The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-08
New Publications.

I
companionable with liaggard's she and
buiwer's "Coming Race" though IL must
he said that IL would I'LL in the company OF
these more majestic conceptions rather the
place Of The facetious Jester. The only uh-
clean thing in the story IL its name, for the
reader smiles through and through its odd
fantastic pages, and ut the end asks himself
why the title "A Bachelor GirlY' and con-
cludes that ii NAV be-. perhaps. because she
iDafries in the end. IL il a novel OF the 400
OF New York. the Gar Of New York society
having recently added one thousand names
| 10 his exclusive list. The heroine is bril-
liant, beautiful and surprising rich, with
many suitOrs who offer for sale a coronet for
a fortune, but she IL declared
eccentric. and prefers "rich but
respectable American" However. she rides
in Central Park with a certain Iordship-
| storm comes up-suddcny something
falls from the heayens-kills both horses.
stuns his l0rdship. completely CELEBRATES
fair heroine. The press has bonanza and
spends it on the subject. The next morn
ing +. II. is found sleeping quietly in bed,
with the following memory of making a
night Of it, The drag Of balloon let fall
had struck the horses, spending its
strength, the guy rope formed loop
about the girls wristlet. and instantly
lifted her up into the air some four miles,
where she was dragged into the balloon.
The owner of the air-ship proved to be
\ fascinating young man, who for amuse-
ment travelled around in an acrOnaut. This
pair, so strangely brought together in aerial
| light. at once loved, and by morning were
| betr0thed. The experiences of the air-ship
are thrillngly told, and the entire story is a
delicious satire on the probability and pos
sibility of all things strange in the Nine
'eenth century. Published by John n.
| Lowell Co.
! THE DEVILS ANVIL, by Mary Kyle Dali
las, Bedford Company, Publishers, New
Yoik, is prettily and well-told love
story, with more placidty in it than its
fiery title would suggest. The name is that
Of a dark cliff Overhangng the sea, where
many Of the romantic incidents OF the plot
are placed. So the story is not peOpled
with demons Of the "Fiery Furnace" as
the title suggests. There is in il some char
acter sketchng which is fine. The distaste
iulness of the nOuyeauX richie. depicted with
| humOr, and the tints Of real romance work
ed in are excellent.
A DAUGHTER OF SILENCE is Edgar
| Fawcctt's most recent OutpOuring into
the overlooking channels of light liter
allure, aud i'm theme and treatment trile
more circumspect and conventional than is
| this disciple OF the latter day school OF real
/ l~lil Noui W u. lupu-u nONtl VI lcINt
| interest, and at interval fine climaXes, ii
it has Il value in the abstract. which makes
il fascinating study. His heroine he calls
Brenda Monk, but many such women have
| lived and are living who are the one and
same by some other and less fictitious name.
| She illustrates the beautiful. the ideal i'm
animal magnetism; has flesh and blood,
| but no soul; looks beautifully, serenely,
calm. listens always. approves always, sub
mits always. from sheer stupidity and tor
| pidity Of soul. Yet the magnetism of her
| physical beatty draws all people unto her.
and glamour rests cOncealingly over the
t0ibles. Fawcett is an artist. and the lights
| in this book are no less well and pleasingly
worked in than the shadows which close in
az the end with magnificent storm Of pri-
son scenes, murder, suicide, theft, Ac.,
which leaves the reader decidedly sorry
when all the people are either dead or mar
| ried and the book ended. For whether it be
book or sermon. the best test Of its quality
is feeling Of regret when it ends.
OUR DISTINGUISHED FELLOW CITIZEN.
There Is near our coast a fish, which,
when YOU first catch him, does not seem eX-
traordlnary. But. If you scratch his belly
little, he swells out near to bursting. His
eyes pop and stare green and blue, and We,
he preserves the most impressive silence.
I n
can utter nothing. he -wells out, the express
sion Of choked, inGignat silent anger. You
expect TO hear from him. or al least hear
him explode, but YOU do not. one can ina
zine that the recent little volume. "Our Dis
! tinguished Fellow Citizen might stir up
feelings similar 10 those Of our fish If
il fell into the hands Of people who are
cOunterparts Of the characters Of the story,
and cOuntcrparts Of the characters Of the
book exist in every large city. In fact,
there has been many chuckle az iancied
likeness between the characters Of the book
and men in our own city, and the question
| has been asked, "wbO j. this fellow Schney
anyhow The hero Of the story, Schney,
il one OF the bottom rails Of society, which.
| by wise disposition Of Providence are
sometimes placed on top. to prevent entire
rot: and our author laughs a. the fools that
imagine that the bottom rail is on top be
cause il possesses more excellence than the
rest. and who are therefore subserylent
aud almost seryile in their Difference. Lack
of candOr i'm politics and Of courage in re-
ligion. and the dominant power Of vulgar
wealth in both. are pointed at with Just rid
| icule and scOrn, intensified by VIII and hui
NOR: and the effect OF these qualities, or
| lack Of qualities. upon the characters OF the
story Is painted true 10 life. The author
not only ventures 10 laugh at such people.
| but even has his little fling also ut the press,
limiting that sometimes a newspaper is sim
| larry influenced. This, perhaps, is
the only mistake Of the DOCK.
! But everyone that reads newspapers
will. when he comes 10 the comments Of the
..Spatterer." feel with what malignant in
genuity our author has initiated the utter
| ances Of many newspapers, the like whereof
we have seen. He has actually been able
/ to initiate editorial Omniscient cOnceit ana
ST lpidity 10 the letter. After the wholesome
medicine OF the book which, however, IS
put up in wit and hum0r. 30 - to be not
! TOO unpalatable- are given little OF the
sugar and honey of life in the love and hap
piness Of Curbing and Nina. This helps to
| take the bitter taste Of the whole
some medicine out Of our mouths.
| Altogether the story is decidedly worth
reading. There is no man at all familiar
with our people and politics, and the inilu-
ences which dominate them, but Is bound
to enjoy the humOr Of the thing, particular
! " if he have wit enough 10 fancy mat he
! can pick out the originals of the characters.
As for the women. the work was rot writ
! ten for them. and possibly they cannot APP
preciate il. though there are some that can.
| The book reminds strongly Of lrylng's "sal-
magundi."
LOVE IN THE TROPICS. A ROMANCE OF
THE SOUTH SEAS. BY Caroline Earle White.
Is a prettily and simply told story of young
| Englishman, who. after shpwreck, IS
washed upon the coast Of the islands Of the
south sea. H. falls in love with and mar
ries the daughter of the chief Of the island,
who. despite her olive skin, beads and scant
garments. is in all things the ideal woman
and heroine. The chief interest Of the book
| is the relation OF the manners and customs
Of the natives. which are Unfolded with the
descriptive powers Of a work Of travels, yet
the easy plau Of fiction relieving the heayl-
ness of such. For sale by West, johnson *
| Co.
| Tue PERFECT WAY. OR The FINDING OF
| CHRIST. By Edward Maitland and Anna
Bonus Kingsford. Published by Frank
+. Lowell Il Co.. New York. l. a cOmpila-
ton Of lectures upon those subjects and
theology which ale occupying the deep and
earnest religious thinkers Of the day. The
substance Of existence, the discerning Of
spirits. 1he atonement and the fall, are some
Of rhe subjects prObed in this very valuable
| book.
| INTnE VALLEY or IIAVILAH. BY Freder-
lex Thickston Clark, published by Frank r.
Lowell x Co., y. Y.--One Of the brightest,
best-written books OF the period. In its