The sun., 1897-03-20


the manuscript, and destroys II, facing starva-
tion to save her husbands name. The woman,
in her patience and undaunted bravery, Is q
pathetic figure, and the story 10 written with
some skill; but the monotony of its hopeless and
unrelieved gloom IN infinitely depressing.
There is no lack of variety, either of style or
subject matter, in the half dozen short stories
by Mr.. Walter Malone collected under the title
of "The Coming of the King" u. d. hppin-
cott). The author ranges. in his daring flight,
from Memphis, Tenn, TO the mountains of the
moon. and his language wanders from the
commonly colloquial and tho rankest type OF
the journalistic TO the lofty heights of fine
writing" Of tho most magnificent kind. There
is mild and milk lk-and-watery sentimental
ism In "A Preachers Love Story" that savors
OF the old-time Sunday school tract, once
held to bo so satisfying to the youthful mind,
but 1t Is far cry from this to tho chaotic
and occasionally incoherent magniHcence Of
language and ideas displayed In The Judgment
Day OF the Moon." The moon Is dying. Like
a withered old man, 1t staggered and tottered
around the earth and the far-awsy SUM-" The
whole solar system is out of gear and the earth
hangs like gigantic mushroom in the black
abyss of night" OF the millions that once
lived upon tho moon, less than a hundred
still survive, and they are gathered together
in great circular valley, the crater of n now
almost extinct volcano. Here are preserved the
last remnants Of atmosphere left to the sur
vivors the belated planet, yet 80 rarefed is It
that breathing had become difficult 30 painful
that often drops Of blood would trickle from
their lips and nostrils and even from their eyes
and ears" They have built an an airship, in
which they are about to try and escape to the
earth. but Callstano, the mistress Of their
leader, Prince Lleo, 10 to be left behind. She 10
a young woman that any man might well be
glad to rid himself of. Not only Is she afflicted
with the widest kind of Nightmares but in her
softer moments she is given to manifesting af-
fection in wild and wonderful ways, and has a
habit Of fondEng her lover " as panther would
her young" which must have been most un-
pleasant for him. We can well believe that
Lileo "trcmbled and covered before the fury Of
her terrific passion" On the night fixed for the
departure Of tho airship abe drugs him with
some potent wine:
After he had quafed the goblet his veins seemed TO
run liquid fire, his eyes ablAze. and his heart
leaped in his bosom like tiger neroe for blood. He
loved Callistano terribly that his soul seemed
ready bound forth and devour hers He seized her
in his arms, hurled kiss after kiss upon her mouth
her cheeks her brow her eyelds her hands her feet
Like hon as he seeks desert lioness. he wooed
her with blows. with sitting caresses.
The thought may here occur to the reader that
II must have been difficult to sustain passion at
| this phenomenal pressure in SO highly rarehed
an atmosphere. The author in his enthusiasm,
| has apparently forgotten the difficult and pain
| full breathing and the blood trickling from eyes,
| ears, and SO forth. Meanwhile the lovers are
left behind by their companions, the airship sets
| out on its journey to the earth, and the moon
| goes staggering on through the black abyss
OF endless night We think 1t necessary to say
| but little about the first Of the stories. The
~ hn rha la NJ
Marie Coreln buttonholing Beelzebub, and fore
| ing him to express himself in that style and
language which is 30 peculiarly her own, was
| not, To some readers. an altogether unamusing
| one. There may be some. however, who will not
care TO find the most sacred figure Of all time
made TO discourse in the howery periods Of Mr..
| Malone.
About Catherine de- Medici." translated by
| Clara Bell lMaomillan's), the latest volume pub
lished in the Balzao series, edited by Mr.. George
Saintsbury, while in some ways one OF the
least successful Of tho great novelist's ef-
| forts, has an Interest apart from its value
as work Of fiction. In this book, which
| is made up of three separate parts,
written at different times. BalZac attempted 10
defend the memory Of Catherine de- Medici, anS
at the same time justify the principle that con-
siderations of abstract right and duty neither
have. nor ought to have. the same importance
| in affairs Of State in those OF the individual;
! that public and private morality are gov
| crned by different laws. In his fierce hatred
of individuAlism he saw in Catherine the
monarch who took the frInest stand against
| that growth OF the power OF popular opinion TO
| which he traced all tho misfortunes OF France.
| THE outcome Of free will religious liberty, and
| political liberty this does not mean ctrii
libertyl is Franco as We now see it
| ls40,, a country exclusively absorbed in
| material interests, devoid of patriotism.
devoid OF conscience; where authority is
| powerless; where electoral rights, tho fruit Of
| free will and political liberty, raise none but
mediocrities. Power is action; the electoral
principle is discussion. No political action Is
possible when discussion Is permanently estab-
lished- So ought to regard the woman as
truly great who foresaW the future. and fought
| against 1t so bravely." And yet, OF all the
| periods Of history, he could not have chosen a
| more unfortunate one, with which 10 try and
prove his case, than the sixteenth century, when
the fragrant abuse of autocratc power. and OF the
| doctrine that the end iustiEes the means, made
inevitable the very reaction that he deplored.
Mr.. James Eugene Farmer. NJ. A, has, in
Essays French History" written two in
teresting studies. in the first OF which. The
| rise OF the reformation in France, and Its rela.
tion to Martin Luther" he points out tho in,
| fluence Of Jacques Lefevre and Guillaume
Farel, traces the causes that led to the anti.re-
| form policy OF the King and the house OF Valois,
| and shows how the soil was gradually prepared.
| and mems minds made ready for the coming OF
| the man OF genius, who should give tho vital
impetus to the great movement Who came
when The trumpet blast which Luther. in the
year 1917, sounded. in Germany. awakened all
spirits In France" In The Club of tho
.acobins" he deals with that time Of trouble
| hn,t. ka NJ tha tata Lar
in May. 1859. and the overthrow VI the Jacobina
| In 1884,
Two young men, n boy and stray dog, set out,
in u covered wagon. ON u two months trip across
the plains OF Dakota and northern Nebraska.
Their adventures are amusingly described by
Mr.. Hayden Carruth, and illustrated by Mr.. II.
NJ. Wilder. in Tho Voyage of the Rattletrap
IHarpers) Some of the humorous illustrations
arc excellent, and the binding and cover de.
sign of the volume arc exceptionally neat and
| artistic.