The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-12
81 the prettiest holiday books We have

.EssssEsalsssssE
81 the prettiest holiday books we have yet
seen.
Writ SPURS OF GOLD. BY Frances an y.
Greene and Dolly w. kirk. Up. I9l'
Little, Brown Il CO., Boston. ~,
rIns book, when Is designed primarily
FOR young people, includes group %
ort-told tales of the famous knights or
the middle ages. Tie lie STORES OF nv.
land and Oliver of the ca, kien'Ird !, Coe "
de Lion, Godfrey dc Boullion, 6asuiu
and Sir Philip Sidney, are mere retola ~
pleasant style for new readers or thoso
freshing. The collection makes N, pooh
which boys and girls ought TO llkc anu
almost certainly viii.
BUSINESS PHILosoPHY.-By BENJAMIN
II. Cobb. PIP. 2H2. $3.50 net. Thomas
y, Crowell & Co.. New York.
sa far as they go, Mr.. Cabb's generali-
cations on business methods and proce-
durcs are sound and practical. ne 49,
we infer, man of adequate business ex-
perience who has developed sensible theo-
lries on the basis Of that experience. NOT
infrcquently. however, rs IN his CHAP
ter on the uses OF the telephone, ne I'M I'M
presses us us quite superficial; he misses
SO much that ho might pertinently nave
said. 1t must be sud, too, THAT his style
Is rather commercial than literary, and
his sentences are apt TO read p.t foush-
w Within it's limits, however, the book
is satisfying and should prove helpful to
ambitious young men.
SUCCESSFUL MEN OF To- %. :; b
Wilbur +. Crafts. PIP. 297. a.o0.
Funk s: Wagnalls Co.. New York.
The popularity OF this book is attest
4 ed by the fact that it Is now, in Its forty
fifty thousand. DR.. Crafts has attempt
ed, SO far as possible TO formulate the
principles that underlle real success
z in life; and to this end he has collected
personal data at ttrst-hand from the
men whose lives have been what we call
successful. Though the result is more
or less what IS known as a made LOOK.
1t Is none the less decidedly helpful and
stimulating. Put into the hands OF a
young man at the outset OF his career,
Industry to read it, both to interest and
benefit him.
THE OWNING RoD:-By Francis N.
This is a fairly well-written story OF
early days in the oi-felds Of Pennsyl-
vania. the title referring to the mysteri-
hazel-rod in tho hands OF the proper
and exploitation, the thirst for easy
wealth and the methods and competitions
by which It was sought, form the back
ground and main interest OF the plot.
There Is love story involving a girl and
two men, ono of whom was considerably
misjudged for time, but found himself
justified ut last. Mr.. Thorpe writes In
rather sombre strain, and at times fol-
lows realism to the point dullness. but
his book Is not without elements OF in
terest and vigor
IN THE LAND OF TILE GODS. By
Alice Mabel Bacon. PIP. 2G5 Price
$50. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., New
York.
overrun with Japanese matter OF a
mediocre quality, 1t is refreshing to take
up.these simple tales OF the little brown
men, The ten stories. contained IN TINS
volume DO not aspire to be , highly trag lei,!
some traditions CLEANED from the folklore
of these little people. The delicate artistic
sense Of the japanese is set forth IN a
hundred dainty touches Several OF the
ended war but even In these the charac-
terlstlo thread of superstition is woven,
Probably the most striking tale Of the
group is the last one How F - M, J; Re- s
full idea Of the Japanese concerning u
pre-existence. Furni, who one day be.
como suddenly conscious that she had
lived somewhere before her present NE;
our old priest at home say that to most
men, when the gates Of the new birth
open the gates Of the old life close; put
to few the gates Of the, old life are
left ajar, and a mind from The spirit may
open them wide some day. SO that the
two lives are all one memory
The curious belief that there Is con,
slant intercourse between living men and
the spirits of the dead Is also beautifully
set forth, as is the strange superstition
concerning the evil eye OF foxes. There
is full glossary Of all the japanese
words used In the back, and the fcW e%-
,fr.r ut. 40 1,nf 1
pages make the point Of each story per-
fectly simple.
sToRK's NEST, BY J.. Breckenridge
Ea l!d PP tom 80 Prize Sew s York A0'a'
This new tale Of the Missouri back.
woods has about 1t the breezy freedom OF
tho life 1t depicts. All the characters eX,
with a few bold strokes. and tho impress
sion OF rough, but powerful, strength j.
given.
Emmy. tho central figure Is a pure
innocent girl Of seventeen. tota'ly i y, no
ing desire to become, like the girls wnt
live in the outer world from which she is
so completely shut out.
Tho whole current Of her life Is chnngel
by the entrance OF benton Cabot on tht
| scene. lilo has come from The city u
search OF health and strength and a
once loses his heart to the beautiful back
woods girl. 49,,
| Is much oycrdrawn, lie is beastly to tht
| last degree, and his creulty Is incredible
| yet he is tho lover Of little Emmy. Tho
| ed with him serves to give a sinister
meaning to his every word Al the asl
he meets his Just reward.
| The story ends Just as It should, anG
wo leave EMMY on tho high road to be-
come Person" as she quantity OK,
/ presses her ambition Any one in scnrcl
of AN exciting and rather narrowing tale
/ will find In this a story which will satisfy
tho desire for the uncanny creepy feel
Ing.
THE BEST pOLlcY,-By Elliot Flower,
PIP. 2dS, sl40 Bubbs-Mcrrlll Co.. In
dlanapois.
Nj. Flower, OF "The Spokesman" fame,
has made llfe-insuranco tho basis OF some
good stories IN this volume. Dave Muir
ray, general agent and insurance ph!!oso-
: al M