Books Of The Day.

Books of the Day .

Books , Music , & c . Intended for review , should be addressed to the Editor of the Freemason ' ! Chronicle , at Fleet Works , New Barnet . — : o : — Andromeda . An Idyll of the Great Biver . By Robert Buchanan ( 6 B ) . — Ohatto and Windus . OP many great names in contemporary English Literature few are better known or more widely appreciated than that of Robert Buchanan . He has

written much verse and more prose ; on the whole we are inclined to venture the opinion that " Andromeda " is one of his most successful efforts . Abounding in many passages full of the truest poetry , it is human to a fault , and pulsates with life and energy from the first page to the last . The writer chose wisely when he elected to take , as a central spot around which hii story was to move , a small island at the mouth of the Thames—the river of ten

thousand masts . Mr . Buohanan , being more than artist or poet , for he is both , has invested every chapter of this beautiful idyll with that charm and grace which his admirers know so well . The characters are few ; we like the story the better for that reason . "Andromeda , " so strangely sheltered and cared for as a child ; so strangely married , and again so strangely wooed ; is a strongly

drawn character , suggestive at times of "Sheila" in William Black's " Princess of Thule "; while Somerset and Button , the two artists , are very ably delineated . There is exquisite writing and some touching incidents as the story draws to its close ; and we were genuinely sorry to reach the last page . Would this were always the case f

Babes in the Bush . By Rolf Boldrewood ( 6 s ) . —Macmillan and Co ., Limited . A WELL-KNOWN critic has recently expressed the opinion that this book is twice too long . We are sorry to concur in that judgment . The fact ia that "Rolf Boldrewood" has spoilt ua by his earlier books . When a man has written three such works as " The Miner ' s Right" " Old Melbourne

, Memories " and " Robbery under Arms " it is not easy for him to materially add to his reputation ; indeed , he is fortunate if he can maintain it . " Babes in the Bush " affords , in many chapters , pleasant reading ; but nothing like tragic strength or subtle delineation of character must be sought , for it will not be found . It is hardly a " novel" in the general acceptation of the term ; it is rather a too fluent , a too wordy narrative of the adventures of a family who ,

after financial disaster at the old home , seek a new life in Australia . There is hardly anything which even by courtesy can be called a plot . To make good a former remark we will add that in " Babes in the Bush " we have missed the power and pathos of " The Miner's Right , " the finished , sketchy writing of " Old Melbourne Memories , " the bustle , the stir , the admirable story tolling which enlivens almost every page of " Robbery under Arms . " We hope to meet " Rolf Boldrewood" again under more favourable auspices .

The Money Sense . A Novel . By John Strange Winter ( 6 s ) . —Grant Richards . Wis are somewhat disappointed with thig hook . The author of " Bootle ' s Baby" and "Ferrer ' s Court" could hardly fail to entertain us by anything from her pen ; but entertainment , after all , is not the goal even of the writer of prose fiction . We have a right to ask , from so eminent a writer as John

Strange Winter , that she shall do something , by her books , to render life sweeter and more profitable to her readers . Having so large a public she has commensurate responsibilities . Now there is not a good man or woman in this book , —leaving , of course , the mere accessory characters out of account . Everybody fails in their duty to everybody else . Ingram is consistently unfaithful to his wife ; Angelique fails as daughter and as wife , Millicent the

maid is frail , and Dodsworth the mother is foolish . Really all these very commonplace sins are too apparent in everyday life to need a novel for their display . With the literary workmanship of this veteran writer we need hardly say we have no quarrel . Uniformly fluent and masterly , she needs but a happier theme , such as she has before frequently chosen , to make a volume which shall delight us all . We hope her next venture will have this " one thing needful . "

From Capetown to Ladysmith . An unfinished record of the South African War . By G . W . Steevens , edited by Vernon Blaokburn . Second impression ( 3 s 6 d ) . —William Blackwood and Sons . THE siege of Ladysmith , when fully narrated , will be prodigal in incident — " from grave to gay , from lively to severe . " But that narrative can hardly contain any incident more touching than the death of G . W . Steevens .

Forwe write in all seriousness—the author of this unfinished record had excited hopes in regard to his future career that oan only be parallelled by going back to , say , Keats and A . H . Hallani . How far he had found opportunity to " touch up " his paragraphs now forming the chapters before us , we do not know ; but it is evident that in such narratives as the " Battle of Elandslaagte " and "The Devil ' s Tin-Tacks "he gave us of his best . The

qualities of his style , so keen and direct , so full of energy and fire , were apparent in his earlier books , —in " The Land of the Dollar , " " With the conquering Turk , " and ' With Kitchener to Khartoum . " It is useless to conjecture what might have been written in riper years by so gifted a man ; he has left us half a dozen volumes , and they must suffice for our estimate of his

abilities . Those volumes are in themselves sufficient to convince us that the writer of them was head and shoulders above many of his journalistic compeers . Mr . Vernon Blackburn , who has added " the last chapter " to this book , has discharged an extremely difficult task in a manner which is above all praise .

Carlo Crivelli . By G . M'Neil Rushforth , M . A . ( 5 s net ) . —George Bell and Sons . THIS volume is one of a most admirable series , —so admirable that we find it difficult to refrain from extravagant language when speaking of its merits . Any half-dozen of the illustrations are worth the modest sum charged for the volume containing them . Everything about this study of Crivelli and his art is in keeping % vith the subject—cover , paper , printing , and illustrations all witness

to the publisher ' s desire to make this series the best of its kind . Crivelli is , we presume , but little known to those whose artistic tastes are satisfied by an annual visit to the Academy or National Gallery ; but even a casual glance at this volume suffices to show how worthy of attention his pictures are . It is very difficult to name any one of his many Madonnas as superior to the rest ; but from the standpoint of mere personal preference we will mention that in the fine picture in the Berlin Gallery , representing the Infant Christ giving the keys to St . Peter . The summary

Books Of The Day.

of Orivelli ' s life and works which has been written for this series by Mr . G . M'NeU Rushforth is noteworthy by reason of its comprehensiveness and the saneness of its criticisms and appraisals . The writer has wisely remembered that in Art—as in all else , tastes differ . The Literary Year-book and Bookman ' s Directory for 1900 . Edited by Herbert Morrah ( 3 s 6 d ) . —George Allen .

MR . GEORGE ALLEN has greatly improved this useful hand-book , and it is now really indispensable to all interested in literature and its market . Light in weight and handy in size , thij book can bo easily stowed in the handbags of the thousand and one hopeful persons who spend a large portion of their existence in sending unsolicited contributions to the Magazines . To such , the " Literary Year-Book " is invaluable , for an alphabetical list of our

magazines and reviews is given , and in most cases a few words are added , pointing out the class of literature most acceptable to the different publications . The list of authors appears to be full and accurate , and the calendar and table of royalties also deserve mention . We notice that it is somewhat cruelly stated , in regard to the subject of royalties , that authors were never very good at arithmetic . Pcrhap 3 this is because , as a body , they

so seldom have any profits to calculate ! Literature , as Mr . AUen' 3 book attests , is a vast and rapidly growing profession ; and it is now quite necessary , as Mr . Allen foresaw , to enable writers to know " Who's Who " in the brotherhood of the quill , and to calculate their prospective profits on that novel or epic still perhaps unwritten . We hope this book may , if possible , be still further improved when next it appears .

MESSRS . WARD , LOCK AND Co . will publish S . R . Crockett s " Joan of the Sword Hand " on Monday next , at 6 s . The work will be well illustrated and most attractively got up . We hope to review it next week .

BOOKS RECEIVED . Sour Grapes . By J . F . Cornish ( 63 ) . —Chatto and Windus . Maitland of Cortezla . By Francis Lavallin Puxley ( 6 s ) . —Grant Richards . Abbe Mauret ' s Transgression . By Emile Zola . Edited with an introduction by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly ( 3 s 6 d ) . —Chatto and Windus . The History of Pendennls . His fortunes and misfortunes , his friends and his greatest enemy . By William Makepeace Thackeray . New Century Library ( 2 s net ) . —Thomas Nelson and Sons .

The Struggle for Empire . A story of the year 2236 . By Robert William Cole . —Elliot Stock . The Old Curiosity Shop . By Charles Dickens . New Century Library ( 2 s net ) . —Thomas Nelson and Sons . On Heroes , Hero-worship , and the Heroic in History . By Thomas Carlyle . Edited by Israel Gollancz , M . A . The Temple Classics ( Is 6 d net ) . —J . M . Dent and Co .

Some Problems of the day in Natural Science : An introduction . By Alex . Hill , M . A ., M . D ., Master of Downing College , Cambridge . Temple Primer ( Is net ) . —J . M . Dent and Co . Roman History . Translated from the German of Dr . Julius Koch , by Lionel D . Barnett , M . A . Temple Primer ( Is net ) . —J . M . Dent and Co . Ethnology . Translated from the German of Dr . Michael Haberlandt , by J , H . Loewe . Temple Primer ( Is net ) . —J . M . Dsht and Co .

Music Of The Day.

Music of the Day .

RECENT PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED . E . Ascherberg and Co . —Sons of the City . By Bernard Malcolm Ramsay , music by Prances Allitsen . —The British Tar . By Raymond St . Leonards , music by Guy d'Hardelot . —The Soldier Boy's Farewell . By Mrs . de Couroy Laffan , music by Alfred Baylis . —Lads in Khaki . Written and composed by J . A . Milne . —Old England ' s Boys . Written and composed by Hugh Colville . —Murphy of the Irish Fusiliers . By Robert Martin , music by George W . Byng .

Cary and Co . —Soldiers , Sailors , Volunteers . By Colin Campbell . — The Children's Shepherd . By Annette Hayward , music by C . Flavell Hayward . —Sons of Britannia . March by Felix Burns . —Woodland Serenade . Piano solo by Felix Burns . —A Village Festival . Descriptive Fantasia by Olaus Enksen .

J . B . Cramer and Co ., Ltd . —The Spirit of Spring . By Nella , musio by Henry Parker . —Summer ' s here . By Edward Teschemacher , music by George Aspinall . —The Story of a Life . By Clifton Bingham , musio by Edith Cooke . Hopwood and Crew , Ltd . —Marching to Pretoria . By J . E . Mac

Manns , music by G . F . Root . —Tommy , don't you worry . By Alfred J . Morris , music by Walter Tilbury . —The Troopship . By Richard Morton , music by Edward St . Quentin . —Roberts to the Front . March , by Edward St . Quentin . —Imperial Volunteers . March , by Claude de Vere . —Navy and Army . Musical Patriotic Sketch , by Edward St . Quentin .

Enoch and Sons . —Under , the Flag . Music and words by Gerald Lane .

Leonard and Co . —A SoDg of the May , and Think of Me . By Edward Teschemacher , music by Fred W . Sparrow . Metzler and Co ., Ltd . —Whete the War is . By St . John Hamund , musio by J . L . Molloy . —Sons of our Empire . By B . Malcolm Ramsay , music by John Bradford .

G . Ricordi and Co . —Broken Dreams . By F . E . Weatherly , music by Napoleone Zardo . —Violets . By Julian Fane , music by Ellen Wright . — Invano . Serenade by C . G ., music by F . Paolo Tosti . —Petite Caline . Intermezzo by Ernest Gillet .

Ad00803

<( THE GRAND SANHEDRIM " A Paper for reading- at Royal Arch Chapters , & c . BY OELTON COOPEE , M . E . Z , 483 , H . 1928 , Price thirteen pence , post free from BRO . ALFRED H . COOPER , PUBLISHER , 19 COLEMAN STREET , LONDON , E . C ., or from " Freemason ' s Chronicle Office , " New Barnet .