Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-09
Between New Book Covers

OQlluB IuDiiSAlHB Company
A clever story is 1.-THE Successor by
Richard Pryce. It is a subtle and con-
vincing treatment of striking theme
that involves an heir to a great Eng
lish estate. The story is handled not
for any excitement of plot, though that
| is not wanting, but in the spirit of real
comedy that springs from shrewd
knowledge of human nature. MI
Pryce is the author of several earlier
works, put 1.-THE Successor" is his first
conspicuous triumph, and has already
gone through five editions in England
The Successor. BY Richard Pryce.
New York: Duffleld s. Co.
Carolyn Wells always is interesting
and clever, and her Emily Emmins
Papers," detailing certain enjoyable ex-
periences consequent upon visit 10
England, are bright with characteristic
vim and sparkle Not the best of this
writer's productions, they nevertheless
provide genuine entertainment from the
moment when the smiling face of a
tourist prospective leads the hypothe-
| teal Miss Emmins to purchase re-
turn ticket to Liverpool to the con-
Guiding detail of "a French Week
End" Miss Wells, with her usual gift
of epigrammatic expression, thus de-
fines the difference between London and
Paris:
Paris is adorable; London is lovable.
Paris is bewitching; London is satisfy
| ing, Paris is to London as limelight un-
to sunlight, and as absinthe unto VINE
But as the very essence Of Paris is
ephemera1, SO the nature of London
makes for perpetuity; and London. IS
| of all things, place to go back to.
Crossing the Atlantic" Mayfair in
the Month of May" Certain Social
Uncertainties. "Piccadilly Circus and
| It's Environs, and THE Game OF
Going on are the titles of specimen
chapters of fresh and refreshing order.
And the spirit of the entire volume,
sage, sympathetic. but "incuranly
llighthearted," makes the trip to Europe
in such joyous company delightful
| episode indeed. Josephine A. Meyer
provides line illustrations of spirit and
power
"The Emily Emmins Papers" BY
Carolyn Wells. New York: G. p. Put
hams Sons.
Those who enjoyed Captain January"
| land that means every one, young or
old, that read it, will like Mrs. Rich
ards new story, GRANDMOTHER. It
deals with a young girl who Is taken
from harmful influences by an old man,
who, to protect her from calumny
Makes her his wife. Grandfather
Merion's daughter Rachel is not pleased
when the girl Is brought home, and, In
addition to reviling her, nicknames her
| Grandmother. The name sticks. ana
she becomes Familiarity known by Il,
but 1t grows to be a term of endear-
ment instead of scorn. Her sweet ma
ture and simplicity are prettily por-
trayed in this charming character
study.
Grandmother. By Laura e. Richards.
Boston: Dana Estes g. Co.
1
The growing interest in Velasquez
and the awakening of interest in Goya
| impels an ever increasing number OF
/ foreigners to visit the Prado museum.
which is rich in fine examples OF these
| two Spanish masters. This in turn has
created a demand for some sort of
guide to this interesting collection of
old masters. The book by G. S. Rick
etts called 1.-THE Art of the Prado." fur
nishes Just such guide, giving sur
vey Of the contents of the gallery, to-
| gether with detailed criticisms of its
masterpieces and biographical sketches
OF the famous painters who produced
them. This collection contains about
1000 paintings, the nucleus of which was
| formed by Ferdinand II, who gathered
together all the paintings from his
various palaces except the Escorial.
The collection was greatly enriched by
the art loving Charles V and his son,
L. 4 "
added a large number of French pic
! lures of the seventeenth and eighteenth
| centuries. The last large acquisition of
the gallery was made in 1870, when
were added to it all of the pictures from
the National museum of Trinidad. all
| of which is entertainingly set forth in
| this substantially made volume.
At best the book is an excellent and
| readable guide to a collection not too
widely known, and considered as such
| the author is deserving of undualified
attention. The book is nicely got up,
well printed on good paper in large,
clear type, and illustrated with full
page reproductions printed in sepia.
| The Art of the Prado. BY c. S. Rick
etts. Boston: L. c. Page & Co. Los
Angeles: C. C. Parker.
1.-THE Salon." by Helen Clergue, makes
| the reader intimately acquainted with
four distinguished and fascinating
women-Mme. Du Deffand. Mime. Geof-
| frin Mime. d'Epinay and Julie de Les
| pinasse-who, In the France of the
eighteenth century, exercised a potent
and, on the whole, beneficent influence,
| and this, thanks to their compelling
charms of mind and heart. to their ele-
| gance and grace of manner, or to the
range and depth of their sympathies.
in the warmth and glow of which the
| great men of the age developed, ex-
! panded and fourished.
1.-THE Salon" is a most attractive
| book.
The Salon. BY Helen Clergue. New
York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
The mystery and the fascination that
| hang over the coasts of Africa have
rarely had a more satisfactory inter-
prefer than Richard Harding Davis in
his new book, THE Congo and Coasts
| of Africa" Tie description of the voy-
age along the coasts, stopping at one
| lonesome port after another to leave a
missionary or an official, the glimpses
of the life they lead and the work they
do, the intensely human and vivid idea
of what Africa actually is today in that
coast region and what ii means to the
white men and women who try to live
| there and to the black ones who belong
| there is a revelation.
The present discussion of the manner
| in which King Leopold of Belgium has
conducted and is conducting the gov
eminent of the Congo gains much new
and uprising illumination from Mr..
Davis narrative. He goes into the
question not only from the point of
view of the actual conditions of today,
hut with an historical summary of the
causes and the reasons for the growth
of present conditions.
Mr.. Davis account of what he saw
and his description of conditions