The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-19
NEW BOOKS.
Brief Reviews Of Important and Inter estins
New Publications.

In Billy Bakers Letters by william j
Kountz. Jr NDuauesne Distributing Company
|. Harmarville. Pa J. II L. said on page rs. under
the head OF In Society: Blu to return to the
girl with the electric eyes. I hung around in
that sad dress suit like a big dub. hoping that
the conversation would finally get switched to
theatres or dogs or sparring or something
where could make good. but Mr.. Harold had
the floor. and he certainly had me looking like
a dirty deuce In a new deck " Letters OF free
expression, It will be sem. and Of broad humor-
Gus effects. Mr.. Baxter went to the opera and
wasimpressed by 1t IN such a way as the thought
full might expect. "Jim.' he says all these
letters are dated at Pittsburp. Pa. and ad-
dressed TO Jim should any one ever tell you
that grand opera Is all right, he Is trying 10
even up or he Il not a true friend " This ia pre-
cisely the opinion Of grand opera that
was entertained by Addison, though the
earlier essayist expressed himself upon the sub
jet with much more formalitv, Passionate
notion accompanied. hampered. and even
thwarted by careful song seemed incongruous
10 Addison and to Mr.. Baxter both. Mr.. Baxter
considers that he was deceived by the func-
tionary in the ticket oflce. When ! got the
tickets" he says, Il asked the mans advice rs
TO the best location He aid that all true lovers
Of music occupied the dress circle and balconies
and that he had some good dress circle seats at
three bones per" Mr.. Baxter paid his s. for
one Of these seats. but he was not pleased with
II. Here's a tip. jim. he writes; II the box
man ever hands you that true lover game. just
reach loin through the little hole and soak
him in the solar for me. It's COM
ing to him. III give you my word
Of honor wo were a quarter Of a mile from the
stage" The performance was Die Walk0re.'
and IT seemed TO this observer TO be a furious
and noisy battle between the chief lady OF the
piece and the prevailing tenor, She was good
and stout. he says. and he was glad to sec her
come out OF the trouble with a whole skin. lie
had no faith In the scenery. which is remark
able when II IA considered that II was the
scenery OF German opera in the Metropolitan
Opera House. He says that the tenor sat down
on a bum rock II IL probable that he would
detect ar,inclality in an Arion ball procession;
there are such Literal and fanciless minds. He
was most pleased with the orchestra. The
leader. he savs, acted as though he had rats in
his belfry." and the way the band itself cut
loose was something TO remember, i
thought sure he records. the place
would be pinched. II reminded mo
OF Thirsty Thornton's dance hall ont in
Merrill, Wis, when the Silent Swede used 10
| sl0Tt \ general euTblNtl Oh lHf HlltNl ever UNIV
Mamie the Mink danced twice in succession
with the young fellow from Albany. whose
father owned the big mill up Rough River. or
course this audience was perfectly orderly and
showed no intention whatever Of cutting in.
and there we're no chairs or glasses in the air,
but | am forced 10 admit that the opera had
Thoraton's faded for noise. | asked Bud what
the trouble was and he answered that | could
'aao rch him - pnt lp IN red for no more
operas. Never again for my money he
says. Far be it from me knocking.
but nnv time want noise I'll take
to a boiler shop or a Union Station whore ! can
understand what's coming of. I'm for a good
mother show. Do you remember The White
Slave jim? Well, that's me. Wasn't il I'M
mense where the main lady spurned the leering
villains gold and exclaimed with flashing eye.
Rags are royal raiment when worn for virtues
sake Great, The White Slave has Die Wal
kure' beaten to a pulp. and they don't get TO
you for three cases gate money either II will
be seen that Mr.. Kountz was master OF his style
He died in August last, at the age OF 80, in the
room where he was born.
Genevieve. walking from her luxurious home
to the settlement house. had not far to go. but
the change In the appearance OF things was
great and startling From cheerful, w~ell-kept
streets she passed abruptly into streets Of CRIME
and ~squalor. Crowds of children stared at her
and half frightened her. They looked worn and
III: their hair was dry and wispy: shadows
lurked under their eyes, and their faces were
| pinched and drawn. This Ia the beginning of
Differences" a story by Mr.. Harvey White
(Small, MAYNARD & Co. Boston, Gene
We've was going to the settlement
house to take up her abode there. She
was 10 i've among the poor. devoting herself TO
works Of charity for six days in the week, going
home Sundays. Now. II a young lady like
Genevieve, established a. an agent Of charity
among the poor, meets a young mechanic who
is without money and without work, and falls
in love with him. what ought to he done in the
matter? Suppose. beyond being poor and out
Of work. the young man Is a widower with two
children, what ought to be done in the matter
them There is the problem presented and con-
sidered in this book. The title means the differ
ences between persons Of such different social
stations as John Wade. the young mechanic.
and Genavieve. These differences are skill
fully and Interestingly Sc, forth as the
story proceeds, Ought they not to seem
contemplate in the eyes of a philosopher?
John Wade take. off his coat, winter a well as
summer. when he sits down to dinner. file does
" ~ u" 'N i'''' ''' 49, So 49,
other in walking. He is more comfortable in
his shirt sleeves, and il sufficiently unsophisti-
Gated not to be aware that il Is wrong TO be
comfortable. He cooks and cleans house and
washes the children's clothes and hangs them
10 behind the stove to dry. Ought Genevieve
TO shiver or admire a. she watches John Wade
eating in his shirt sleeves and washing hi.
children's clothes? A. a matter Of fact she
does both. and this story Il 4 record of
the struggle that goes on in her heart
between Inherited prejudice and the feeling
that a man ought to do his own homework
In case there Is nobody 10 do Il for him. Be-
sides. who shall say what are tho limitations 10
the rights of love? Here wns Genevievs study
ing John Wade. not a. one possessed OF a cool
and empty heart would study him. but as one
would study him who thought him adorably
good looking. She had a subtle understanding
Of his wants. and took pleasure in ministering
10 them. He was an Englishman, and she d-
vined that he liked corned beef and cabbage.
One dav he found this admirable dish provided
for him. III smells good, he said simply as he
SAT down. How did you know what 7 wanted'" |
"Oh." said she, ''all Englishmen like corned
beef and cabbage. That's the only thing |
know about the English" OF course he fell
in love with her 'She lifts mo TO
higher things" he said TO himself.
she teaches me cleanliness and neatness and