The herald., 1897-09-19

TRUE TO THEMSELVES, a psychology
cal study. BY Alex. ]. c. Skene. M. D.
LII. D. In cloth at s125. Published BY
F. Tennyson Neely, New York ant
London.
Those of our readers who are familiar
with DR.. Skene's medical works. Disease:
of Women" Medical Gynecology," etc.
will welcome with considerable interes
his venture in the domain OF romance
Perhaps no profession offers such splendid
opportunities for studying human nature
as that of medicine and surgery, and DR.
Skene has always been recognized as 6
close student. OF course, the novel is use6
only as a vehicle to convey certain positive
principles of the author. His argumen
| is plausible and worthy of close inspection
There are other features in the volume
that will prove of interest to members OF
the medical profession. always ready to in.
vestigate those wonderful mysteries with
which humanity is surrounded.
From the same publisher we also have
another paper-covered novel. entitled:
THE PASSING OF ALIX. BY Mrs. Mar
jorie Paul.
1t is a story that touches many phases
of life in many lands. and. while 1t is not
of a high order. he who is hardended In
novel reading will find Entertainment in it.
CURSED BY FORTUNE. By G. Manville
Fem. Rand McNally & Co.
So far as we know, this is first book,
and it does not show very great promise.
In form it is conventional and tells story
of love and adventure in London that is of
passing interest.
Z
JEROME. A POOR MAN. BY Mary E.
Wilkins. illustrated. Harper &
Brothers. For sale by c. c. Parker
There is one thing lacking in all of Miss
wilkins stories, the humor that always
underlies even the hardest of New Eng
land characters. OF wit there is plenty,
and, of course, stray ray of humor. But
the soft. human side is too much shut out
for the highest artistic result. If only she
could have something of the delicate
warmth, the quiet humor of Miss Jewett, to
match her sturdy sense of truthfulness,
Miss wilkins would be absolutely great
something she now does not quite seem
to be.
One may question the method Of doing
good that is shadowed forth in Jerome Ed
wards resolves and his subsequent acts,
but the scheme Is most entertainingly set
forth In a winter evenings controversy at
Cyrus Robinson's store. when Jerome en-
tered he found large company assembled,
swinging booted legs over the counters,
perched upon barrels and kegs, or fitting
back in the old scoopng arm chairs around
the red-hot stove. These last were the
chairs devoted to honor and age. when
present. and they were worthily filled that
night. Men who seldom filled the lounging
gossiping circle in the village store were
there: Lawyer Means, John Jennings, Col.
Lamson, Squire Merritt, even DR.. S tn
Prescott. and the minister, Solomon Wells.
1.-The recent town meeting the elections
and appropriations, accounted in some
measure for this unusual company, though
the bitter weather might have had some
thing to do with it. Hard it was for any
man that night to pass windows glowing
with freight. and the inward swing of
hospitable doors; harder 1t was, when once
within the radius of warmth and human
cheer, to leave 1t and plunge again into
that darkness of winter and death, which
seemed like the very outer desolation of
souls. The discussion had been running
high upon the subject of town appropria-
tions for the poor, until DR.. Prescott en-
tered. and the grating arm chairs made
place for him, when there was a hush for
a moment Ozias Lamb hunched upon a
keg on the outskirts, smiled sardonically
around at Adoniram Judd standing behind
him. Cats come he said, now the
mice stop squeaking.' The men near him
chuckled.
Simon Basset. who having arrived first
had the choice Of seats, and was stationed
in the least rickety chair the farthest from
draughts ceased for "a moment the rotary
motion OF lantern jaws and freed his
mind upon the subject of the undue ap-
preparation for the poor.
Amt town of this size in the state
begins to lay out money we do to keen
them good-for-nothing paupers' said he.
and chewed again conclusively. Dr. Pres
colt. not as yet condescending to speak
had made slight motion and frown of
dissent. which the minister at his elbow
saw. DR.. Prescott was the pillar of the
sanctuary. upholding himself and his pull
pit from financial and doctrinal downfall
his pillar even Of ideas and individual
movements.
Poor old Solomon Wells fairly waIked
his road of life attached with invisible
leading strings to DR.. Seth Prescott. He
spoke when Basset paused, and more from
his mentors volition than his own The
poor ye have always with ye, said the
minister. with pious and weighty dissent
DR.. Prescott nodded.
Jerome had just entered. His Uncle
Ozias did not notice him or pause in his
narangue. The poor ye have always
with ye, the poor ye have always with We {,
ne was repeating with a very snarl of
sarcasm. I reckon We do; an why? why
is 1t that folks that had the Man that give
that sayin' to the world with i'm and
made Him suffer and die? 1t was the
same reason for both. Dye want to know
what 1t was? Well, II ltell yeti don't
take very sharp mind to ferrit that ont
1t don't even take college learning. It's
because from the very foundation of th,s
green earth the rich and the wicked and
the proud have had the mastery over II
an their horns have been exalted. The
Lord knows they've got horns to their
own elevation an the hurt of others as
much as any horned animals. though none
OF US can see them sproutin', no matter
how hard we squint!
with that Ozias Lamb gave a ouic,,
glance pointed with driest humor. from
under his bent brows at Simon Basset,s
great jungle of gray hair, and DR.. Pres
cotts spidery sprawl of red wig. A sub
dued and half-alarmed chuckle ran
through the company. Simon Basset
chewed imperturably, but DR.. Seth Pres
cotts handsome face was pale with con-
trolled wrath. Ozias continued: IT toll va
thats the reason for all the sufferin' an,
wrongs, an the crucifixion, on this earth
Inc rlcn are the reason for it all: the
rich are the reason for the poor. If the
money want in one pocket it would be in
many; If the bread want in one cunhoa ri
there wouldn't be so many empty. If tbe
garments want packed away in one chest
tnere wouldn't be SO many go bare. There's s
money enough, an food enough. an, c1othos
enough in this very town for the whole lot
an It's the Few that holds them that ma l. as