The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-20
BOOK NOTES.

X. ~
Bros, New York, Through Kellam
Book and Stationery Coz Price $3.50.
Kit Kennedy is a return to the field
in which Mr.. Crockett achieved his first
great success, The Scottish Hills. It IS
a tragic drama of love and suffering,
interviewer with the human comedy of
a Scottish countryside. The main in
tereSt OF this story lies In the reform
ing of a man with high soul and with
little will power. The steps by which
he reclimbs the ladder, his failures, and
his victories, are told with faithful and
tender charity. The book shows that
Mr.. Crockett is thoroughly at home in
the scenery and the atmosphere, of
which the book is filed. Birds and
flowers, winds and waters speak of the
happiness of childhood and make the
background of a story full of hopeful
ness in the future and belief in man
kind.
The numerous illustrations are by A.
I. Keller and are certainly credit to
the book
Told Under the Cherry Trees" by
Grace lie Baron. Price S1.00 Publish
ed by Lee and Shepherd, Boston. This
is a beautiful story for the young. The
story is of a charming rural village
which takes its name from the many
cherry orchards, and gets its news
from bulletins attached to a super
annuated pump.
The villagers care for little orphan
boy named Willie Merton who forms
friendship with a we'll to do little miss
o
goes on, and he one day saves from
destruction, a train upon which this
little girl is a passenger, also saves
many other lives. Mr. Burnham at
once becomes attached to the boy and
takes him with his daughter to foreign
shores. Years after a mysterious struc-
ture is reared which removed reveals a
drinking fountain, the gift of a Sculp-
ture who once before was known in
this town as Willie Merton.
It is a delightful narrative and the
illustrations and cover design are OF
unusual excellence and are credit to
AIessrs Lee and Shepherd.
'Predicaments," by Louis Evan Ship
man. illustrations by Charles Dana
Gibson and T. K Hanna, Jr. Cloth and
gold. New York: Life Publishing Com
pany. $100.
''Predicaments,' by Louis Evan Ship
man, is q collection of short society
stories told in Mr.. Shipmans best vein-
His Darcy of the Guards" which is
now being dramatized, will be remem-
bered as one of the literary successes
of last year. Mr.. Shipman uses for
the environment of the stories in Pre-
dicaments" the social existence Of New
York's smart set" and the episodes
are all within the bounds of probability
and elegant cOnventiOnality. The Illus
trations are in the most characteristic
style of Charles Dana Gibson and 7.
x. Hanna, Jr.
Home Study Circle. edited by Sey-
mOur Eaton. Popular Studies in Lit
erature, Robert Burns, Sir Walter
Scott, Lord Byron, with many illustra-
tiOns.
This series is designed for the use of
all who wish to improve their educa-
tiOn in any direction but are unable to
take a school or college course. The
twenty or thirty volumes range from
Primary Lessons for Working Boys to
such diverse topics as Architecture,
Stenography Business, and Household
are numbered among the contributors,
and old and young, men and women,
who wish to rise in the world can sure
ly find something here which will help
to sharpen their tools"
Other volumes ready or in prepara-
ton are: First Course in Mathe-
matics" for mechanics and engineers;
1.-THE Worlds Great Scientists" archi-
lecture; Governments of the World To-
day" stenOgraphy; Popular Studies in
History" business. Doubleday & Nc
Clure Co., publishers, New York,
through Kellam Book and Stationery
Co. $125 per volume.
zone of Those Condolences and 9th
er Stories" by Julian Hawthorne and
others. Price $1.O0. Published by
Funk and WagnalIs Co, New York.
This collection of short stories will ap-
peal to many readers who seek literary
entertainment for brief moments.
The story from which the book takes
its title is a characteristic tale from
Julian Hawthorne. A tale or the late
Cuban war of a volunteer and nurse
in one of the army hospitals. Mr.. HaW-
thOrne says: There is more fact than
fancy in the narrative Another
story worthy of mention is one entitled
''The Taper" by Count Leo TOlstOy,
which is a picturesque story of Russian
peasant life There is another clever
story of Porto Rico army adventures
by WOlcott LIE Clear Beard; another
by Florence NJ. Kingsley, a tragic
musical story by Mabel Wagnalls, and
many others equally as good The
stories are nicely illustrated and are
bound in a handsome cover.
These are times when a correct un-
derstanding of the most prominent
news of the day requires frequent
study of a map. The news has pene-
geograp pher had not gone and which
no ordinary atlas shows in sufficient
detail to enable one to follow the move
ments of armies. One will look in vain
on the maps of last year for such
places as Elandslaagte, Glencoe, COlen-
so. Belmont, etc, in South Africa and
for Aliaga, Talavera, Magalang, Ma
balacat and Lingayen in the Philip
pines Yet these and similar little
points in two distant quarters of the
world have become news centers. The
map sheet containing sixteen maps,
which the Matthew'S NOrthrup company
of Buffalo has published for the Buffalo
Express and for general distribution at
the nominal price of ten cents.
||.SfrfBe For YOnr Affairs