The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-11
RECENT FICTION.

BY William Sharp. Cloth, IL mo-, Car
nation Series, sl.5O. Chicago. Stone u
Kimball.
OF these seven tales the one which
supplies the title is perhaps the most
effective. 1t is weird story. having
for its theme the curse of kundry, the
wantOn mocker of Christ. made familiar
in "Parsifar. James Fanshawe, VINO
claims lineal descent from this GYPSY
wanton. tells this story to friend just
prior to his death, alleging tnat through
all the generations since Calvary his
race had borne signs Of the Divine dis-
pleasure, notable among them being.
just before the death of each. the ap-
pearance on the hands and feet OF the
stigmata of the Passion. This Is the
central point in Fanshawes narrative:
.It was in the year Of the greatest mo
ment to the modern world: the year OF the
death Of Jesus of Nazareth. 1t IL enough
to say that some of our people were on the
Hill of Calvary on the Day OF Anguish; +;
that among them was u beautifui :wan.on
called Kundry: and that as the Suferer
passed to His martyrdom, she laughed In
bitter mockery. Turning upon her and
knowing the darkness OF her unbelief and
the evil of which she was the emhodi-
ment, the Christ stopped ana looked AZ
her.
''Hail. o King! she laughed mOcSing-
ly. 'Vouchsafe me, thy Sister, sign mat
thou are indeed Lord over Fate; but :hol
knowest that thou canst not do this TIM s,
and goest to thy DEATH
Then the Christ spake. Verify. thu
shalt have a sign. To thee and thin,
bcqueath the signs of my Passion. 10 be
a shame and horror among thy people Tor
ever"
"Therewith He resumed His weary way.
And kundry laughed and followed. Again,
during the Agony on the Cross she
laughed. and again at the last bitter cry
= o1., - 0.xl. t,tnt ha Il nrF M n0l
suddenly came upon the land she laughed
no more.
whom some have held to be the sister OF the
people she went veiled. Two children she
bore to the man who had taken l.er 10 his
tent: children OF one BIRTH male child
and a woman child
They Were In their seventh year. when,
in IA wild Asian land, kundry came out
among her people and told them tina: size,
the Sister of Christ, had come TO de-
liver them this message. that out Of the
offspring OF her womb soon pr late would
arise one who would be their Redeemcr,
who would be the Gypsy Christ. When
the young men and maidens Of her peo-
pie mocked, the elders reprimandel them
and asked Kundry to give some proof
that she had not the sun-fever or the
moon-madness or other distemper of the
mind. Thereupon the woman appalled,
them by showing upon her hands and feet
the stigmata of the CrucifiNion.
A theme thus grewsome Is fancifully
worked out: and the reader of the taie
will have to be strong Of nerves not to
succumb ere he concludes 1t, to the
authors dramatic force and skilful
handling Of the tragic and the weird. OF
the other tales, "Madge O. the Pool" is
an effective study of the Thames water
rats, with vivid delineatior Of their
utter scorE Of law and order: 1.-THE
Coward" depicts a French officers ex-
altation Of personal passion over duty
during q critical incident of warfare OH
the Morocco frontier: "A Venetian
Idyl" portrays In softer light love
romance of an italian maiden and a
gondolier; 1.-THE Craven Image" exhib-
it's the authors penchant for the occult;
1.-The Lady In Hosea" shows how an
unfaithful wife may by accident be
spared the trouble of embarrassing ex-
plantations; and "Froken Bergliot" is a
dreamy etching of artists loves, separ-
alton and final reunion. Mr.. Sharp
evinces in each Of these his abOunding
cleverness, but Is ever the conscious ar
tist whose pride Is In the manner Of his
workmanship rather than In the mes
sage Of 1t.
-:Il:-
GALLOPING DICK: Being Chapters
from the Life and Fortunes of Rich
ard Ryder. Otherwise Galloping Dick.
Sometime Gentleman of the Road. By
Fl. b. Marriott Watson. Blue cloth,
Emo, $l.25. Chicago: Stone & Kimball.
Three of the six chapters in this at
tractive book have already been print
ed in the periodical Chap Book. where
in they have been enjoyed for the wit,
the daring, the swagger and the devil
may-care humors exhibited by the
precious rascal whom they purport to
describe. The other three chapters are
fully as interesting, and the episodes
as group give an entertaining and
more or less accurate insight into the
manners and morals of the restoration
period, when in England the shade be-
tween knight and knave was more Of
ten q streak of chance than a matter
of deserving Mr.. Watson has perhaps
overemphasized the swagger of this
period; but whether he has or not. he
certainly has given us book done with
considerable felicity of art, and treat
ing of themes that make large appeal
to human interest.
-::-
Episodes. BY Fiona Macleod. author of
"Pharais." Cloth. 12mo., the Carna-
tion Series, H.W. Chicago: Stone &
Kimball.
These three tales are in the vein Of
"Pharais" to this extent: that they
reveal in quaint, almost shadowy way,
the poetry of the highlands. "the beauty
of the world, the pathos of life, the
gloom, the fatalism and the spiritual
glamour" We are frank to confess
that we do not in the least understand