The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-16
NEW BOOKS RECEIVED.
ON SEIRCH or A RELfGTON," By
DENNIS HEED.
Discovers utopia-English Prose Writers.
Interesting Volume by Mr. stearns.
An American Emperor.

This novel, which IS placid and unln-
ierGstihg, IS an Effort TO prove that what
Is commonly known as Socialism Is the
veal Interpretation Of the rel gion Of Jesus
as preached and practiced by Him This
by no means new claim gains no strength
from Mr. Iiirds way Of advocating IT,
As We have said the story IS weak
there il no vigor I'm u. II has wooden,
cut-and-drled quality that make sus-
tanned interest I'm it impossible
The Anglican church comes in for Mr..
Hird's thrusts, but he must WELD newer
lance and o. more telling one before 10
win toder when he charges.
Mr. Hird Ventures 20 believe that mot
withstanding the gorgeous mausoloum
which tho church has erected 20 His
GesusD memory ard tht fine gold with
which the State has decorated il, COM
munity, realizing the life and teaching Of
Jesus. may yet take possession Of the
World" His hero, Mark, determines, az
the result Of the influence upon him Of
the heroine Rachers life and death, 10
devote his large means "to the formation
of cooperative body, in such a way
that no member Of IT could become land,
owner or Il capitalist" Thus does our
author sum up the result:
After many months OF inquiry and de-
liberation, he bought an estate of 1000
acres. Soon new villages sprang
up: an trades from Whitechapel cohtrl-
buted representatives. Prosperous farms
and homes and shops were everywhere.
Each trade sent one man and one woman
90 represent fl ON tie Common Council.
and these were elected by an the COM
munity over twenty-five years Of age.
.f.. 4.
men and women. each OF whom was pres
dent iu turn for n month Two of the
executive retired every three years and
could not De reelected on that occasion.
No child could leave school before the age
of sixteen, It was taught some trade till
II was twenty. and then had 20 say
whether 10 elected 20 live IN the commit
nifty and obey its rules. Ordinary crimes
were dealt with by the laws Of the land.
md droncs were hunted out with rclent-
less vigour. At first 20 seemed that it
would be task beyond human powers.
but theoretical difficulties largely disap-
peared I'm practical life. and when men
knew that they were free. that they had
fixed possession and birthreht of
which no greed. no power could defraud
them, they became new creatures and
the ruinous waste Of energy and SUBJ
stance caused by competition gave place
To- calm intelligence and q noble integ-
rity, tin the villages were known as the
community OF plenty. Mark had no more
power I'm tho community than any other
adult Of twenty-five, except that hundreds
Of grateful men ana women would have
laid down their lives for him. lie taught
I'm one OF the schools lie lived I'm one
of the new cottages and ON the plain
mantel shelf stood q small golden urn,
so that around the ashes OF Rachel Bur
nett were the health and cladncss OF q
community called 10y her name. and there
we've no slums such as disgrace our large
towns and no picturesque cottages such
as abound in the country cold, damp and
without respect for decency, or regard
for health. SO Mark Goode had realized
her ideal and had found his religion in
Righteousness and truth, freedom and love
IN the Rachel Community"
II seems too bad that Mr.. Hird should
have expended his talents and time on
Utopia. However. he evidently believes
what ne says, and sincerity IS always
entitled 10 q hearing.
The story is one OF the weakest spcci-
mems of that sugar-coated pnl-"the
novel with O. purpose that we have
seen.
HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ. Tho Author
of QUO Nadis Littell, Brown & CO.,
Boston.
This little pamphlet contains brief
sketch Of the brilliant author OF "Quo
Nadis,' together with opinions Of critics
and writer's on the novels Of Sienkiewicz,
and Mr.. Curtins translations.
III.
MODERN ENGLISH PROSE WRITER'S.
by Frank Preston Stearns. g. i. Put
MANS Sons. New York London
For sale by George NJ. West.
From every standpoint, this book IS q
delightful one. The author has discover
ed how 10 put much I'm little so discrimi-
natingly that his volume has exceptional
value and his literary style Us precisely
the kind 10 hold the attention Of the
general reader "rhe object Of the pres
emit volume" says he, els to give thor
ough account of the most eminent and
influential prose writers who have -four
ishcd i'm England during this epoch dhe
nineteenth century, Biographies Of most
Of them are already before the public and
" hat we are concerned with here Is the
character and quality of the work they
performed"
After an historical introduction. Mr.
Stearns dcvotes his attention TO Macau-
lay. Carlyle. Froude, Walter Scott
Thackeray. Dickens, Marian Evans.
Ruskin, Max Mnller and Matthew Ar
mold on the fly lear ne quotes Lord
Bacon for the motif Of the book: 1T is
a pleasure TO stand upon the shore and
TO see ships tossed upon the sea: a
pleasure 10 stand in the window Of
castle and see q battle and the adven-
lures thereof below; but no pleasure Is
10 the standing upon the
vantage ground OF Truth "a hill not TO
be commanded and where the air Is al
ways clear and serene) and TO see the
errors and wanderings and mists, and
tempest In the vale below" lie has given
his public that view by marshalilng the re-
suits of study and OF original thought in
with the lives and writings Of
the authors named. and while we may not
always agree with him In his opinions re-
garding the latter. ne expresses them so
agreeably and has so much TO say that
is reasonable in support OF them. that
his reader is held and entertained by his
originality.
AN AMERICAN EMPEROR By louis
Tracy. G.. T. Putnam's Sons New
York. London.
For sale by George NJ West.
A recent issue OF the critic wittly and
Justly sums up the character Of this vol
lme as follows:
II any industrious German quill-driver
IS meditating a work in fifty volumes on
he Melodramatic i'm Literature. let MS
commend to his notice IAN American
Emperor" by Louis Tracy. The hero, Mr.
Jerome Nansittart starts in life as a
mere millionaire. He falls In love with q
a Hr xrh ~ ~