The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-22
BOOKS AND THEIR MAKERS.

OH Hail, VINO would seem quite out
of character if inadvertently called Mr..
Thomas Hall, has written a very funny
story in "An. Experimental Wooing, -
which Herrick & Co. have just pub
lished. 1t purports to be humorous
novel. and it certainly is humorous
very-but its structure is so light and
airy that it scarcely has substance for
more than a novelette,. In reality, it is
a series of droll scenes and comic dia-
logues strung together on the thread
of a few personalities which continue
through the book. That the finale is
reached in a flutter of rice and old
shoes from triple wedding, does not
initiate against this fact, for the char
acters are nothing but animated
clothes horses on which the author
hangs his clever situations and CONVEX
sation This is Tom Halls longest and
most ambitious production, ana 1T is in
no way inferior to its entertaining pre-
decessors. The main iaea is both orig
mai and humorous and its comic pos
sibilities have been worked up with an
artists enjoyment of absurdity. The
authors reputation as a fun maker will
surely not suffer from this, his latest
effort An Experimental Wooing''
is well printed, and the cover all it
should be.
IF Tam OShanter'd Had a Wheel"
is a collection of little poems, sketches
and short stories by Grace Duffie Boy
Ian, whose name is well known through
the west for her clever newspaper work
and her editorial connection with the
Chicago journal, and also as an enter
tainer and lecturer.
mat she is versatile and the possess
or or delicate touch and quick sense
OF humor, is evinced by the collection
from her work, which is presented I'M
DER this odd but fetching title. The
poem which gives it's name to the book,
IS. as frequently happens, not the most
deserving thing in it. There are sto-
ries of newspaper and mining life. of
Italians and Irish, backwoodsmen and
down-easters, and while slight, they
nave pith and flavor. There are mn
merous illustrations. The cover is in
posters style, by Blanche McManus.
(Herrick & Coz
The lack of a. comprehensive book
Tor travellers, investors, and others. de-
voted entirely to Puerto Rico, will in
sure welcome for puerto Rico and
It's Resources" by Frederick A. Ober.
the Wen known traveller in the West
Indies, which is coming from the press
OF Appleton & Co. The aim has been
TO produce work that will answer all
questions likely to arise in connection
with the acquisition and occupation of
TINS new tropical possession of ours,
and to this end Mr.. ODER has awaited
himself of every opportunity of adding
TO ms stock of Information acquired
during the past Is years. His book is
not sketch for the casual visitor, or
Impressions Of a traveller in search of
the picturesque, but it is a comprehen-
sive, informing, and interesting account
OF the people, land, and products, with
the full explanations of the actual CON
dlctions and opportunities which are
needed by visitors and intending in
vestors.
The same firm announces for publica-
ton shortly new enlarged edition Of
THE Scapegoat," which the author,
Mrs. Hall Game, has carefully revised.
Mr.. George KEENAN,, as vice president
OF the Red Cross Association went to
the war with Miss Barton on the State
of Texas; but as correspondent of The
CutlOOh IlG W6Dl ashore DIT SANTIAGO
when peace came, and was not allowed
to go aboard again, lest he should carry
infection with him. In mis- book, Cam
paigning in Cuba" which the Century
Company is to bring out at once he
describes the shifts he resorted to in
order to get food in the half deserted
CITY, For several days his meals were
put in a basket and lowered to him
over the side of the ship. This relief
was afforded by Mrs. Porter, wife of
President McKinley's private secretary,
and in return Mr.. KEENAN, used to give
her the news of the day. This is one
of the humorous episodes in a book
that gives a very grim picture of the
horrors Of war.
The Macmillan Company make sew
eral important announcements for the
near future. Among the books which
they have in press are THE Develop
ment of English Thought A Study in
the Economical Interpretation of His
tory by Simon ~ Patten, professor of
political economy at the University Of
Pennsylvania; 1.-THE Evolution Of
Plants" by Douglas H. Campbell, Phi.
D., professor of botany in the Leland
Stanford, Jr., University; THE Shift
ing and Incidence Of Taxation" by
Prof. Edwin r. A. Seligman of Column
bia University; 1.-THE Lesson Of Popu-
lar Government" by ''Gamaliel Brad
ford, and Life and Philosophy of
Spnoza' by Sir Frederick Pollocs
Corpus professor Of jurispruden4asSl
the University of Oxford.
Some time during the spring will the
same house bring out THE Dawn of
Reason" by James Weir, Jr., M d. :;
Friendly Visiting Among the Poor: A
Handbook for Charity Workers" by
Mary e. Richmond general secretary
Of the Charity Organization Society Of
Baltimore; Ill Livres du Gouverne-
ment Des Rois," an interesting speci-
men of enlightened medieval scholar
ship edited, with an introduction, by
Samuel Paul Molenaer, A. NJ. of the
University of Pennsylvania. some time
fellow of Columbia University and a
children's number of the Modern
introduction and brief notes by Rich
ard G. Moulton, professor of litera-
ture in English at the University Of
Chicago.
The title of the last mentioned work
will be "Bible Stories and it will be
in two volumes, one devoted to the Old
Testament, the other to the New. While
1t is called children's number, Chill
dren" is made to cover wide variety
of capacity, from an intelligence great
er than that Of some adults to the
child mind that needs to be addressed
in a language Of its own AS in other
volumes Of the Modern Readers BIZ
BILE" the revised version is followed
with frequent substitutions of margin
for text. AS an example of arrange
ment, the first volume is arranged ac-
cording to the natural divis-
ions of the Bible history Gem
esis, The Exodus, The Judges The
Kings and Prophets. The Exile and Re
L.. i 1. -.