The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-01-28
BOOKS AND
AUTHORS.

THE sToRYoF EcLIPsEs. BY George
| F. Chambers, F. r. A S., author OF
the STORY of the Solar System.
Handbook Of Descriptive Astronomy,
etc. New York: d. Appleton & Co.
! Bound in cloth. 1Gmo. illustrated 2z2
| pages. Price, 40 cents.
This little volume is the latest addl-=
! ton to :Appletons Library Of Useful
Stories" 1t is the sequel to two former
volumes by the same author. entitled, re-.
spectively, 1.-THE Story of the Solar Sys-
| tenn, and 1.-THE Story of the Stars. = It
| is also written with special reference
| to the Forthcoming total eclipse OF the
sun on May IS, 1900. "A great deal OF
! interesting information is contained m
| this work, and the language is Simple
and free from technical expressions.
| THE UNITED STATES IN THE FAR
EAST; OR, MODERN, JAPAN AND
THE ORIENT. By Richard B. Hub
| bard Envoy Extraordinary and Minis
| ter Plenipctentiary Of the United States
| to japan. from 1855 to 1880. Richmond,
Va: B. F. Johnson Publishing Com.
pany. Bound in cloth. volumes. II
! Illustrated. 3S4 pages.
| In the preface the author says:
| have endeas ored to paint the present ana
I prospective relations Of Japan especially.
| and Of China and the Orient generally,
| POLITICAL and commercial. to our own
! country without the. colors of the rose
| And again he says: Neither or these
| considerations shall deter us from Of
fering some contributions, hitherto un
| published, and later than any OF our
| predecessors have made toward better
| understanding OF this most marvellously
progressive people of the Orient, and
/ their present and prospective CONNER.
f! cial and political relations to the United
! States Of America With this avowed
| purpose In view, the author, some time
| Governor Of Texas and temporary pres1-
! dent OF the National Democratic Con-
| ventlon at Chicago In 1854, as we'll as
| Minister Plenipotentiary to Japan during
/ Cleyeland's administration, has succeed
! ed in making not only a book instructive
| to those interested in statecraft, but also
| one Of interest to the general order. me
! style is simple and colloquial, and charms
! by its simplicity. Beginning with his
| appointment as Minister to Japan, we
/! follow the little party across the Pacific.
the voyage being made In 1.-The Inflated
| Toxic which ran upon a reef and sunk
| in the Bay of Geddo. within sight of the
| shore The writer touches lightly upon
] the tragic scenes enacted aboard the
/, doomed ship before succor came. and
| pays beautiful tribute to the courage
! and heroism shown by the women In face
| of danger and death. The description OF
| the approach to the shores Of Japan is
| POLITICALLY described as follows: 1T was
| the realization of the poets dream OF
| beauty, this first near approach to the
mountains, covered all over with ever
1 greens and clinging vines and flowers Of
! every hue. from the imperial chrysanthe-
! mum to the tender violet" An interest
t ing account is given Of the official recep-
1 ton at Court of the Minister and his
wife by the Emperor and Empress. The
! speeches made by the royal rulers are
| given in full. Then follows chapter
| devoted to the physical features OF ia
! pan. it's productions. wealth, ana re-
! sources The next chapter describes most
! graphically the fearful earthquakes. which
| are Of frequent occurrence in that coun-
| try, and of which the author says:
Earthquakes and Asiatic cholera are
the only dark spots on the otherwise fair
! picture of physical Japan. The history
| of the political and educational evolu-
| tions in Japan is lightly sketched up to
| the opening OF the ports to foreigners In
| 1854 From that time dates the rapid
progress of Japan, educationallys and po-
! liticaIiy. A most interesting chapter tens
| Of tina revision Of the treaties in 1850
made by representatives. Of the Treaty
! Powers, in conference at Toxic. This
! chapter contains the remarks submitted
| by the representatives of the United
| States to this conference. and which have
not heretofore been published. Then fol-
lows a bit OF history concerning the in:
| dependent treaty between the United
| states and Japan, recognizing the al1-
| tonomy Of the japanese Empire. The
| religions Of Japan. Buddhism and Shin
toism. are briefly outlined, and the pro-
Eress of the Christian Church and the
| grand work of the Christian missionaries
are touched upon. The future Com
| mercial Relations THE Population,
| Area and Industries of Japan" are the
| headings of other chapters. The Chinese
| war is briefly described, and the bravery
| and humanity of the japanese nation
| commended. Russia appears upon the
scene, and under intimidation the pluckYt
little nation has to give up most of the
spells of war so bravely won Japan's
| friendship for the United States and offers
Of assistance during the Spanish-Ameri-
can war are gratefully acknowledged
| The reader closes the book with an In
creased sense of respect and admirat ton
| for the people Of iodern j. pans.f
The publishers have issued Mr. Hub
| bard S book most attractively. The ap-
! propriately designed cover shows II 4
| tag OF. Japan and the. United States
and the plum blossom. the natiorfr
flower: OF Japan, surrounding the central
| figure Of the Mikado. In his colors q.
Illustrations, and the letter press Is clear
and beautiful.
( The Magazines.
There is much Of sound practical sense
in Hetty Green's discussion Of The
Benefits nfsssa sEu:;; n IS Training for
Women, . which appears in the February
WCMANss AIEECOaIPANIoN- as
Walden FaWeett sets forth the advan-
tages woman may derive from the au-
tomobiIe Drs Newell Dwight Hills, the
latest srccessorSof Henry ward Baechcr-
makes a plea for the revival OF beauty
in social and family life. "A particularly
timely fcat tire Is an g account OF asvislt
4 to the q aged Florence n isht ins;,Ie tn
her quiet London home John Kendrick
Bsnes CONTINUES his witty dot
/ at ne me - papers and - among the eSs
I celierit iis::oll II rs Burt tor Ha rris,.,ss:ss
Ehsei r!Ires q spirited A-ncffcan n.:y.sI
Valuable Tea lures OF Is domestic ma
abound IN such articles as The C=Ss5S
a. the Child. by an s.rtnent physiciaas
"e,hild SIife I'm the i Home, ,sssS by an
thority on ht.d:strd yr Mans Ideal Wn-
i man, Over the uub-Woman.s Il TEA
Il Scurr.' :. The Truth About Table:Ltn-
ems, .'vyinter-vesrtabls D4shes 10
ISEother with tkree OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES