15 JUNE 1912, Page 25

Heart and Chart. By Margarita Spalding Gerry. (Harper and Brothers.

6s.)—This somewhat obscure title means, we imagine, that while nursing must be done in a scientific fashion—by keeping a" chart," i.e., of temperature, medicines, and food adminis- tered, &c.—it must also bo inspired with sympathy. The volume contains nine short stories which illustrate this moral. Somo of them, possibly all, have already appeared in Harper's Magazine— we cannot help thinking that previous appearance should always be mentioned. All are powerful, but the most tragically effective is " The Enemy," in which a terrible tale of the morphia habit is told, " Wish I knew who prescribed morphine for her in the first place," says the physician who is called in, It is a wish that must often suggest itself to men of sense and fooling, One of the stories touches on American politics ; it is carious to see how com- monly these seem to suggest corruption,