The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-10
NEW BOOK RECEIVED.
RECENT EDITION or "THE RING
md the BOOK"
Mr.. w. r. Stead on Hall Gaines "Chris-
tian"-Magazines OF the Month-Cnrs
rent Literature--The Booknan.


Browning. From the Authors Revised
Text Edited With Biographical and
Critical notes and Introduction by
Charlotte Porter and Helen a. Clarke,
Editors Of Poet Lore" T. y. Croweil
& Co. New York-Boston. g.
For sale by George NJ. West.
Browning great poem, THE RingAand
the Book has been well compared 10
Gothic cathedral. Here" says a dis
cuminaiiVe and well known critic, we
find the soaring towers and pinacles the
multtudinOus inches with their statues,
the innnnerable intricate traceries, the
gargoyles wildly grotesque, and within,
| the many colored light through the stain
ed windows. with the red and purple Of
blood predominant, the long, pillared,
| echOing ais.es. the altar with its piteous
crucifix and altar piece Of the last judg
ment, the organ and choir pealing their
Miserere and De Profoundis and In Excel
sis Dec, the side chapels and confessionals
the fantastic wood carvings; the tombs
with efigies sculptured supine and, be-
meath. yet anothee or apcl. as Of death.
and the solemn scpi lchral crypts. The
cOunterparts OF all things, i dare affirm,
may veritably be found in this immense
ana complicate structure, whose founda-
tons are so deep and whose crests are so
lofty. Only as a Gothic cathedral has
been termed a petrfed forest we must
Imagine this work as a vivihed cathedral.
thrilling with the hot, swift life through
all its marble verses"
The vitality Of the poem explains its
eyer-growing popularity The editors Of
Poet Lore" have performed a labor Of
love in annOtating the work and the in
teresting Introduction which they have
prepared is one admirably calculated to
put the reader into sympathetic rela-
tlOnshlp with the poem. They claim that
In spite OF coloquialisms. archaisms, his
torical and classical illusions, the style
Of the book is Singularly clear II is their
q these IA
securities. and they have performed their
task with painstaking care. IL is the one
satisfactory edition Of Browning's chef
dOeuVre. Among its claims TO supremacy
may be mentioned the fact that IL is the
only edition that gives the number of the
lines, as in accordance with Browning's
own wishes. This is one OF the most sim
pie and yet notable helps to the class
study of the poem that could be devised.
The type Is clear and easy 10 the eye and
the general mechanical work is admira-
bic. The illustrations, indeed, deserve spe-
cial mention.
Regarding Hall Gaines novel THE
Christian" which has received so much
and such varied attention from the crit
les. Mr.. W. T. Stead has the following
TO say:
The motive Of The Christian. Mr.. Hall
Gaines new romance, is three-fold: First,
to show what approximation to the true
Christian ideal Of life, as 1t was under
stood by the early apostles the condition
Of civilization admits of in a Christian
country nine hundred years after Christ.
This idea is worked out In the career of
John Storm, young English clergyman
OF aristocratic birth, who puts aside the
advantages Of rank and wealth In order
to live as n poor man among poor men,
according to the teaching and example
Of Jesus. How does the world deal with
. I, .
What appreciation? II IT shows neither
sympathy nor appreciation, is It the fault
Of the Christian ideal, or OF the civilza-
ton which has made that ideal impos-
sible of realization? Would the nineteenth
century and the Christianity of England
reject Christ himself?
The second part Of the motive OF the
book concerns social purity in relation
to woman's work and position. In the
new order which encourages woman to
take a part in the affairs Of active life,
is her path beset by disadvantages OF
sex, and by the impurities and cruelties
of those about her? This idea IS worked
ont in the career Of Glory Quayle, q
brilliant. beautiful, and pure-minded girl,
a country clergymans granddaughter.
who comes up to London TO earn her
own living and make her way in life.
ed or hindered, by the men she meets?
VIII she succumb to the temptations Of a
fascinating but wicked city. or emerge
from her struggles as gold tested by
nre? what happens TO brave girl who
is resolved to stand up TO the battle Of
life and come out Of # untarnished?
The third part Of the motive of The
Christian is TO show the tragic conflict
Of love with temperament. John Storm
and Glory Quayle are Of entirely different
characters, yet they are united by a deep
affection, and their lives are wrapped up
together. What comes OF that pathetic
complication? his is perhaps the funda-
mental thing in the novel, which Is above
all else a story Of love.
"The end of the reign finds Mr. Hall
Game as one of the most popular novel;
lists OF the present day. and OF all the
novels which have issued from his pro-
life pen he thinks The Christian is the
best. It embodies his ripest thought and
deals with a subject with which he has
been all his life more or less familiar. and
therefore has a value exceeding that at
taching to novels in which the scene is
laid in foreign parts. and deals with
problems which have been merely taken
up as an object Of special study In
he Christian Mr.. Hall Game endeavors
TO set forth the faith that is in him as TO
the factor by which the salvation Of the
world is to be achieved. This element is,
we take it, TO be Christian socialism
which is worked out in the life and
character Of the hero OF The Christian
who Is a clergyman Of the Church Of
England named the Rev. John Storm
From the autumn OF 1894 10 the spring Of
1896 Mr. Game snent time in working up
the subject and acquiring local color.
Among other places he dwelt for a period
In underground London. where he saw
many things which he thinks would star
tie and touch the conscience Of England.
Therefore. In this story there are pic
lures Of some Of the darker sides Of hui
man life, although he declares that there
will be nothing which need wound the
feelings Of the reader Of the story OF
Christ's visit to the house OF Simon the
Pharisee. There Is. however. ~@thng Of
the vicious side Of modern Bal on In the
story. although things seem occasionally
TO be leading that way"
The book Is for sale by George NJ. West.
III.
CURRENT LITERATURE: October,
1897. The Current Literature Publishing
Company. Bryant Building, IS Liberty
street. New York; 50 per annum. For
sale by George NJ. West.
Current thought on current topics Is
both cntertainingly and Discriminatory
presented in this issue OF Current Litera-
ture." as usual We have had frequent
occasions 10 speak of the interesting
character OF the periodical and OF the
ability with which II is edited. and each
number as II comes 10 this Office sus-
tains us in our opinion that II Is one
Of the most readable Of all the r,erary
publications which we receive. There Is