The herald., 1893-09-03
[BY L. DEHYMER. ]

produced Captain Charles Kings new
book. The title is Foes in Ambush, and
l. in similar vein with The ColonePs
Daughter and Marion's Faith. 1t is q
graphic and exciting story of army life
in Arizona shortly after the war, when
men drank and swore and fought and
gambled in the rough life of their exile,
but obeyed without question, the officers
appointed over them. Sergeant Feeny,
gruff hard headed Irish veteran, is the
hero O. the earlier scenes. Mexican
bandits plot to seize the paymasterH
chest containing some $4,000 in green
backs. They succeed in decoying away.
the cavalry escort by false alarm OF an
Indian raid But Feeny and few civ
iljane, defend the treasure with the
greatest bravery, holding out
eyen after the house is set
on fire, and only succumbing
TO treachery. The thieves are pursued
by Lieutenant Drummond and a de-
stschment Of cavalry. The lieutenant's
ardor Ia infamed by the knowledge that
two charming girls, in whom he sgreat-
ly interested, have been carried off by the
robbers. The ladies are rescued after a
fight, in which Drummond 10 wounded.
But the rescuers are themselves be-
sieged in q. mountain cavern by the
Apaches, and are almost at their last
gasp when help arrives. Mysterious and
romantic elements are not wanting in
this interesting story: and readers who
enjoy descriptions OF pioneer warfare on
the border in early days will thoroughly
appreciate this last effort of this much
admired writer OF army life.
Readers of the mystic will certainly
enjoy the last book issued in the Vest
erf, Authors series, entitled She of the
Holy Light, by John G. Claxton. II 10
something little suggestive Of Rider
liaggard's writing, but also contains the
softness and some of the pureness of
Helen Jackson's Ramona. 1t ia Q book
which is also almost distinctive in itself.
It gives something entirely new in the
character OF Garangula, the Indian, who
ID. the center of interest. We are un-
consciously drawn into sympathy with
him as he passes through the great
world. His observation of the ways of
the white man, although sometimes
amusing, are never wrong from an al
truistic standpoint. Garangula's unfold
OF genius and bis disappearance
are wrought most artistically. The book
is q wonderful presentation of life on
every plane; no school is adhered to, no
creed attacked. There is mystic
power, half revealed. which compels the
reader to ask what is it, and where can
/ find it? As weird but still probable
book 1t is a success and will prove ex-
ceedingly interesting.
The Cleveland Publishing company of
New York are issuing some very inter-
esting books, among which we notice
the Shadow of Deairs and Ny Wicked
ness. In the latter we find psychic
logical study. intensely interesting 1T is
a remarkable book and if Rousseau or
Shopenhauer figured on the titlepag of
this book, the press would ring with it.
The style is clear and strong. 4 It
isq in the form of confessions. OF "a
man of the world. A tale like this, told
in the first person, by 80 skillful an emo
tion delineator as the present one. can
not be other than notably real !; in which
senee it is q progressive model for the
average writer. The minuteness OF de-
tail is mastery. Huysmans himself
could scarcely reduce his readers to a
greater state OF horror, nor exercise
more weird fascination over them than
does this anonymous author on almost
every page. AS model of self-analysis
ofccrime-incentive it is strikingly well
accomplished, and Is effective to an ex-
tent bordering on the impressions that
radiate from realities; 1t is, therefore,
the work OF an artist. 1t is one OF those
sketches whose mission and message is
entirely to the mental Rnalyzer,
thinker and dreamer; and to such
it brings distinct pleasure even
though that pleasure be prevai;ingly
tinctursd with the pathos that fingers
around all things mundane. Human.
beings who have lived long enough.
thought deeply enough. or experienced
sufficiently, fervently, have learned to
look, to some degree at least, on the
present earthly life as merely small
part of one long chain. whose measure
ing lies not only here but in the past,
feeling it's way into the future through
travail often perplexing. And so we
cease to look on crime as thing apart;
IL becomes a composite fact whose ex-
istence may be explained and whose
doing away may be only accomplished
by better and deeper understanding of
finite and infinite relations. On the re-
incarnation theory, the essential prin-
ciples of which must needs be
true, one understands, sympathisss
and pities the doer of My Wickedness;
otherwise he would remain but another
of natures many apparent monstrosi-
ties. The author embodies-and in
clever realism of depletion the
balance wheel of sanity and insanity in
condition OF unstable equilibrium; a
problem to the thinker, horror to the
ignorant. 1t is q short sketch, but it
radiates life-energy in its picture of a
human intelligence developed through
precedent activities to the point " here
the scales are 80 evenly adjusted that
only the keynote OF ones present stage
of development may tell on which side
the heaviest weight shall fall. The
tale is original and we'll written and
suggests, but leaves the reader to follow
up the clues to the strange behavior Of
the writer. 1t is in the
curious workings of the brain Of
the narrator that the fascination
OF the story lies. There is a suggestion
OF what the spiritualist would call sob
sasgion," and the modern psychologist
"subliminal consciousness, in the pe-
culiar effect on the senses of what seems
TO be another personality that makes
iteelf known whenever the desire to
commit cruel or criminal act Rssails
him; \
tits altogether clever piece Of work
and is likely to attract some notice from
the critics.
An entertaining book lately added to
Robert Bonner's Sons list OF popular