The times., 1899-12-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

"A ChHd's History OF spain" is a Ut.Is
work by Leonard Williams author OF BAL
lads and Songs Of spain" II Is evidently
intended for use 70 schools. though o. would
De interesting 10 any child who likes his
tory. the narrative being simple iu style
and all the picturesque incidents Of span
ish history well brought out tBoston. l..
+ G.. Page & Coz
For the Freedom OF the Sea. by Cyrus
Townsend Brady is "a romance OF the
War OF 1872" according 10 the title page.
and this really gives as good an idea OF ths
book can be had without reading it.
There is nothing especially striking in
either plot or character drawing bat it IS
weIl-written historical romance OF its
own type. tNew York. Charles Scrbusr's
/ Sons. SI.50J
a Corner OF the West" is a quiet Httls
/ love story by Edith Henrietta Fowler.
author Of The Professors children. T.
deals with a romance Of one OF the western
counties Of England Briefly the hero be-
/ comes engaged. while still young 20 a girl
/ with an invalid mother 90 whom she de-
\ votes most OF her time The girl refuses
I to leave her mother at once. and the en-
I gagement continues through several years.
I Meanwhile her niece has grown up and
/ comes on the scene, and In her the lover
finds the woman really suited to him The
ending Of the story is satisfactory TO the
reader. while it does not violate any OF the
I conventional ethical laws Of the r0mant-c
novel. New York. d. Appleton CO.
/ sI-oQl
The Lively City O. Ligg. by GeIett
9 is hnf brfa MI fnn fa car
tain TO be a delight to every child happy
I enough TO receive a copy. il may be rec
commended with absolute certainty TO the
parents. grandparents. uucles. aunts cOus-
ins, and Sunday school teachers OF any
, youngster more than four and less than
fourteen years old. It is not IN any sense
I instructive; Ia fact it is nonsense with
only the merest thread OF sense running
through L.: but it is bright we'll written.
and most utterly and thoroughly original.
Briefly. Mr.. Burgess has written a Jungle
book OF iuanimate things He has brought
I to light a city in which the chairs. tables.
houses. elevators, railway trains and other
products Of mans inventive genius walk.
talk, and get into mischief as II they vera
people. One chapter deals with the time
when the chairs went on a strike aug
sIeaked on in the night 70 a neighbOring
forest, leaving the people OF Ligg 10 eat
their breakfast standing and receive their
a
man being who figures to any extent in
these tales is a little boy named Yak who
is the MOwgli OF this Jungle He it is who
tames a rogue railway train and reduces
a mutinOus company Of big guns 70 order
And 1t was he who chaRced to be in a little
red stable one night when il became light
headed with a large draught ef iIIuminat-
ing gas and fOated up into the air, coming
down finally on top OF a steeple. where It
stayed transfiXed- And these are only threas
OF the curious stories contained in tH&
book. II has a yellow cover and some in
telligeut looking buildings grouped on the
outside. It is rather a pity that Mr. Bur
CESS did not secure an artist as original as
himself. for the Illustrations are hardly
equal to the text.
Not the least enjoyable part Of the book
is the preface inserted for the benefit OK
skeptical parents. The book proper is
written in easy words which any infant
could understand. but the preface is as
technical as Darwin. Mr.. Burgess argues
that the inanimate object OF the present IS
an arrested development, survival OF a
period when furniture was alive. He says
less lproPos. is the consideration.
of the possibility Of the crossing 0f the two equi-
dominant races species, as limited in rhs
5naioEies OF the hfped beasts ~ mythology Here,
however the reader may investigate for himself
and amUse himself with spcCuiatiOHs upon tha
EQIus Caballustrade, the Liana, Piano Lion.
Z
There was doubtless a stage lu the progress 0f
the two races. when animals and objects existed
cOutempOraue0uslv, and were equipped with ap-
proNlmately equal powers, and ir IS Go this
that the mise scene of the tales iu ibis book
belongs But the one was destined % 90 on
and perfect stlil higher culture. while the other
had already passed its summation Of develop
IneUt and was degeueratiug- The struggle must
have been furious, though probably % short
duration. and the laws Of Evolution triuuphed.
We can have no doubt bus that lr vas survival
Cf the httest.
Though the book will be good for chill
dren. there are bits OF satire here and
there likely to amuse adults. For instance.
there is one tale Of a Suspension bridge
that took a walk and broke down on a
railroad track An English train Cams
along and stOpped-pUzZled. IL finally went
around the obstruction, swimming the
river in the process An American train ar
rived. saw the obstacle. backed for a mile
OF two. put on all steam and took flying
leap OTer it. bucking like a broncO- New
York: Frederick a. Stokes & Coz
The Monster is a book containing three
stories BIZ Stephen Crane. the first Of which
gives its name TO the collection Tbs
other two are entitled The Blue Hotel
and His New Mittens" the latter being
one Of Mr.. Cranes -Whilomvills" stories
The Monster attracted considerable
attention when it came out in one Of the
magazines because OF the somewhat start
ling originality OF its central idea. Briefly
the tale Is this A country doctor has
negro cUachuan. who, during a FIRE. saves
the life OF the doctor small son OF the
risk Of his own. Owing to the fact that
the two were caught by the fire in the
( doctors laboratory. where acids were
stored the COachlnan is rescued more dead
than alive and with his face entirely de-
stroyed and his wits gone He has been
saved by the skill Of the doctor. who be-
. comes in a way responsible for him. The
result is that the neighbOrs begin 10 shun
the doctor as something uncanny and alb
normal and he loses his practice and hfs
social position. all because he keeps the
monster who is perfectly harmless. on
his premises. There Is an interesting
ethical problem here and a somewhat
i-causttc satire on human nature. and The
whole thing is wonderfully well worked
out. OF the other two stories little can
be said. The Blue Hotel is rather point
less and mixed up. The story OF the nit
tens. while an accurate picture Of the small
boy, Is not one of the best OF the author >
works in this line. and anyone who buys
the book viii really have to like it on
the strength Of the first Of the tales which
takes up considerably more than a third
of the volume. New York; Harper &
Bros. SL25J
new illustrated book, or booklet. has
appeared, containing "A Vision OF War"
E,rgvr.r Tr-a---fg