death.
To this there is added an appendix con-
tanning some hints as to personal ex-
periences and opinions. The volume is
from the press of G. P. Putnam's Sons,
New York and London. Rev. DR.. Saw
age is so frequently contributor to
the reviews, magazines and other peri
odicals of the time, and is SO prom
inent as a monographist and lecturer,
that it is not necessary to speak eN-
tendedly of his style or the direction
of his thought. That he is a very free
thinker and advanced man in many re-
spects, and by many considered as hav-
ing passed over the line of reason into
the realm of vain speculation with
drift toward new and fanciful notions,
is we'll known. Whether such estimate
of DR.. Savage is true or not 1t remains
that he is a stirrer of thought, an IN
veStigator, a pioneer in research, a be-
lever in the other world and life for
men there. The volume before us is
review of the proofs taken along the
same lines of inquiry pursued by the
Society of Psychical Research. 1t is an
inquiry into the scientific evidences of
life beyond death. He holds that such
problems can be scientifically investl-
gated, and that true scientific theory
concerning them can be framed ana
verified. 1t may be added that Mr.
Savage believes that we are on the eve
of the discovery of that other country
We have not had time to read the work
fully, but enough of it's chapters have
been read to justify us in saying that
Mr.. Savage's book is a valuable con-
tribution to the literature of the subject
Of which it treats; that it's style is de-
lightful, it's franknesS unparalleled, its
boldness unequaled, and it's fairness
cannot be questioned. One lays down
the book with something Of the i'm
preston that Mr.. Savage is not thor
oughly convinced by himself; that there
fingers as yet something of a doubt in
his mind as to the future; that while
anxious to believe in life beyond the
grave he admits that there is a faint
doubt about it, Notwithstanding that he
frequently asserts that we live on and
forever, advancing to higher and nobler
conditions. Perhaps a full reading of
the book will dissipate this impression
we have of it, however.
We have from Bretano's (New York;
the second and revised and enlarged
edition of Benjamin Woods 1.-THE Sue
cessful Man of Business This is a
small volume every young man in the
land should read. It will do all good,
and none will hold the time lost who
peruse it's pages. 1t is sound reason
from first to last, backed by indis-
putable proofs. If its thought was OBJ
served by all young men, and its pre-
cepts written upon their hearts, we
would have a generation of business
men in the next series of such virtue.
stability and uprightness as would fore
shadow the millennial era.
Il u
"a Life for Liberty-Anti-Sl and
Other Letters of Sallie Holley, With
Introductory chapters by John Chad
wick White,'' illustrated, G. P. Put
MANS Sons, New York and London.
There need be no other preface to this
book than it's title page. 1t introduces
US to all the great pioneer abolitionists
of the century, takes US into the inner
thought of their lives and work, and
puts US into communion with the heSyt
of one of the greatest movements OF
the world, that which eliminated in
the extinction of African slavery upon
this Continent.
'Tales of the Malayan Coast" is a
book by Rounseville Wildman, Consul
Kong. Most of the stories have had
magazine baptism The chief of them
ran as a serial in the Overland Month
ly" (San Francisco) The tales are the
result of nine years of residence by Mr..
Wildman upon the Malayan coast. The
diction of the author is clean, graceful
and with few blemishes. His style is
romantic and dramatic. He Is a good
story teller, sustains the interest of the
reader and paints his character por-
traits with a strong free brush. The
tales of this volume are we'll worth
reading for two reasons; they are good
stories, and they give US good deal
of insight into the lives and manners
of the people of the Straits Settle
ments, the Malayan coast, and of the
far southeast islands.
Omega ct Alpha" and other poems
are by Greville d'Arville, press of D.
P. Elder and Morgan & Shepard San
Francisco. The author asks his critics
to say at the outset whether he is
poet or a mere rhymster, for if the lat
ter only he is ready to die. Not de-
string the death of any one we hasten
to pronounce him a poet. OF what
degree is another matter. That he
has the poetic temperament is true;
that he is prophetic in his thought Is
evidenced by the fact that he is poet.
But there are things in this poets
method which need correction, as for
instance the disposition to be INDUCED
in now and then in jerky modes OF ex-
preston, though far be it from us to