Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-11-22
LITERARY NOTES.
THE BASSETT CLAIM BY HENRY r. ELLIOT New
York: q p. Putuanl's Sons. Washington .Brentano

oss PUTNAM. soa. AS Washington 2S E.n SsS
Except the first four chapters, the entire scene
and action Of this story are laid in Washington.
Although not so heralded IL becomes therefore
| novel Of Washington society; and IL Is by no
| means certain that it win not be regarded as on
the whole, about the most satisfactory of all the
minor efforts yet made to deal i'm fiction with the
many sided and complex theme of life at the
national capital. 1t is TO it's credit in the first
place, that the sayings and doings Of idle dlplo
| mats and coarse politicians and lobby women
are not held up as giving tone to all currents of
thought and action here. There is no intricate
plot to be tediously unfolded, there is no ambi-
| tious attempt at fine writing for effect, and
there are none Of the subtle analyses of charac-
ter and motive so much affected by young nov
elists of the period. On the other hand the
characters are sketched broadly but with sufti-
cient clearness; everyday life is portrayed with
few clever strokes; local atmosphere and color
are well preserved, and the narrative proceeds
In straightforward and natural manner until
the climax n reached. and the tone throughout
is clean and wholesome. The slight thread
upon which the story hangs is one of the old
French spoliation claims. and, unpromising as
| it might be thought, the author manages to
string upon 1t some very pretty love passages,
many pleasant little olimpses OF nature and bits
| of sentiment and good-natured moralizing. that
will very agreeably occupy a leisure hour or
two, whether the final fate of all the actors on
his stage be what was expected by the reader
or not.
1CARCIA Chapter in the History Of Communism
BY ALBERT SHAW, Phi. D. New York: q. p Put.
MANS Sons washington: Brentano Brothers.
Aside from its special interest as the history
OF one OF the notable attempts to demonstrate
the feasibility of practical communism in this
country, Professor Shaw's monograph is a
timely contribution to the general literature of
cooperation and socialism. Measurably success
1ul the lcarian society was no exception to the
general rule that individual human nature will
In the end assert Itself. no matter how much of
| It's own means or earnings it may in the begin
ming agree to surrender for the general good.
In other words, the history of all these utopian
attempts shows that their promoters, after
founding their society on philosophical princi-
pies have in time uniformly developed the sell
fish abuses which they sought to avoid by with
drawing from the world and its wicked usages
and laws and have been obliged to come back
to Its courts and legislatures for protection from
each other. The history of single experiment
like that of CADETS will therefore throw more
real light on the subject than half dozen vol
umes discussing it in the abstract.
DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE Comprising its An
tlquites, biography Geography, Natural History
and Literature, with the Latest Researches and Ref
erences to the Revised Version of the New 1esta-
Inent. With Maps and illustrations. BY WILLIAM
SMITH, LII ID. Revised and edit d by Rev Z n
ana NJ A Peloubet Philadelphia Porter Coates
washington: {. c. Purcell.