The San Francisco call., 1897-08-22

TAO students of contemporary itera-
THES ture there exists no more prom
0ASC inent and interesting figure than
DR.. Conan Doyle. Apart from the fact
that he has never published a work un-
worthy Of being read, he is absolutely
unique in his manner of work. He con-
tlnually keeps Us guessing and on the qui
Cive for what he will do next His repu-
talon made from the Sherlock Holmes
series of detective stories and from his
pseudo medical sketches has been con-
flrmed and sustained in other branches OF
fiction writing with specimens Of which
his readers are familiar. There were
those who were unkind enough to openly
hint that he bodily appropriated plots OF
his earlier work from Emile Gaboriau.
DR.. Doyle has never taken the trouble TO
vindicate himself publicly, preferrlng 10
let his versatility as manifested In stories
based on other themes do this for him.
And right well has the vindication fol-
lowed.
DR.. DoYle's latest work, "Uncle Bernac'
(Appleton's), illustrates what we have
said regarding his remarkable versatility
and ability to handle any theme, no mat
ter how apparently foreign to his style.
The book is somewhat on the lines OF
Rodney Stone" but it is o far more pow
erfUI work than was the chronicle OF the
later years OF George Ill 1t treats OF that
period in the history of Europe when
Napoleon had proclaimed himself En-
peror of the French and was proceeding
10 dictate to the powers. The Uncle
Bernac of the tale is a tgurehead, and is
introduced merely as peg upon which to
hang some interesting pen pictures OF the
Little Corporal.
The book under review is written in the
first person, and it Is the nephew of Uncle
Bernac who has a tale to tell. This
nephew at the opening of the story has
long seen an exile from France on account
OF tho republican tendencies exhibited by
his family. He is suddenly summoned
from the small Kentish village, wherein
he has taken up his abode, to enter the
service of Napoleon. He comes to France
TO the headquarters of the commander OF
la grande drnlee. Here is his first glimpse
of the man of destiny:
There was pale luminosity about his ivory
face which drew the eye toward il, and though
his dress might be the plainest OF a hundred
his appearance would be the first which one
NOu 10 uOLCe. mere ne WIS., WIN HIS 44ilISs
plump, heavy-shoul dered figure. his green
coat with the red collar and cuffs, his"white,
wei l-formed legs, his sword with the gilt hilt
ana the tortoise-sheu scabbard. His head was
uncovered, showing his thin hair OF a rudy
chestnut color. Under one arm was the fiat
cooked hat with the two-penny tricolor rosette
which was already reproduced in his pictures.
In his right hand he held little riding switch
with a metal head. He walked slowly for
ward, his face immutable, his eyes fixed stead
lily before him, the very personiicaiion of
Destiny.
L'bomme de fer. So is NAPOLEON STYLED
by contemporary writers, and after read
ing Dr. Doyle's account OF his daily life
one is bound to admit that the characteri-
zation is an excellent one. He ate irregu-
Iarly and slept at odd moments Amuse-
ments, in the ordinary acceptation of the
term, ne had none, and one sympathizes
with poor. abused Josephine, for being
tied to snch an abnormal husband. His
work was never ucne. To quote his secre-
tary, De Meneva:
He dictates as quickly as he can talk, and
he never repeats anything. "Now, Meneval,"
says he suddenly, 1--WE shall stop here and
have good nights rest" And then, just as
am congratulating myself, he adds, "And we
shall continue with the dictation at 3 to-mor-
row morning" That is what he means by a
good nights rest
But has he no hours for his meals, Monsieur
de Meneva!?
Oh, yes; he has hours but he will not OBJ
serve them. You see that it is already long
after dinner-time, and he has gone to his re-
view. After the review something else viii
probably take up his attention, and then
some hing else, until suddenly in the even
iDu vii 4 hat ha bod
dinner. my dinner, Constant this instantw
he will cry, and poor Constant has to see that
it is there.
1t is interesting, It is wonderful, to read
of this man Of the century, whose brain
was as he himself described it, "full OF
little drawers" containing data upon every
conceivable subject relating 10 the empire,
whose dominant personality was felt by
the meanest scullion or drummerboy in
his army, entering upon discussion with
the head of his household with regard to
petty items OF expenditure for domestic
purposes. Nothing illustrates with greater
force the Infinite capacity for taking
pains" possessed bv him. With the soul
of poet and the mind of a man OF busi-
ness of the first order, is it to be wondered
at that Napoleon was considered by his
enemies to be dangerous to the world !?
We quote:
''It is my desire to be economical at home so
as to make a good show abroad" said he.
''For myself, when had the honor to be a sub
lieutenant found that could live very well
upon 1900 francs year, and it would be no
hardship for me to go back to it. This extrav-
agance of the palace must be stopped For
example, see by your accounts that 155 cups
OF coffee drunk day, which, with sugar
at francs and coffee at francs pound.
come to 20 sous cup. The stable bills are
also too high. At the present price of fodder
or francs week should be enough for
each horse in a stable OF 200. win not have
any waste at the Tuileries."
And this. after discussing army and
naval estimates running into the hun
dreds of thousands! Verify, after the
gentle Louis. France asked and received
man capable of more than merely
carrying eight yards of ermine with dig
nifty, or of riding after stag in the forest
of FCntaine bleau.
An amusing incident in Dr. Doyle's his
torical novel is the small encounter of
tongues between Napoleon and his Minis