Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-27
BOOK NOTES
.HR HERA1p has alreadv SO *

| view of the book Of the same name
| which the playwright Edward Childs
| Carpenter wrote from the drama,
seems hardly necessary. The book is
a stirring tale full Of life and ginger,
yet It suffers slightly from an artistic
sense In that it was obviously written
from the play and not as an original
piece Of literary work. The defects i'm
craftsmanship are thus evident in the
book, just MS I'm plays made from books
the reverse is true
But barring all this, Mr.. Carpenter
has written a fine tale of striking in
terest here i'm that its locale is Los
Angeles and its vicinity i'm the thrilling
days of the conquest of California by
the Americans. His hero is an Amer
lean who assumes a bandit role I'm or
| der to find revenge on the Mexicans.
He does the Dick Turpln act in good
fashion, but all the gold he thus OBJ
tains he turns over to the American
troops The love interest centers about
q ward of one of the padres at San
Gabriel mission, and the villain, who
is also in love with her, is a renega de
| American secretly in the Mexican SER
vice. Commodore Stockton's landing
at San Pedro and the capture of Los
Angeles figure largely in the story,
and every lover of Los Angeles and its
history will find the tale of more than
ordinary interest and historic value.
With the wealth of color and romance
in the early days of California and es-
pecially this part Of 1t, the only wonder
is that we have not long since had q
flood of stories laid hereabouts. 1t is
good fortune indeed to find the first
one so well done.
Captain Courteous. BY Edward
Childs Carpenter. Philadelphia George
| W. Jacobs e. Co.
One thinks of Carolyn Wells rather
as a writer of clever verse du societe,
or riddles of complicated meaning. or
nonsense rhymes, than as an author
of books for girls. And when 1t comes
to a series of Patty books, built
somewhat on the lives of the Rolls"
books and the Elsie books-well,
WE'LL Yet here is "Patty's Summer
Days." from Carolyn Wells pen, and
It Is actually the fourt-I in the list;
for Patty has already been described,
as have her days at home and in the
city. However much one may be sur
prised, therefore, at the story and its
authorship, one must admit that the
writer has had practice. The volume
certifies this; 1t is happy story, well
told, full of interest and good reading.
Pattys Summer Days. BY Carolyn
Wells New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.
S1.25.
The fourth edition of Dr. c. T. Stock
wells THE Evolution of Immortality"
has just been issued. These essays are
among the most suggestive and best
developed series on personal immortal
ity which have been produced in late
years. They make a thoughtful and
earnest book.
The Evolution of Immortality. By
DR.. C. T. Stockwell. Boston: James
H. West company.
1.-THE Second Violin" by title instantly
calls to mind that most charming of
music-novels, "The First VIOLIN" by
Jessie Fathergill. But this story is
quite a contrast-not in merit but in
construction and purport. This is a
story for girls and it has much OF the
flavor that hedges about Miss Alcott's
charming tales. It is human, satisfy
! ing, wholesome and readable, and
Grace S. Richmond should be proud of
her handiwork. The volume Is not alto
gether unknown, as it ran as a serial
! in an eastern weekly.
! The Second Violin. By Grace S.
Richmond. New York: Doubleday,
Page & Co. $1.5O.
"The Silver Nn," by Luara j.,
Richards, is a book of clever fables for
old and young-another that all may
read with both pleasure and profit. 1t
| is we'll WIlllell anu lllC lllOld VI lHC
fables are not too officiously palpable.
The Silver Crown. BY Laura e. Rich
ards Boston: Little, Brown & Co. $15O. |
What to do with the great body Of
| the unemployable in any city, who are
burden and a menace to society, is
the subject of Made in His Image"
Guy Thorne's new novel. When Charles
| Bosanquet, supposedly an atheist, be-
comes minister Of industrial affairs, the
problem has become so vexing a one
that it is the absorbing question of the
hour. He sets to work to find a solu-
tion. When his plan is made known
he is voted a genius by many, but the
Christian people are Mortified and as
founded arguing that the proposed act
will bring an awful curse upon the city. |
The working out of his scheme, which |
| incidentally develops q love story, forms
a tale at once powerful and absorbing. |
! Made in His Image. BY Guy Thorne.
Philadelphia: George w. Jacobs g. Co.
There is nothing more elusive than
happiness. Its chase leads in the end TO
the query What is happiness?" and no.
where else. When one finds tiff one
does-it proves so like an gnis fatuus
that none may grasp it and know that
it is his. George Hodges has written
series of fine essays on "The Pursuit
of Happiness" which throw much light |
not only on the effort to grasp it, but
upon what true happiness is They can
be recommended to every one; equally
to those who are happy and those who
seek to be happy
The Pursuit of Happiness. BY George
Hodges. New York: Doubleday, Page
G. Co. 75c net.
princess Martha" is Percy Brebner's
| fine and interesting story, for which
many have waited long. The princess is
one of those lovely and lovable crea-
lures whose depletion in the story books
has made us devote our time and atten-
tion willingly to their adventures, and
who at the same time prove to such Of
us as came in contact with real royalty, |
how far nature has fallen below fiction.
The story has a strong love interest
much of adventure is related, and the
whole makes a fascinating and read
able book. The Harrison Fisher illus
trations are fine feature
! Princess Martha. BY Percy Brebner.
New York: T. j. Mcbride & Son.
AnVOne who knows the first thine