The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-13

The SToRY OF Bessie CosrRELI. by Mrs.
Humphry Ward. Macmillan a. Co.. New
York. Cloth zoe.
THE woEM That erased 70 TuRs, by Cor.
York. Cloth.
A MAGNIFICENT YOUNG MAN, by John
Strange Winter. Lippincott's select novels
}. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia.
Paper, % cents
An IMAGINATIVE MAN, by X. 3. Hichens. D.
Appleton a. Company, New York. ID.
Gregory. Cloth, sl25.)
geant. Appletons Town and Country
Library. lh. Gregory. 5oc.)
A QUESTION or Color. by Il. G. Phillips
author OF "As in Looking Glass" New
York. Frederick A. Stokes Company.
The many good people who delight 10
indulge themselves in stories OF wretch
edness -purposeless, pointless, unrelieved
wretchedness-wil find a good deal OF
pleasure in either "The Story OF Bessie
Costrell, I" or the "Worm that Ceased to
Turn" The first, by Mrs. Humphry
Ward, has the redeeming quality OF CIV
ing us picture OF real life and charac-
ter that, while Ii is not pleasant TO look
at, is worth something TO remind us that
ali is not lovely in this world. We learn
that IL is likely TO be dramatized. Rhe
story OF the Worm isquite as unattractive
as that OF Bessie Costrell, but II is even
more unsatisfactory, because its ugliness
is neither real nor artistic. Still 1t will
doubtless strike a responsive cord of
morbid pleasure in many a readers
heart.
The reading OF ga Magnificent Young
Man" is decidedly more pleasure BILE,
though once the mystery that maintains
the interest is solved the reader will bo
inclined TO feel that the magnificent
young man was something Of chump to
make so much trouble for himself and
other people. But as the anti-cllmax to
the workings OF the readers imagination
doesn't come until the emo, 1t Is of little
consequence, and doesn't harm the book
as a readable diversion.
Robert 5. Hichens wrote the. Screen
Carnation," and San Imaginative Man"
, has the quality OF Mr.. Hichens previous
book Of interesting the reader quite
strongly In spots. Besides the story has
some real life in it, the Characters are
not dummies, and If they may be exsg-
gerated to the point Of absurdity, they are
not unreal, and so not uninteresting.
There are lots Of fellows like this Imagi-
native Man, although few of the M are
likely TO go so far in their weak ness as
he does, and the type becomes accordingly
more amusing than tragic TO the thought
ful reader, although, OF course, Mr..
Hichens' designs 1t to be tragic, and
most OF his readers will be inclined 10
concede him his design II the book Is
read for lack OF something more whole
some TO DO.
"The Mistress OF Quest" is readable
number in the Appleton Town and
Country Library. 1t is a love story, pure
and simple, and that is enough TO COM
mend il in these days, when so many
authors are trying TO make everything
else but love story fill the bin of sum-
mer book reading. We like the "Mis-
tress of Quest" because it is unpreten-
tious, straightfor and doesn't
atten pt to point any commonplace moral
or dose us with cheap philosophy and
superficial contemplation. 1t is Just a
story.
"a Question OF Color" is the initial
volume OF the Biiou series, a dainty
shaped book of almost a vest pocket
order, in an up-to-date device Of binding,
and selling for 30 cents. The story is not