THE AUTOR OF «HELEN’S BABIES” AS A 
BOOK REVIEWER. 
EADING book reviews to find out about new 
books is one thing ; reading them for the pur¬ 
pose of getting glimpses into the mind of the reviewer 
is another. In the case of the reviews written by the 
author of “Helen’s Babies,” we trow the latter pur¬ 
pose will furnish the more enjoyment. 
Of one writer, no less a person than Andrew Lang, 
he says : “ He shows himself to be still of the student 
class, his material has been merely collected, not 
digested.” Of another : “The attempts at fine writ¬ 
ing are commendably few and short.” A clear-eyed, 
terse critic, this ; one to be afraid of, if one belong not 
to the nobility of letters. 
Two manuals of etiquette fall within Mr. Habber- 
ton’s province in a single issue of Godey’s. One by 
Lady Colin and Mrs. M. French-Sheldon of African 
fame, he dismisses with the practical remark: “ It 
contains no padding, or other nonsense, and its code 
of manners will serve sufficiently well among any 
people of good breeding, in which respect the book is 
more useful than those made with special reference to 
the most envied circle of New York, Boston or Chi¬ 
cago.” But think of including Chicago in the last 
phrase! 
The other manual of correct behavior is tagged : 
“By a Member of the Aristocracy.” Mr. Habberton 
says seriously—and not even a twinkle belies his 
demeanor : “ It is just the book for socially ambitious 
Americans who wish to enter British society, but are 
terribly doubtful as to their manners; or who per¬ 
haps, have no manners at all, yet have money enough 
to buy their way into the highest society.” 
John Strange Winter in a new book, “describes the 
life she sees, in which people have little to do but 
enjoy themselves, and to interest themselves in noth¬ 
ing that does not promise pleasure.” 
In a French detective story, “the evil-doers and the 
officers are fearfully and wonderfully clever.” 
One of Zola’s books calls out this : “ To enjoy it one 
must have a strong stomach and be fairly destitute of 
self-respect.” 
Paula Febkis. —“ Paula is a result of heredity ; she 
is also a bad lot, having added to a crooked moral 
heritage some viciousness which appears to be pecul¬ 
iarly her own. A man who seems to be otherwise 
sensible is fool enough to marry her,” etc. 
A Tkrribi.e Family. —“Match-making by wholesale 
is the purpose with which this story starts.” 
In reviewing a new botanical book, our friend lays 
down a suggestive postulate when he says: “Even bad 
boys will hunt flowers and ferns and fungi, when 
once they know something about them, as enthusi¬ 
astically as they previously robbed birds’ nests or tor¬ 
mented the neighbors’ dogs.” Taken in connection 
with the assertion of the author of “ Kindness to Ani¬ 
mals,” that childish cruelty is due far more to igno¬ 
rance and thoughtlessness than to intention, the 
affirmation throws additional responsibility on the 
parent and teacher of the bad boy. 
We are glad to notice that Mr. Habberton is no 
more severe with female writers than with those of 
his own sex. With regard, however, to a new book of 
Indian stories written by a woman, one wonders 
whether a compliment has been paid the author, or 
detrimental criticism to the doughty Kipling, in the 
phrase : “ Though none of them is either exciting or 
brilliant, the stories are quite as pleasing in their 
way as Kipling’s are.” 
NOT A CASE OF NEED. 
OOD morning! Mr. Newman. No, my husband 
left yesterday for a month’s absence. But,” and 
cheery, bright-eyed Mrs. Fair glanced at the folded 
document in her caller’s hand, “he left me not only to 
run the farm but authorized to transact any business 
that might be necessary during his absence.” 
“That is good,” and Mr. Newman smilingly un¬ 
folded his paper. “I would not wonder if you were the 
member of the firm to whom I ought to appeal. I am 
circulating a subscription paper to raise something for 
Mrs. Conder,” and he proffered the sheet of foolscap 
upon which appeared a considerable list of names. 
“But Mrs. Conder is rich ! We don’t give money to 
rich people!” 
“But that fire, you know she lost her barn last 
week with all the hay and grain cut during the season, 
besides half her farming utensils.” 
“Yes; a great pity. Fortunately it was well in¬ 
sured, however.” 
“I believe it was insured. But I am told that Mrs. 
Conder feels the loss deeply. Talks about having to 
go to the poorhouse, sits and cries and says she does 
not know what will become of her and Sammie.” 
Mrs. Fair folded her hands in her lap and sat look¬ 
ing out the window while a curious little smile hovered 
over the corners of her mouth. 
“Mrs. Conder used to talk of repairing her build¬ 
ings,” said she, “but she never could bring herself to 
the point of taking mopey from the bank to do it with, 
and suitable investments offered faster than she could 
spare cash to put into them. She has at least §5,000 
out at interest, Mr. Newman.” 
Mr. Newman coughed. “My wife,” he said, “under¬ 
stood that she was in rather straightened circum¬ 
stances. Of course I am rather new to these parts, 
but when my wife came home and said she had found 
Mrs. Conder shivering over a cracked stove in the back 
kitchen because she felt herself too poor to keep up 
the sitting-room fire, and wearing a pair of ragged 
shoes because she must economize, it seemed to me a 
case where brotherly love ought to stretch out a help¬ 
ing hand. You are the only one to whom I have ap¬ 
pealed who has not seemed glad to do something for 
her.” 
“ Probably I am the first who has dared to express 
an honest opinion,” laughed Mrs. Fair. “ Every one 
hates to be called mean or to refuse to follow the ex¬ 
ample of his neighbors in such matters. Let me see.” 
She opened the paper in her hand and read the names 
of the first three or four signers, adding, “ That is all 
very well. These men are all able to give even twice 
the sums set down if they choose to. I think the 
money might have been more wisely bestowed, but 
that is for them to decide. 
“ But here is John Fay down for $2. Now that man 
is not able to give Mrs. Conder one cent, for he let his 
wife do the family washing before her baby was two 
months old. She told me when I remonstrated with 
her that John did not feel that he could afford to hire 
it done longer. 
“James Gray. Well, James is a generous man. His 
farm still carries the heavy mortgage with which he 
started 10 years ago. James will be an old man after 
a while, and some day the sad fact will settle down 
upon him that the time for lifting the mortgage has 
gone by. 
“ Peter Lay. He earns good wages, they say ; but 
little Tommy Lay never had a sled in his life. Think 
of a boy growing past the age of copper-toed boots 
and never knowing the joy of owning a sled ! 
“ Matthew Day’s wife has been turning and making 
over the same old Sunday gown these five years ; but 
probably she never thought of Mrs. Conder’s sealskin 
coat when she urged Matthew to put down his name. 
She always had a soft heart and a free hand. 
“I will not go any farther, Mr. Newman,” and she 
handed back the paper. 
“Well, I thought that as you were all members of 
one neighborhood, and had all seemed so generous 
and kindly disposed”—Mr. Newman arose and thrust 
the paper into his pocket when Mrs. Fair interrupted 
him with 
“Thank you for calling, Mr. Newman, since you 
were about on such an errand, you have given me a 
chance to show my independence of what people will 
think. You will not always find me so averse to giving. 
In my opinion, if Mrs. Conder could but see what she 
is offered when you carry her that roll of bills she 
would decline to accept them and be shamed out of 
her groanings.” 
But Mrs. Conder did not decline the gift; she ac¬ 
cepted it as a token of the respect and deep regard in 
which she was held by her neighbors, and was able to 
make her semi-annual deposit in the savings bank 
after all. i’rudexce primrose 
HANDKERCHIEFS—DAINTY AND PLEBEIAN. . 
FOR MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN. 
OME of the handkerchiefs seen in the shops are 
for use, while others are only for show. Many 
of them are of such delicate fabrics that they seem to 
require careful handling to avoid complete destruc¬ 
tion. Fashions in handkerchiefs change almost if not 
quite as often as fashions in some other things. But 
the more gauzy the material, usually the more sub¬ 
stantial the price. The solid, built-for-service affairs, 
are not ordinarily very expensive. Of course a hand¬ 
kerchief for use should be made only of linen or linen 
lawn; all others are a delusion; vexatious and un¬ 
comfortable to use. 
In a recent issue Harper’s Bazar describes some of 
the handkerchiefs in vogue for evening use. These 
are dainty bits of lace or silk gauze, those of real 
point or duchesse with center of finest linen lawn still 
remaining the favorites for a bride, or to put the finish¬ 
ing touch to an elaborate toilette, especially when the 
latter has a garniture of similar lace. A pretty 
one can be found for §1.25, with a new border of 
duchesse lace, and similar pieces let in at the four 
corners; while for §25 an exquisitely fine specimen, 
almost entirely composed of poiot, may be procured. 
Few of our readers will probablyundulge in the latter. 
The handkerchef of silk gauze is usually pure white 
or of a creamy hue, but the delicate tints of pink, 
yellow, 6eru, and heliotrope are favored. The edge 
18 embroidered in white or colored floss-silks, and one 
variety displayed has a narrow hem-stitched border 
with a row of the silk embroidery just above it. A 
Parisian novelty in silk gauze shows a square of pale 
yellow with an edging of black lace set on, the lace 
broadening or narrowing to meet the irregular outline 
of the gauze center piece. Another imported sample 
is of a faint shade of pink cr6pe with wide border of 
colored embroidery. 
For general use or dressy occasions, the fine linen or 
linen-lawn handkerchief with dainty border of lace or 
embroidery is preferable. One seen on the counter of 
a Broadway shop was of linen lawn as fine as gossa¬ 
mer ; its narrow hem-stitched border was decorated 
in delicate hand embroidery, and a vine of the same 
encircled it j ust above the hem ; this article was 
marked §7.50, and was noticeably chaste and refined 
in effect. Another was composed of linen most choice 
in quality, and its embellishment was of narrow Valen¬ 
ciennes, both the edging and a band of insertion which 
was let in above the border being of this lace. White 
is always recommended as in good taste, but the deli¬ 
cate tints are permissible when desired to match some 
particular shade of dress or ribbons. Upon the white 
handkerchief a narrow finish of open-work embroidery 
is a present fashion, lending a pretty and modest effect 
to the square of linen or lawn. 
For ordinary use, nothing is so truly serviceable as 
the strong linen hem-stitched handkerchief, with or 
without initial letter, as the personal fancy may dic¬ 
tate ; it comes costing from 12 to 50 cents, according 
to its quality and the style of the embroidered initial, 
and it will last during two or three years of hard usage. 
The fancy white or tinted China and Japanese silk 
handkerchief for ordinary use can be purchased for 
almost any price from 19 cents upwards, and comes 
with the plain hem-stitch, an added initial, or with 
embroidered finish of white or colored silks. However, 
it is not so much liked as a similar article of linen, 
and it is sure to lose its whiteness or original tint 
when laundered. 
For gentlemen the style most adopted is the silk or 
fine white linen intial handkerchief, which varies in 
price according to the texture and the shop where pro¬ 
cured. The gentlemen’s furnishing stores usually add 
something extra for the same article for sale at the 
ordinary shops, and equally good in every particular. 
Bargains in handkerchiefs may often be secured, as 
the shops are constantly offering some special lot at a 
reduction in price. They may also generally be pro¬ 
cured at a lower price if taken by the box of a dozen 
or half dozen. 
The children are not forgotten, and dainty morsels 
of linen and batiste of the fine linen lawn are shown 
with a narrow edge of needlework or a plain hem¬ 
stitch. For school or general use the white handker¬ 
chief figured in colors or with colored border may be 
found, and is liked for boys, who always decry any¬ 
thing feminine in appearance. 
A cream of tartaj baking powder. 
Highest of all in leavening strength. 
—Latest United States Government 
Report. 
Royal Baking Powder Co., 
106 Wall Street, New York. 
