The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-06-24

II HZs13 E1J{E!5S@s}5

| in the course OF time, her love went out
to Jean Tascherou, young man in her
husband's porcelain factory, who had
| fine characteristics, an aptitude Tor
study and a desire to improve himself,
who had bsen spurred to rise from hie
humb condition by Veroniqne's friend
| Iy interest In him. Led on by ambition,
the Young man robbed and uninten-
tioneliy murdered an old man, and for this
crime he was hung. Every method was
resorted to extort from him his motive
for the crime, but he went to the scat
fold with closed lips. and nobody ever
knew Veroniques connection with the
tragedy except her old mother. who had
guessed it, but who never divulged it.
From the day of Tascheron's execution
1 Veronique's whole life was an expiration
| for her wrong doing. Left widow with
a great fortune, che sought TasCheron's
country home and devoted her fortune
and her life to the good OF the poverty
stricken inhabitants. She built roads,
| turned water courses, and constructed
an elaborate system OF irrigation by
which an arid, herran plain was trans
formed into verdant meadows and pro-
ductive farms. and brought innumerable
| blessing to peasantry once hopelessly
poor and depressed. In all this good
work she was aided and advised by the
village rector, who discovered that
Veronique was suffering from remorse,
and urged her to make confession. On
her death bed it WAS disclosed that for IL
| years she had worn horsehair shirt
next to her skin, thatsh had eaten only
dry bread and vegetables, boiled in water
without salt, and had practiced self
denial of the austerest kind in her
desire to expiate her crime in the sight
| OF heaven.
She makes full confession before her
death, and thus atones to the last de-
gree for the crime of her youth. The
story, which is worked out with intense
ly dramatic skill, has distinctly moral
purpose, and shows how genuine re-
pentance for great wrong may lead one
to dedicate ones whole self to the lift
ing up and lettering OF humanity. Here
is one particular bit of altruistic teach
ing in the book worthy Of record: "He
VINO fertalizes q corner OF the earth, who
brings to perfection a fruit tree. who
makes turf on q thankless soil, is far
more useful in his generation than he
who eeeks new theories for humanity"
| The story shows in remarkable degree
Balzac's profound powers of observation
and his wonderful skill in penetrating
the human heart, and Analysing the mo.
tives which underlie every phase of hui
man action. This is the twenty-sixth
volume in the uniform edition of Balzac
so admirably translated by Miss Kath-
crime P. Wormeley. With such fiat
tering mention from this noted journal.
this volume will surely be in great de-
mand.
IN MAIDEN MEDITATION, by X. v. A..
| Cloth edition, $l.O0. Publ she'd by A. e..
McClurg & Co.. Chicago For sale by the
| Stoll q Thayer Co.
| In Maiden Meditation lie charming
group OF essays, thoughtful and intro
| spective, dreamy at times, and again of
quicker movement. II we are OCCASION
/ ally reminded that what wo are reading
sounds like something that we have read
before. we are not at liberty to shout
plagiarism" for the words of old
| Montague are on the title page: Il
have gathered q posie of other mems
flowers, and nothing but the thread that
binds them Is mine own" While the
author ia discriminating and progress
sivs, curiously enough now and then a
vein of the most uninquiring conserve
tism crops out. Although humor ia not
absent, for the most part the tone is
quiet and retrospective with dantiness
of much that is fascinating. And the
burden OF it all is love. The daughters
and sous of these who read the Reveries
of Bachelor in their pristine freshness
will enjoy this book.
~.<
THE KXILRs AND OTHER STORIES, by
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS; published by
Harper Bros, New York city. For bale by
The Stoll & Thsyer company.
1t is very pleasing to record that Mr..
Richard Harding Davis has confeunded
his accusers by writing story quite
without reference to the young person.
1t has the right stuff in it and gives the
| impression Of being written with reserve
and out OF fullneso OF idees. Some have
said that Mr.. Davis spread his stories
out too thin-thst he told almost more
than he knew or felt. If it ever were
true of any OF the earlier stories it ia
not true of The Exiles, which gives its
nsme to the present collection, just pub
\ lished. Henry Holcomb, an assistant
district attorney and young man swol-
| len with high principles, loses his health
| and goes to rangier for holiday. There
he encounters an interesting lot of men
and women. all fugitives from justice of
various lands, and among them Tam
many police commissioner, whom Hol-
| comb had prosecuted and who had fed,
| FORGETTING his bail. The story ia of the
swift change OF mental attitude in Hol-
comb toward the iugitives. For the fret
time he measured himself with men in
place where there was no law and
where traditions went for nothing.
Aud he found himself to avail-to Gar.
rive"
There ia touch OF the same virility in
The Boy Orator of Zepata City. The
Writing on the Wall Is story of an
ugly state secret wrenched by q mind
reader from girl to whom it had been
confided by her Russian lover. whose
plot against an ambassador's life was
thus spoiled. His Bad Angel is q tale
of young man who might be cousin
of Van Ribber, that champion light
weight HERO" as he has been called.
There are seven stories in the book. all
good, even the absurdity called The
Right OF Way, which ie embellishsd
with picture of Mr.. LAWS in SWIM
ming. The cover design OF lotus cup is
very attractive The admirers of Van
Bibber will certainly all desire to read
and enjoy thIa new volume fro m their
fayorits's pen.
DEAD ON A SANDBAR.
The Body OF nm Uaknown Man Found
vTr,t IN.