New-York tribune., 1907-12-19
Literary VesOs and Criticism.

N'"en's' men and women to whom the notation
oI 'he composer may still be as sealed book
oUt 10 whose appeal they nevertheless grow
more sensitive as the modern appliances make
it the easier for them to become acquainted with
ms WORKS. For such readers Mr. Gustav Kobba
mas written THE Fianolist" (AIoffat Yard &
Co''' guide for pianola players. In this after
cwsiiihg upon the pleasure TO be had despite the
absence OF technical proficiency. he outlines a
klhd OF educational course In music. passing
many Of the composers in review. Notes on
certain OF their compositions are given. along
clearly descriptive lines, so that the novice need
not go amiss. and occasionally a personality is
introduced The purpose of the volume is
stimulate the beginner, to show him how to use
q mechanical contrivance as a means of making
the works OF the masters his own. To this end
the author writes with directness and a very
pleasant enthusiasm. producing a useful little
book.
Mr.. Clifton Johnson is one of those authors
who. in saying what they have to say. use the
camera as well the pen. In several volumes
his easy talk about things Of interest to Aneri-
cans has been made the more effective through
the introduction Of many illustrations from
photographs taken by himself He uses his
familiar method to good purpose in two volumes
just published by I. Y. Croweu &, Co. under the
titles respectively of The Farmers Boy and
o
author groups the activities of his small friends
according 10 the seasons of the year, painting
the farmers boy against a background Of nature.
The simple narrative viii bring to many a city
lad a tiuging sense of the fun be had in the
country. In The Country School" Mr.. Johnson
plays in his modest way, the part of the his
torian. and appeals TO readers of all ages. In
both books his photographs enhance the interest
Of the text Another book which is addressed
q; once to the young reader and to his elders
is Will Carletons In Old School Days" (AIof-
fat. Yard & Coz. prettily published with deco
rations in tint and with colored illustrations by
James Montgomery Flagg. This is a simple biz
of rhyme. laying stress upon the sentiment and
humor Of the theme. In many a reader il will
wake a pleasing memory of old days
Doubleday. Page & Co., who publish the reg
ular editions of Mr. Kipling's writings. dis
tinguished from the luxurious subscription edi-
of his works issued by the Scribners. have
brought out several interesting reprints bearing
his name. Notable amongst these is thia
volume containing THE Brushwood Boy
OF the subtly imaginative things he
produced. II is adorned with a number of sug
gestive drawings in color by Mr. T. Il. Town
send. 1t was a good idea to make a separate
holiday volume of this beautiful tale. The
is in pearl and gold, with one Of Mr.. Townsend's
pictures included in the design. Another Of
these kipling volumes is given to his Collected
Verse" In this compact octave, printed in good
open type, we have everything from the four
volumes which, beginning In 1892. demonstrated
the authors power to be. at least on occasion.
effective in verse as in prose. Mr.. Kipllng's
poetry is more uneven than is his prose- but
when he is at his best, in the handling Of the
ballad form. he rises 10 the height of his finest
the well known older pieces in this collection
and TO note again their splendid vigor and
freshness. To dip into the 'Barrack Room Bal
lads is to vince more at the thought OF
what we lost when Mr. Kipling took to dabbling
ia political questions. For the reprint OF From
Sea TO Sea" not particularly grateful.
There are, Of course. many amusing passages In
these letters Of travel, many true Kiplingesque
touches but it is scarcely be counted among
those productions of his which the world would
not willingly let die.
Always welcome amongst the holiday books
which seem somehow framed to serve as greet
ings from one friend TO another those pocket
volumes which the Century Company issues in
its ''Thumb-Na Series' This year the works
chosen are Longfellow's Tales of a Waystde
Inn" Dickens's s"Seven Poor Travellers" Ito
which "The Holly Tree" has been added and
Stevensons Travels with Donkey There
are no new tntroductions, The publishers have
simply given to these favorte bits of literature
charming paper and Typography and the usual
quaint covers of stamped leather. Merely the
outward appearance OF these reprints would at
tract the reader.
It is a long time since the Macmillan Company
started The Crawford Series" that collection OF
classical fiction reprinted partly for Its own sake
and nartly for the sake Of illustrations by Mr..
Hugh Thomson The publishers made a lucky
choice when they hit upon his art Thackeray,
Fanny Burney. Mrs Gaskell-they have all
touched his sympathies in the right way. He
illustrated George Eliot some time ago, making
a capital Iume out of her Scenes Of Clerical
life, and now he has repeated his successful
interpretation of her genius. adding in her
..silas Manner another welcome book TO this
rac,I3arlv artistic series. His drawings. deli
catelv printed in colors. precisely in the
snirit of the text and they have great intrinsic
charm Paper and press work and binding are
as always Just what they should be.
Nv wallace Rice has compiled. and the A c
McClure Company, of Chicago. have pubilshed'
two interesting little volumes. the frahKiln
y.a, Rook' and THE Lincoln Year Book
Each collection is made up of a great man
av,on,s and aphorisIns. Appropriate Vlghe'IeS
and decorations are sketched In outline on Ihe
margins and for frontispiece there ls' OF course
a portrait.
..,-,,r,s,roasse Tyde" paul Elder & Coz is an
.I1a1o.,, of nrose and verse confined obviously
: -. .o,;dav mood Authors old and new have
-, drawn upon prose fragment from
Y,,o,,ens appears between verse by Henry van
-. ord another by Margaret E. Sangster