New-York tribune., 1908-12-05
BOYS BOOKS,
Ne5c T0Ies Of 4thletics and Of
4dTentuTe.

The stories OF school ana CpllcSc lle III NH'IlA
athletics have ruling share are many this
season and are uncommony entertaining. Most
Of them have their episodes of breathless ex-
ctement Nearly every young hero IS model
of courage and honor and modesty, and by rea-
son of these fine qualities happily emerges from
various unpleasant situations and conquers his
enemies. Most OF them are as whoesomeiy in
epiring as they are amusing. \ story which IS
calculated to fsscinate boy reader is Lieuten-
ant Hugh 8 Johnson's Williams or west
Point" ID Appleton & Coz. Life and work at
the great Military Academy can he MADE to
afford incidents OF the most vivid interest and
the author of this particular BOYS novel has
known how to turn them to account. Bob Will
Jams is splendid fellow. but all his manly
virtues do not save him from the Vaccinations
of an enemy in his class. and he is sent TO
Coventry in the unjust fashion which always
moves q healthy minded youth to rush to the
endeof the book to discover the result of much
unmerited misery and mean malice The result
in this case is entirely satisfactory-the more
So that the delightful Bob becomes the chief
factor in the Army and Navy football gane-a
game which the author describes with CON
IA eio,,s enthusiasm Another clever story in
which football figures is Mr.. Walter Camp I
The Substitute %. Appleton Coz. The
methods and the spirit OF the game are d~elt
upon with the animation of one who has thor
oueh knowledge OF football and a genuine love
for It. A big game is the croWning event of the
story-this time ii isI between Princeton and
Yale.
The technical side Of football is also more or
less To the fore in Mr.. Ralph H. Barhours
Forward Pass ID Appleton & Coz, though it
is not allowed to swamp the other phases Of
&iaiIv life in q great preparatory school There
is ? day when Dan Vinton,s the hero. hear'ns
hravely the odium of q fault he has not com
mtttcd sees from distance the progress ot
the game which has been forbidden to nm.
Poor Dan-that is sorrow indeed! But the clos
ing chaptcr tells the tale of "Vntons victory
and the Young reader need not he isappo1nted
in the school idol The same publishers issu"
in Mr. 7 : Hamilton's Butt Chenler. Fresh
man = story OF college days in which youthful
friendship and Youthful cnnities, practical jokes
and athletics all play lively part. Another oI
Mr. Arthur Stanpood Piers stories of st. TIM
otl,v's is entitled THE New Boy" thoughton'
Mf41in Company. 1t Is hook OF more thah
ordinary significance in It's contrast OF Two po\-
;eh characters. In MI Ralph u Paine's book.
THE Stroke Oar CThe outing Publishing Com
pan,o. the Yale-Harvard boat race is the point
toward which strain All the characters and
events described. The heros adventures are
startling In the midst OF training for ihA race
he is by mistake, carried off to sea on Soufh
American vessel: through strange turn Of rate
he finds himself on board another vessel bound for
Hamburg and after many vicissitudes. rejoins
the crew at New London only at the last mo-
mont He has keot himself IN training i'm mar
varops fashion throughout his enforced alb
s.noe-gnd Of course he IS the chief figure in
ya,o.s oorouost This is a spirited storE. ana
- &c certain that nobody will put it aside an ,
finished.
stories of adventure are not wanting this
YEAR. though some OF the pens beloved OF boys
have been laid aside forever. The Imprisoned
Nidshipman' %. Appleton & Coz, by Molly
Elliot Seaweli. is a clever tale OF two young
uatrfo,s who. in the faraway days of the Bar
barry pirates are captured. with the whole ships
compan.. when the Philadelphia is lost off
-rrinoIi and who lie In the Bashaws prison, un-
cartain what their fate may he. Very unCom-
Portable things happen; there are chapters of
danger and suspense that are quite thrilling in
effect. There are agreeable thrills also in Mr..
Holman Days story Of the Maine woods. called
The Eagle Badge" (Harper & Brothers..
ss,7ueplers and counterfeiters furnish forth the
snarss which hcset the young hero. Occasion
ally his Iife hangs upon d thread" but courage
ana honesty bring him trumphanty through his
digirlllties There is episode of logging, the
rescpe Of = youth who has been cruelty Injured
in ..l,reakirg the jam" which is not to be for
eotten Another story of dangerous passages in
modern American life is Mr Joseph y. Aness
Pete. COW Puncher' CIIenTy Holt a CoD. All
I, ,,i,i,Ircsgle adventures which can befaH the
cowboy on tile Western plains the lot of
Donald harrington. alias Pete" and they bring
linn 10 tie end Of the book strong and high
minded and very nluch Of man. The author
mas drawn upon such stock incidents lighting
a prairie fire and escaping from stampedng cat
tla-but these are described with much vlyac-
itv ,hat they hardly seem hackneyed In one
,hapter Donald's horse. Freckles. saves MS life
thus:
n vas 49, hot and Donald. growing drowsv.
,-,c,r,5 IA p,leht we'll take a l1fie There
rss small chance n tho cattle straying and II thev
di5 ts f4lt su-A that Freckles would awaken MIN
s. ~ rode tfif, cluIhn OF nAAs1uitas ana.
6isr,o,,rfirz ira thg ends ~ his Bride rcins
eS,ae- AND sipncd his through, thar tie
sliehtest PUN on the part of the horse would