The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-10-07
PERTINENT REVIEWS OF
THE VERY LATEST BOOKS.


Prisoners of Hope" by Miss Mary
Johnston, is a fresh and vigorous story
of the "Oliverian Plot" of 1868 in Vir-
ginia, when Sir William Berkeley was
governor Godfrey Landless, Puri-
tan gentleman who has been sent to
Newgate for a crime of which he was
innocent, is transported to Virginia
with other convicts, and sold into ser
vice. He becomes the leader of the
OlVerian conspiracy and has many
thrilling adventures by flood and field,
with rNtfians, gentlemen and Indians
who have abducted his masters daugh-
ter. His love for this daughter is the
principal motive of the story. The
novel gives the best picture of life IN
the Old Dominion contained in any re-
cent work of fiction, and the portrait
of Sir William Berkeley is an inter-
! eSting one. Descriptions of adventures
of the hero and the heroine and of the
dangers of colonial settlements from
! the Indians are excellent. The story
throughout is very well written and OF
engrossing interest, and the ending
finely romantic. Miss Johnston Will
surely gain the approval of her read
ers. who will so much enjoy Prisoners
of Hope" as to gladly welcome Sec
Ond book from her pen.
| In 1.-TWO Chums," the story of boy
and his dog, Miss Minerva Thorpe gives
! to the young folks an exquisite tale OF
| pure and wholesome adventure. lit
tie Waif from the ArdenneS forest re-
gion, on the French Belgian frontier
obeys the last wish of a dying grand
mother by crossing the big pond in an
emigrant ship on a quest after more or
less mythical relatives He reaches
New York with 90 cents and his beloved
dog, Jock. a st. Bernard of unusual
devotion and intelligence. What fate
is that of the two friendless chums in
a foreign land is told in a bright, nat
ural style, and with touches of real
sentiment. This is a remarkably fine
story that ought to be read extensively
and is sure to please parents and chill
dren alike. The illustrations are many
and excellent; the binding is original.
and the whole book a most appropri-
ate holiday present.
Three most valuable books have been
issued recently by Cassell & Co. in
their national library of cheap books. !
thus placing them within the reach of
all. Probably the most interesting of
the three is Marco Polo's Travels"
but "Bacon's Essays is the more wall
liable. The last issue is an edition of
Carlyles essays on Heroes and Hero |
Worship
1.-The Wire Cutters" by NJ. f. NJ. I
Davis, is a strong story of western life, /
which will appeal to all in the great /
southwest by it's truthfulnesS to life |
and to its readers everywhere by its
exciting tale. As the title would readily /
suggest to the western reader, the plot !
is laid on the great prairies at the time
when syndicates began fencing in the
Id
and cut the fences as often as they
were put I'D. A strange natural freak
by which a child is influenced by its
mothers hatred before BIRTH so that
it is in appearance like her former hus-
band, adds complications to the tale
which certainly ends artistically, al
though not in a way that will please
every reader.
Appleton has published another of
the series of home reading books for
children. "Harolds Quest by John
w. Troeger, tells a great many things
about nature that the old as we'll as
the young may profit by reading. The
various insects. the different kinds of
forest trees, animal life in the forest.
are described, after which the author
treats of sound. light, heat, magnetism,
electricity and other subjects.
The Appletons have added another
book to their valuable series of Use
full Stories" the last one being "The
Story of the Living Machine" by H.
w. Conn, professor of biology in the
Wesleyan university. 1t is a review
Of the conclusions of modern biology
n regard to the mechanism which con-
rolls the phenomena of living activity.
"The Life of Admiral Dewey" bv
viii NJ. Clemens. Admiral George
Dewey is one OF the most :
interesting characters in Ameri- :
an history, and this work supplies to !
he reading public the much needed in :
ormation concerning his life and deeds. !
We have been supplied with odds and I
nds of information in this line /
trough the columns of the press, from {
line to time. but here we have it all I
between two covers of a most excel a
ent book, written by one whose attain i