The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-18

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has strong hold over some millions OF
people in this country.
The tales are weird. grotesque, and
ghostly, and some of them horrible. This
| is not a book which ought to be left
around where children can see 1t. for the
| illustrators are as much like a nightmare
as the text, and picture all sorts of COB
Unlike things which walk. creep. or fly
in darkness. Perhaps the most grewsomt
of the stories is The Tanning of Jezrul,
which reads like leaf out of Cotton
Mather's ''Magnalia." There is an ele-
ment of dramatic and tragic interest in
THE Other Manner and THE Black
Cat produces the effect of q nightmare
Anyone who is sensitive to impressions
| OF shostly things and is anxious to have
good. thorough fit of superstitious hor-
+, ror. is recommended to take this book
find, if possible, an old deserted South
ern house. go into it at about II O'Clock
| in the evening, accompanied by candle,
| and begin TO read. If he or she does not
see spooks about midnight it will not be
| the fault of the book. The illustrations
are, fortunately, by Frost. New York:
| Harper & Brothers. Sl.50.)
The Duke OF Stocfbridge'' is rather an
important addition to American histori-
cal fiction, and special interest attaches
to it from the fact that it is the work Of
the late Edward Bellamy, and was nearly
completed at his death. 1t has beel fin
ished by another hand, and is now pre-
| scented to the public as 4 true picture Of
| certain phases of New England colonial
| life just after the Revolution
"Shays' Rebellion is an episode OF
early American history which has re-
ceived but little attention from writer's
of fiction. 1t grew out of the desperate
poverty of the Massachusetts, farmers and
the burden of the taxes heaped upon
them. When il is understood that at this
period the annual tax in Massachusetts
amounted to $500 per family, that the
average farmer or mechanic did not see
as much money as that in two years, and
that the custom of Imprisonment for deDt
was still in existence. it will be seen that
there was some reason for intense dissat
isfaction with the state of affairs.
The hero of this romance. Perez Hamlin
is the leader of the revolt in western Mas
sachusetts, and is the son of a once pros
porous farmer, and a captain of the Con-
tinental army. The heroine is the daughter
of an aristocratic old gentleman who owns
the village store. 1t becomes plain in read
ing this true and faithful record of the
colonial life of that part OF the country
that the social system in New England
was then far from being as democratic as
it afterward became. and that the line Of
demarcation between the gentleman and
the peasant was drawn almost as sharply
as in the old country.
Mr.. Bellamy's book is an absolutely
truthful picture of the characters and
events with which ii deals. He brought to
his task all the accuracy. keen perception
Of motives, and love of perfection which
characterized him: and it is evident that
he had taken much pains to make every
historical detail wholly accurate and per-
feet. Some of the characters are historical;
all are natural and simple. and while the
book is not a great novel il is certainly a
valuable one tNew York: Silver, Burdett
& Co. S1.50.)
A new book by Frank R. Stockton is
always matter of Importance to lovers
OF fiction. and his latest story, "a Bicycle
of Cathay'' is full OF the whimsical and
sunshiny hulnor which have made his
name and fame. There are in it the usual
oddly mixed elements of romance and adj
venture young schoolmaster; his BIZ
cycle; dancing bear; numerous pretty
girls, and box of quinine pills. This is
probably the first time in the history Of
romance that box of pills ever figured
as a lovers token.
Along with the whimsfcality is a bit Of
character study which is rather mere
subtle than Mr.. Stockton's work in this
line generally is. Miss Edith Laramie
one of the young women whom the hero
encounters on his travels, is of q type
which. though new. is not uncommon in
this day and seneration-th enlan cipatel
maiden with turn for investigating
human nature. The particular line of her
Investigations is indicated in this con-
versation. and the reader can Judge from
this excerpt whether the present story
is up to the standard OF the authors for
mer work:
81 am studying human nature not as whole
Of course; that's too large subject. but certain
phases of it-and ! particularly want to knew
WHY such queer people come together and get
married. Now, have great advantages in
such study. much greater than most girls
have"
..What arc theyg'' / asked.
''The principal one is THAI never intend TO
marry. i made mp my mind 20 that good
while ago. There is great deal OF work that
want 10 do in this world. and / could not do
it properly if were lied to man. / would
either have TO sui Nit myself TO his ways OF lie
would have 10 submit himself TO my ways. and
that would not suit iGe. III tie one case should
not reject him, and in the other ! should not
respect myseif.'
but suppose" said ]. Chat You should meet
a man who should he in perfect harmony with
you in III important points,
CAN she said. that sort Of thing
happens. You Nigh; sell expect TO pick
up two pel,los exactly alike don't believe
in ii. Bls ii at any time during the rest Of
nv life yen show any examples Of such
harmony | will change ms opinions. believe
that il ] caa wait long enough society will
cath mp with me. Everything looks that way
10 me
incidentally it may be remarked that
this young lady became a wife before any
of the other charming girls whom the
hero met in his journeyings. CNew York:
Harper & Bros. 1850
Yankee Entertainments by Charles
PATEL Loomis, is book whose contents
are probably familiar TO most readers of
the newspapers. since they have been pub
lished therein at weekly intervals for the
last wear or more. The illustrations, by
+. 4. Cory, add much to the attractive
ness of the collection and are thoroughly
suited to the text.
There may or may not have been race
of New England fairies in the years of
Once-upo time, but if there were, they |
probably acted very much as Mr.. LOOMS |
elves comport themselves. Their enchant- |
ments are mostly labor saving or money |
making devices of one sort or another, |
and while there is not too much machin- |
cry about the magic, there is enough to |
make 1t peculiarly quaint and attractive |
10 the Imagination. There is eXtrava-
zance in plenty, and the turn of the plot
IS generally unexpected and original. Best
Of all, there is no attempt to point NOR
al, a thing which. as rule, does not |
idorn tale.
We have here the story of the boy who
lropped bottle of imitation liquid air I
and froze a section of the surrounding
all because his father was
,eyenty-two years old and too indulgent;
he adventures of the boy who, with an
,ther boy of pea green complexion, Wis