Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-12

ohu ittt everything, especially rect.
This Is very unconventional and II
is the keynote of the whole story.
There are other descriptions OF this
models life more unconventional. but
mono OF the scenes make one better for
having read them.
There Is no moral In the story. Triiby
has never more than half-conscious
loss OF caste. because when she realized
II as much as she ever did "She smiled
in forlorn sort of way. with her upper
lip drawn tight against her teeth as II
some one were pulling her back by the
lobes Of her ears"
Without doubt she Is an impossible
creation OF writer who has been de-
ceived into believing that he can write
well because he is a good artist. Thack-
cray was both. but DuMaurier Is not.
Take the inimitable Illustrations out
of any of Thackeray's novels. and there
Is left there still the undying works of
a great genius. The coarsencss of this
novel forces itself on the reader at every
turn. IL the book has any hero at all
II is the maudlin little fool nlcknamed
Little Billee. He falls in love with the
immodest sculptor's model Trilby and
the night she accepts him at a royal
debauch in the students quarter Of Paris
goes home drunk and is put TO bed by
his friend Ribot. Let the author tell
in his own way about his awakening:
Next morning poor Little Billee was
dreadfully Ill., He had PASSED a terrible
night. His bed had heaved like the ocean.
with oceanic results. He had forgotten
to put out his candle, but. fortunate
ly. Ribot had blown 1t out for him, af-
ter putting him TO bed and tucking him
up like a real good Samaritan. And,
MADAME. Das1 hrOnQl1
him a cup of tisane de chiendent (Which
does not happen to mean hair Of the
dog that bit HIM she was kind, but very
severe on the dangers and disgrace of
intoxication.'
This is the way Balzac describes
drunkard: "Sechard was an example OF
this moral law: the older he grew the
more he loved drink. This passion leit
upon his ursine countenance certain
marks which gave II originality; his nose
had taken the form and development
of a capital A: his veny cheeks, ike
vine-leaves covered with purple gibbosi-
ties and streaked with various coiors,
gave to his head The appearance OF
monstrous trufiie clasped by TIE SHOOTS
of autumn. Hiding behind thick eye
brows. which resembied bushes covered
with snow. bis small gray eyes. glrter-
every other emotion within him. even
that of paternity. kept their intelligence,
even when he himself was drunk.
Balzac's drunkard is a man of horror
but DuMauriers is scarcely man at
all. No man would like TO be Balzacs
and none could be DuMaurier's.
Triiby is 10 literature at the present
time what the Fifteen Puzzle was TO
arithmetic in 1876 In less time than that
it will be as completely forgotten.
But "The Hon. Peter Stirling Is a
book Of great power and production oil
which Americans can well feel proud.
Its author-Paul Leicester Ford-bereto-
fore unknown in the field of the novelist,
has made a decided success. His now Ia
nous novel is passing through its third
edition. though II was first printed less
than a year ago. Its hero-Peter Stir
ling-is a man whose acquaintance makes
one feel better fer having enjoyed IL.
Ii Is a most delightful book from every
possible standpoint. It tries To paint
modern city life as IL Is. The author
expresses It in his own striking fashion.
"Modern novelists'' says he don't find
beauty and nobility in life. because they
don't look for them. They predicate
from their inner souls. that the world is
'cheap and nasty and that is what they
find IL 10 Dc. mere II lhOi' u ~
I'm a New York tenement than there ever
WAS I'm a baron's tower-brayer battles.
trler love. nobler sacrifices. Romance Is
AN about us but we must have eyes Tor
it
The widowed mother of the hero man
aged TO educate him at Harvard Col
leee. While there Peter was never able
10 secure IAN entree to the society wnlch
Cambridge and Boston dole out stintedly
IA certain privileged coliegians' ms
helped him to get through in creditabie
way. and he began the practice OF law
I'm New York under the most ADVERSE
circumstances-the surest road 10 proies-
sionsl preferment He became interested
ia politics and his success botn at the
bar and in public life shows how business
ana civic duties may be combined. In
his rise TO place and power the Hon
Peter Stirling was never aple 10
be "a society man" His society friend
recognizes this and tells him 1--WE dhe
society people) are the yolk of the egg,
which holds and blends all the discordant
UNFRAMED elements-the oil. vinegar,
salt. and mustard. We don't add much
asvor 10 life. but people would not mix
without us
Peter goes deep into city politics and
still keeps frm hold on his friends and
MS profession. He recognizes the fact
that our country has altered its system
of government less than any other great
country In the last 100 years. And that
there is less socialietic legislation and
propaganda here than anywhere else,
and less discomfort. And he is PROUD of
il and not ashamed to take an active part
in politics.
1t is a thoroughly practical and helpful
book in its suggestions. The Hon.
Peter Stirling says OF George William
Curtis. that he probably stood for the
noblest political ideas this country has
ever produced. But he held beacon only
TO a small class 4 man who writes from
an easy-chair, will only sway easy-chair
people. And easy-chair people never car
rled an election In this country and never
will"
How nobly and successfully the hero
fought his way to renown Is most ad-
mirably told.
The picture Is so powerfully drawn that
the reader AZ once recognizes new
creation of fiction in Peter Stirling as
clearly cut and as interesting as David
Copperheld" or Colonel Newcombe." No
man who has any personal knowledge
OF politics should fail 10 read IL. nor
should any one miss IL II he wishes TO
read a most fascinating love story. The
book is full OF hunor and pathos. 1t
will be healthy and fresh when '"Trilby''
is no longer the fashion.
S. S. T. PATERSON.
Richmond. Va, December Z, 1895.