The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-27
Other books.

What excuse there is for the publication
Of Letters to NJ. G. and Fl. G." by John
Ruskin (Harpers), We fail to see. 1t was
hardly necessary to point out that Ruskin's
relations with the Gladstones were friendly,
and the letters are OF the very slightest
| kind, written by famous man to young
| girls, with little that is characteristic or
worthy Of note. The thin volume is padded
out by perfunctory introduction by the
Right Hon. George Wyndham, Chief Sec
rotary for Ireland, and by an apprecia-
ton OF Ruskin by Canon Scott Holland.
Why in the world the mystery OF initials
should be preserved in these absolutely
harmless letters we cannot make OUT from
the moment we know that they are ad-
dressed to Mary Gladstone, the mother OF
Dorothy Drew. and to Helen Gladstone, 1t
is easy TO supply the names. and the initials
hide nothing and are merely an annoyance
to the reader. The account Of Ruskin's
visit to Hawarden in 1873. we infer, is taken
from Mr.. Herbert Gladstones diary.
An amusing skit by Mrs. Gertrude Ather-
ton. Mrs. Pendeton's Four-in- H and"
forms the fourth OF the separately printed
short stories published by the Macmillan
company. 1t makes up in go for what
it lacks in refinement. II the publishers
would leave out the portraits and the full
some biographical advertisements Of the
authors, the series would be much i'm
improved.
Thoroughly disappointing is Historic
Long Island" by Rufus Rockwell Wilson
CThe Berkeley Prees) No more desirable
book could he written than one that should
give clearly. precisely and readably the
80 a. 81,
in every direction. 1t would be an incite-
ment to interesting and instructive eS-
cursons on foot by trolley and by rail
that would fill out many a summer pleas
antly and profitably. Mr. Wilson has en-
croached on this field without dong the
task in a satisfactory manner. His articles
are desultory and vague they wander into
all sorts of needless digressions and are
neither explicit enough to guide the lay
man nor accurate enough to be OF value
to tho historical student,
Many suggestions derived from practical
experience arc embodied in Hints on
Golf" by -Nibick" (The Baker 4 Taylor
Company, The hints are helped out by
diagrams and illustrations when necessary.
Tho chapter on the Mental Part in Golf"
has opened our eyes to the real seriousness
Of the game We regret TO see from the
dedication that the preparation Of this
pocket volume involved the creation Of a
golf-widow,
A very entertaining and useful book on
familiar birds has been written by Drs.
Clarence NJ Weed and Ned Dearborn in
Birds in Their Relations to Man" q. B.
Lippincott Company The Investigations
in economic ornithology' have demon
strated the great value OF the song birds
and other common fowls Of the air in de-
stroying insects, parasites and other agri-
cultural pests. The authors demolish many
wrong ideas that farmers have about the
destructveness Of birds. They draw up
dreadful indictment. however. OF the
English sparrow. who, besides having
many bad qualities. is Of little use as a
destroyer Of insect life and is really in
furious to crops.
Japan is introduced to the very young
in A Japanese Garland" by Florence
Pelticr dothrop Publishing Company.
Much that ia explained is no doubt of inter-
est to children. though possibly they may
not awaken to the aesthetic, artistic side
on which the author lays stress. The in
PRODUCTION Of Buddha and of various Jap
anese superstitions into the nursery may
seem questionable, too. Still there is so
much that is Japanese that children can
not help seeing that pleasant explanation
such as this volume offers may be OF Use.
notwithstanding his importance in Brit
ish philosophy it may seem somewhat OF a
stretch to include David Hume" among
the Worlds Epoch Makers" IT. 4 T. Clark;
Charles Scribner's Sons), as DR., James Orr
has done. The series is pretty charitable
about the making Of epochs. however. and
Hume is an important figure In English
thought and in English literature. DR..
Orr's memoir deals chiefly with the phil
osophic side, as might be expected. and
tries to trace Hume's influence in different
| lines into m odern times.