cal." There is a proverb on every page. Too many mere stories, just as your new friend always inflicts on you in his second. visit the stories he likes to hear and of which his other friends have tired. The atmosphere is the same. The very sound worldly morality, the concrete thought and the certainty that what cannot be sold cannot be gold.

It would all be mere pragmatic sermon but for the humor. This carries it from page to page and carries, too, the danger of the joke's short life. In nothing is any generation more a law to itself than in the things it agrees to laugh at and over. Not even Shakespeare can save his clownsonce as good as all the rest-from being dull, opaque and falling on any healthy modern appetite. Life is not a joke. Humor lives only as it is radiant with some ideal. For this reason one remembers Don Quixote, who failed and fell, and forgets Sancho Panza, who much bettered himself by his humor.

* * *

If you have not read the memoirs of St. Simon you have before you an unabated French pleasure. His sixteen volumes, Noblesse swollen by his lawsuit, pass Marquis de our modern time and patience. Crequy For the English reader, St. John's abstract is quite enough. This is like that—a palpable imitation. One need not enter too minutely into its good faith. As a higher critic would say, one can detect an original narrative ("C") overlaid by the compiler ("C1"), improved by the editor ("C2"), and enlarged by imagination. The Marquise was a very great lady and she saw the last of the most vivid, interesting and adorable social life ever known. Learn it well and you realize how inevitable was the French Revolution. The system deserved all it got. Some individuals were better than the system, but most of them met their deserts. One thing they did to perfection-the social life, so much better than it was ever done before or since that no comparison is possible. Partly because they did nothing else. Our member of it, whose real life is altered to fit, is made the central figure of seven volumes of anecdote in the French original. The editor and compiler, Mrs. Colquhoun Grant, has followed

At Home With the Jardines

Lilian Bell

The tourist habit still clings to Mrs. Bogue. She tells what she sees and you see what she tells. The life of young married people of easy means in an American country from suburbanity, with two pairs of house, just over the border young people making love, has a sort of every-day interest. Lilian Bell is nothing if not ethical. Her work is never credited with the serious purpose which is its motive. Her view is that of her experience, and her class-a very brisk, agreeable and wholly unmalicious outlook. difficulty, which leaves her books still short in interest, is that the story does not arstiff-legged-and some things are in only ticulate it lacks joints and its walk is because they interest Lilian Bell.

Beginnings

of Hebrew History

Charles

Foster Kent

The

If a thousand years hence an account of the colonial period of the United States were to be compiled by piecing together Bradford and John Smith, Hildreth and Bancroft, it would not be difficult 2300 years later to analyze the work into its component parts. The historical books of the Old Testament represent a similar amalgam, and every clear-headed reader has noted the contradictions and differing records which appear in the current of its narrative. The analysis of these differences, based on the use of certain words

for the deity and on linguistic evidence has been made visible to the English reader by Professor Kent, of Yale Theological Seminary in a lucid volume extending from Genesis to the Hebrew Kingdom. The different narratives are in parallel columns. Notes explain the reasons for believing them different. Prefaces describe the process of application and sources. Professor Kent is a scholar of reverent temper and conservative care. He is free from the vice of holding a view true because new or false because old. A layman has here the exact work if he wishes to see earlier Old Testament history as it is.

of Jesus.

* * *

Every thoughtful reader strains desirous eyes into the dark which surrounds New Sayings the Gospels for some other shred. Each knows the shock B. P. Grenfell of interest with which Paul's and A. S. Hunt single addition to the "words" is first realized as something added to the Gospels, none of which he ever read, in all probability. The "New Sayings of Jesus and Fragment of a Lost Gospel" is a slender volume for scholars which feeds this desire for some share in the more abundant knowledge contemporaries had. To the eight previously discovered in the sands of the Fayum five new sayings are added by Dr. Bernard P. Grenfell and Dr. Arthur S. Hunt. They enhance respect for the sense of selection which gives us the "words" of the synoptic gospels. Let these also add. The Greek text, a translation and a general discussion, while assuming Greek will aid and help anyone to a fuller comprehension of the side-light, these words throw on the one great problem of the history of humanity and the life of the individual soul.

America. Miss Eastman has 64. Her volume is a working manual. It omits even New York ferns, much more those farther West or South. It is illustrated by photographs of pressed plants, has both popular and technical descriptions, a convenient list of habitats, full indexes and the usual artificial key. It has no checklist and no reference either to the literature of the subject or to that of particular genera. No particular rule seems to have been followed in synonymy. The book is smaller than most of its predecessors, and restricts itself more closely to botanic aspects.

Save L. C. Beck's Synoptical Table in 1840, and J. Robinson's "Check-List" in 1873, little appeared on ferns alone until in 1878, J. Williamson issued his "Ferns of Kentucky." This has been succeeded by Dodge, "Ferns and Fern Allies of New England;" E. Knobel, "Ferns and Evergreens of New England," 1895; C. E. Watson, "Fern Manual New England. States," 1903; Lawson, "Fern Flora of Canada," and J. J. Lemmon, "Ferns of the Pacific Coast," 1882, a short list.

The first exhaustive work, still standard, a large illustrated quarto is "Ferns. of North America," 1880, by D. C. Eaton, who prepared the Southern ferns. for Chapman's "Flora of the Southern States." "Our Native Ferns," L. M. Underwood, 1881, covers the same field in popular form, but is superseded by Clute, already cited. "Ferns in Their Homes and Ours," J. Robinson, 1878, began instruction in the cultivation of ferns. For collectors there are S. F. Price, "Fern Collector's Handbook," 1897, and "Fern Collector's Guide," W. M. Clute, 1903, "How to Know the Ferns," Mrs. F. T. Parsons (Mrs. Starr Dana) is a popular illustrated work already cited, and Mr. Clute's "Our Ferns," fully illustrated 1901, a series of essays, with full descriptions, on the whole the most complete in its field. He issues also the "Fern Bulletin," a quarterly, in its eleventh year. The three technical works on ferns in English of recent issue are: H. A. Bary, "Comparative Analysis of the Vegetative Organs," 1884" J. F. Atkinson, "Biology of Ferns," 1894; D. H. Campbell, "Structure and Development of Mosses and Ferns," 1895

Irving Bachellor, leaving the field he successfully cultivated in "Eben Holden," has produced "Vergilius," "a tale of the coming of Christ." The novel belongs to the same class as does "Ben Hur" and "Quo Vadis." Besides the character from whom the book is named, a Roman officer, Herod and his treacherous son Antipater are prominent in the story.

A LADDER OF SWORDS.

From the pen of Sir Gilbert Parker, author of "The Right of Way," comes "A Ladder of Swords," an Elizabethan romance. Two Huguenot refugees have the front of the stage, while Elizabeth, treated in a charming manner, and the intrigue of her court, form the interesting background for the lovers.

influence the characters, but in the end passion conquers. It is a strong novel. It is also morbid and will repel some readers.

AT HOME WITH the Jardines,

In "At Home with the Jardines" Lilian Bell tells a characteristic story of young couples in an American country house.

OLD GORGON GRAHAM.

"Old Gorgon Graham," by George Horace Lorimer, is as good as "Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son." It is the same son, a little older, in business and in love, and in the book is seen the heart of the practical, achieving American business man.

THE SEEKER.

Between the covers of "The Seeker.” by Harry Leon Wilson, author of "The Spenders," is a treatise on the infidel beliefs of Robert Ingersoll, and a diatribe against what "The Seeker" thinks is the religious belief of the day. Woven through this is a love story.

THE PRESIDENT.

A picture of many phases of American. life is "The President," by Alfred Henry Lewis, author of "The Boss." Washington is the centre of activity and the hero is a multi-millionaire. Many characters move before the eyes of the reader. Features of the novel are the sketches of the petty, self-seeking, unpatriotic politician. THE MASTER'S VIOLIN.

Myrtle Reed, whose "Lavender and Old Lace" pleased thousands of quiet readers, has written "The Master's Violin,” another romance of charming "old timey" people. The book is characterized by Miss Reed's pure style and gentle humor.

JESS & Co.

"Jess & Co.," by J. J. Bell, of "Wee Macgreegor" fame, is a departure from the tales of Mr. Bell's enjoyable Scotch lad. The story is of adults. "Jess" runs the little business that supports the family. Her husband is a dreamer.

THE LOVES OF EDWY.

Rose Cecil O'Neill, an original and successful illustrator, the wife of Harry Leon Wilson, has turned to writing as well, and "The Loves of Edwy" is her first book. It is a characterization of several interesting human types, done with an atractive, vivid and delightfully humorous touch. The writer's hand has provided the illustrations.

EMILE ZOLA, NOVELIST AND REFORMER.

Zola's life, his thought, his methods, are compréhensively presented in a graphic and very readable manner in "Emile Zola, Novelist and Reformer," by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly. Mr. Vizetelly is a son of the publisher who was imprisoned for bringing out Zola's works in England, which country has since withdrawn its objections.

ROYAL ACADEMY FROM REYNOLDS TO MILLAIS.

Fine reproductions of British art for a hundred years, with biographical and critical text, is to be found in "The Royal Academy from Reynolds to Millais."

THE PROBLEM OF MONOPOLY.

Prof. John Bates Clark, for 25 years an American authority in political economy, has gathered into "The Problem of Monopoly" a series of simple, clear, impartial lectures on the corporate "trust" and its alliance with the political machine.

BEGINNINGS OF HEBREW HISTORY.

Charles Foster Kent, of the Yale Theological Seminary, has analyzed the Old Testament from Genesis to King Saul in "The Beginnings of Hebrew History," by placing the contemporary narratives. in parallel columns, with notes and explanations.

THE HISTORIC "GENERAL."

One of the exciting chapters of the Civil War is recalled in "The Historic General," by Randall W. McBryde, a story of the engine on which Captain Andrews raided over the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1852.

WHO'S WHO IN PENNSYLVANIA.

"Who's Who in Pennsylvania" is a compilation of brief biographies of Pennsylvania men, just admitted to the ranks of the "who's whoers," and of other Pennsylvania men already catalogued in editions covering a wider territory.

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR GAMES.

Old games and new, hundreds of suggestions for the amusement of children, are described in "The Book of Indoor and Outdoor Games," by Mrs. Burton Kingsland.

EDUCATIONAL BOOKS.

Among educational books, those which. enter new fields are a series by William E. Chancellor, specially adapted for evening schools; "College Entrance Requirements in English, 1906-1908;" three additional volumes of the Rolfe Shakespeare, in the new edition simplified for school requirements and "Nature Study with Common Things," by M. H. Carter, for young pupils.

A PLEASING PICTURE OF GENIUS *

G

ENTLEFOLK,

simple, old-fashioned and altogether charming, these are the people who appear in Miss Reed's books. No psychological problems, no intricacies of morals or complications of plot; no twentieth century sordidness of gold and vulgar hurry-just a little corner in the world, a bright corner but unpretentious; just a little group of delightful people, optimistic and modest-slight foundation on which to build enduring literary columns, yet so Miss Reed builds. She stands in a field all her own, a figure unique but always attractive; one never opens her new book to experience disappointment; one anticipates much and invariably gets more than that much.

There was a dainty lady, aged and a spinster; there was a dainty maiden, legal daughter of the lady. Into the retired and peaceful life of these two enter a tender mother, and a bright, irresponsible son, aspiring to become a violinist. Never did a more spontaneous, lively-spirited, carefree youth enter upon the pages of fiction than sunny-hearted Lynn. His mother had a secret sorrow; his Master, up on the hill, had a sorrow, too; Iris had a sorrow after Miss Field died, but Lynn sang on. "You have no heart," cries Iris when he coaxes her to be his wife and tells her how dearly he loves her.

And the Master says, "I can teach you nothing. You have the technique, and the good wrist, you read quickly, but you play like one parrot."

But Iris goes away and Lynn learns how to love, how to sorrow, and his genius blossoms forth. By chance Iris hears him play and, recognizing the new force of passion and character, yields herself up.

*THE MASTER'S VIOLIN. By Myrtle Reed. G. P. Putnam's Sons.

How happens it that the Master's sorrow and the mother's sorrow are one and the same, the sorrow of a broken love? "He loves her still," says Dr. Brinkerhoff, and a woman's heart leaps; Fate plays again a strange caprice, and the two so long parted are united once again.

Not elaborate in conception, but beautifully wrought; one reads for the sheer charm of the words, bound by the winning charm of the characters. And here and there a veritable prose-poem happens in and we have cameo essays, each worthy of an individual frame.

Memory's jewels, in many a casket of cunning workmanship, where the dust never lies. Emeralds made of the "green pastures and still waters;" sapphires that were born of sun and sea. Topazes of the golden glow that comes after a rain; diamonds of the white light of noon. Rubies that have stolen their color from the warm blood of the heart, gladly giving its deepest love. Amethysts made of dead violets, * * * * Opals made from changeful flame, of irised fancies that lived but for the space of a thought. Linked together by a thousand perfect moments, these jewels of memory wait for the quiet hour when one's fingers lift them from their hiding-place, and one's eyes, forgetting tears, shine with joy.

"Mine Cremona," cries the Master, carrying it away from Lynn's sacrilegious gaze. Oh! the pathos and the glory of that old violin, the messages of love that it absorbed; the comforts that it gave forth; only genius might touch it and only genius could make it throb with life.

In all life there is an understrain of sadness; only delicate comedy, only refined romantic feeling can harmonize with it. Miss Reed compounds in the right proportions and perfect are the results-perfect to the literary taste, satisfying to the literary imagination, altogether pleasing and admirable. "The Master's Violin" is like a rare bit of fine old china set amid the mass of everyday, common, merely serviceable crockery.