New-York tribune., 1902-05-17

of travel. Professor Frederiksen's Finland"
Uongmans. Green & Coz. a little volume de-
voted almost exclusively to the presentation OK
fundamental matters Of industry. finance and
politics. would nevertheless be serviceable for
any traveller spending a holiday in that coun-
try.
Current publications Of special interest 10
sportsmen and lovers Of nature are reviewed at
length elsewhere in The Tribune to-day: but to
several recent works in this department that
have previously been touched upon we again
refer for the sake of their ndubtahle merits
There are, for example "Thormanby's" fas,i-
mating two volumes, Kings of the Rod Rifle
and Gun" O1. =. Dutton & Col. volumes packed
with pquant anecdotes Of celebrated figures I'm
the annals of British sport For anglers there
is The Speckled Brook Trout CR II. RUSSELL
a collection of highly practical chapters by
various experts with rod and reel, well edited
and particularly wen illustrated by MI Louis
Rhead. Miss Lille Hamilton Frenchs winning
narrative 'Hezikoh's Wives Qoughton Mlf-
fin & Coz is one of the best bird books pub-
lished in a long time. Forest Trees and Forest
Scenery" CThc Grafton Press, by Mr. c. Fred
erick Schwarz is a sympathetic study of trees
and their growth certain 10 be OF use to the
rambler in the woods a pocket volume upon
which we can bestow the warme9t praise. il be-
ing equally admirable in It's text, in its illus
tratiOns and in its convenient form. is Mr f
Schuyler Matthews's Field Book of American
Wild Flowers" (G. p Putnam's Sons). This is
indeed. altogether perfect book. Miss Ger
trude JeyklTs wall and Water Gardens
(Charles Scribners Sons) and Lilies for Eng
lish Gardens" (same publshers) are full OF wise
and pertinent suggestions for American garden
ers. The Book of Bulbs" John Lane by S
nd of he Ann
lisher). by II. II. Thomas are the latest volumes
in a valuable series of "Handbooks of Practical
Gardening"
The stream of fiction has been so terribly
swollen of late that good books and bad are
sadly mingled in it, But there is no doubt about
the good books being there. AS we have often
had occasion to remark. the average in fiction
is nowadays remarkably high, and there are
many novels which cordially commend
to the reader wishing to make a selection before
leaving the city. They illustrate almost every
possible phase Of the art. The Last of the
Knckerbockers" Herbert s. Stone & Coz by
Herman * Viele, is a bewitching romantic COM
edy; The House With the Green Shutters"
(McClure, Phillips & Coz, by Mr. George Doug
las is a powerful tragedy. And so on through
the long list find the most diverse motives
jostng another. Margaret L. Woods has
written in her Sons of the Sword" (AIcCIure
Phillips Coz a spirited romance Of the PENN
sular War Hamilton Drummond in his novel
of French life, The Seven Houses" (FreGerick
A. Stokes Company, goes back TO a much earlier
period for his material and makes good use of
it. The House Divided" CHarper & BrosD by
H D. marriott Watson, smacks too much of
Wardour Street in the speech of its personages.
but there is enough Of honest romance in it to
make it acceptable. 1t deals with Georgian
times The quaint humor of Charles Heber
Clark MAX AdeIer) sufficiently atones for the
loose construction of his new novel Captain
Bluitt" philadelphia: Henry T. Coates & Coz.
Mr.. William Allen White sketches episodes in
American political life with sklful hand in
his ''Stratagems and Spoils' (Charles Scrfbner's
Sons). The Alien Cd. Appleton & Coz is quite
the best book of Miss f. F. Montresor n clever
story of mystery and surprise. with a contested
inheritance for its central motive Mrs Alfred
Sidgwick has entered the field of Elizabeth of
the Garden with her "Cynthias Way Uong-
mans, Green & Coz, novel OF German life with
an English heroine. that reminds us strongly
of ''The Benefactress," but has excellent quail
ties of It's own, qualities OF humor and spriehtIi-
ness In Casting OF Nets" John I,ane) Mr..