The San Francisco call., 1899-10-08
WHAT THE LEADING LIGHTS OF LITERATURE ARE DOING.
Critical Review by Professor Latrop Stanford University

would be u detective story if the detec-
tives detected anything. In it lips are
eager" kisses ,'derce,' ingenuity devil
ish,' eyes world weary" Murders are
committed by means of rings which in
ject subtle eastern poisons or by marble
busts full of dynamite, which explode
when two slight scratches are brought
together. The chief character is an Ital-
ian girl Of surprising beauty. who wins
the honest love of young Englishman
only to be abandoned by hlm on charges.
apparently well founded, that she is an
adventures. The story IS the narrative
of the way in which she frees herself
from the domination of those who cont.o!
her, and who have unjustly blasted her
name, and Of her final happiness in win
ming again the confidence and devotion
Of her lover. The tale viii amuse those
trives his puzzles ingeniusly and
will thrill those who are nor proof against
a somewhat mechanical SenSatiODaliSm.
The Day Of Temptation," by, William
LIE Queux. G. ". Dillingha mCompany.
New York.
Appleton 6; Co. have published two little
popular manuals of information, one on
the army and one on the navy. The books
are written primarily for Young people,
but will lie of interest 70 many older ones
In each the most impressive fact is the
evolution Of the gun-tlie breach-ioading
rifed muslSet and the breach-loading
rified cannon.
a man need not be very aged to re-
IL. u,
took up mis- powder-horn, drew the stop
per with his teeth. measured his powder,
poured 1t Into the gun, replaced the
stopper and the horn, tore Off a piece of
cloth for a wad, if necessary CREASED It
drew soft round bullet from the pouch
and put 1T In the wad, rammed the bullet
to place, took up the gun, picked the
top of the gun near the breech, poured
powder in and closed the pan, and if
need be sharpened his flint Ills gun was
after long Improvements that it could be
fired once a minute Now a soldier claps
five cartridges into his rife, and every
minute can send twenty-five or thirty
mile or more. What would happen to an
army in these days which should wait for
sight Of the whites of the enemies
eyes? or even Of their brass buttons? or
which should advance with a solid front?
Mr. Austin's little book gives a vivid
picture of the modern tactics-of the
troops scattered, crouching, crawling
from cover to cover, or dashing Few
yards on. He explains clearly how the
soldier, thus left to himself, must be more
intelligent and independent. even more
Of old.
The history Of the navy has the same
central facts to present-the development
of the modern gun and its effects on
tactics. Ships no longer can close with
their antagonists muzzle to muZZle and
send cannon-balls crashing into each
others sides until victor and vanquished
both drift from the fight. Nelson once
lay alongside beaten vessel and led
his men across her deck to an enemy be-
yond. Contrast this with Santiago, where
the two fleets were not within milo Of
each other.
It must not be inferred that the
authors have meant to write only OF the
changes in the art of war on sea or land
caused by the improvements in weapons
Mr.. Austin's book is an exposition OF the
methods Of modern warfare. from the en-