The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-04-15
PRACTICAL TALKS BY AN AsTRoN.

PRACTICAL TALKS BY AN ASTRON-
OMER, by Harold Jacoby:
published by Charles Scribner's Sons.
For sale by Preston and Rounds. SD
Books about astronomy have a fascina-
tion for lot of people outside the stu
dents. When an article OF a book on an
astronomical subject bobs up I'm front OF
the average reader II Is apt 10 be seized
upon much as one would pause to rea1
the latest sensational murder or the do
ings OF a meteor I'm fiance In ones news
paper. The other worlds are not only of
Importance to the general run of folks TO
read about but they are fascinating. In
the matter Of astronomy, science, mathe-
matics and boundess imagination meet.
And tremendous as has been the work OF
scientist and mathematician, there Is
still ample left for the play of the most
unbounded Imagination. Indeed. IL is no
table that eminent astronomers are men
of imagination quite beyond those whose
study OF the subject is only superficial.
And, indeed, the latter could never imag-
ine little bit of the wonderful things
that the astronomers are able to demon
strate as certainly as the multiplication
table
Prof. Jacoby's book of practical talks Is
a rather different book than we ever hap
pened TO open. II is not a treatise on as
tronomysand yet IL illuminates, quite as
smartly as treatise. number of as
Economical subjects. These appear TO
have been selected with a fine apprecia-
tion of the particular subjects a great
many every day people want to know
Prof. Jacoby proceeds In a familiar fash
ion to answer the very questions that one
would naturally ask Of the astronomer. IL
there happened 10 be one handy around
the house to put questions to. The prac-
tical talks are by no means primary as
tronomy lessons In astronomy but some of
them are big lessons. only simply pre-
sented. Navigation at sea, the pole start.
temporary stars, how to make sun dial.
an illuminating description of the time
standards, Saturn's rings, the suns des-
tination--these are some of the subjects
treated with fine skill and Teadableness.
The book is illustrated and IL fills an
unique place in the unnumbered library
OF astronomical subjects.
WHEN THE DEAD WALK. by Lavinia
Walsh:
published by Mutual Publishing COM
pany. For sale by Gregory
When the real Paul de Bourrlenne ap-
peared before his faithless friend. Jean
Maret the latter was justified In believ-
ing that tho dead walked. For Maret had
left his friends body, lifeless but not quite
a corpse, as subsequently developed on
the highway out OF Paris and had him
self assumed the character OF Paul de
Bourrienne and had come into possession
OF the latter's estate. IL was not really
de Bourriennes estate. as appears. al
though Paul had good reason for beiiev-
ing so. Indeed. the lawyers would proba-
bly, have decided that Maret was the
rightful possessor of the property after
ALL had the young men lived to know that
they were half-brothers and that-but we
will not rob the reader OF the enjoyment
of discovering the plot for himself. albeit
this circumstance OF the conflict OF the
brothers unknown TO each other. is by
no means all there Is to the plot OF Mrs.
Walsh's thrilling romance.
De Bourrienne is not a half bad fellow.
He is reckless and careless and he does
a good many things that are open to
question in his wild youth But he has
a fine strain of chivalry In his compost
ton, he is brave to a>fault and he loves
Julie Carbonnet even though. I'm n NJ OF
despair at learning that Julie has been
married. he goes TO "A foreign country and
marries another.
The career of Paul is pathetic and the
novel itself amounts to a tragedy OF scv-
eral lives Paul was surely born under an
unluckly star and his destiny pursues him
even though he is temporarily snatched
from death on an occasion. lie II saved
for experiences worse than death and for
much of which he Is In on wise RESPONSE
BILE. being simply the helpless creature
of his tragic destiny. The story r. told
with great spirit. the plots are thlckly
woven and their development II accom-
panied with wealth OF exciting incident.
sHAKEsPERIAN SYNOPSIS, by J.
Walker McSpaddcn:
published by r. " Crowell & Co. For
sale by Preston q Rounds n.S)
This new issue in Crowens Handy In