New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-06
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN.
ILLUSTRATED FICTION AND FACT.

q beguiling simplicity ana realsih WIN"
him to hold his readers closely to the emu MS
new book THE Land OF the Long Night 'Oha'ie.
scribner's sons). contains a cleverly arranged
account OF life and travel in the far nor'h Oh
Europe to the very borders of the Arctic Ocean,
the region of wild windstorms and deep SHOWS
OF darkness and intensest cold Exceedingly
o,easant people are the Lapps and Firms, as our
author found them-honest. Godfearing, gem
,rous folk. active hardy and adventurous
frank and steadfast in friendship. Terripy
hard are the conditions Of their lives In
that frozen land but their cheerfulness ana
courage are indomitable. and from Nature
in her most grudging mood they win at
least a comfortable home and a reasonably
fu Iarder Mr. Du Chau holds that to make
Alaska prosperous must do for her Wha'
the Swedes and Norwegians have done for ther
country in the same latitude or the Norlh-
must apply to her the wise laws whlch nave
brought prosperity to Finmarken and must IN
wife colonists from that far off spot HIS argu-
ments appear to be as sound as his stories OF
adventure are thrilling.
The healthy minded boys who VIII respond TO
the masculine bravery good sense and humor
EXPRESSED in Du Chaillu's book will appreciate.
too 1--WE Win" doubleday Mcclure Company
Mr. H. F. Hamblen's sketch OF the lie ana au-
ventures of young railrOader This story mas
much OF the freshness and vigor shown IN On
Many Scarborough to make US Obvious Oh
some rather conventional features. Announcer
volume full OF wholesome suggestion IS Inc
Life Savers" (E. =. Dutton e. Coz. by Mr.. james
Otis Probably little urchin ever lived who
was quite so delightfully."- good modest unset
fish and brave as Master Benjamin Foster. the
hero OF this tale; but he furnishes an excellent
ideal TO live up to, and the descriptions OF the
daily doings at a life saving station and OF
various exciting rescues are fine corrective 10
any undue goody-goodness. Miss Gertrude
Smiths book THE Boys of Marmton Prairie
little Brown & Coz. contains lively story OF
Western life. II has some ambitious bits OF
character drawing and is on the whole neat
and vivid little tale. It's most agreeable per
sonage. by the way. is big white horse.
One Of the most charming books for children
we have seen in many day Is Names
Happy Childhood" written by Caroline Leslie
Field. and published by Houghton. Mifhin &
Co II is old fashioned in its gentle refinement
its spirit Of sweetness and goodness and TRUTH
its genuine healthy humor. We imagine that
even the most world worn grown-up who dips
his nose within its covers will yield TO It's WIN
someness and finish II ION the sly" The tears
are very near the smiles in this little book, but
like all such tears they come from a source
sweet and pure and brighten the young eyes
that shed them.
In Madam Mary Of the Zoo little, Brown
g. Coz Lily F. Wesselhoeft introduces us to
some entertaining children and to some fasci-
Mating birds and beasts who come into more or
less amusing relations with one another
Madam Mary is q venerable parrot possessing
all the pertlnacious will and the somewhat
woolly intellect usual in the old age Of her kind
She is an engaging creature. and engaging, too
are her adventures and those of her friends
AS for the shrr voiced Cornelia, the antics of
that naughty young doll will move the staidest
little girl to laughter. Juvenile of the senti-
mental type is Amy lie Feuvre's Roses CWil-
bur b. Ketcham). It's lessons are admirable,
but its sweetness clogs after a little In Legend
Led" (Dodd Mead & Coz the same au-
thor is more successful, the semi-regous theme
Of her story beng tendery and simply conveyed
Mrs. Laura E. Rchards's Quicksilver Sue
= (The Century Coz is taking story full of fun
and of moral teaching Of particularly shrewd
and useful sort. Sue, the little girl, all i'm
pulse and fantastic, romantic dream, has some
experiences which cause her TO return in
chastened spirit TO the truth. kindness and
good sense of real life and her story will be Of
uncommon value 20 a worldful Of little girls who
are much like her. Another book about girl,
one which has an historical flavor. is A. G.
Plympton's "a Flower OF the Wilderness"
little, Brown & Coz The scene Is set in
Colonial New-England. and the quaint and
severe manners and customs of the Puritans
make picturesque background for the grace
full little figure of Judith Coventry. The at
mosphere Of time and place help to give dis
tincton to a story which is sufficiently interest
ing. though 1t has little originality.
The Revolutionary period in the city Of
Penn is dealt with by Miss Amanda NJ.
Douglas in what is really a novel Of considerable
length though there is an implication of brevity
in the title "A Little Girl in Old Philadelphia
(Dodd Mead & Coz Her characters are well
drawn and Z . spirit OF the time is faithfully
shown-it IS evident. indeed, that the author
has made a very careful study Of the manners
and language OF Colonial Philadelphia. Hell
heroine half slip of fashion, half Quaker lily
is an attractive little being and her history
from childhood to marriage III no doubt give
pleasure TO the average girl in her teens. Fol
another girls book, The Story of Betty (Th'
c,Dtur, Company, we have not much liking Il
framing her tale Miss Carolyn Wells has EN-
moved an improbable plot Of the conventional
Eird and has used a set of wooden character
as hackueyed as the plot. Mr.. Thomas Nelson
PACE, story Santa Clauss Partner (Charle
scribner's Sons we find unsatisfactory II
the same way The rich man who has been los
~ everything but money grubbing. and who !
suddenly awakened TO examination and re
morse on Christmas Eve, is moss grown per
son. and so is the pretty little girl VINO com
ple;es the spiritual regeneration OF the her
while bringing out the contents Of toy shor
The thing is Dickens and water. and Mr.. Pag
is only one Of a long line of story teHers wh
have made failure in work Of this nature
''The Boys and Girls Of Brantham' uittle
Brown & Coz, is a story Of co-education EVelyi
Raymond describes therein the results or
curious experiment-the Introduction OF girl stu