The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-29
NEW BOOKS.
Continued from Eighth Pace.

Laboratory Manual Of Physics" Henry
Holt d Company, which Is clear and COM
pact, and, we imagine, full Of information
for properly prepared youth. After in
specting It we can only say that we are
glad that our college examination days
are far behind us. There would be no
A. B. In sight for us, not to speak Of adj
mission to college, with that amount OF
physics In the way.
Various musical criticisms which Mr..
". j. Henderson has contributed In the past
to THE Sun and other newspapers have been
collected into d volume called Modern
Musical Drift (Longmans, Green 4 Coz.
The papers are chiefly Wagnerian, covering
Parsifal, the Nibelungen and Tristan. but
the author has his say also on Richard
Strauss and Italian opera. He bursts into
song In his dedication to his colleague
Mr.. Huneker. So long as there is music
there must be criticism, we suppose, and
perhaps there may DO some reason why
1t should try to perpetuate itself In bound
books. Mr.. Henderson's ideas on the SUBJ
jects he treats are clear and decided, and
he stands In no awe Of the written letter
that remains.
Mrs. Margaret Deland, who can write
good stories, has tried her hand at essays
In Harper's Basar. and has collected these
in THE Common Way" (Harpers). We
wish we could say something kind about the
papers, they served their purpose, doubtless,
when they were first printed, but they will
add nothing to Mrs. Deland's reputation
In their present form.
To the many useful fine arts handbooks
that she has written, the veteran Mrs
Clara Erskine Clements now adds women
in the Fine Arts Houghton, Miffiin Coz,
another dictionary Of painters like those
she has turned out before. 1t might be
said that many OF her women artists are
hardly distinguished enough to deserve
| place In collection Of artists, but
that would not be gallant, and any bio
graphical notes OF persons not generally
known or not likely TO become known must
always be received with gratitude. We
cannot say that the illustrations impress
us with the desira bility Of woman's advance
in this direction.
The volume Of the "Wampum Library"
on American short stories was interesting,
and we expect that the one promised by
Prof. Brander Matthews on American IA
miliar verse may prove 30, too. but we
see absolutely no reason for the existence
Of DR.. William Norton Payne's American
Literary Criticism" Uongmans, Green
| Coz, unless it be his own Introductory essay.
| The characterless pieces he has reprinted
should have been left In the kindly oblivion
that has covered them. or course, Emer-
son and Lowell and Poe cannot be wholly
bad but why not pick out their striking
criticism and not the pieces where they
nod?
A Greek anthology has been compiled
by Mr. Nathan Haskell Dole, with the title
THE Greek Poets" (Thomas Y. Crowell &
Coz. From what we know Of Mr.. Dole
we should imagine that he was highly
qualified not to touch the Greek poets at
all. However as he is dealing with Eng
lish translatiops, it is chiefly matter OF
taste and that is not very noticeable in
this anthology. There ia an inordinate
amount Of Homer and OF the dramatic
poets, who are hardly Mt subjects for eI-
cerpts. Mr.. Dole, besides selecting from
translators who knew Greek, contributes
some little versions OF his own. It ts q
nice looking, machine made book.
Prof N. Dwight Harris prints his disser-
tation for the Chicago degree Of doctor
of philosophy in "The History OF Negro
Servitude in Illinois "a. c. McClurg & Co.,
Chicago. Like most works of the kind,
conscentiousness is it's main characteristic
but 1t derives a certain amount OF interest
from the incident of the killing Of Lovejoy
A Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty to
Readers should be established, that should
nip the printing Of doctor dissertations in
the bud. In Germany, at least, the public
rarely sees them.
The pictures from photographs in Mr.
Joel Cooks France in two volumes
Henry T. Coates d Co., Philadelphia),
are very good; go are those to his "Switzer.
land" from the same publishers. The text
however, is dry and conventional; we car
hardly imagine that it would do for ever
illustrated stereopticon lectures. We are
clad to see that Mr.. Cook includes Bel
rium in his France; it may save us from
a special volume on that country.
Drauehtsmen who derive hopes from
Mr. Grant White "The Art Of Caricature'
CThe Baker Taylor Company, are pretty
sure to be disappointed. There is a grea
deal Of commonplace information abou
drawing in the book, such as we imagine
any pupil in an art school must learn
and almost nothing about caricature. L
the caricaturist lie not born instead of made
from any information this author givei
him.
Young fathers. we fancy. will enjoy "Th'
First Baby in the World by Theadorel
Flemine H. Revell Company. 1t con
sists OF letters written by the conscious
author of its being to his first born, replet'
with proper paternal advice. We imagine
that the mother, II she were writing, woulc
emit a great deal more sense.
The volumes Of the "Our Neighbors
series vary greatly in value In the tive
books last received, Swedish Life in Tow
and Country by o. 9. Won Heidenstam
and Japanese Life in Town and Country,
nv George William Knox q. P. Putnam
Sons). we have out and dried. conventions
accounts Of the countries concerned, sup
pIyine information which possibly ma
interest the reader. Both books are Illus
trated.
Many are the books that come in to hel
out the young housekeeper. 1fadvice ooul
only take the place Of practical experience
| he 1rn q w