Book Review

704 IMPROVEMENT ERA. 3rd: The President today nominated Charles O. Whittemore of Salt Lake for the office of United States district attorney for Utah. 4th: Captain Charles V. Gridley, commander of the United States cruiser "Olympia," Dewey's flagship, died today at Kobe, Japan. His death resulted from injuries received in the battle of Manila. 10th: The war revenue bill which among other things provides for the issuance of United States bonds for $400,000,000, passed the Senate today and was sent to the President. Senator Cannon of Utah voted against the bill, being opposed to the issuance of more bonds at this time. * * * An agreement was reached in the house of repre- sentatives today, to begin the debate on the question of the annexation of Hawaii tomorrow. 13th: Joseph Leiter, the young speculator, who for many months past had controlled the wheat market and forced the price up to an un- reasonable figure, failed today. His losses are said to be $5,000,000. 14th: The Utah light batteries embarked today, at San Francisco, on the transports bound for the Philippines. /jtk: The house of representatives today passed the Newlands reso- lution for the annexation of Hawaii by a vote of 209 to 91. * * * The second Manila expedition, consisting of four large transports, carry- ing nearly 3,500 soldiers, sailed from San Francisco today. 17th: A dispatch dated Manila, June 13th, and received today from Hong Kong, China, states that Aguinaldo, the insurgent leader, issued a proclamation calling upon the natives to assemble at Cavite on June 12th, and inviting the Americans to be present at the ceremony of a declaration of independence. BOOK REVIEW. "Added Upon" is the title of a story by Nephi Anderson of Brigham City, recently issued from the Deseret Nevus press, of Salt Lake City The author is ambitious, not in the size of his book, for that contains but 140 pages, but in the largeness of his subject. He undertakes, to trace the for- tunes of two individuals through their pre-existent estate, through this mor- tal life, and reunites them in heaven after life's fitful dream is o'er, where forever afterwards, they live happily. Brother Anderson has written some very interesting, instructive and beautiful things, as both the pages of the late Contributor and the Era will bear witness. But we cannot but feel that in this venture "Added Upon," our brother has been either too bold or not bold enough. Either he should not have attempted a theme at once so lofty and so extensive; or else he should have given himself room for a treatment of it somewhat commensurate with its largeness. As it is the work reminds us of some landscape, painted by a very young and, as yet, undeveloped artist. You shall find in the landscape oceans, compressed continents, mountains, valleys, rivers, villages, sheep, cattle, men—all things in heaven and in earth as far as known, and all crowded within a 32x18 inch canvass! By and by the artist learns this is a mistake, and he finds better results by taking a bit of meadow flooded with sunlight and a glimpse of a winding stream shaded by trees; or a single hilltop crowned with an old church and the mountains or the ocean dimly seen in the background. So with the writer of fiction, a somewhat less extensive field than that marked out in "Added Upon," for one simple effort, would give promise of better success. All this is not saying that 'Added Upon" is without interest. But we would say, and say it in kindness, that it is too crowded with events, with doc- trines, with preaching, and that the subject is too large for the book.