The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1869-01-17
Literary HSstess.

hoot. Handsomely bound-hAsosomev
nr;n,ed. with good type and good paper. he
..,l known and popular publishers have
done their part of the work we'll.
The anpouncsnsnt OF new novel isn't :
..rv striking fact in these novel-nultiply'ng
d.vs. But when We say that this novel IS IN
lows production that il sutbor is an accom-
plished and greatly esteemed Iowa lady, then
tho announcement in this particular case be-
comes interesting decidedly. Had Il been
one OF the rulous popalns Of novels con-
stantly issuing We should not have taken the
Mains to read it. But knowing that it Was an
Iowa effort we did read il; read it straight
through without stopping, and Ne like H.
Apart from any consideration Of where or
by whom written, this book will attract a.
tention upon ito merits, and hold > high place
among tho years publications Of the kind.
The story is a story Of New Amsterdam IN
,ha DAYS Of the wooden-lesged Peter Stuy-
vs..n. and the iron. willed Cromwell. In
.he very first paragraph Of the first chapter
:,on.tance Aylmer, her father and mother
+. ;ne dead-arrives in New Amsterdam, nm
der the care Of Dame Primlsy, to make her
home with her aunt, Lady Deborah MOODY,
of Long Island. In this very first paragraph
Of this very first chapter, Conssance 10 safely
housed :. Lady Moody friend, Dame 1.ai.
lar. in New Amsterdam. awaiting the arrival
of her cousin Sir Henry Moody, Lady
Moodv,s son to take her to her annss. In
he night that they have to wait before start
us, an owl boots upon the very chimney Of
Burpomaster ZwAller's house, and Dame
Primley croaks her fears. And these may
be in connection with certain Lord Percy,
Who came over in the ship with them and
showed somewhat Of admiration for Con-
stance: = handsome fellow, but certain
unpronoun ced touch Of free booting gallaat-
~ about him that offended her ~ lady OF
delicate sensibilities. She goes TO
her aunts, high born Quaker
lady with the strongest ssnse mingled WIN
most sanity purity Of life and thought. a
sweet womanly character-well drawn and
delightful to read. Lord Percy, having an
official mission Of some kind or other, makes
himself known TO Sir Henry Moody, and be-
comes frequent guest 1t Lady Moody's. He
At once appoints himself m admirer Of Con-
stance, to whom he grows more and more
disaereeable, because, while Sir Henry wants
her to treat him we'll, bong Lord and an
official character, Percy's free-bootins GAL
lantry increases, and he makes m ostentar
tious showing Of being her accepted suitor-
I right which she has never given him. And
because while abe doesn't like Lord Percy
she does like Mr.. Mordaunt, Virginia law
yer. a bachelor friend Of Sir Henry's who is
visiting him when Constance arrives, and Mr..
Mordaunt likes her. Mr.. Mordaunt, 10 gen
tleman, and good-looking. Every way "per
fectly splendid" but-consumedly jealous.
And Lord Percy's assumption Of proprietor
ship OF Constance's affections nearly gnawa
the heart out of Mordaunt snd - ->>it pro-
pose or investigate the state ofhsf affections.
After making themselves sufficiently missra-
bio on this score there il . deaoss"enf
There is rich merry-making in New Am
sterdam, where there il rich display Of 81
the eold and silver in the little province
Lord Percy is at the Wedding with Mordannt
Constance and the rest. The wedding is o
Dame Zwaller's daughter Barbara. Ant
after the wedding is over, Constance remain
ing at Dame ZwalIer's over night, and no
being able to sleep hears . noise in the room
below and creeps silently down. Sh
opens door, and there are men robbing tn
house. She knows one of them, albeit b
wears mask. Then she gives the alarm
aud the robbers fee, but nearly oil the gol
aud silver in the little colony has heen clean
ed out. Constance hasn't much time to con
dole with her friends, for early in the morn
] ing she receives an urgent note OF the dan
gerous illness Of her aunt, and that her aunt
, man will meet her on the other side Of tn
river to convey her home. So she rushes in
contnently of and would have gone alone bu
Mordaunt chances to meet her 1t the ferry IN
insists upon accompanying her. And 'twa
we'll he did, for Of course the man that meet
ger to her, and doesn't like it at all that MOI
daunt is with her. And Of course her aur
isn't sick at all, and it IL all ruse of Lor
Percy, who isn't lord 1t all, nor Al offici,
of any kind, but leader of little band
, robbers, who wants to get Constance in b
clutches. He it was she saw robbing Dan
i Zwaller's house. OF course, when set upo
8 BY Percy and his band, Mordaunt shoots or
Of them, and bears Constance triumphant
off the 6eld and in safety to her aunt's. The
there is the search after the rohbess, u
! Mordaunt finds out that Constance has love
. him al along, aud they are happy. ButMo
: daunt is so outrageously jealous. It bea
. all. So when he goes away for some week
and comes back asd 6nds Go.s.Anes out dri
} ing with her boyish friend Nicholas Stuyv,
/ SAINT, who In his boyish way was in love vi,
I another young lady. Merdaunt BUSHES c
without waiting for explanations, and in
short time marries Elsie Roosevelt in fit
4 Jealousy. So Constance pines, and 80 do
!, Mordaunt, too. for the matter Of that, Abe
! he is kind husband to Elsie. He gro,
l gray, not in = single night, but in couple
years. Constance goes back to England
time. And ia time Elsie Aordannt
drowned in the wrecking Of vessel. Mo
daunt rushes Of to England after his 10
love, and the only unsatisfactory pas
age in the book il the account
his meeting with Constance. But he has 10
his Eden. Load Huntingdon an old collie
chum of Mordaunt ike Nordaunt in ever
N thing save the jeAio9ssy, has thoroughly ~
Coustance's heart, and she marries Huntip
: don. 1t is good thing for Mofdaunt til
Constance woulan't have him, for Eli
comes to, from being drowned, and after
slight stay with some Isdians, comes to i
surface in New Amsterdam, in tear and
Or buck skin skirt. Mordaunt comes back
se her and they get along in eubdued way
ID best they can !: Lord and Lady Huntinsd
re are happy.