The San Francisco call., 1905-02-12
BRIEFS
On Random Readin 8


~ author of new story for girls.
Honor Sherburne. Miss Doug
las fictions. never lacked readers for
more than generation, and the pres
ent volume is destined to be read as
eagerly by the public she addresses.
but for ourselves We cannot say that
it has proved of absorbing interest.
Perhaps the following description of
one OF the characters may serve to
explain why the work has not held
US enthral,ed:
There was something very strik-
ing about Rhona Beaumanoir. Tall.
and with a seductive grace of figure
that seemed lovelier in every new
pose. her hair cleaning blue-black
in large, loose waves from the part
ing, and its length showed in the
great coil it made Her complexion
was very clear and would have seemed
pallld but for the splendid scarlet of
her beautifully shaped mouth. This
and the eyes made her greatest claim
to beauty. for when one examined
critically her face was rather too long
an oval and the nose too decided an
aquilins. The eyes had an Oriental
length and their darkness was of the
purplish tint as well, slow moving and
rather wondering when raised to their
fullest extent. There was an unde-
niably foreign air about her" We are
not sure that we should have enjoyed
meeting this young person with pur-
pie eyes" and Miss Foley. vivacious
blonde with melting blue eyes ap-
pears rather more companionable.
(Dodd, Mead & Co., New York;
price 81 50.)
To Albert Morris Bagby readers
must turn to learn something of life
in the exclusive circles which is at
least unhackneyed. Undoubtedly
there are many people who will en-
joy NANNY Rosie" and consider it a
true picture of society. above and be-
low stairs, in New York and New
port. but it is caviar to the general
and deadly weaririess to those not
over fond of dialect writing at the
best. 1t is a loosely connected series
of sketches of an old-time -nigger"
nanny (the preference for the
nomenclature is emphasized on the
first page), who finds a home as
housekeeper for a young bachelor,
through whom she becomes a sort of
pet Of the arbitress Of fashion and
other elegant ladies of a millionaire
set that swear at their servants in
public and do more reprehensible
things in private. There is a very
wonderful singer with whom the
bachelor, Reginald Thornton. falls in
love at first sight and who finally weds
an English lord.
In fact. there are all sorts of dis
tinguished people in the book, but
NANNY Rosie holds the center of
the stage. There are some clever
things in the mass, and the author
has certain gift for epigram which
would shine in a short story. but is
wasted in these discursive sketches.
The book does not ring true and lacks
Conference. in spite of its good points.
published by the author, Is West
Thirty-fourth street, New York;
Some of the friends of the late George
S. Evans, an attorney of Oakland, have
collected and published privately the
fugitive short stories contributed by
the young man to various California
publications for several years past. I'm
der the title of .'Wylackie Jack of CO.
velo'' this thin little volume of really
creditable fiction stands as promise
of what Evans might have done had
his life been spared for future years Of
effort. The tales are all bright, in the
main well written, and reflect an ipti-
mate knowledge of the picturesque life
of the cowman and mountaineer of the
northern spurs in the coast range.
Though the style of story that deals