Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13

MED Gen. Upton on his tour around the
world in 1857. With him In this task
were associated Maj William d. Beach and
Capt. Charles D. Rhodes, of the military
| information division of the general staff.
The work thus prepared now finds an i'm
portant place In the archives of the gov
eminent, although not written as an off,
cial document. 1t Is undoubtedly a most
important contribution to the literature
of military evolution, especially in the light
of the verification of Gen. Upton's views In
these latter-day reforms
LATER MAGIC. By Professor HOFFMAN,. author
OF Modern Magic" &c. Illustrated New
York: e. p. Dutton & Co.
There have been many books on the SUBJ
ject of legerdemain, but none is remembered
by older readers with more keen joy than
Hoffmann's Modern Magic" which let just
enough light upon the mysteries of the
craft Of the magician to make everyone
wish for more Yet that book, like it's i'm
mediate successor, More Magic" and this
third member of the series, did not mystify
by merely pretending to explain the meth
DDS of the prestidigitator. All these INA gic'
books do actually tell how things are done.
1t is, of course, another matter as to the
doing of them. One of the most celebrated
of modern Straightforward performers used
to disclose one of his simplest "palming
tricks to his audiences and then assure
them that by dint of constant practice for
few years they might possibly be able
to do 1t without instant detection. This
new HOFFMAN, book is based upon the prin-
ciple that it is better to describe a COM
paratively few things thoroughly than to
sketch the whole field specifically. The
number of modern illusions and tricks is
now so great that no single volume of prac-
ticahle size could contain teaching descrip-
lions of them prepared as conscientiously
as are those in this new work The author
promises fourth magic book, to be COM
piled out of the materials left over from
this one If time permits.
ONE THOUSAND POEMS FOR CHILL
DREN; Choice of the Best Verse; Old and
George W. Jacobs & Co.
The editor of this strikingly valuable COM
pilation divides the child life into three
First. he says. the ear of the young is ap-
pealed to by the mere pleasing repetition
of sound and rhythm without regard to
meaning; this gives way to the little story,
simple and simply told. but conveying an
idea, and the story holds its place in the
affection of the child until the period of
| youth is reached, when abstract subjects in
| poetry begin to offer attraction. And
| he says, "a child cannot be said really to
| care for poetry in the true sense until this
| time arrives He has provided materials
| for all three grades of appreciation, with
| even some of the familiar nursery rhymes
to keep the book thoroughly in touch with
| childhood to make it appeal to the very lit
! tie tot well the child of fifteen. The
| thousand poems are drawn from all pos
| sible sources and are arranged under class
| heads beginning with the simplest and pro-
| crossing to the more complex. An index of
authors and another of first lines facilitate
| reference. Good taste is displayed through
out in the selection and arrangement.