Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-16
AURA q. RICHARDS is a dellght-

9dIhSg MTS. IRlCuttlAG AeAtS'N hNCA = ,
resembles its long popular predecessors,
"Geoffrey Strong" Melody" etc, in
LONELINESS of subject and the loving
| touch and quaint humor that endear
this subject to the reader. The laugh-
| ter that Is closely akin to tears WINES
every page of the book.
Calvin Parks is a retired sailor, tenn
| porarily engaged in driving a candy
| wagon about the country. The Sill
twins. friends of his childhood, welcome
him back to the old neighborhood, put
he is saddened by the fact that the
elderly oddities, practically thinking
and acting as one until the death CT
their beloved but masterful ma" no
longer are on speaking terms with each
other. Cousin Mary Sands, who Keeps
house for them, tells Sam what Sim
wants to say and vice versa. OF course
It is Mary Sands who steals the heart
of "Comical Cal" and. equally OF
course, fate interposes some obstacles
in the way of their happy union. The
unexpected means by which at last TINS
union is accomplished provides oppor-
tunity for some pleasant reading. of
course things don't fall out so sWeetly
in real life as often as we'd like TO
have Them but perhaps if we were all
as kind and merry and sweet-naturcd
as Calvin Parks they might do so. IN
any case this is a delicate, CHEEKY and
enjoyable tale.
The Wooing of Calvin Parks. BY
Laura E. Richards. Boston: Dana
Estes & Co.
"The ufathomable mystery abiding
upon the face of the great deep, the
constant marvel of huge, heaVing
leagues of watery solitude, secret and
profound" and the close presence of
1.-The strange, the unexpected, lurking
everywhere" for "those who go down
to the sea in ships" has been admirably
delineated by Mr.. Randall Parrish in
this stirring sea story 1.-THE Last Voy-
age of the Donna Isabel" While in
prisoners of Chance" Mr.. Parrish Sc
lected New Orleans at the period OF
the French and Spanish contest for su-
premacy and thus placed his tale OF
exciting adventure upon land, in this
instance, the great eVer-changing sea
furnishes the ever-shifting scenes of
dangerous and often horrible expe-
riences which the books characters en-
counter. Mr.. Parrish in no way disap-
points the reader in rendering the in
cidents of his story. The love interest
is especially we'll maintained, while the
authoRs delineation of his characters
is impressively realistic
The Last Voyage of the Donna Isa-
bel BY Randall Parrish. Chicago:
A. c. McClurg & Co.
UNIQUE in the way of travel literature
and of absorbing interest, this volume
has also the clear brevity of style
which makes for good reading. Il am
convinced that If women were to take
up the art of scouting they would cas-
lily beat man at the game. They have
most uncannily clever Enack of putting
this and that together" Thus says
Lieut.. Gen. Baden-Powell, speaking of
women recording their Impressions OF
little known countries. Miss Kirkland,
one of two American women who made
this wonderful journey into the heart of
Africa along the equator, has given in
her book not only the facts and the
figures of the more erudite man, but
has added that touch of the personal,
that quick grasp of the unusual, which
lends charm and presents the heart OF
tie situation.
With map and numerous illustrations
one is able to follow the progress of
these two women on what is probably
the most unique tour in the Travelled
world, looking from the railway car
riage windows to see a lion ana ner
cubs trotting peacefully along or a
giraffe speeding away at a distance of
a few yards, travelling on the Indian
ocean on a steamer laden with so many
kinds of men and animals that 1T
seemed like a travelling Berlitz school
of languages with a NoahS ark attach
ment, watching naked savages barter
ing in the Kavirondo market in East
Africa or gathering white ants for
luscious meal, realizing "the wonderful
combination of firmly maintained order
and remote savagery" which the Eng
fish have attained in Uganda and the
Transvaal.
The book is published with the hope
of interesting other Americans in tour
II xrin1anf q nd
enchanting country" before 1t Is mod
ernized and made tame. The author
assures one that the trip can be made
with entire safety and great comfort.
Three things, she says, are necessary.
First, good health; second, an open
mind, free from prejudice; third, a
willingness to make light of trifieS and
to nut I'D with small discomforts-
three things which are surely indls-
pensable to any traveller. The chapter
on the African sleeping sickness is es-
pecially interesting.
Some African Highways. BY Caro-
line Kirkland. Boston: Dana Estes
& Co.
After years of frenzied undertaking,
during which our Legislators have been
accused of every crime that gifted and
highly paid magazine writer's could
Imagine, Senator Beveridge comes for
ward with an indictment that will cause
a general wincing on the part of some
of our near statesmen.
This indictment charges that large
part of our public men are out and out
trimmers-the sort of men that Dante
Thought too contemplate even for hell
itself, and relegated to a dreary suburb
outside the city limits of his inferno.
Fortunately, for some men, the senator
does not mention names; but his stories
of trimmers in high places ring true,
and tone in with half our recollected
experience with politicians high and
low. what this country needs" he
saws, as more good losers and fewer
winners. The vicious fear of losing is
the greatest obstacle to the passage of
needed laws with which the practical
and fearless legislator has to contend:
Work and Habits. By Albert j.
Beveridge. Philadelphia; Henry Alte-
mus Co.
"Richman and Wallach's Good Citi-
Genship" by Julia Richman, district
superintendent of public schools, New
| York city, and Isabel Richman Wallach
treats in a manner well adapted to in
terest young children, of the fire de-
partment, the police department, the
| street cleaning department and the
| health department, as organized and
| administered in all large cities, with
comments upon the duties of good citi-
| zens to each of these departments OF
the city government. 1t is planned to
meet the needs of fourth year children
and although designed as supplement