The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12

Brief NOTES
on Books Of the Hour
-HE Enandi, = a romance Of the
kk Soudan by Mrs. Florence
Brooks Whitehouse. is in the
main very readable story
though protracted to the dan
gerOus limit IF more than four hum
dred pages. With Gordon's .ast battle
with the Mullah as a prologue Mrs.
Whitehouse spins out a tale somewhat
melodramic in places, but replete with
lively incidents. the shadows Of mys-
terry and all of the distinctive oriental
ism of the neither East Perhaps it is
patriotism which induces the author to
introduce into the palm shadowed
deserts OF the Soudan quite a half
score of way down East" folk. Maine
folk in fact. A lEaine man or a Maine
maiden would seem to be somewhat out
OF place in a romance Of Egypt did not
the author make them rise to the oc-
casion with true Yankee resouTceful-
ness. The Effendi is an odd individual,
not without considerable power to at
tract; some OF his speeches would
SCuNQ DGLleI from the stage OF the
Central however, than in cold print
THE Effendi" is OF average worth
nothing remarkable about 1t; nothing,
either. to which great exception can
be taken.
(Little, Brown & Co., Boston; price
81 50)
"A Gingham Rose" by Alice Woods
UIlman is distinctly a "wishy- -washy"
l. -.
so pat a manner as to excuse it's use.
The story purports to be a study Of the
progressive phases of the artistic tenn
permanent, the attainment unto the high
essence Of esthetic exaltation; il is.
however, only very silly, very tire
some recital of the feelings and the
doings of some ludicrously machine
made individuals The usual sauce Of
epigram is served up with this literary
comfit in order that the stereOtyped
piquancy for such stereOtyped stories
may be present.
Bah" said the Big Bear, my por-
ridge is. too coldi " The Gingham
Rose" is cold porridge-
CBobbs- Merrill Company, Indianapo-
lis; price 81 5o)
Modern Arms and Feudal Throne"
by T. Miner Harrison, sounds lively
enough and when you see in the front
ispiece a low, rakish tug-boat plunging
through a symmetrically carved hole
in the earth you are certain that here
you have a story that Is a story; an
other illustration, depicting a brawny
gentleman in knickers running his
sword away through another gentle
mans pectoral region, but adds to the
tremor of expectancy. Before you
read six chapters you discover the fact
that here is one of those wild. weird
romaDces that are run serially in THE
Fireside Companion or the Boys
Weekly Library" and unless your GU
riosity masters your literary sense OF
the fitness Of things six chapters will
quite suffice.
(R F. Fenno, New York;
DR.. W. H Tolman. director Of the
American Institute Of Social Service,
and Charles Hemstreet, author of Lit
erary New York" and other books
about the historical features of the
metropolis, have collaborated upon the
production of The Better New York"
a unique combination Of guide book
and review OF sociological conditions.
The arrangement Of the book is such
that the stranger desiring to assure
himself Of the fact that New York,
even VIII tie III OAlS ID uOL buCn a
bad sort Of a place, may embark on
Journey of observation through the
eleven districts set by the authors.
seeing everything that is being done
for the moral and social uplifting OF
the great tenth estate" Sailors
homes, free kindergartens, settlement
schools and libraries for the poor are
al! described in detail by the authors.
The story OF tn regeneration Of thou
A. - he n 100 led IA
of the tenements and the work being
dcne in the interests Of better citizen
ship and a fuller life by these institu-
tions makes The Better New York"
book of value to every one whose aim
in life IS not to please self alone.
(The Baker & Taylor Company, New
York; illustrated.)
What Handwriting Indicates" by
John Rexford, is an odd book, which
is we'll calculated to afford amuse-
ment to its readers II it does nothing
else. Although II may not be taken
on faith that II a person signs his
name with large and aggressive capital
letters he thereby reveals his excess
sive amour propre or that weak
strokes in ones script indicate weak
will, cowardice, fiirtatiousness and a
dozen other failings, yet the author
certainly gives every evidence OF nav
ing delved to the very hardpan of his
subject Belief in graphology," says
Rexford, like belief in hypnotism, de-
pends upon education, experience and
breadth of mind" After following
closely the very interesting deductions
of the author one is led to believe that
a vivid imagination must needs be not
one of the least prerequisites of the
perfect graphOlogist.
&C. P. Putnam's Sons, New York;
price 81 25.)
Charm and Courtesy in Conversa-
ton" is the contribution to the Iitera-
ture of social arts of Frances Bennett
rolIavvav Whfia hooks of tbis oarra