Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-17
New Hooks.

! THE KING OF THE PARK. BY Miss
Marshall Saunders. Author of Beauti-
full joe" &c, &c. New York and Bos-
ton: Thomas y. Crowell & Co. 1897.
Cloth. Price, S1.25. Pages, 226. Illus
trated.
One Of our earnest contributors is
writing up dogs, their sagacity and
fidelity, and here is an author perform
ing the same gracious Office towards the
feline species. We cordially sympathize
with them both, and have derived plea
sure from the work before us. 1t is
dedicated to q policeman, his wife, and
associates.
Police-Sergeant Hardy had charge OF
one of the parks of Boston, called the
Fcns. He was a humane man, and al
lowed Il number OF banished and mall
treated cats to take refuge there, where
no fed them at his own expense, and
by his kindness acquired perfect control
over them. He allowed one of them to
becCme a sort of king over the rest, and
Boosy, forgetting how he had been
treated, was rather much of despot.
The performances Of King Boosy and
his subjects constitute, however, only a
part of the contents Of the work. Ser
geant Hardy has other proteges Also
one Of whom is a bright, precocious,
French youth, Eugene, who is descend
ed from Monsieur lie Comte Eugene
Claude Louis fernando de Vargas, for
merly seigneur of the chateau Of Chatil-
lon-Sur-Loir, in the Department of
Loir-et-Cher in France" etc, etc. on
one occasion Eugene gets into one of
the quagmires OF the park, and is in
imminent danger of being submerged in
the Shiny mud. One of the cats, seeing
his peril. hurries off for the Sergeant
and brings him TO the rescue just In the
nick of time.
The sentiments and opinions Of young
Eugene had been perverted by his own
dilapidated and exiled grandfather, who
stll held on to his ultra Napoleonic
ideas and his aristocratic memories.
though he was then in the employ of a
jeweller and watoh-repalrsr. He taught
Eugene 70 adore the great Emperor, and
to hate republican institutions and wo-
men. Hardy determines TO treat him
with the same Kindness and tact that he
had shown TO his cats.
After the death OF the perverted old
grandfather the Sergeant takes Eugene.
almost by force. TO his own neat and
modest home, whore he becomes almost
unwillingly happy and more attached to
the Sergeant and his wife than he knew.
He had now become entitled 10 some
expectations IN France but his IN
generous uncle, who held his propertv.
made only meagre provision for him,
and sent over a priest to conduct him
TO France. Eugene actually starts with
him and gets as far as New York. But
on the WY thither his unconscious
heart asserts itself; he refuses TO sail
for his native land, and returns to the
only place where he had ever found any
thing like a home. He Is welcomed back
with JOY. is virtually adopted by his
fond patrons. who have no offspring,
and is not only happy. but undergoes a
great and salutary change, in character.
sentiments. and opinions.
After these good people had done all
this for him out OF their moderate means.
they received a handsome suburban es-
tate from an aunt of the wife's, and then
the released Sergeant on a stately
chestnut horse, and Eugene. OH q beau
tiful pony, used TO pay visits TO the
park, where they were eagerly well
coined by King Boosy and his subjects
There is unique love episode between |
Eugene and little Virgie Manning. and |
her wealthy father, and Miss Saunders /
might in an agreeable sequel, follow up |
NA4o. SUBSEQUENT career OF Ell- 1
gene. After various appropriate scenes |
and adventures in America, she might
even tako them on a bridal tour 10 !
and restore TO him
his lost inheritance.
SKETCHES FROM OLD VIRGINIA
BY A. g. Bradley. London and New
York; Macmillan & Co. 1897. Cloth
and Gold. Price. $3.50. Pages, 2Si.
Mr.. RradlQv Ia EnVlfch,,o,
some allowance must be made for his
national point OF view. His sketches
however, are not unfriendly to Virginia.
and are remarkably we'll written He
spent a number OF years in our State
and observed her closely from ocean 10
beyond the Alleghanles. His sketches
are post-bellum in their date and some
Of them depict the devastations OF that
tremendous conflict. But some Of the