The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Isabel Lady barton, One of the Nota-
BILE Books of the Season.

One of the notable books of the season
is 1.-THE Romance of Isabel Lady Burton"
Sir Richard Burton and his Wife isabel
Arundel Burton. were notable people.
Their lives were filed with romance, and
the death of each was followed by much
comment and discussion. Richard Burton
came of a military family, and, after ac-
curing a desultory education, received
commission in the English army and went
to India. There for seven years ne devoted
himself so assiduously to the study OF ORR
entail languages and Oriental habits that
he became thoroughly Orientalized lie
learned to speak ten Eastern languages
and could disguise himself so e1ectualiy
that he would pass among Fasteners as
a dervish in the temples and as merchant
in the bazaars. This facility at imitation,
combined with his thorough knowledge OF
Oriental languages and customs, led TO his
undertaking a remarkable adventure. viz,
a pilgrimage to Mecca. In 1888, being home
on a short leave of absence, he left Eng
land disguised as a Persian Mira, dis
guise which he assumed with SO much sue
cess that when he landed al Alexandria he
was recognized and blessed as a true Mos
lem by the native population. From Alex
aniria he went to Cairo disguised as a
deryish and lived there some months as
a native. Thence he Travelled to Suez and
crossed in an open boat with party or
Arab pilgrims to Yambu. From there he
continued a journey full of daredevil adj
ventures and hair breadth escapes untlI ne
reached Mecca. He was the first man not
a Mussulman who penetrated to the inner
most sanctuary of Moslem, and saw the
shrine where the coffin OF MOhammed
swings between heaven and earth. This
and many other things he did carrying his
life in his hand, for at any moment he
might have been detected-One false step,
enc hasty word, one prayer unsaid one
triifing custom of the shibboleth omitted,
and the dog of an intidel who had dared
to profane the sanctuary of Mecca and
Medina would have been found out and
his bones would have whitened the desert
sand This soldierly,, stern man of great
learning and many adventures met, wooed
and won Isabel Arundel, a girl of high
lineage, noble and beautiful character,
great beauty and rare intellectual gifts.
The story of their courtship is one of the
most romantic on record, and that of their
married life is full of change and inter-
esting adventure. Sir Richard died in 1890.
and his wife wrote and published his BIZ
ography. The book excited a great deal
of interest, After his death she burned
the manuscript of a work which Sir Rich
ard had completed, entitled The Scented
Garden" because she thought the effect
of the book published in English would
be injurious and demoralizing. This she
did Notwithstanding she had received an
offer of very large sum for it. She was
severely criticised and even abused for this
act on literary grounds, but her eXplana-
ton shows that her reasons for 1t We're
sound and, from her point of view, unan-
swerable The present work tells the story
of Lady Isabefs life mostly in her own
words autibograp hically, and for the rest
in those of her friend w. H Wilkins IL
is story full of human interest, of ro-
nance, adventure. vivid narrative and fine
description. AS a record of pure and dis
interested love, of romantic courtship, Of
mutual devotion on the part of husband
and wife and of beautiful married life, it
has few equals in literature 1t makes two
volumes of liberal size and is issued in
good form by Dodd, Mead & Co., New