Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-17


Gould. Author Of "Mehalah." &C, &c,
&c. New York and London: Fred. A.
Stokes Company. 12mo., PIP. 3iS.
This is not story of high life. either
socially OF morally, and very few of the
characters even exceptionally typify any
Of the cardinal virtues. It is very sensa-
tional. setting out with n murder, and the
trials and fluctuations of an ill-mated and
ill-used wife eliminate in the closing
chapters with the death Of the husband
and the trial Of the wife as a homicide.
Both in the plot Of his story and in many
OF the Incidents Of its unfolding, the
author has paid little heed to the admo-
milton OF keeping probability In view. The
brutality Of the men and the heartless-
ness OF the women who figure In the story
can scarcely be accepted as a reasonable
representation of any grade OF modern
life. But the character Of the hapless
heroine Is drawn with a good deal Of
power. Her patient endurance Of a cruel
fXion OF the soul in the daily torture Of
her welded life awakens the tenderest
sympathy. And when at length driven
from her husbands home by the outraged
instinct Of maternal affection TO protect
the threatened life Of her babe, none can
fail 10 commend her acceptance Of a
wandering fortune and follow her in the
self and baby with the intensest interest.
Her acquittal Of the charge Of murder
did not end the i'll fortune of which from
her very birth she had been a lifetime
victim But the death OF her baby In her
arms. with no roof to shelter their heads
but the canopy of heaven. was the closing
trial OF her pitiless lifa Che then found
a refuge with an old ! teacher and
the curtain falls upon drama as she
sits in the school-room as successor Of
her dead friend in the humble sphere OF
mistress OF a village primary school.
From Hunter & CO.
THE ROMANCE OF A TRANSPORT.
BY w. Clark Russell, author Of "The
Emigrant Ship" &c, &c, &c. The
Cassell Publishing Company, New York.
Paper; Emo, PIP. 40i. 90 cents.
MIR. RusselIs success as the narrator
of sea stories has fully equalled in our
day that of Cooper and Maryatt in the
earlier years Of the century This is
another volume from his prolific pen,
but in a somewhat different vein from
that in which he has worked in its prede-
cessors. The interest OF this narrative
IS not in the experiences Of those who
voluntarily 90 down to the great deep
in a spirit OF adventure or In quest OF
pleasure or profit. IL is the story or
transport ship, with cargo Of English
convicts en- route for their prison home
I'm the far East-those involuntary emf
grants from the Mother Isle. Of whom
one of her poets has said:
True patriots they-for be it understood,
They leave their country for their coun-
try's good.
But in this cargo there is one victim OF
n great wrOng-an innocent and worthy
man, convicted on perjured testimony OF
n high crime. His fancee determines to
follow his fortunes, and, with the as
sistance Of a cousin. who IS an under
officer Of the ship, in the assumed dis
ellse OF a runaway boy, secretes her
SELF aboard until the ship is far out upon
the sea. During the voyage the conVicts
overpower the officers and crew, ana as
sumo control Of the ship. The lovers are
thus brought in communication with each
other and with her cousin and few
others manage to escape In sInal poas'
and find q home in deserted brig, which
tbov bring successfully into port. This
Is an outline Of the story, and II is de-
welcomed and narrated in a spirited and
eraphic style, enchanting the attention
and interest of the reader
From Hunter & Co.
AT IIAWARDEN WITH MIR. GLAD
STONE. BY William H. Rideing. One
volume. 16 mo, ga pp.; cloth 81
Mr.. William IL. Rideing' the sssociate
editor Of the North American Review anu
OF the Youths Companion whose chariii-
ing little volume Of English sketches' en-
titled in the Land of Lorna Doohe' was
so favorably received by the press ias'
wear. has followed II up with similar
sheaf OF papers. the outcome or MS eA-
,orie,ces of travel and observation in the
British Islands. The paper which ieno'
its title 10 the volume gives an entertain
inc nicture of one of the foremost citi-
zens OF the world. Mr.. Rideing had the
honor OF visiting Mr.. Gladstone al ma
warden Castle. and saw him under the
most favorable conditions.
Mr.. Rideing takes his reader ashore az
Queenstown. and, after gossipping pleas
antly OF the region in which THIS GUAM
ana curious town is situated, he fohoWs
the route OF 1.-The wild lrishman. as IN,
exrress train which carries the man ah0
80 travellers from London TO Holy
- ord vice versa Is called. The fourth
nace, ts devoted 10 old Yarmouth ana ~
i',,,.-aat,ng characters, particularly ~
o-,.e,r,co Then there are two paper'
,aNtcn oive most valuable and entertain
~. t,,fo-wotion. the one in regard 10 ,n'
,r.-i,sb taw courts and the lawyers whlci
! ,hrong them and the law "hich my ~
.s,orst and the other 10 the HOUSE ~
Commons. many curious customs ,.n
usaqes being lucicly eSpiaiheu, Ine
ne.,er % the volume draws an Ins u 49,. -
| conparison between trsns-A'iai'i0
twcnty-ive years ago ana now, ..,,..
Ths little volume II admirsDiy ~oaS'''