The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-05
THE. WORLD OF BOOKS.

fresh, vigorous, sincere presentation of
life in a Chicago college settlement,
without sentimentality, but with some
thing well-balanced, keen and rigor-
GUS in the logic of it's development that
separates it from the raft of novels of
the day A young heiress, who is en-
gagged TO a nice, commonplace young
man of her own rank, goes to live at
Settlement House. One of the cases
is that of an English mechanic, who
has been left with two children and is
slowly starving to death. She is
Wellesley graduate as well as a clergy
mans daughter, and besides giving
her noble womanhood and her money
to her work, she gives freely her cul-
ture and intellectual power. These are
eXerted effectively at least in one case
that of John Wade. She has to sac
rifice her financial prospectst and some
female associates when she becomes
the wife of a 'laboring man; but she
is fully reconciled by her love and her
sense of duty. The marriage is reached
at the end of the book, when the two
are alone on their wedding night. They
sat together by the table, each strained
with the consciousness of the situation,
trying to be natural and cheerful. The
le.dy was more ladylike than ever The
man was a workingman still. The
strain OF the Strangeness of the situation
was surely growing upon her. After all,
had she made a mistake? Has she
been, as her father said, unnatural?
Was the Workingman before her, after
all, the man she had>really loved? Sud
denly her womanishness was upper
most, and the tears forced themselves
from her eyes. Then the strong man
came to his kingdom. Never had prince
risen with more stately and dignified
motion than this plain, simple work
man, John Wade. He walked over to
her quite royalty, for he loved her with
the love of all the world. My own lit
tie wife he said proudly, and folded
his strong arms around her.
Ehls is one of the very few novels
where man marries above him and
the woman below her. Is the result sat
isfactory?
The Home Study Circle edited by
seymour Eaton, is designed for the use
OF all who wish to improve their edu-
cation in any direction but are unable
TO take school or college course. The
twenty or thirty volumes range from
primary lessons for working bows TO
such diverse topics as architecture
stenography, business and household
science. The best knownN Specialists
are numbered among the contributors
and old and young, men and women
who wish to rise in the world can sure
ly lind something here which will helm
10 sharpen their tools" Thousands
testified to the value of these courses
when the bulk Of the material was is
sued in the Chicago Record. popular
Studies in Literature" is devoted TO
Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and
Lord Byron. To a biographical study
OF each is appended critical studies and
"reminiscences by various authors,
readings from the works, students
notes and queries and a study outline
for clubs and circles. There is a large
number of illustrations. The volume
gives a remarkably complete view of
It's subject. This volume will be sent
postpaid to any address on approval
by the publisher the Doubleday &. Nc
Clure Co., New York. For sale by put
nam, Davis & Co.
Ever since that flaming editorial
What's the matter with Kansas 81
went through the country, William Al
len White editor and owner of the
Emporia Gazette) has been a particu-
larly interesting figure in the literary
world. His stories of the lows and
woes of Piggy Pennington, "Mealy'
Jones and the other inhabitants of
Boyville" are written with very sure
hand and with real humor and feeling.
Special features of the book are the
poems which preface each chapter
and the unusually attractive , IL IL
lustrations. Before laying down
the volume, the reader comes
to have a genuine affection for
"Mealy, pale, thin youth, with
a squeaky voice. His skimmed-milk
eyes popped out over a waste of
freckles which blurred his features and
literally weighed down weak, loose
ly-wired jaw, and kept an astonished
mouth open for hours at time: for
Piggy, who was sturdy chunky and
blue-eyed, and for bud" Perkins
whose father had been a confederate
soldier. There is something earthly.
primeval in the book which ought to
endear it to many a reader Double
day q Mcclure company. For sale by
Putnam, Davis & Coz
Arms and the Woman by Harold
MacGrath, is spirited romance, hing
ing upon the personality of a CHARMING,
princess of minor German state. It
won immediate popularity upon it's an
pearance serially, and the appreciation
accorded 1t by half million newspa-
per readers, and specific requests from
all over the country have insured it
wide popularity in book form. The
author has hold upon ones interest
and the light touch and romantic verve
of the tale fully explain it's success. Of
course, it shows the influence of An
thony Hope. Occasionally the diction
is distinctly loose but the story will
be found entertaining enough. Double
day & Mcclure Co. For sale by Put
nam, Davis & Co.
Herbert e. Hamblen's railroad stories
are about as characteristic and Ameri-
can as anything in the world of books.
I'VE Win" brings before the boys, for
whom it is primarily intended, a vivid
picture of the life of a railroad man.
Needless to say, however, the story is
the main thing, and it's adventures, in