The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-15

Ingerson could not develop the story with
which he started into an interesting tale
OF country life.
English writer's have a knack Of writing
pleasantly about children and young per-
sons, nc matter what queer adventures they
put them through. The undescriptive and
unattractive title "The Story Book Girls"
Macmilans) belongs 70 a rather meaning
less tale by Christina Gowan White. There
are some nice girls in this and some other
entertaining people, but the main idea in
all of their heads seems to be to become es-
tablished properly. Engagements which
are hardly love affairs and weddings with
a good deal OF snobbishness make up the
book, and yet it is told pleasantly.
A solid chunk Of the output of that indus
trious veteran Mr.. Edward s. Ellis comes
TO us all at once from the John C. Winston
Company, Philadelphia. There are three
volumes Of The Foreign Adventure Series"
which are reminiscent OF the late Capt.
Mayne Reid. In Lost in the Forbidden
Land" there are thrilling adventures in the
Gran Chaco betw cen Paraguay and Boz
livia, leavened with humps OF information.
For River and Jungle, the scene Of adven-
ture in Siam; and as the volume does not
suffice it runs into a sequel, The Hunt of
the Wild Elephant" A Whit of Olive
Optic" comes pack with The Cruise of the
FREELY" and its rival boat crews but there
is abundance Of adventure Of the home
made kind to occupy the boys presented TO
the reader. Mr.. Ellis always makes his
books readable.
Thu didactic portions Of Cornelia Bakers
Young People in Old Places" CThe Bobbs-
Merrill Company are enlivened by adven-
lures Of travel that are more anu sing than
those that befen Rollo. The young people
spend most Of their time in England and in
Spain. A certain lack Of refinement and a
love tale that is rather out Of place may be
pardoned on account of the authors honest
effort not to be too serious. From the same
author and the same publishers comes The
Court Jester" a romance on the matrimonial
adventures of Margaret OF Austria, the
daughter Of the Emperor Macmillan. The
humor here is pretty stilted and the authors
fool is no Cbicot, but she has pick ed out for
her heroine a romantic character that has
not been h~ackneyed. There is an inordinate
amount OF travelling in the tale.
Some excellent bits Of description of
New England country life are wasted in a
~singularly foolish sentimental story by
A. G.. Plympton called -Old Home Day at
Hazeltown" little, Brown and Con-
pany).
With great industry Mr.. Charles Morris
keeps up his task OF supplying young
readers with short biographies, two volumes
Of which come to us from the j. b. Lippin-
colt Company. In Heroes of the Army
in America he may seem to travel rather
far aield in some cases to discover a hero"
and it is to pc regretted tina he did not
look into the ranks. A significant indiCa-
ton Of the change in the times will be noted
in the names of some Confederate COM
mander included. The Heroes of Progress
in America" are a rather miscellaneous
lot. comprising many statesmen and
politicians, who doubtless deserve a place,
but who crowd out many men whose brains
helped the patton on.
1t will be gathered from -What Marjorie
Saw Abroad" by Mrs. David Gamble
Murrell CThe Neale Publishing Company,
New York;, that if Marjorie had stayed
at home and read guide books she would
have learned just as much. Some people
apparently believe that the main lines of
travel in Europe are wholly unknown and
insist on making commonplace comments
on scenes and things that every one has
seen. These may have a value as examples
of the lower strata of American civiliza-
ton, but there is no excuse for INJECTING
them on the public.
A great many books of adventure ave
been boiled down to form the chapters of
Mr.. Richard Stead's Adventures on the
Great Rivers" ID. B. Lippincott Com
-,.uN Tharn IN No ananiaI maaninU in
the selection of rivers as the connecting
theme, and there is remarkably little in
terest in the stories as they are retold here.