The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-16
SOME NEW BOOKS,

Max and Maurice; A Juvenile History
in Seven Tricks" By William Busch.
From the German by Charles It.
Brooke. Published by Little, Brown
& Co.
Backlog Studies" By Charles Dudley
Warner. Cloth, $2 Published nv
Houghton, Miftiin & Co.
Eleven studies of greater or less in
terest according to the philosophic ten
denotes of the reader, are presented bv
the veteran and ever delightful author
Charles Dudley Warner. They are
carefully illustrated. There is a flavor
Of wit, scent Of wisdom in these
sketches. Almost at random we take
this timely selection: Probably If the
people of New England could have
plebiscitum on their weather. thew
would vote against 1t, especially against
winter. Almost no one speaks well OF
winter. And this suggests the idea that
most people here were either born in
the wrong place, or do not know what
is best for them. I doubt if these
grumblers would be any better salts
led or would turn out as we'll in the
tropics Everyone knows our virtues
at least If they believe half we tell
then-and for delicate beauty, that
rare plant, / should look among the
girls Of New England hills as conf
IDENTIFY as anywhere, and have travel
ed as far south as New Jersey and
west Of the Genesee valley. Indeed, it
would be easy to show that the parents
OF the pretty girls in the west emigrat-
ed from New England. And yet-such
is the mystery of Providence no one
would expect that one of the sweetest
and most delicate flowers that bloom,
IT,,
the inhospitable climate, and peek
forth from the edge of a snow bank at
that"
The Brick Moon and Other Stories"
By Edward Everett Hale. Published
by Little, Brown e. Co., Boston.
These are old stories in new dress.
The author tells us that the story of
the brick moon was begun in his bro
Their Nathan's working room in Union
College, Schenectady, in 1870. He was
professor Of the English language
there. The account of the first plan Of
the moon is a sketch of "old chats and
dreams, plans and jokes" Of college
days. This story was first published in
the Atlantic Monthly in 1870 and 1871
There are seven other stories, and as
DR.. Hale's stories are never dull, those
who have not read these tales in the
magazine will enjoy them in the new
form.
Mr. Joch Hamlin's Mediation" by Bret
Harte. Published by Houghton, Mfr
fin & Co. Sold by Sanford Sawtelle
Co, Worcester.
Dr. Hale's short stories are pretty
evenly matched by these eight stories
by Bret Harte. They are nothing if
not vivid and fascinating. His plots
never drag. The dialogue moves along
like machinery The stories are va
ried. 1t is difficult to analyze such
a collection, hard to give an idea in
a few words Of a collection of stories
The titles may indicate something:
THE Man at the Semaphore," An Es-
meralda of Rocky Canon" Dick Spin
dler's Family Christmas" when the
Waters were up at Jules THE Boom
on the Calavers Clarion" THE Secret
of Solmente's Well" Liberty Jones
Discovery"
THE Political Economy of Natural
Law" by Henry Wood. Published byl
Lee & Shepard, Boston.
AS the preface frankly acknowledges,
this book is radical The author calls
it a political economy that is natural
and practical rather than artificial and
tneOGellcai. InlS IS no attempt, ne
says, Ito make people content with
things as they are, but to turn the
search for Improvement in promising
direction. Unrest and agitation are
vastly better than stagnation, but toI
bring the best results, they must be
wisely practical and in harmony with
law"
Perhaps the most interesting chapter
because of its aptness and candor, isl
that on Combinations of labor" Wei
quote part of chapter:
but in a study of labor organizations
as they exist, we are reluctantly forced TO
conclude that the various commendable
purposes above enumerated are largely
lacking, and in their place are often in.
stalled various abuses of the principle. OF
association While the ideal labor union
would be in the highest degree helpful;
the actual and existing one is permeated
with fallacious theories 1t is nee ssary
to note the shortcomings Of the eomblna-
ton in order to evolve an ideal therefrom