The times., 1899-08-06
miscellaneous Books.


Dodd, is a reprint of a fascinating book OF
travel published some twelve years ago.
1t is the story of a driving tour made By
happy -go-lucky couple through the south
of England 1t is chiefly remarkable for
its vivid pictures Of scenes along the
route, and for the happy way In which it
! is written. The writer evidently belongs
! to that fortunate class of people who en-
! joy everything which comes in their way,
despite small difficulties and coItretemps,
and the book is full of cordial and freely
expressed liking for the English people
and the green and beautiful land through
which the travellers strayed. 1t may be
remarked in passing that, given coed roads
| and really picturesque country, this
method of journeying is simply ideal.
1t combines the leisureliness of the
| tramp with the restfulness of the
well-to-do traveller, and one may stop
| at will to enjoy the beauties of the
natural scenery or the charms of
some picturesque old town. One Of the
prettiest passages in the book is that which
| describes in the words of the old
| yerger the falling Of the spire of Chiches
| ter Cathedral:
He assured US that long before anyone had sus-
pected the old spire of weakness he knew that it
| was doomed.
"Why, MAJ am, the assures was In the walls as
| big as creyices. The sides ere of this ERE
| arch was as wrinkled old shoe. 1t WASH t
| any use patchin' Of such walls at that No spire
| was goin' to set firm them rickety legs All
| the workmen in the country couldn't make an
| old stand straight; and that what
| these walls was hold men that sd got tired.
| They couldn't old themselves hup, much less q
big, tall spire. Well, the cathedral full OF
| workmen who done their best. They was a-woTk-
4 in and a-workin', they done their best, ] will
| say; and when the storm came, they was like
| nrian nur, pht dag
was April storm, and every time the wind
'owled every in Chichester trembled. There
wasn't closed hi ia Chichester that night. Whyl
everyone of US, men and boys, 'ad grown hup
under that hold spire. We loved it as ne did
our own. But IL 'ad to go. When rnornin'
broke, the storm was tempest. We could al
most ear the great spire a-rocfnn IN the WIND.
And then 1t fell. We was all ont in the streets,
| bareheaded when it caved. II fell, sir, just
like it was telescope, a-fallin' into itself. IT
| didn't do harm TO nobody nor nothin' but
| just Itself 1t was just Gods mercy that watched
over it, and when it gone, a prayer was
| on every lip, and tear in every hi; and. sur,
! oh, sur, but wasn't the dust awful? 1t was
weeks and weeks before We was clean and &c
rights"
And the little began furtively to dust a
| near choir-stall, as if the memory Of that time
had brought up the old habit.
This was In 1861 The new spire the
writer describes as "a lovely arrow shot
into the sky"
If there be in the present hurried gen
GRAFTON any who enjoy the oid-time diver
sions of travelling at home, by means o.
maps and books, they will find this book {
Brown & Coz
One of the prettiest of bird gift books Il
, ION the Birds Highway" by Reginald
Heber Howe, ir 1t is gotten up in daint!
style, with numerous Photographic illus
trations by the author and a frontispiece
0 in color, from painting by Louis Agas
siz Fuertes, representing two saucy AM
well-nourished little chickadees holding
, Ieisurely conversation on some .mportan
subject.
The contents are gathered from man,
parts of bird-land and all seasons Of tn
year. We have here sketches of winte
birds, of meadow birds, of beach birds
chapters on bird songs, Sketches of tn
: Ipswich beaches, and Of the Adirondacks
And the book is but small.
d The charm Of 1t lies largely IN the wa
e in which 1t IS written. There is nothin
a technical in its pages, and nothing vsgu
: or gushing, but great deal OF poetic an
: happy phrasing and vivid description
c Where February is Spring" ought to b
y especially interesting to readers In thi
o city, since it describes Rock Creek Par
e and Its feathered denizens. AS for tn
: narrative, 1t fits with veritable bird
II swiftness; seldom is there more than
Ie sentence or two spent on one topic. Her
!, are few of the sentences:
= fishhawk, the bird emblem of Bristol, sale
> over me ION his way a-fshing" in Walkers Coy
! (Rhode Is,and). On the eastern side of the poin
- | stretching back from wall of low cliffs %
- | patch of woods known as the Jumpers"
~ Here crows are plentiful, and 'cottontailf di
n | appearing in the underbrusn is Of connen o
ID currence, but seldom is It more than tan
.-tat .+rC1 1ifTnv +hr-r .yh fFa
90 Wolf woods | caught sight OF a chickadee di
n appearing into a hole IN decayed birch.
!, | approached quietly, and clspped my hand or
tv the entrance, thinking ! had imprisoned hir
rs ''chick-a- dee" which ! translated You haven
Y. got me- but when and how he got there {
! not know. Some persons believe tn
ly one must get up with the sun In camp. ST
rise is a triumph of nature but shont once
two weeks throughout ones life Is often enouG
: to drink in its beauties Everything becom
~ commonplace If seen daily. The last o
I'd cupant of the camp had evidently had ltt
T. misunderstanding with porcupiBe, for ceilin
l. walls window, and floor were covered with
qulls.
s, The illustrations are as exquisite as Il
text and to the bird-lover the book will |
r delight. (Boston: Small, Maynard
it Coz
a. when Love IS Lord is the title Of
A. small collection CT light verse by Tom Ha
e. Some of it Is clever, some Of 1t is less Gle
i'd er, and some of 1t comes very near beii
TO stupid Mr.. Hall is at his best when wri
ns ing in the manner Of those old poets who
of Abbey illustrates so charmingly-the Sal
In in Our Alley" school Of love song. Unfo
a. tunately, these lyrics are not nearly
Il. numerous in his book as the more mode
be and nippant ones. (New York: Frederi
Sc A. Stokes Company)
ds "The Victory OF the WILL" by Wet
st Charbonnel is work which is not exact
religious, and not exactly philosophic;
c. but sort of Intervening of the tw
e. Charbonnel Is described In the introduct
r. as ..the French Emerson" This is har
H. ly true. any more than other similar stat
n ments about t'the American Dickens" 't
r. American Voitaire." and SO or. FOR If a m
sit | is great enough to rank as q Dickens or
ng Vo!taire or anywhere near that point
re attainment. he IS great enough TO sta
ng alone without any such comparisons. Cha
ne bonneI is not an Emerson from any point
IS view but his book will be of value TO the
,al who are interested In the new theosophit
metaphysics, because il is an honest, ciei
ne and simple expression of the authors &C
m yictions. Emerson was a great origin
) q thinker. an epoch-maker, a leader; this 70