Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-15

picnic adventure. by Florence NJ. Kingsley;
dramatic incident OF the Cuban struggle
| for freedom, by Mary c. Francis, and story
OF laundry and love on tin roof by Mary
l.. Avery Funk G. wagnalls Co., New York.
Cloth, s1.OO
France and italy" by Imbert de Saint
! Armand, translated by Elizabeth Gilbert
Martin, is valuable addition to the history
| q modern France. The author was con-
nected with the government at the time OF
| the fall Of the second empire and is
great admirer Of the third Napoleon, a fact
which he in nowise attempts to disguise in
his work. At the beginning of his work he
| says: Our misfortunes occupy our minds
too much; we do not think enough about our
| glories. Hypnotized by the memory of our
disasters we lose sight of triumphs, the
record of which is. nevertheless, pre-emi-
nently adapted to fortify the military senti-
ment which is the hope and consolation of
| france. We dwell tco much on Sedan and
Metz and not long enough on Sebastopol.
| Magenta and Solferino. What would be said
OF the heirs Of the First Empire IL they in
sisted on talking OF nothing but Leipsic and
WaterlooY' This view apparently is the
Keynote of the authors work and he seems
to delight in holding UP before the eyes of
his readers the glories Of the French armies.
without doubt, patriotic Frenchmen will
agree with the author in this regard. while
glorying in the brilliant victory Of the
French arms in Italy, he is by no means
blind to the results and exclaims: Alas.
Ihe italian war was too brilliant. few
wholesome reverses would have averted rlat
overweening self-confdence which was after
wards one of the principal causes Of the dis
asters of France. Had she experienced de-
feats as well as victories in Italy she would
nave been compelled to recognize that her
effective forces by land and sea were not
such as to admit OF her playing that pre-
ponderating role to which she aspired
throughout the world, and she would not
have opposed the emperor when he desired
to model our military institutions on those
OF Prussia" While the world at large has
been inclined to lay much OF the blame at
the door OF the emperor for the crushing de-
feat OF the French armies by the Germans,
St.-Armand, apparently, does not share that
view. Whatever the difference in opinion,
his work will be of interest to readers Of
history. Charles Scribners ms, New York.
Cloth, $1.5O.
THE Story Of Heroic Lives is volume
OF stories Of physical and moral heroism in
actual life. The stories are not sermons,
nor moral or political essays. They are
simply stories and for the most part stories
OF persons Of our own days. The book con-
tains thirty nine of them. They are gath
cred from all quarters Of the globe; stories
OF soldiers and sailors, OF explorers and of
missionaries, of statesmen and of scientists,
OF reformers, philanthropists fishermen,
hermits, life-saving service men, of per-
sons OF exalted and persons Of humble sta
tion, deeds OF daring, OF sacrifice for a noble
purpose, of devotion to duty of moral AMI
physical courage. Funk 6 Wagnalls COM
pany, New York. Cloth, s1.OO.
The Home Study Circle" edited by sey-
mour Eaton, has been enriched by a vol |
ume on literature. This series Is designed |
for the use of all who wish to improve their !
education in any direction but are unable |
to take school or college course. The |
twenty or thirty volumes range from "Pri-
mary Lessons" for working boys to such |
divers topics as architecture, stenography, |
business and household science. The best |
known specialists are numbered among the
contributors, and old and young who wish |
to rise in the world will find something in |
these volumes to aid them. Doubleday & |
Mcclure company, New York. Cloth, s1.00.
4 Meadow Grass" by Alice Brown, is de-
lightful volume, original, observant, humor-
Gus, emnently readable, with the kind OF
stories which one not only reads with posi-
tive relish, but feels all the better for read
ing. In its new form in the Riverside Pa
per series it is sure OF yet wider circula-
tion. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston Pa
per, so cents.