The San Francisco call., 1904-10-09
.JOTTINGS
About Other Books


of literature is Maurice Maeterlinck's
little essay. Our Friend the Dog"
Taken from the last collected volume
of the Belgian writer's essays, THE
Double Garden" and given the typi-
cal Christmas dress of gay cover, IL
Illuminated page and attractive illus
tration, this delicate bit of whimsical
reflection upon a dogs world and a
dogs destiny makes an attractive feat
ure for the coming holiday bookstaIl.
AS we had occasion to say in review
of The Double Garden" this brief
essay, unique in concept and delicate
in expression, is typical of the high
est art that is in Maeterlinck. 1t is
his sympathetic understanding of the
hidden things in bee and flower, in the
dog even, that makes for the beauty
of his thought.
(Dodd. Mead & Co., New York; IL
lustrated by Paul ]. Meylan; price
SD
With the seriousness characteristic
Of the Englishman at his sports,
"Badsworth," high priest and chief
nagus OF bridge whist, or bridge to
for the game he has sponsored these
ten years past and delivers himself Of
a Defense of Bridge" in pamphlet
form, which, for logic heaped up and
argument piled on argument, might
we'll cause the shades of Butler or
Jeremy Taylor to shiver and turn
back. From a reading of his impas-
stoned apologize 1t appears that the
same is delivered in reply to an at
tack by an ecclesiastical organ of
England-an attack which brands
bridge as worse than poker and COM
parable only to the rouge ct noir"
of Monte Carlo in It's blighting effects
upon society. Stoutly does "Bads-
worth" rally to the charge. and val
iantly does he expound the high quail
ties of the game from tho viewpoint
of ethics and sociology,
"The large claim for bridge" he
concludes, lis that it can bring light
and pleasure into every home in the
land, from castle to cottage, and i'm
prove the memory. the reasoning pow
ers and the Judgment of every man
in the kingdom from Premier to
peasant"
May we not reasonably expect some
one in our own country to come forth
now with a defense of seven-up or a
vindication OF the heartless game Of
hearts2
(G. p. Putnam's Sons. New York;
price ten cents.)
A recent contribution to Macmil-
lan's Sportsman's Library is Hamil-
ton Busbeys "Trotting and Pacing
Horse in America" To the untutored
eye of the novice in things horsey 1t
appears that Mr.. Busbey has incor-
porated in his book every ascertain
able fact concerning the breeding of
racers, the growth Of famous stables
and the methods Of leading horsemen.
One reads with awe of "the tribe of
Hambletonian," "the Star family" and
"Mambrino Chief and his descend
ants" and readily consents to giving
the author all the credit due a special
ist. One who does not know a single
footer from a Flemish dray horse,
however, cannot find himself compe-
tent to pass final judgment on a book
of this character.
(The Macmillan Company, New
York; illustrated; price $2.)
Though beyond the province Of the
book reviewer somewhat, exception
must be made and recognition given
on this page to the book, Japan in the
Beginning Of the Twentieth Century,"
a thorough compendium of facts con-
cerning the Industrial, governmental
and typographical aspect Of present
day Japan, which is issued under the
authorization Of the Imperial japanese
Commission to the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition. The statistics Of products
and manufacture, given the most prom
inence in this publication, are at once
possessed of the most interest and
value in that they body forth the story
of the marvellous strides made by Nip
pom since the days of the dawning of
civilization. A careful scrutiny of the
record of imports and exports, together