The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-12
BUTTE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Recent Books Redeem the
Springs Fiction.
COMPLETE LIST PREPARED
A Good Book by Crockett-Returns to
Scotland for His Plot A New
4, Author of Promise - A.
Conan Doyle's Latest.

more recent books have rather redeemed
the springs record. But be that as it may,
it is always the case that those readers
who confne their reauing to current now
els to the exclusion of the old ones are
losers. 1t is invariably true that more
satisfactory reading can be obtained by
| a careful selection from those that have
become known than from an eagerness
to devour those that have just appeared
and whose value can only be guessed at.
For some time past, however, our IL
brary has lacked a satisfactory catalogue
of our full line of fiction. Hence our
patrons have been rather crippled so far
as facilities for selection are concerned.
I mis- evil is now remeded. The complete
typewriter list of fiction, of which we
spoke in previous article, has now been
finished and mas been received with much
favor. The list covers ia pages and is an
author list of about 5000 titles, which
ought to furnish enough variety of the
kind for the most fastl-lous. Lists are on
sale at 70 cents each, wh,Ie several copies
have been bound for use in the library.
In view of the great interest that has
been aroused in the drama,ic world by the
success of Rostrand's popular play it may
be that it will be somewhat of surprise
hero was real parsonage. But it is a
fact that Savinien-Hercule de Cyrano
Bergerac was a live, and very live, man.
Besides being the adventurer described n
the play and the possessor of the famous
nose, he was a philosopher and a literary
man of considerable note. The most sober
| in style of his many compositions was his
Voyage to the Moon, of which there
have been three English translations. A
reprint of the second of these transla-
tions, which was made in 1860, is accessi-
BILE to the patrons of he Butte library.
In the BLACK Douglas S. r. Crockett
has returned to the history of Scotland
for the plot of his story and has pro-
duced a better book than has come from
his pen for some time.
An author new to us has begun with a
story of more than ordinary interest and
power. Mrs. M. E. M. Davis was brought
up on Texas ranch and is now the wife
of the editor of the New Orleans Plea
yune. In her first novel she has dealt eff
fectively with the scenes and experiences
of her childhood.
Hugh Gwyeth, a Roundhead Cavalier
by Beulah Marie Dix, is well-told story
dealing with the subject of divisions
among families in the days of the COM
monwealth and restoration.
Probably the work of A. Conan Doyle
will never again reach the excellence that
Adventures of Sherlock Holiness but
"A Duet, With an Occasional Chorus is
a great improvement on two or three of
his late books.
1.-The Lawton Girl" which We have just
received, was one Of the earliest books
of Harold Frederic and remains one of his
| best. 1.-THE Return of the OMahony'' was
one of his last books and is not one of his
best.
Few American authors possess the pc
culiar charm that Robert Grant does. We
do not claim that he is one of our great
est WRITER'S but in his work there is much
Of that peculiar touch which made
| Mitchel's "Reveries o. a Bachelor" SO de-
lightful and he knows how to tell good
story 1.-THE Bachelors Christmas and
Other Stories" is good book for summer
reading
The works of Archibald Clavering Gun
ter are not the kind of writings that de-
light the literary aesthetic, but there are
many people who prefer his absorbing
plots to any graces of style. Such will
| welcome "A Lost American; a Tale of
Cuba
H. Rider Haggard started in his literary
career some years ago with all of Mr..
Gunter's strength of style and wealth of
incident and more than Mr.. Gunter's
lack of literary merit ''S:Ie'' was a strong
story, if it was not pleasing. liking Solo
She because it was weaker. And other
| books of Mr.. Haggard's have been simply
horrible. without redeeming qualities. But
his books have sold and he has kept on
writing until 1t seems he will eventually
hold his strength and yet please his crit
les. At any rate, "SWalow'' is as inter-
esting as anything he has yet produced
and has many claims to literary excel
lence.
1t is now five years since "Ships That
Pass in the Night appeared. The book
has been much discussed. but the best
thinkers are not yet agreed as to whether
it is nonsense or a work of genius But
of Miss Harraden's new book, 1.-The
Fowler, though it is probably a finer
piece of literary workmanship, we doubt
if it attracts so much attention
In the short story line there is no other
American author who is a greater favor
lite than Bret Harte. While his plots are
always simple, his ideas are admirably
| expressed and every new book has many
readers. His latest book is "Stories in
| Light and Shade
| Among the most meritorious of foreign
| authors who have been translated into
English is the vouminous Hungarian
| poet, Maurus Jokai. Such of his works
| as are obtainable in tongue have
| been received with favor. The special
| thing that can be said about "A Hungar-
ian NaDoD is tnaL OF all MS WRITINGS, II
| is the authors favorite.
The 'Silver Cross" by S. R. Keightey,
! is romantic tale of the days of Mazarn.
| 1t narrates many love episodes and hair
| breadth escapes, and is decidedly readable,
| although weak imitation of Dumas
| style.
| book of the Jules Verne order, though
| without Verne's genius is "Andree at the
North Pole With Details of His Fate
yxFtn hp rf into on,
account of the novelty of its subject.
Paving the Way: Romance of the
Australian Bush,' by Simpson Newland,
is an entertaining narrative of conditions
in the early days of the settlement of the
Antipodes.
A new Welsh author of originality and
merit is Allen Raine. by Berwen Banks
is a book that will not disappont the ex-
pectations of those who have read Torn
Sails
Harrison Robertson Is editor of the
Louisville Courier-Journal, and in ''If [