The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-24

train has of late attracted SO much at
tcntion among versiners. 1t has double
advantages: it is. easy to write ana II
sells freely.
So it is that there hos come new
metric value in verse, that Of perpehalc !-
larity. No young and ambitious poet
would dream nowadays of writing
poem of more than twenty lines or there
abonts; he knows that MS wares possess
value in the eyes of editors only because
of Their adaptability tor filing vacancies.
and not because of any inherent merits.
Which consideration has greatly simpli-
fed the work Of poets; It has also greatly
slmpl.ted their verses. Hence one of tho
reasons for the present decadence of po-
ctry.
THE WORLDS BEST ESSAYS. Ten
Volumes. Edited by David j. Brewer.
Fred. p. KAISER, St. Louis.
In ten large octave volumes of nearly
1900 pages in all, finely printed on eX-
cellent paper, strongly bound, and well
illustrated, come to us The Worlds Best
ESSAYS This work is a collection or
the greatest essays by the greatest es-
sayists in the history of the world. IT,
is edited by Justice Brewer, who has mad
the assistance of an advisory council,
EesGed by the late Sir Walter BeSant
and containing many Well-knoWn names.
Nothing has been left undone to make
the work a success; and a success 1t as
suredly is.
An idea of the scope of the work ana
the thoroughness of its inclusion may be
gained. by the knowledge that in the first
volume we find twenty essays by Add
son and thirty-three by Bacon. or
course such proportion does not run
through the ten volumes, or they would
have to be ten times as many; but al
ways there is given of the work OF each
great author sufficient to set forth ms
style and trend OF thought. Ihere IS no
limit of period set; in volume X, for eX-
ample, We find Thackeray and Theophras-
tus side by side while Aenophon IS sue
ceeded by Zimmerman. All periods have
been searched for their best, and they
have yielded it without stint.
Greek, Roman, Italian, French Spanish
Russian, German, English, American-all
the best writers of essays-anG the deli
milton of the term is made very broad
speak to us in the pages of this collec-
ton We listen to the most pleasing and
instructive of the voices of the dead past
and the living present. and we gain not
only delight but education. To the stu
dent of literature this splenGld set, one
of the most valuable ever pubnSheG pS
subscription is little less than lnd1spensa-
BILE. while to the general reauer II is Oh
as great worth as interest. In method
ana in result it merits the highest praise
o,,,,%,, 1,-hi fl1 IF r.
nishes of writer's from the classical pc
ROD 10 the. preent day makes it almost
UNIQUE in its scope and inclusion of in
formation.
TIE SINISTER BOOK BY Myrtle
Reed. G. p. Putnam's Sons. New York.
Miss Myrtle Reed made a decided hit
with her first book. called "Love-letters
OF a Musician There was beauty and
pathns in that work: and Its sequel,
though dangerous experiment, was OF
hardly less force and excellence. Miss
Reed now comes again before the public
with 1.-THE Spinster Book" This is a
work difficult to classify. 1t consists OF
number OF essays on different subjects
pertaining to love and marriage though
,rost of the essays deal with the pre-nup-
..al state. There is humor, as we'll as
beauty. in these ESSAYS: but it is for the
latter quality that they are most to be
praised. Though Miss Reed makes many
good points concerning the eccentricihes
and failirgs of those in love, We like her
best when she is dealing with the higher
aspects OF her subject. She writes with q
delcacy Of touch and music OF phrase
which entitle her to the very highest
praise for her work, and while will reE-
der that work welcome to all who can
appreciate high thoughts clothed in ade-
quate lal guage. a glance at the subjects
Of the essays will give an idea of the
scope and character Of the book. Here g
the list: .*Nctes on Men, Concerning
Women" THE Philosophy of Love"
The Lest Art OF Courtship," 'The Nat
uray History of Proposals. 'Love-La1-
tiers. OLD and New, ..An Inquiry Into
Marriage" The Physiology Of Vanity"
."Nidowers ard Widows" and .The Con-
ISOLATION of Spinsterhood. OF these es-