The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-27
RECENT PUBLICATIONS

a MARRIAGE ABOVE ZERo.-This is a
novel of love written by one who assumes
the privilege of cOncealing identity under
the name of Nevada" In preface the
writer tells the reader that the book treats
of mo small, everyday weak emotion,
improperly called love. but the grand.
noble passion Of two great souls" and that
1.-THE book is net intended for the masses
they could not understand it in thousand
years." It is the story OF an English boy.
who bereft of his father at the age of TO-
leaves home for London TO make start in
life. He reaches the metropolis, spends
his last cent for something to eat and is
picked no by an individual who takes him
20 America, where after an endeavor to
gain an education, he runs away from his
employer aud engages himself with another
who encourages him. Before going to his
second employer he changes his name and
ia time be becomes a great orator
and politician and fills important
Offices in the country. He marries and,
as i: always turn out in novels. finds that
the woman who bears his name does not
reeiprocaie the love he gives her. During
the visit OF his wife TO Europe he forms
the acquaintance OF a young unsOphisti-
Gated girl who has a passion for the
operate stage. but cOnceals this from him.
She, however, pours out her soul to him,
despite the fact that he is a married man,
OF which fact shs has knowledge. he dis
plays an unusual fondness for her, and it
takes great many pages to tell OF their
love for one another. How a woman can
love the husband of another woman in the
manner described and still be pure
minded, is, maybe. that which the writer
declares the masses would not understand
in thousand years. Finally the woman
becomes q great opera singer, and Wnila in
the height of her fame she sends letter
10 the only man she loves, and this falls
into the hands of his wife. The husband has
such faith in pla.ODic love that he 2rTRnges
for an interview between his wife and
the idol of his soul, that the wife may
for herself see what a lovable creature
she is and learn TO love her. The inter
view did not turn out as the husband had
expected it would, but it was the cause of
the opera singer leaving the cOuntTy, CO.
ing to foreign lands, and the subsequent
discovery that she was, not as she sup
posed, friendless girl without name,
but descendant OF the Montezumas. The
upshot of the story is that after many
years the husband and wife seek a separa-
ton, in which the wife allows the love she
had for her husband TO go for goody
sum of gold, and he after time meets
with his affinity and marries her in a
style BETTING a MOnteZuma Princess,
and presume bly, all are happy. The novel
is not very deep one nor does it present
any features that have not al some time or
other been the basis of other works of
fiction, in fact the plot is a mosaic of ill.,
cidents that have served other writers to
weave n web of imagination. New York:
G. W. Dillingham;. For sale at the book
stores.
FATHER JUNIPERo SERRA-This, an
historical drama by Chester Gore Miller,
is an attempt to put in dramatic form the
story of the last year of the life of Cali
fornia's famous padre. The plot prac-
tically lies in the opposition of Don Pedro
FACES the Governor of California, to the
work of Father Sierra. 1t is the old an
tagonism-the church versus the state.
The love story of the play and its sub-pIot
Is the love OF Captain Alvarez OF the Gov
ernor's staff aud Eduardo Ortega, a protege
Of Father Sierra. fer Dolores, the daughter
of Don Pedro Valencia, a newly arrived
settler from Spain. There are many things
in the drama that deserve praise, and
| one can honestly say that inssmuch as it
is the work. evidently, of young man the
attempt is full of promise. The versifiea-
ton for the most part is good; at times,
| however, ii becomes sIipshOd and careless
| and fails in the rhythm that all blank verse
! should have. The action of the play Is
slower than what one would desire; in the