Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-16

rcuoyeS her characters from the realm
of fiction, and brings them into our
own everyday mattcr-Of-fact world.
In Zen Pepper, 1.-The eldest-born of
Mother Peppers brood, and her MAN.
STAY after the father died, Margaret
Sidney has given us one of the most
admirable of all her lovable characters.
Strong in the sturdy qualities Of boy
hood that make for sterling MANHOOD.
modest, reliab affectfonate, steady
going and Industrious, we quite agree
that the public desire that he be given
a chance to be better known was fully
justified. In affordng us this oppor-
tunity for Il closer acquaintance "
this delightful boy the author has Civ
en- us a book that will be a perennial
source of pleasure to her hosts Of
readers.
The illustrations by Eugenic NJ
Wireman have the touch Of genius. and
are in every way worthy of the text.
Randy's Luck, by Amy Brooks, au-
thor of 'Randy's Summer" "Randys
Winter" Randy and Her Friends"
etc; 12mo.; cloth; PIP. 25S. Price, $1.00.
Boston: Lothrop. Lee and Shepard.
Miss Brooks is equally clever with
| brushes or pen. In her popular Randy
| books we have a happy combination Of
her powers as an artist and an author
The artistic cover design. in its happy
| blending of gold and colors. would not
| fail to attract attention. however select
| the company might be in which il were
placed. The story is charming mar
| rativc of life in New England rural
community. II has the atmosphere Of
| reality, and the author has been un-
| usually successful in catching both the
humor and the pathos of the humor.
| The central incident of the narrative
| deals with the experiences Of a vain
and shallow girl, who, believing herself
| 10 be possessed of superior talents and
| anxious for a career. runs away with
| troupe Of strolling players. How after
having been thoroughly disilluSioned
she was brought back TO her home
| where she was only too glad to remain,
| makes up a story % absorbing interest.
| A special touch OF humor is shown in
the story of how Uncle Jabez Brimble-
| corn succeeded in Kidding himself OF
an airy and disagreeable city cousin
| who apparently labored under the de-
| fusion that they were. because Of rela-
| tionship, under some obligation to
| make their quiet home her Sratuitous
| summer outing place. From start 10
| finish the story is clean and wholesome
! and fully up 10 the high standards
| which have given the Randy books
| their meritcd popularity.
| The Ward Of the Sewing Circle. by
Edna Edwards Wylie, with fronts
| piece: limo; cloth. Price, sl.0O. Bos-
| ton: Little. Brown & Co.
| This is the pathetic story of little
| orphan boy who was adopted by the
members of a village sewing circle each
of whom, in turn, furnished him
| home for period of two months. The
| varied and not altogether satisfactory
| results of this plan. are brought out
| with singular yiviGneSs and pathos.
| The trials the little fellow endured.
| and how. as the result of happy little
romance, he finally landed in pcrma-
! nent and happy home. all go to make
| up a most charming story.
| italy: Her People and Their Story.
a popular history of the beginning.
| rise, development and progress of italy
| from the time of Romulus to that Of
| Victor Emanuel Ill. by Augusta Hale
| Clifford. author of Germany: Her Peo-
| pie and Their Story. Emblematic
| cover; PIP. $50; Svo.; cloth. Price, s1.40
net. Postpaid, $1.55. Boston: 10th
rop, Lee & Shepard Company.
The reader of this book is left to
| wonder, when he finally lays it aside.
| how the author vas ever able to con-
| dense so much into so comparatively
| small a space, and at the same time
| impart TO her pages, dealing with the
! hard fast facts Of history, all the inter
est and charm Of a novel. Italy is a
country exceptionally rich in historic
| associations. The recorded greatness
| of Irlperial Rome has been her proud
| HERITAGE At the same time it has
| been to some extent her handicap
| There has been so general a disposition
| to dwell upon the gloriets of her past
| that her more modern conditions and
achievements have been largely over
| shadowcd and lost sight of. Indeed it
| is not too much to say that the history
| of the Itoly of today is less familiar to
| readers OF the present day and gener-
| alton than that Of almost any other
| European country. Mrs. Giitord'S
| book gives us in compact form the
| story Of italy both past and present.
| Part II is devoted to the story of mod
| crn Italy. and is of special value from
| the fact that Il considerable portion of
lit has been compiled by the
author. from original sources. un-
der exceptional facilities for such re-
| search. during long residence
abroad. Only the student as well as
| the lover ri history will have any AIDE
| Quatc conception Of the immense
| amount of labor involved in this work:
| but no lover Of literature could fail to
| recognize the clearness and grace OF
| dction with which the vast mass of
| material at the authors command has
| been systematized and given to the
| public
The work as published is a fine speci-
| men Of the bookmaker's art, and no
small interest and value is added TO
| the text by the large number of full
| page half-tone reproductions of por-
/ traits and famous DaintingS with