The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-25
THE CRITICS COLUMN.
DryorED TO COMMENT UPOS RE.
CENT PUBLICATIONS..
Mrs. Humphrey Wards Latest BOOK NO
Viewed by a Richmond woman-Intcr-
estIng CritIcism Of Other Books.
THE STORY OF Bessie COsTREILE.

THE STORY OF BESSIE COSTREI.LE.
BY Mrs Humphrey Ward. Macmillan
a. Co New YORK and Eohooh. ''S'
For sale by West, Johnston * ~
Mrs. Humphrey Ward has still a name
wherewith 10 couture, or II coulu DC sa.
lv questioned whether the present Puoh-
cation would ever attract more thau .
passing notice. That IL Is wei-wrIt,e.
goes without saying, but one Is puz]'eu
TO know why~it should ever nave p~sn
written at all. anG hen. Is II some ea.iy
effort Just drawn from the desk-corners
and given an impatient puohsheJs, y.
was II thrown OF as mia rccieat.or
after wrestling win the social prooieais
of "Marcela"l However this may be,
II would seem that for once, Mrs. warn
has left raisCn d'ctrc behind ana pro-
duced careful study II rural IRE, WIN
inevitably suggests George thot Wniic
wanting In al the humor, suDuety. anu
lronding tragedy that she contriyed 10
throw upon the narrow stage OF scenes
from Clerical Life
Briefly told, the tale Is one OF tnas
old curse OF poverty, greed ana solus
temptation, broken faith, and the GOWN
ward path to death" moral and physi-
CAL of all weak natures. Bessie 'ostc'it
the pretty. haphazard wife OF serious
dissenting gar dener. squanders the natu-
earned hoard left in her charge, Oh hct
uncle, an infirm ola laborer, ana wnen
confronted with the consequences OF me-
crime, commits suicide.
There is room here. hackneyed as Is the
scene for the play of all tragic emotion,
for the throb of all primal passions, o'.t
the story proceeds quietly 10 It's lesiti-
mate climax. Bessie Is dead by her o"n
act. and we are left with somewnat
blank feeling at the close Nothing re-
mains TO attack or commend; the writ
irg IL good, the moral IL obvious. WIS
conclusions logical, the story dreary, anu
there is not a thrill in the book:
Is this. then, the point whither .ns
a .
Must they work i'm color so low that, like
Prlcis de Chavannes, the aim Is but 10
give an outline OF life. 20 colby emoeilsn
its bare, blank walls? only IN inc last
touches is there any lifting OF the duii'
gray mist that hangs over this monotS
nous landscape, the sole hint OF escape
beyond this dim, drear horizon, where no
temporal light Of "Jocund morn ever
breaks TO tempt the weary sscs 49,, s,v.'
straining after a vision of things spirit
ual.
Mrs. Ward, III there were not forces IN
and around man perpetualiy tehlihs W
repair the wounds and breaches tnat no
himself makes. Misery provokes ply
despair throws itself on A divine TENDER
, ness, and for those who have the grace
of faith In the broken and Imperfect ac-
ton OF these healing powers upon this
various world-in the love OF the merci-
I'll for the unhappy. I'm the trcmuious
yet undying hope that pierces even ~"
and remorse, with the vision OF some III
Innate salvation from the SELF mat preeos
thein-in these powers there speaks the
only voice mat can make us patient I'M
der the tragedies OF human rate, wneth-
er, these tragedies be the 'fall or
nrfnces or such meaner, narrower pains
as brought poor Bessie costreli to her
end" II. H. H.
FROM VIRGINIA TO GEok1iA,
Tribute in Song by Virginia Women.
Edited by Mary Stuart smith, h. r.
Johnson Publishing Co., Richmond.
Va. Price 30 cents.
This is a pretty booklet. printed on
coated paper, containing the autogrsph
OF the writer, and bound IN mamma
p, parchment with emblematic gold star.p.
+, il IS published under the auspices OIL INC INC
| Virginia Department OF women Noine. ,
| for the Cotton states and lnternatlonai
/ Fxnosition at Atlanta. The poems are
| hv wcll-known Virginia writers, ana the
| lcSklct is well worth the price asked
| HER MAJESTY. BY Elizabeth Knight
| Tompkins. G. Z. Putnams sons, New
| York For sale by J. w. Randolph x
Co, Richmond. Va
! SENTIMENTAL STUDIES AND A SET
| OF VILLAGE TALES. BY Hubert
| Crackanthorpe. G. +. Putnam's Sons.
New York. For sale by }. w. Ram
dolph & Co. Richmond, Va.
| OUTLINES OF GERMAN LlTEEA.
I'URE. BY Madam Mary JEFFERSON
Tousler. h. +. Johnson Publishing 90
Richmond Va. For sale by all DOCK
sellers. Price $l.25.
| MASTER WILBERFORCE. BY Rita. @
| l. Putnam's Sons. New York. FOL
sale by j. W. Randolph * CO., RIA
moni. Va.
| IN CANPHOR. With illustrations by
| Howard chandler Christy. 9. T.
J Putnam's Sons, New York. For sale by
J. ". Randolph & Co., Richmohd
| Va.