New-York tribune., 1905-12-02


pretty box made OF the same material
Under the general title of "Her Letter
CHoughton, Mifflin Coz an uncommonly
tistic gift book appears with illustrations and
decorations by Arthur I. Keller "TIis Answer"
follows the poem which gives the book it's title,
and this IN turn is followed by "Her Last Let
ter" which Bret Harte wrote many years after
he first touched his romantic theme. The
scheme was good one to adopt for a holiday
book. and the illustrator has developed his share
in it. not only with entirely sympathetic feeling
for the text, but with a full sense of what
needed to make the volume interesting as
whole His floral decorations, set, with a back
ground OF gold, on the pages opposite his figure
studies, equal the latter in artistic merit, and
at the same time bring an admirable variety
into the book He has made a charming title
page, which. like the frontispiece, is in coors;
he has designed excellent tinted end papers, and
he has put the whole thing into gracefully
pictorial and decorative cover. These souvenirs
Of one of Bret Harte's most beguiling moods
have never before appeared in such judiciously
resplendent garb. The same publishers reprint
1.-The One Hoss Shay" and it's companion poems
''How the Old Hoss Won the Bet" and THE
Broomstck Train" with illustrations in ink and
color by Mr.. Howard Pyle. This is a modest little
volume, the illustrations being mostly on the
scale Of the vignette Their quaintness only
adds thus to the effect of the we'll printed page
The cover. with the title stamped IN gold, on a
panel surrounded by repeated 'shays." is one
Of the simplest but best Of the season. This
book. like Her Letter. shows in all its details
the finish characteristic Of the Riverside Press
Another American reprint, which seem to
have met before III the same form but are glad
TO meet again, is the one of Helen Hunt Jack
sons Ramona" CBoston: Little, Brown & Coz,
he tiOnS-iQClud1nR
Californian scenes as well as episodes from the
novel-by Mr.. Henry Sandman. A photogravure
portrait of Mrs Jackson serves as frontispiece,
and there is a valuable introduction, containing
interesting personal traits, by her friend, Susan
Coolidge.
Several minor native authors also receive the
tributes of Christmas editions Of some Of their
work at this time. There is the late Paul Lelces-
ter Ford whose pretty bit of sentiment, HIS
version of It' (Dodd Mead & Coz, is ressued in
a slender octave with fetching illustrations in
color by Henry Hutt, and tinted decorations on
every page by Theodore b Hapgood. Mr.. John
Luther Longs miss Cherry-Blossom of Tokyo
philadelphia: J. B. Ldppincott Company reap
pears after ten years, lavishly adorned with Ort-
entail designs these being printed in pale tints
not only on the margins, but over the type.
There are also some full page pictures Of jap
anese scenes Some of these holiday publica-
tiops are of fiction which has not hitherto been
brought out in book form. This is the case with
.rThe Line of Love- Caarper & Bros.), col
lection of romantic tales by Mr.. James Branch
C,ahell. superbIy illustrated in colors by MT
Howard Pyle. Indeed. Mr. Pyle has rarely
eoualled in vigor and picturesqueness the
drawings IN this book Less brilliantly Dut
elaborately enough, illustrated in tints IS
Caroline of Courtlandt Street" Harper
T-4afI1 1iT7pI
romance of old New-York- ''The Poet, Miss
Kate and /" the Baker & Taylor Company, is
a mildly clever love story by Margaret P. Mon
tague It is printed with tinted borders. few
nretty landscape Illustrations in halftones and
a frontispiece in color all drawn by Mr. George
W. Hood whose work suggests that he has
studied Mr. Maxfeld Parish's productions to ad-
vantage.
Something of Stevenson's has been apt, OF
late years, to get itself reprinted for the holi-
davs and this season we have "A Child's Gar
den of Verses Charles Scribner's sons, with
by Jessie Wilcox Smith. The edi-
zion is more than welcome. Dinlly, and at the
same time very agreeably we recall set OF
pen drawings made for this book by an Eng
lisb artist, but we willingly surrender our mem
ories of them in the presence of MISS SLnlth
fascinating work Her cover. with its stately
a If.
pair of children, is enough to put the reader
in good hunor, and the end papers, which he
presently examines are so good that they may
he described as not unworthy of either Kate
Greenaway or Boutet de Monvel The title
mage cIinches the matter, the single httie ngure
IN II is composed so well with the yellow and
green decorations: and thenceforward' throush-#
ont the volume, whether we are looking at MISS
Smiths black and whites on the printed Pase
or At her large illustrations in colors, we he8Itl-
" admit that she has provided an ideal accom-
for Stevenson's winning verses. me
reproduction of her coored drawings has been
,ccornplished with remarkable success. IN
much smaller but very tastefully printed vol
r,a we have again "a Child's Garden or
versos" Boston: Herbert B. Turner & Coz, with
added. There are only TWO NUS MUS
tro+,ons in this unassuming reprint, a vignette OF
old home. The Manse. on the ttle
mage. and photogravure frontispiece atter tfle
medallion by Augustus Saint-Gaudens; put tlleSe
are both good to have.
Tennyson provides occasion for two OF the new
holiday books One of these is given 70 MAUI
Dodd, Mead & Coz with illustrations by MAJ
yaret and Helen Armstrong. The rather anna
te,rish but not ungraceful full page drawings
ara in delicate line. with the faintest tlnts addeu
,are and there The chapter headings, mostly
conventional FORMS are cleanly executed anu
,acb mage has a floral border printed lightly IN
-, .nThe Homes of Tcnnyson' CThe Mac
9,iIop Company is a description by Arthur
r,+arson Of Farringford and A1dworth, with re-
,roductions in color-and fine reproductions tney
,rA-of twenty paintings by Mrs Helen AlilhS-
non, The late Laureate's intimate hauhIS nave
yielded scenes Of great beauty to the artist' ana
.be mas delineated them with suaVe landscape
,,,o,,tv none too common in the familiar color
bar S,1l1i Sppcial