The age-herald., 1901-06-09
|BooksSNaA arc Read

It is said that those who wish to know how the cornmissary frauds in the Phil- ippines have been possible should read Owen Johnsons new novel, Arrows of the Almighty" There is a chapter in 1t in which the hero fights against just such a scandal. Many people. of course, have the vaguest imaginable ideas of the way these rascalities are worked.
 Miss Sophia H. McLehose who is al- ready known by her selection of Tales from Spenser," has in preparation a work that will undoubtedly be a very popular one. It Is the story of Marie An tonette and the later days of the French monarchy. It will be very beautifully Illustrated from rare pictures and prints. An interesting innovation, it is said, in illustration will be the insertion of a portrait as a sort of initial letter at the beginning of each chapter. It will be a very popular one.
 An enterprising publisher is just issu- ing from the press what he calls the "Medioral Town series.'' It Is a handy little series, bound in full limp Morocco, with gilt tops, indispensable to European tourists and charming volumes for the library shelves of the ''stay at homes." The series includes 'The Story of Flor ence,' Story of Moscow" Story of Nuremburg" Story of Constantinople, and many others equally interesting and delightful.
 
  bearing upon French history is a little volume by H. A. Guerber entitled ''The Expresses of France" and treats of the lives of Josephine, Marie Louise and Eu- genia. The lives of these famous wo- men are, of course. familiar to most readers, but the author has included number of anecdotes and trifling incl dents which bring the reader into very delightful relations. with the subjects. The study of these three women, more than any other will certainly prove the truth of Shakespeare's words, Unhappy lies the head that wears the crown" and just at present the lines herein treated are of especial interest. The revival of Napoleonic souvenirs makes every thing connected with "The Little Corporal of added interest, while Edmond Rostrand's recent drama has turned the attention of a large number upon Marie Louise.
 
 Mir. Percival Pollard is an example of what may be termed the new style of lit erary editor. In his department in a well known New York journal he writes literary criticisms in a way that is diff ferent from most any other that we have. He writes of the new books that appear from day to day, but not with view to exploiting the particular book that he mentions The book is used rath- ar as an opportunity for him in the way of CODY For he oftentimes takes the poorest and most insane piece of romance and gives in his column some of his wit tfest or most sarcastic work. This fur nishes very amusing and entertaining CODY for the reader and is popular way of witing at the spresent time; but to those who rely upon the literary col umn with some degree of confidence in the judgments expressed therein 1t Is disappointing.
 Possibly nothing is more incomprehen- sible in life and more difficult to fore see than the success or non-success of a book Few people would have antici- pated the fact that the Dreyfus dairy would not be tremendously popular, and yet the press seems practically unan1- nous in the judgment that the publica- tion of Dreyfuss dairy was mistake The majority Ol peOpiS iShiiHO thi' o' soon as they read the short extract from the dairy published in the magazine. For a few pages sufficed to show that there was not sufficient interest in the affair at the present time to sustain the popularity of an entire book of such let ters. The opportunity was missed and weary of the name of Dreyfus.
 
 With the closing of the seasons work most of the artists are closing their stu dios and are turning to fresh fields of old nature. Ben Fosten goes to his coun- try studio at Cornwall, Conn. Eliot Dangerfield to the North Carolina noun tains; Clifford Grayson to Brittany. and J. L. Wood to Northern Italy. William Sartain also goes abroad, but to the city of Paris: while B. West Clinedenist will spend the greater part of his vacation in New York furnishing his illustrations for number of books.
 Speaking of this wedding of art and