The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-29

crime, and has served q term OF two years In
jail for embesElement. Then. when after his
release he ia drifting gradually to tho gutter.
he meets a woman known to him In happier
days, and for the first time since his disgrace
hears a word Of kindness. He, with his strug-
giles and relapses, his weakness and his gradual
winning of solf-respoot and manliness, is ad-
mirably drawn, while the woman, great in her
charity and unawakened capacity for infinite
love, and with much Of the unconscious, half
pathetic charm and responsibility of q child,
has the warmth and brightness of q ray Of sun
shine. In all her matrimonial and other troubles
and she has somo sufficiently awkward ones
she 10 frankly q child. Not till in her timo Of
need abe is helped by the maj she once tried to
save, and till. in winning him back to self.re-
spect, she first learns to really love. does che
become a woman. The story of Chisely's fight
to get on his feet again, as q chorus singer in a
travelling opera company. a farm hand In South
Africa, and finally as a writer, is always inter
esting, while some of the minor characters are
sketched with moro than average skill.
Tho Lily of tho Valley" which, by the way,
is Mother a correct nor a particularly happy
translation of "Le Lys dams la vallee," Is tho
latest of the BalEac series edited by Mr.. Saints
bury Maomillans) The book has some interest,
apart from Its intrinsic merit, from the facts
that 1t was once the subject Of q lawsuit bo-
tween the author and the Revue de Paris,
and that an article In relation to 1t once drew
to depart from his usual custom Of not
answering criticism. This was with regard to
the celebrated deathbed scene. In which Nine.
do Mortsauf, "the lily" who, throughout the
story, has carried on q curious platonic firta-
ton with that most unpleasant Of Balzac's
heroes, Felix do Vandenesse, has a sudden
resurrection of the fesh,'' and for the first
time confesses a material passion for her
somewhat milk-and-watery lover. Tho story.
like everything of the authors. contains
many good things. Notably the letter from
Mmo. dc Manerville to Folk with which tho
book ends, and which Is in itself an epitome Of
Balzao's wonderful intuitive understanding and
knowledge Of the female heart; but 1t is doubt
full whether either 1.-THE lily" herself. or her
love-sick swain has ever appealed strongly to
other than extremely sentimental readers.
Mr.. Elbert Hubbard, In the latest number Of
his series of Little Journeys to the Homes of
Famous Women" Putnamsl. writes OF Christina
Rossetti and the old Rossetti house In Torrington
square, and, incidentally, in his pleasant and
discursive way, of London lodging houses. pic
lures, poetry and anything that may suggest
itself. Here Is o charming little bit, de-
scriptive OF tho methods of an amateur pho
Geographic artist as distinct from those Of the
kodak iend. THE latter is continually snap
ping O machine at homogeneous things; he de-
lights in catching people in absurd postures; he
pictures the foolish, the irrelevant, the tran
silent, and the needless. But what does my
friend %picturei I'll tell you. He catches pic
lures only Of beautiful o~bjects-swaying stalks
of goldcnrod, flights Of thistledown, lichen
on old stone walls, banks OF trees, oak
leaves, punches Of acorns, single sprays
of apple blossoms. Last spring he found
two rohinq huildiDn N neat in n Cberrv
tree; he placed his camera near them,
and. attaching a fine wire to spring tho shutter,
took a picture of Mr.. and Mrs. Robin Red Breast
laying down tho first coarse straws for their
nest. Then he took q picture every day for thirty
days Of that nest; from the time four speckled
eggs arc shown until four wide open mouths
are held up hungrily for dainty grubs. This Sc
ries of photographs forms an epic of creation.
So II you ask me to solve the question OF whether
photography is art I'll answer, 1t all depends
upon what you picture and how you present it."
The only fault to DO found with these little
sketches Of Mr.. Hubbard's is that they are too
short.
Benjamin p. Eldridee and William D. Watts,
respectively Superintendent and Chief Inspec-
tor Of the Detective Bureau Of the Boston Police,
have compiled an interesting and valuable vol
ume on the criminals whom they have met,
published by the Pemberton Publishing Com
pany of Boston under the title "Our Rival
tho Rascal" The subtitle explains this
name. The book aims to be ga faithful por-
trayal of tho conflict between tho criminals
Of this age and the defenders of s~ociety-the
police" 1t Is not a catalogue Of criminals; 1t ID
rather an account Of the various kinds of modern
professional crime. with incidental references
to the leading criminals In each branch. and
portraits from the "Rogues' Gallery of some
Of them. The book treats Of tramps, pickpockets.
burglars, and housebreakers, bank thieves and
forgers, &C., and 1t is interesting and
instructive to notice that here for the first
time Is the incendiary treated as o professional
criminal. Recent prosecutions in many parts
of the country have proven that Commercial
incendiaries," az Messrs. Eldridge and Watts
express 1t, must be classed and treated as hotel
thieves, shoplifters, and train robbers are.
Train robbery, 1t Ii also to DO noted, is q new do
velopment Of professional crime. The last Eve
chapters, ON the arrest Of criminals. the making
and treatment of them, the criminal woman,
and on safeguards, are not the least instructive
of the book. II NAV he noted. in paasinR that