The times., 1897-04-11
ID d 1!I.1zE|@ltI:ti|t1a9-1 1E ! I:i|t1 !

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have been, for who knows that the po-
; tential is not Gods way of int erpretng
the Indicative and actual?' Formally, the
book is divided into forty-eight notes or
chapters, and each of these is devoted to
spirited and delightful chat on all va
rieties of topics. Might Have Been" is a
book to love and be thankful for. New
York: Frederick Stokes. Washington:
Woodward & LothrOpl
The erroneous reports of the loss of
Stephen Cranes life al the time of the
shipwreck OF the Cuban filibusters occa-
stoned great solicitude in England The
Loadon Chronicle SPOKE of him as the
one young writer of genius that America
posscsseS"-;l most fiatteTing tribute, Com
ing on the very heels of DR.. Nicolls regret
that he found no young writer's Of conse-
quence in 1.-The States" The Chronicle
ranks the Red Badge of Courage" with
Tolstoi's "Sebastopol"
AT the request OF the daughters and pub
fishers of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mrs
James T. Fields has undertaken Mrs.
Stoves biography. Mrs. Fields book,
Authors and Friends has shown that she
is efninently fitted for the work.
"A Fiance on Trial" is one of the new
stories OF last week. 1t was written by
Francis Tillon Buck, who is also the author
of "A Man of Two Minds" This is a
daringly real and Photographic novel of
society Photographic because there are
men and women in society who would do,
act. talk, think, and interest themselves
just as do the characters in Mr.. Bucks
story; it is daring in the simple fact that
the authors and publishers have printed
an ythng so realistic. Perhaps neither of
them realized it, but they have made a
bitter commentary on the shallowness and
insignlficance of many men and women
whose education aud opportunity should
have equipped them better
The SARCASM of the situation may not
appeal to all who read the book. Mr.
Buck has pictured the men and girls of the
smart set with such exact cIev-rncss
that these very ones in reading il willni
the r,.tiectIou OF their own faces in the
mirror of the text. This is often the
penalty of a writer's own cleverness; per-
haps Mr.. Buck will claim it his compeasa-
ton. a side from the composite pictures
of the characters drawn FROM all they do,
the author has furnished some individual
descriptions which should interest the
reader. He evidently believes in the fasci-
nation of the eye and character denote
ment in hair. He introduces every person
with minute description of both. Craik
Orcutt had 1.-TWO beady black eyes" and
very thick lustrous black hair, thinly
distributed over a small, round, bullet
shaped head, and leaving, indeed, a small
oval bald spot just over the middle of
the forehead"
Margaret Heslow's eyes "were a deep
brown with just a CLINT OF gold in them
which appeared in certain lights the
hair TO match was ''of a reddish brown
shade, somewhat like the color of old
mahogany, and was worn piled rather
loosely on the top of her head Nal
colin Sturges might at first sight have
been taken for q Spaniard, for his glossy
hair and heavy mustache were jet black
and his eyes were almost black, and his
skin was dark" For some time after the
Introduction to Sylvia Pelton the secret
OF her hair and eyes are withheld but pa
tience brings them with a new chapter,
and she is disclosed with "a wealth of soft
golden hair, large blue eyes, and perfect
complex The mother of Sylvia lad
dark brown wavy hair and brown eyes a
Mrs. Rand had no distinctive outward
chara cteristics except her kindly gray
eyes Gerald Anthony was fair-haired with
clear blue eyes; the color OF Sylvia's
fathers eyes is mystery, but he lad
Iirrhf hair on r,,grC naha
there are others. The book is bound in
an artistic fashion that would make 1t at
once a conspicuous ornament to any table.
(New York: Merriam Company. Washing
ton: Woodward & Lothrop)