NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 09, 11 January 1908, Page 13

NEW PUBLICATIONS.

0 "Trevors." By Sara Dean. New York : Frederick A. Stokes Company. The late Rev. E. P. Roe, in "Barriers Burned Away," made picturesque and effective use of an historic event — the Chicago fire — and Sara Dean has dono likewise with a later event — the San Francisco earthquake. Whether, like Mr. Roe, sho spent days in tho stricken city till she became thoroughly possessed with the intense human interest of the subject, we know not ; but her novel is a wonderfully vivid picture of the catastrophe, and still more, a striking Btudy of the effect of widespread disaster in i-emoving the mask of convention and revealing tho true quality of the man or woman. Morely as a novel, the hook is of exceptional interest. Here and there the colouring may be a little exaggerated, but it is none the lees convincing. After I tho fire,, vo have the camp-ffwellors reduced to almost primitive conditions, and primitivft human nature asserts it- ] self, sometimes yory unexpectedly and unpleasantly. The story is well told, and tho illustrations (in tint) are good. "The Wonder Book. A Picture Annual for Boys and Girls (1908)" Edited by Harry Golding. London : Ward, Lock, and Co., Limited. (S. and W. Mackay.J ! The rush of tho holiday season is past, but gifts are never out of season, and birthdays are ever with us. There are those who already know the "Wonder Book," and such will need no rocommenctVtion of the issue for the cur- ' rent year beyond that it is 'as good as ever — perhaps better. Mr. Golding may be congratulated on the care and judgment with which every detail,' literary, and artistic, has been carried out, as well as on the genet al scheme of the book as adapted to the tastes of the boys and girls for whom it is designed. It is strongly put together, and needs to be, far it will be in great request — will be read and re-read, and will meet with rougher treatment still from the little folk in quest of pictures only. The stories have just that touch of imagination which appeals to tho youngW people, and we note an abridgment, with original illustrations, of Kingsley's delightful "Water Babies," the philosophy of which can well stand over for j those of more advanced years. Thero I are capital verses, and «■ prpfusion of illustrations, dealing with child life, fairyland, and domestic pets. The texi is not wholly original, and the selections are good, including, for example, the late Eugene Field's touching "Little Boy Blue." All the pictures in the text — it is almost superfluous to say that dome of Louis Wain's wonderful cats ara included— are in art tints, and, in addition, there are eight fine plates in colour frpm oil-paintings, and a ninth on the cover. It is, without exaggeration, a "wonder booif," a wonder of judicious editing and good craftsmanship, and the little folk who number it among their treasures are to be congratulated. Last week tho, first article in our Literary column was a portion of the London Spectator's notice of tho principal articles in fche English reviews. By inadvertence, the closing paragraphs, with authority appended, were transferred to an adjacent column, and tho usual dividing rule omitted, giving the article the appearance of original matter. Our own matter began with v paragraph answering the query of a . coriespondent '"D-D."