The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-24

storm IL raised when it was published three
quarters Of a century ago and the III feeling
1t left behind II, Is an entertaining picture
OF American life that 10 often quoted, and
is not particularly easy to find. Arch
deacon Prench's 'The Study Of Words, :
tn ough subjected to a deal OF criticism,
was an inspiring book In the early days
OF language study and has not yet lost its
| quality or value. Ernest Remains Life OF
Jesus another celebrated book, Is not 30
hard to get This version Is "a composite
OF several TRANSACTIONS published in Eng
land" The fourth volume seems to be
an original compilation Of National Docu-
ments' that shows great discretion In the
selection. They range In time from THE
First Charter OF Virginia, leoo,' to the
convention between the United States
and the Republic Of Panama. proclaimed
Feb. &c. 1904. Several treaties, Of which
the full text Is rather hard to find, will be
found here, and papers Ike the Ccnstitu-
ton of the Southern Confederacy, besides
others that are often reprinted. It 10 q
very useful little book. Each volume con-
tains biographies, notes and history OF
the book itself.
The election at hand Is the occasion
for the publication in fourth edition OF
convenient handbook, MIR. Thomas
Hudson McKee's 1.-THE National Conven-
lions and Platforms Of AL Political Parties.
1889 to 1904 CThe Friedenwald Company,
Baltimore). The volume contains besides
the votes in convention and at the election
and the popular vote on each occasion,
the political division Of each Congress
and other information Of interest and Is
provided with very full indexes.
II people must have book OF the play,
it is far more sensible to read about the plot
in story form before going to the theatre
than to follow the actors book in hand.
The turning OF plays into stories La perhaps a
fair offset for the adaptation Of novels to the
stage. Mr.. George Morehead has performed
the task for Sardou's THE Sorceress
81. s. Ogilvie Publishing Company. There
is no pretension to literary quality here, but
the object of explaining what the pay
is about is accomplished. There are pictures
of scenes also.
So far as the quantity and the confusion
of 1t are concerned there can be NO doubt
that historical fiction needs a guide, and this
Mr.. Jonathan Nield supplies to the British
in "A Guide to the Best Histo ical Novels
and Tales" now in its third edition (Elkin
Mathews; @. P. Putnam's Sons). Mr.. Nield's
list is by no means complete; 1t is included
within 100 pages, and by bitter experience
we know that any one years output must
require more than that space. Moreover,
his -pre-C Christian era only begins with
ancient Egypt, while a few days ago tale
Of early man still hardly tail-less passed
through our hands. The books are arranged
onveniently, according to epochs and coun-
tries; list Of supplementary 'semi-his-
torical" novels is added, as Is one OF
fifty representative novels, and a bibG-
ography and various useful indexes. We
have found suggested course Of Juvenile
reading interesting. 1t is limited to English
history, but contains over 200 volumes, to
which the late Mr.. G. A. Henty contributes
a fair share. Imagination balks at the
voracious appetite in youth that would
devour that amount Of historic fiction.
The Guide" is well made, however, and
will really be found useful in many ways.
Mr.. Dwight W, Huntington In Our
Big Game" CHARLES Scribners' Sons),
gives q clear and interesting account OF
the animals which not long ago formed
the chief attraction for sportsmen coming
to America, but which now are either pro-
tected by rigid game laws or are to be found
only in remote districts. Deer and caribou,
elk and moose, bison and musk OK, noun
tain sheep and antelope. he describes them
all as If they were still within easy reach.
He tells OF bears OF all sorts, too. and
lynxes. His book will be welcome to sports
men and to naturalists. 1t s illustrated
with good photographs.
Lovers OF Hazlitt will take up with much
interest Volume XII Of THE Collected Works
Of William Hazlitt," edited by A. H. Waller
and Arnold Glover 81. NJ. Dent & Co.;
Mcclure, Phillips & Coz, for In it and in
Vol. XII. that is to follow, are included
the articles that were not collected during
gathered from periodicals. Of ali sorts and
most OF them have never been reprinted
before. The editors have been obliged
to use great judgment In identifying I'm
signed articles and have endeavored to
include only what can be ascribed safely
to Hazlitt.
A new horror has been added to fiction
through q device adopted by Mr.. Allen
Upward in Secret History Of To-day
&c. P. Putnam's Sons). He takes up the
sensation of the hour and fits it with an
| introduction and explanation OF his own
construction IN the character Of a diplo-
matte sleuth. He explains matters like
The blowing up Of the Maine, the Dreyfus
| affair. the Servian massacre and 80 forth
by oiuInsy inventions such as the London
yellow Journals affect, for Mr.. Upward
| with his products belongs to the other side
| OF the water What with imitation memoirs.
| biographies with fiction side lights and
contemporary events twisted into detective
stories. not to speak OF historical tales
| day in and day out, all sense OF truth. veri-
similitude or sanity will be blurred out
In readers OF books before long.