own ideas and standpoint, we must admire her sincerity and the thorough familiarity with her subjects. Criticisms are always more or less expressions of individual tastes, inclinations and ideas; yet we need not always be of the same mind to appreciate contrary criticism, which forces us to admire the style, the sincerity and the argumentative qualities of the critic.

Of Polish literature comparatively little is known in this country outside of Sienkiewicz. Yet there is an abundance of literary talent and important works of which most American readers hardly dream. We mention only such names as Kraszewski, Milkowski, Grabowski, Rzewuski, who wrote principally novels of Polish history; the great poets Mickiewicz, Slowacki, Krasinsky and Malzewski; and last but not least, Eliza Orzeszkowa. The last mentioned has recently been introduced to American readers by an excellent English translation of her famous novel "Meir Ezofowitch,"(*) which was for the first time published in Polish in 1878. Eliza Orzeszkowa is certainly one of the most characteristic and powerful Polish writers of fiction and has often been called the Polish George Sand. Gifted with a strong literary talent, an acute insight into human nature, a keen eye for the real and

social conditions of life and an ar

dent love for her country, besides having herself gone through a try. ing school of life, suffering hard

(*) Meir Ezofowitch, By Eliza Orzeszkowa. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

ships and sorrows, she pictures Polish life in a most realistic and vivid style. She treats pauperism and socialism, all the great problems of education and civilization,

the

woman question and Jewish life alike in an admirably impressive manner, and all her books are pervaded with an intensity of moral purpose and a nobility of feeling which account for the popularity of her books in Poland and Germany and which will doubtless gain her many appreciative readers among Americans. Her tendencies are strong, yet not obtrusive; her style is artistically realistic, yet not without fantasy, romance and poetical feeling; her characters are convinc

ingly lifelike and her aim through

cation and elevation of her people by bringing their true character and

out her novels is to further the edu

the most intimate motives of their feelings and doings to a clear understanding.

Eliza Orzeszkowa, née Powlowska, was born in 1842, at Grodno, and married in 1858 Peter Orzeszkow, who, in 1863, became an active participant in the Polish insurrection, in consequence whereof he was exiled to Siberia. His property was confiscated by the Russian government. desolate young woman sought and found refuge on her father's estate, where she began to devote herself to literary work. Yet her trials were

The

not at an end. When she had ac

quired a small capital she started a bookstore, in 1880, at Wilna, but soon her business was closed up by the unforgiving Russian government, that could not endure to see

the wife of a Polish revolutionist and exile trying to earn a living and owning a public business. Yet Yet her spirits were undaunted; she returned to her literary work and found therein new strength and consolation. She is now living at Grodno and her works number over fifty volumes.

In Meir Ezofowitch the gifted author lets us have a glance into a

strange world, unknown to us in its characteristic and impressive details

the life among Polish Jews. It is the story of a downtrodden people's struggle for civil recognition against intolerance and oppression; also the story of an impetuous, idealistic youth who fights for the emancipation from their own ignorance, from dogmatic and orthodox darkness and from their self-imposed,

obstinate seclusion, a tyranny just as hard as that of their civil and political oppressors. It is the pathetic story of a martyr, living in an obscure corner of the world, not reaching beyond his own small circle, failing in his fruitless endeavors. Yet one feels that his work is not quite in vain, that some of the seed which he tried to sow, has not fallen on rocks, that the dark cloud of intolerance, ignorance and rigid orthodoxy shows already a break, which will widen and allow more and more the diffusion of light and of freedom. May the sphere of the Polish Jew be ever so remote from ours, yet it is doubtless of interest and no one will lay this book aside without being deeply touched and forcibly attracted from beginning to end by its moral and descriptive strength and by its realistic, quaint and characteristic scenes of strange life and customs. It is an unusually dramatic and fascinating story.

as related in the notes and correspondence of an officer on on board the flagship Olympia. Edited by Thomas J. Vivian. It gives an excellent, vivid description of the battle, the two fleets and the place of action, illustrated with portraits, pictures of the ships and plans, to which is added a record of Rear-Admiral Dewey's career. The six chapters are: 1. Waiting for the Order.-2. The Scene of the Tragedy.—3. Running the Gauntlet.-4. The First Round.-5. All Hands Piped to Breakfast.-6. The Beginning of the End. This timely souvenir, the first on the market, will doubtless find a large sale. It deserves it if for no other reason than recognition of publishing enterprise, but no less on account of its intrinsic interest and timely subject.

An excellent, brief, comprehensive story of Cuba has just been published under the title Cuba at a Glance,"(*) by E. B. Kaufmann and A. O'Hagen. It contains an introduction by T. Estrada Palma, President of the Cuban Junta, contributions from Richard Harding Davis, Grover Flint, Frederic Remington, the famous speech of Senator Thurston, original letters from Gomez, Maceo, Masso and Cisneros, a new war map of Cuba, and is a very commendable addition to Cuban Literature. The authentic and valuable contents ably compiled and written in a clear and simple style, together with its attractive appearance and extremely

(*) Cuba at a Glance. By E. B. Kaufman and A. O'Hagan. 12mo. paper. Illustrated. Price 18 cents. By mail 23 cents.

low price will surely make this timely book the most popular one of all the many books published on this subject.

Lieut. Lucien Young of the Navy, now commanding the U. S. S. "Hist," in Cuban waters, has just published a book of 300 pages entitled "The Boston at Hawaii.”(*)

Lieut. Young was an officer on the "Boston" for fourteen months, covering the period of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy in 1892-3. In this book he not only gives an exact history of the causes leading up to the overthrow of the Monarchy, and the part taken therein by the United States troops and officials; of the investigations of Commissioner Blount; the attempt of the Cleveland administration to restore Queen Liliuokalani, and the reasons why Hawaii is necessary to the safety of the United States, but also gives the fullest description of ancient Hawaiian life, customs, sports, military methods and manners yet published.

The publication of this book was prohibited by the Cleveland administration at the time when it was written. It has been brought up to date by the author and its publication has been specially authorized by the Navy Department.

To everybody desiring full and accurate information by a disinterested observer, from notes taken at the time and on the spot, this book will be of great interest. It is fully

(*) The Boston at Hawaii. By Lieut. Lucien Young, U. S. N. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.50. By mail $1.60.

illustrated with views of important personages who took part in the overthrow of the Monarchy, scenes of Hawaiian life, and several maps showing Pearl Harbor and Honolulu in detail, the group of Hawaiian Islands, and the location of the Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Richard Le Gallienne says somewhere in his last book The Romance of Zion Chapel: (1)

"Why don't women publish volumes of their letters, as men collect their scattered essays? There is no writing in the world more immediately, conqueringly personal than a really clever woman's letters; and they are not always compromising."

Recently there has been published anonymously in Paris under the title Amitié Amoureuse, and in an English translation in New York a book, entitled "Love in Friendship,"(2) which contains the letters of a man and a married woman, who endeavored and achieved the aim of ab

solute love in friendship. It is a romance full of intimate details of family life among great artists, of revelations of the working of writers and composers, and of individual sentiment, often spiced with piquancy and sensualism. The naivety and the ring of sincerity pervading these letters, show that they are parts of a real correspondence, written as an exchange of sympathy and

(1) Romance of Zion Chapel. By Richard Le Gallienne. 12mo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23. (2) Love in Friendship. Anonymous. Svo. cloth. Price $1.08. By mail $1.23.

thought, and not merely for publication. This makes them particularly interesting and congenial. Besides there is such an amount of epigrammatical reflection and sentiment, of poetical beauty and of spirited maxims of life and love, that the perusal of this clever and charming book will be found really pleasing, and will give food for afterthought. It is supposed that the letters of the man are written by Guy Maupassant, and those of the woman by Madame de Noury; whether this be true or not, the book will not fail to find equal attention and appreciation in this country as it has in France.

William Doxey, of San Francisco, who published The Lark and, sticking to his Lark fame, continues to sign on the title pages of his publications "At the Sign of The Lark," using also as a vignette "The Piping Faun" (the famous Lark poster), has begun the publication of a series of small pocket volumes which he calls The Lark Classics. The first volume is "The Rubaiyat."(*) It is, as it could not be otherwise expected from him, very tastefully gotten up and published, in cloth, at the low price of 50 cents. It contains the versions of the fourth and of the first editions, a poem on Omar Khayyam, by J. H. McCarthy; a "Glose upon a Ruba'iy," by Porter Garnett; a preface by M. K.; Edward Fitzgerald's biographical sketch of Omar Khayyam and notes.

(*) The Rubaiyat. By Omar Khayyam. Lark Classics. 16mo. cloth. Price 35 cents. By mail 40

cents.

The Lark Classics are issued in paper covers, cloth and full leather binding. Among the forthcoming volumes in this series are announced: "Kipling's Barrack Room Ballads, the Recessional and Other Poems; Kipling's Departmental Ditties, the Vampire and Other Poems; and Sappho, translated fragments."

The series of paper novels published by R. F. Fenno & Co., of New York, which contains a splendid array of good reading by prominent. authors, will henceforth be easily recognized and very conspicuous among the endless number of paper covered books on the book counter by its new attire. It is a unique and exceedingly attractive velvety dark green paper cover, giving the impression of a cloth binding, with a colored This new series panel in the corner. will contain among others the following interesting books: (*)

The Man Who Who Was Good, by Leonard Merrick; The Dagger and the Cross, by Joseph Hatton; Ramuntcho, by Pierre Loti; London Pride, or When the When the World Was Younger, by Miss M. E. Braddon; Defiant Hearts, by W. Heimburg; Warren Hyde, by Helen Reimensnyder; Jasper Fairfax, by Margret Holmes; On the Winning Side, by Mrs. J. H. Walworth; Peter, the Priest, by Maurus Jokai; The Cedar Star, by Mary E. Mann; What Cheer, by Clark Russell; The Splendid Spur, by Q.; The Massarenes, by Ouida; Beyond the Pole, by B. M. Croker; Kitty, by Rita, etc.

(*) Price, in paper covers, 33 cents each. By mail 43

cents.

234713