The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21

Howard Chandler Christy. Harrison
Fisher, Will Crete, Clarence H. Under
wood, Lester Ralph and F. Graham Cur
It's. The text of selected verse. toasts
TO beauty, is quite pleasant and set in
artistic pages decorated by VIII Jen-
kins. The book will make a charming
valentine. (The Bobbs-Merri1l company,
Indianapolis.l
A poor thing, The Heart OF Ken
tucky,' by Mrs. II. d. Pittman, appears
in one of the daintiest bindings of the
season. lilac cloth. with heart out
lined in pink and dainty southern
landscape on the cover. It is pity
that some of the best efforts in book
making go toward housing the poorest
stuff. The time of this story is nearly
century ago. 1916 to 1926 when a
financial panic swept Kentucky The
main incident of the story is a plea for
the unwritten law" A man, the po-
litical. rival of another man. falls in
love with his wife. She scorns him and
tells her husband. The husband has to
kill the man, but will not tell the reason
in court for fear of bringing shame on
his wife. The tragic ending is unavoid-
able. The story is founded upon a his
torical incident. but is told in so color
less a fashion that IL is quite uacon-
yincing. (Neale publishing company.
New York. Price s1-5O.)
gUncle Carl is a story with a moral.
It would have been netter had the au-
thor. who writes under the name OF
"Loreo," tried the essay form instead
OF the novel. The book is mainly taken
up with the authors spiritual expe-
riences and his style Is prolix and his
matter is heavy and unentertaining.
Even though the hero, Carl Engle-
wood. is the most uncompromisingly
honest man one can imagine, one is oc-
easionally out OF sympathy with him.
especially when he refuses religion to
please the dying Irene. The book con-
tains some well drawn characters. but
novel writing is not the authors forte.
(Neale publishing company. New York.
sl.5o)
very radical book on economics, but 1T
is exceedingly difficult TO get at the
meat of the book in a necessarily brief
glance at It. The author appears to
agree with Henry George in the main,
but Is nothing like so lucid in explana-
tions as is George With that only
fault, the book is very interesting. and
the author has given his readers much
food for thought, Right and Riches"
is thoroughly up to date and will create
much talk. (wilbuI publishing COM
pany. Pasadena. $i$5)
"Ah Mey the Story OF a Chinese
Girl" is sad little story of the short
and tragic life OF a girl. sold as a slave
In China. Her family. very we'll born,
were ruined at the time of the Boxer
trouble and her father is forced to sell
her to protect his only son, who will
3 g.. = -
finally brought to San Francisco. where
she commits suicide with knife her
father had given her to protect her
honor. II one living here on the coast
had not been more or less familiar with
Chinese customs, the story might be
impressive. but il is very much ex-
aggerated In its horrors and the stories
of the missionaries read like fairy tales.
The author has adopted an oriental
sounding name. Lu Wheat (The Graf
ton press, New York. $1.50.)
The Cure Of Consumption, Coughs
and Colds is a little pamphlet by Fred
G. Kaessmann and contains much good
advice OF the common sense kind. It
Is one of a number OF educational
pamphlets which the Health Wealth
publishing house of Lawrence. Mass.
Issues and IS heartily recommended 1t
contains no advice which will conflict
in any way with the pnysician's treat
ment and may even assist that treat
ment. The little pamphlet sells for 10