The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-11
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD

~ =
a Book About Characters Who Are Not
Wooden-New, Edition Of .Deouinceys
Confessions" to Be Issued-Book About
the Amazon. for Boys.
The Uneasy Chair creaked miserably
last evening as it turned to take UP
book its aInanuensis had fshed out Of the
big drawer at the bottom of the desk for
it toIspend the evening with. The creak
was followed by a groan when the Chairs
eye fell upon the title Peace and the
Vices. ''I'll fire you,' said the Chair to-
the amanuensis. Vices, vices, vices!
Haven't seen enough evidences Of vices
in and out OF books lately, without your
laying before me a book with Vices in
gilt on the Govern" Il
"But notice what is said on the wrap,
per: This novel is a refreshing varia-
Wrapper - refreshing - variation - be
| blankedY' And The Uneasy Chair picked
| up the book in temper that promised
| that If it was in the Chairs power the
book would be ''blanked' eternally. The
| amanuensis. fearing the sparks, slipped
| out to have a confidential chat with the
market editor.
| Sis called the Chair after a while,
! 8 refreshing variation Is about right as
applied to this book. Take this down.
and the Chair dictated the following,
which might have been given without any
evidences of that uneasiness apparent
/ above If the Chair had not wished other
| wise: $50 n
Peace and the Vices is story of
a hereditary appetite. OF course a hered-
| itary appetite exists for human beings
1 only in human beings. At least, 1t does
! not exist in wooden men or paper dolls.
such as make up the dramatis personae
of very many novels. So when T say that
this is the story Of hereditary appetite,
I imply that in this novel there are some
1 real human beings, or characters ap-
j preaching the real. And where there are
real men and women there is something
going on, (give me credit for not saying
j ttsom ething doing this tine) and in that
lis the material for refreshing varia-
l.tion''' in the form Of a novel.
4 The appetite in this case was the mas
liter of IAN officer In the United States
navy, the wife of a woman who married
i him iny ignorance of his weakness. but to
Whom until death us do part meant
more than 'suntn disillusion us do part"
SO she. gave herself, very literally and
without reserve, to. aiding him, to. master
i himself That is the sombres side of the
l,story, albeit it has a silver lining. 1t
4 gave opportunity for a bit Of sound phil
|osophizing by two Of the characters after
i this fashion: s5s4s
Mice enough world to live in, Doctor said
the admiral eff there was no continuity between
generations, eh Some Of your scientific fellows
ought to find way to disjunct US from our an
-Ecestors, and our descendants from us-Jove, that
ease things up bit wouldn't It,
1 the priests. If they would preach the immortal
ity Of acts the Immortality Of souls would ad5us.
itsef7-.and we physicians would have deal less
work to, do, DR.. RObb replied.
i R,Yf- very charr,oiner cnr}oht1y m.
4 nance is the brighter side Of the pic
| ture. Dr. Robb came upon, Adele. in the
/ twilight under the tcamphor trees Git was
in JAPAN. She was troubled. and the doc
! tors sudden arrival surprised her into an
1 ooh, doctor" and tears. ss
4 In an instant he was close beside her-hs arms
Ewere. about her, and he was Whispering his face
4 against hers: sYou do care! You do miss me-!
4 All, dear, I'm so glad, SO ,glad!''
before he had finished speaking, the ineradicable
| diablerie Of the girls nature had returned and
she gently disengaged herself and moved shyly
bewtehnss eoauetrE This Is so sudden. and
! and, you are sitting on my haiti
''The DEVIL cried Robb, springing to his feet
i and walking away in justifable wrath.
/ Those are only random tastes Of what
i the book holds, not picked because they
4 are the best, by any means. The book is
one to read with pleasure. and (dare say
i 1t WITHOUT lear or 1n1ur1ng It's sale IN some
small ;degree?) with profit, for there is
that in it to make one think sanely.
j Judging by its numerous editions, De Quincey's
i Confessions Of an English Opium Eater is one
i of the most widely read Of English classics not
/ fiction. Professor David Mason has prepared a
lnew edition Of this famous book, which the Mac
milan company have just published in a pocket
| volume beautifully bound in blue leather, and
i containing portrait Of the author The reprint
4 is from the enlarged edition Of 1885,
4 Florence M. Kingsley has told two pa
i thetic little stories in Kindly Light The
4 one Is of an aged woman whose hus-
band has been taken from her and who
Wanders from her sons home back to the
old home In hope of finding him. The
other is Of a June BRIDE and the sad
echo of a wedding Of thirty years before
heard at her wedding.
j The very title, Young Explorers on tho
il Amazon, is enough to make boys wish for
a copy Of Edward Stratemeyer,s latest
book. What real boys imagination has
not been set working by thoughts Of thai
almost unknown territory thru which the
Amazon fows2 The book is the fourth OF
i the "Pan-Anerican Series Mr.. Strate-
meyer takes five lads OF, this trip as on the
others and they have a great time. They
land at Rio de, Janeiro and visit the prin-
cfpal cities along the coast. From Bahis
they journey up the mighty Amazon, not.
ing the rubber and other industries, anl
|, going out at times into. the traekless for.
est In pursuit of game.
The Uneasy Chair.