National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-12-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS


A MODERN MIDAS. A Romance by MAURICE
JoKAL Translated from the German by |
Mrs. Laura Curtis Billiard and Miss Emma |
Herzog. New York r. worthington. Wash |
ington Brentnuo Bros.
Maurice Jokal, the Hungarian novelist,
has won so high reputation in Europe
as writer of fiction that Euglish-spoak-
ing people everywhere will road with in
terest this first translation of one Of his
works into our own tongue. The novel Of
Midas" aside from It's literary oxcol-
lonce, possesses peculiar value, because IL
gives us some good descriptions Of Hun
garian life, character, and scenery.
One OF those exquisitely cruel crimes
which occasionally startles q body like
some hideous nightmare, has suggested
the plot of the story which, in its incep-
ton and execution, Is unique aud strik-
ing. The style is intensely tragic, but
in the closing portion Of tho work the
writer has given q specimen of pathos in
his description Of littlo DodPs death
which almost II not quite, equals tho
touching narrative Of Little Nell"
Mr.. Jokal has evidently been n deep
student of tho subtle springs Of action
which move human nature. kie lays
bare to view both tho good and the evil
motives of his actors pretty much after
N
Reasoning, soliloquy and fino-spun sophis-
tries follow each other In paturul So
quence, and we find ourselves involved in
psychological studies at once interesting
and instructive. Fit prelude to the var Of
conflicting human emotions is the tempest
| on the Danube, in which arc comlntugled
the roar of the waters and the howl Of tho
Bora wind as II whistles through the
Iron Gate" Amidst such surroundings
the novelist introduces his leading char
actcrs and evolves his plot. Timar, tho
Modern Midas" who, like his tabled
prototype, possesses the faculty Of amass-
ing wealth, first appears upon the scene
as supercargo Of q heavily-laden grain
vessel, which during the voyage is
wrecked Timea and her father, Ali
Tschorbadschi, Turkish refugees, are fee
ing to save life and fortune. Upon the
same boat is spy, who afterward turns
up as Naom's suitor. His presence is de-
tected by Tschor badschi, who theroupon
commits suicide, aftor commencing his
daughter, in charge of Timar, to the care
of supposed friends, and giving directions
that his body shall DO buried beneath
the Danube. All this takes place in
the sequel. The boat Is wrecked on q
snag. but Timea is rescued by tho strong
arms of the supercargo. Subsequently,
in rescuing the submerged grain, he dis
covers the hidden treasure of the refugees
in sack, appropriates II, and thus lays
tho foundation of his fortune. During
the coming years Timea leads an unhappy
life beneath tho new-found roof. She be-
comes the butt Of the beautiful Athalie,
who is tho betrothed of military officer.
Just as these are about to he united the
wedding dover fails, and tho engagement
is ended, but not until we have seen O
mutual affection springing up between
Timoa and tho recreant lover. At an
appropriate time, however, Timar steps
forward, proposes to the Turkish maid IL
accepted, and they arc married. The
heart Of his bride, however, soon proves
as dead to love as 1t is loyal to her spouse
! Domestic infelicity is still further aggra
waited by the beautiful Athalie. the guess
and evil genius of the welded couple
Timea had asked the clergyman before
her wedding this singular question
twill o person In that other world be
long to the one whom he or she tored o.
to tho one he or she had married here?'
, The parson, In perploxity, answered
, that such question would have to b,
settled by synod"
Marriages from sense Of gratitude o.
. duty end disastrously, and this cas-
proves no exception. After several year
. of such unhappy existence tho scene shift
to mo Mans island" romantic spot
whose sole occupants are the fair Naom
and her mother, Theresa. Amid the en-
chantment of singing birds and springinl
{ flowers Timar finds reciprocatcd atfec
, ton, and resolves to desert his FORUM
and legal wife for Naomi. By a singula
: confederation of events he is supposed :
o have been drowned, and his presumabl
!, body is accorded q proper burial Alto
a season of decent widowhood Timea find
herself on tho eve of marriage with he
0 former lover. Before the consummatiol
= of the wedding, however, she is stabbe
{ at night by tho Jealous Athalie, who /
r arrested for her crime and imprisoned 70
: life. After Timoa's convalescence she !
, married, and spends few months o
o bliss. embittered, however, by the revela
A ton that her former husband still lives
| Upon her death she 10 buried in strang
8 proximity to mo Mans island,' upol
s which spot Timar concludes his days, re
8 joicing in his new-found happiness, an
;. free from the cares of that wealth whicl
0 had brought to him only sorrow and bit
0 terness.
: MONEY IN POLITICS. BY J. X. UPTON wit
, an introduction by Edward Atkinson. Bo
:. ton: ID. Lothrop u Co.
= This book is by gentleman we
0 known in Washington, who has had NOR
: practical experience in the money opera
n tions of the United States treasury tina
o perhaps any other living person, havin
y. begun at the foot of the ladder as cler
. and worked his way up to the eXalte
y posititn Of assistant secretary, which plaC
u he filled at the time when the importar
. work of resumption of specie paymer
,, was performed. He speaks, therefore, s
= an authority. and in way which M
u Atkinson, also an authority, commend
y in tho most unqualified fashion. NJ
" Atkinson says of tho book that it give
;, in his Judgment, the best record of legi
y lation in the United States yet presente
- in regard to coinage, to legal tender act
y and other matters connected with on
financial history. 1t shows in the mo-
). conclusive manner tho futility of a
% attempts to cause two substances
= become, and to remain, of the sam
U value or estimation by acts of legisl,
x ton. 1t gives true picture of the va
:, injury to the welfare and to tho NOR!
y integrity of tho people of this countI
70 which ensued from the enactment OF th
70 acts of legal tender during the late wa
Z whereby the promise of dollar wa
u made equal in tho discharge Of a contra
70 to the dollar itself. |: shows that IL
d mode Of collecting forced loan was Il
u most costly aud iujuriou, method of Ia,
. alton which could have boon dsvisod.
- proves in the most conclusive way Il
injury which will surely como when,
present acts of coinage and Of legal tcI
dor, our gold coin has been driven fro
. the country and our standard Of value b
" comes silver dollar o. light weight al
" of uncertain value.
70 This book, Mr.. Atkinson asserts, vi
II provo to the mind of every thinking mi
1t that, if We persist much longer in su
20 tanning the acts of coinage and leg
Of tender which now cucumber the statu
is book, our national credit will be impair'
is aud all our working people, whose wag