Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-20

| EdCH year we nave d biNhNNA
of radical books but certain hesitancy
seems to attach to most of them. There
Is shrnkage of artistic or other less
creditable origin from pursuing the theme
to the logical issue Few fall TO beSn
daringly; the end is apt to be sentimer-
tai Greekfire or some sort of mystic
and more or less graceful evasion. Toll =.
ers and ldlers" has the merit at least or
holding on to the sociological subject from
the first grapple and the finale is posi-
tive, clear cut position that leaves no one
in doubt You may accuse the hero-the
author has well managed to secrete him.
self-of being mistaken in his notions, but
you know that he sincerely has the no
tions and tries to do something with
them. 1t is an impressive, genuine story
that makes variety of appeals to the
reader, though it's burden is of the griev-
lous warfare of civilization. 1t is both
personal and lmperSonal with its tale OF
individual struggle of the outer and inner
sort, and its sketching of large conditions.
There is breathless fervor and brevity
yet rich compactness that often de-
mands second reading. This is a book
that provokes thoughts-and partisans.
OF course some people would say that
means 1t is not truly artistic. The plot
may sound improbable or idealistic, but
the realistic treatment makes the reader
unconscious of any such thing. The
arguments in this book are woven into
the fabric of the story and is therefore
more insidious, some might say. The
author has considerable sense of humor,
but seems to prefer the grim and satiric
to other native varieties. The heights
and depths of metropolitan life have per-
| haps never been treated SO comprehen-
sively as in this novel. 1t is serious,
carefully wrought work that will prob
ably appeal to the mass as well as to the
faxx ora oil n
qualities and tone of sincerity that
should seize the heart.
Toilers and 1dlers BY John R. Nc
Mahon New York: Wiltshire Book Co.
Sportsmen, campers, lovers of outdoor
! life, a great treat is in store for you
Stewart Edward White has written a
book on camp and trail. If you love the
woods, the mountains, the trail, the all
outdoors get this book. White has writ
ten to fill demand. The author has en-
| joyed that feeling of satisfaction that
must come to one who knows at the out
set that his book will be a success. He
has carefully gone over he ground and
told beginners and old timers what they
need in the way of an outfit. He takes
them through the whole outfitting process
| and is fair enough to say where the
best goods may be bought. Mr.. White
| goes carefully into details of personal
] equipment camp and cook outfits, camp
cookery, horse and pack outfit and en-
| ters not quite so extensively into canoe
| trips. The book will be a valuable addi-
| ton to the library of every California
sportsman. and judging by the number
of hunters licenses issued there are over
100,O 900 Of them. Old time campers will
go critically over the outfit and grub
lists to "see how near White is right.
They will find great difficulty in picking
flaws. The younger man will be delighted
to find how near the authors ideas co.
ncide with his. The portion devoted to
throwing hitch and packing horses is of
particular interest. The line drawing
diagrams are excellent and show just
what the reader wants and no more. The
illustrations are from well chosen photo
graphs, some capital washes by N. c.
Wyeth and beautiful frontispiece in
colors from a painting by Fernand Lun-
gren entitled 1.-The Home of the Red
Gods"
Camp and Trail. BY Stewart Edward
White. New York: The Outing Publish
ing Co.
David Starr Jordan is extending his
authorship over a notable series of vol
umes on vital subjects of intimate con-
cern to American citizens. One of the
rlost important things he has written is
"The Human Harvest" which is more
extended exposition of "the decay of
races through the survival of the unfit
than given in the authors first we'll
known treatise on the subject, called
'"The Blood of the Nation" of which it
is, in fact, revision and enlargement.
a tremendous problem is dealt with In
& powerful, uncompromising and con-
vincing way by a trained scientist and a
student of history as well. OF the earlier
" ork it has been well said that 'but
seldom has there been compressed into
so small a composition so stimulating
and wel-rounded an argument. so con-
yincing and virile an exposition of fun
damental principle.
The Human Harvest. BY David Starr
Jordan Boston: The American Unitarian
association.
1t is curious turn of fates wheel that
leads to the publication at this late day
of Madame de Staels love letters to Ben
jamin Constant, the publication being au-
thorlzed by the granddaughter of the
woman for whom Constant proved him
self inconstant to his brilliant mistress.
The letters are all dated subsequent to
Constants marriage; some of them after
Madame de Staels marriage to Rocca,
g youth of % years
The espstles throw no new light on the
character or this remarKaDle rWOiudn,
though they serve to emphasize her sense
Of loss at Constants desertion.
''I have your letters always near me,
she says in one of them. 'I never open
my writing case without touching them
with my hand; l gaze at the address; all
that have suffered by these lines makes
me shudder, and yet I still hope to have
more of them"
81 shall never rest; all is spoiled, all is
lost, by you, by your she cries in an
other, and again, "Oh, Benjamin, you
have destroyed my life! Not day has
elapsed in ten years on which my heart
has not ached for you, and yet l loved
you so! 1t is cruel-let us leave that, but
never can forgive you. for shall never
cease to suffer"
Letters from Constant during the same
period show that his marriage had not
satisfied him any better than his nalson
with Madame de Stael, and that his mind
was still passing through its periods of
passionate vacillation.
my heart is weary of all that 1t has.
and regrets all that it has not" he says
In one letter, and in another, Il am as
much absorbed with Madame de Stael as