The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-03
no,p Book neWS

their great number of characters and complexity of plot. In -Children there are less than a dozen characters alto gether, and the story never wanders from the chief parsonage, club idier and man-about-town in St. Petersburg who is suddenly compelled to assume the care of his sisters two little chill dren. At first he Is annoyed by their presence. which necessarily interferes with his freedom; but their innocent love and trust win his heart. and thelr death awakcns him to realization or the useIessness and folly of his mode lof life. The theme is treated with re- markable simplicity, the thoughts ana almost photographic faithfulness, while the author never intrudes with his own comment. Children is, in fact, re- markable as an example of the novel that points a moral and yet has in 1t not a single word of preaching. It is not a coincidence that two out of the three German stories in the current issue of Tales are by women, | for large part of the literary activity | of the Kaiser's realm Is in the hands or i the gentIer sex Of these three stor- | ies. by far the most important Is the one entitled "Bimbos Last Incarnation. l by. Richarda Huch. The poetry and J intensity of this story, and the vivid I ness with which the author has req | lized the spirit of time long past, | make it one of the most fascinaxng German stories of the day. Another wo- man writer of Germany, and one or the most popular of that country's authors Is represented in this issue by de, the Barometer" The third German
 story is a very humorous fantasy, The
 Herb of Truth" by Fritz won osti- nj.
 Daniel Lesueur, the author of a strong lnovel which appeared in a recent issue of Tales contributes to the current number a remarkably interesting TO- nance of Parisian life with the title "As the World Judges" One of the | wittfest Of living Frenchmen, Henri L,ayedan, is the author of an amusing little comedy of theatrical life. entitled
 Her Aside" "A Race on the Neva.
 by Princess Metchersky. French au- T thor of Russian birth. IS notable Tor an
 exciting description of a race on the
 ice.
 The December issue of Tales presents
 a remarkable collection of stories from
 the best living authors the world over
 Of the eight languages represented Russian has the largest snare, MIL W,tn q complete novel. Children" by Nikoia
 TeIeshov, and short stories by Maxim , lGorky and Schedrfn. Of the i've French
 authors who contribute short stories Daniel Lesueur, Henri Davendan Leon Frapie, Princess Metchersky ane Nonce Casanova--the first four names lare known far beyond the limits or tnel' own country. Two of the three Ger uoan authors are women-Richards Huch and Nataly won Eschstrufn- while the third is Fritz von ostini. ths
 editor of the German publication. Jugg . end. The remainder of the seventeen stories in the issue are by Herman Bang CDanish). Roberto Bracco titai , ian). Jacinto Octavio' Picon (Spanish)
 Kolomon Mikszath (Hungarian). ant Reatrix Demarest Lloyd (American)
 The stories are, as usual, intersperse'
 with clever jokes translated from TOT
 eign papers. and the magazine Is mad still more interesting by brief note , about the principal authors
 The December HarpeF's. The reader who opens the Christina number of Harpers Magazine VII doubtless exclaim over its beauty. Tn sumptuous color work arrests the ey
 at once, and later the attention caught by the wonderful list or writer . l contributing to this number: Mauric MaeterIinck, Grover Cleveland, Mar : Twain, william Dean Howells. Boot 1, Tarkington, Jack London, Elizabet . stuart Phelps, Harriet Prescott Spof . ford. Edmund Gosse. Mary B. Wilkin s Freeman, Henry Mills Alden, Ernes ' Rhys, Henry W. Nevinson, Prof. Thom as R. Lounsbu.y, Mary R. $. Andrews , Josephine Preston Peabody, and man ! others. The reproductions of Howar a Pyle's four paintings, illustrating hi own article on The Fate of freasur ? Town" are remarkable color work. Il the deIineation of the picturesque an
 tropical buccaneer, no living painte 7 can compete with Pyle. A deligntfu interlude in this number Is the grou
 of eight color pictures of children, rror
 paintings by Elizabeth Shippen Greer who has proved herself the Nveritabl > poet painter of childhood. Her picture n are in perfect accord with Miss Pea ss body's child poems.- for which they wer '. painted In addition there are man pictures in tint by well-known artist . Mir Neyinson's article on. the Africa T Slaye-Trade reveals still further tn n shocking atrocities of this preser II traffic In "Tre Language Of the Trails o Ernest Harold Baynes traces in tn snow the evidences of animal coming q and goings, and the inevitable tragedie ', of wild life. It Is illustrated with WIT e ter landscapes in tint. But 1t is diff e cult to give prominence to any anon o so many excellencies. From Maetel e linck's noble essay on Immortality
 through Grover CleveIand's plea fC 'r the protection of the integrity of Amel 10 ican character, to Mark Twain's 1T ,e tensely funny Ewes Diary" and u 'i study and Easy Chair, and the Drawe al nothing has been omitted from tn number that would make it at once di
 tinguished and readable.
 
 The Green Singing-BOOk. y I don't know how to read the words, ss Or how the black things go. ,s But If you stand it up. and sing, n You never have to know
 ar The music sounds alike each time "a When grown-up people play; ia But every time I sing myself,
 It sounds a different way.
 And when I've sung the book {
 through
 And every page all round.
 M stand 1t upside down and sing,
 To hear hoy that will sound.
 I sing how all the things outside
 The window look to me;
 | The shiny wrinkles in the road