The times., 1897-06-27

with her, and a negro mute was their Ser
want. The old man tuIns out a hypnotist,
4 believer in the naturalness of the super
| natural, and the actuaiities of the occult
He gave the visitor many testimonies of
| the gifts with which he had perfected
his incarnated spirit.
| The story is weird, fascinating, and
| possessed Of charm that IL could not have
| II it were morbid. One / s rather in doubt
as to how seriously Mr.. Beale wishes the
reader to take his story. 1t is such a
thoroughly good story that one is led t1
believe that the theme is a bold fiction, a
| phantasy, or what you will. Yet the old
man discourses SO earnestly on the occult
| sIiritualism, ghosts, reincarnation, and
| other phases of the supernatural, and at
| such lengths and with such studied care
| and logic, that it seems improbable that
| 1t was intended as mere feeding for anidle
! fiction. The Ghost of CUR House, may
| he recommended heartily as an attractive
| diversion in fiction, worth the time re-
! quiTed in reading it and generous in the
pleasure returned. The author writes with
| all tie signs OF practice and connaissance in
his style, and he viii always be able to
| Claim a serious hearing from those who
read his present hook. Cincinnati Editor
Publishing Company. Washington: Wood
ward & Lothrop.)
Has one really a right TO he provoked
with hook? Isn't it self7 MANY men
OF many minds" says the proverb, why
not add in paraphrase, MANY books II
many kinds?" It's the only way to keep
In patience with some OF the books, which
publishers accept for PRONUNCIATION. Per-
haps one ought to be catholic and say to
himself that it's all in the mental palate.
MIX fs poison to some stomachs, poison
under certain conditions is a tonic TO
others. The existence of certain books
Is after all not merely concession to
certain appetite, IL is also the denoteinent
thereof. One Of the strongest natural
tendencies of the idle social being is to
talk gossip. Especially among women. Idle
men keep silent in the poverty of their
brains, or less wisely display itin disconrses
on politics. But women are more fond of
discussing the personal side of life IN
general, and of their neghhor In par
ticular. Sometimes, rarely, the natural
fund OF gossip depreciates. Tireless energy
exhaustsit. Shreds OF real character have
been blown to the winds, but appetite
remains. 1t always remains. II is the
hardest thing in tn world 20 satisfy. in fact
1t can't he satisfied The middle-class
noyeiists would be drug on the market
If sea ndal lovers ever satiate their
appetite for the weakness of their fellow
creatures.
"A Bit of a Fool'' is novel which is
the expression in literature of this fact in
life Ii deals with shallow characters
albeit natural, and too often encountered.
The base Of the story is a scandalous af-
fair, and the author discusses it as those
who would delight in such an actuality
would in real life. The story is unneces-
sary, except as a time killer for Idle hands
and idle minds 1t is unprofitable for any
one whornsocyer, yet il will find many
readers who VIII deceive themselves into
belef that they are reading an absorbing
narrative, conceived by "a regular au-
thor" Sir Robert Peel Is the maker of
"A Bit of a Fool" He writes well--too
well for his subject matter, and ii seems
pity that a man of such evident natural
gifts should spread them over such an I'M
profitable affair. The best thing about
the book is the title. 1t fits the case ex-
aetly. Everybody in the story is bit of
fool The author was himself for writ
who pursues the story to the bitter end
cannot put aside the book without feeling
that his diligence has made of him bit
Of a fool New York: r. F. Fcnno s. Co.
Washington: Brentano)
Another novel of recent publication is
my Lord Duke" 1t does not display a
more facile style or more vivacious i'm
n aDination rr marc ready ssr, ~ 2 f,f., tho,
"A BIT of q Fool yetits tone is pure, its
theme is amusing and the device of the
story denotes the moral, Let well enough
alone" The writer of this story is E. w
Hornung, man or woman, the book saith
not. However, in spite of the uncertainty OF
sex, we have predsposed friendly regard
for this writer. His tales are always fresh.
inventive, frequently so dramatic as to
suggest strongly the probability of their
interest in dramatic form, and he, if he is a
he, brings us into relation with the life
oe the Australian bush In a charming man
ner.
Gathered from his Bride From the Bush.''
"Irraeli's Bushraneer,'' and the present
volume, one has the idea that the bush and
and the bushmen have about the same re-
fation to London that Arizona and the
otHei iicutiti lefTitOrIes, tnetT SQUdUterS
and cowboys, do to the civilization OF an
Eastern city. MY Lord Duke is not an
Australian story in point of locale: tile
writer brings in his hobby in the person |
OF his hero.
There Is missing duke. To be sure. the |
dgca1 estate is not wanting an incumbent,
but be Is an honorable man, with the |
scarce treasures conscience he is |
disposed to find, if possible, the man who |
has priority of claim. The person answer
ing all the demands upon the iden tifying |
marks associated with the real duke is a |
rough bushman, who lives q solitary life |
with his cats for companions. The graft |
ing of this social weed upon his rightful |
London position furnishes opportunity for |
much amusing delineation. His coming |
creates havoc in certain heart centers, but |
frontiersman; at heart he is a natural |
nobleman, and in instinct gentleman |
But for q that he is not my lord duke. So |
1T is disclosed toward the end. hen every |
one was Teconciled to him, and felt that |
he must indeed be. The storyis very pret- |
tily told, the personages all possess some |
character that appeals to the readers at |
fection, and the lingering memory is that |
Hornung writes books worth the few hours |
Scribner's Sons. Washingt0n: Brentano.} |
The New York Critic of June 10 is a |
summer fiction number 1t contains /
reviews of about a half-hundred recent |