The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-09

The Puritans-Arlo Bates; s15O.
Houghton, Miflin g Co., Boston and
New York.
Mr.. Arlo Bates is never a dull writer
and in 1.-THE Puritans' he has produced
q bright. well-written novel. which
forms worthy successor to THE Phil
istines" and 1.-THE Pagans." "a Novel"
Mr.. Bates entities his work, but it is
in reality page Of ecclesiastical his
tory writ small. Few readers in this
state will find difficulty in identifying
the struggle for the bishopric of Mas
sachusetts, which forms the handspring
of the action, with the contest between
the high and the low church parties of
the Episcopal communion few years
ago which resulted in the election Of
the late Phillips Brooks. Mr.. Bates
openly delights in the wire pulling, the
trickery and the campaign, artfulness
of the clergymen and the society wo-
men in his book; church politics evil
IDENTIFY tickle his fancy and excite his
laughter
The scene Of 1.-THE Puritans" is laid
In Boston-a happy hunting ground for
the novelist, for it is rich in types and
fads and is by no means exhausted for
fictional purposes. Mr.. Bates can
hardly be persuaded to take his Bos-
lists, Theosophists, Indian mystics,
faith curers, mind curers, spiritualists
and similar faddists who attract so
large a, portion of the citys attention,
are to him parts of gigantic paradox
which is either funny or SAD, just as
you like In Boston" he says, there
are many persons whose chief object
in life seems to be the discovery OF
novel forms of spiritual dissipation.
"Wait and see our ethical and reilg-
ious raree-shows," is the mocking I'M
vitation of enc of the ladies'. My
mart of the temptation is to show you
all sorts of ethical jugglery, the, splr-
itual and intellectual gymnastics sueh
as the Bostonian's love; to persuade
YOU that all religion is only sort o.
pastine.s and that the particular hlgh
church sort which you especially anect
is but one Of q great many entertain
ing ways of killing time. one OF
Roston's ethical debauches'' is his
characterization of the lecture
Of Persian, who was the
--latest ethical caprice or Boston.
Mr.. Bates accounts to himself Tor these
ssethical caprices" on BostonS part by
the theory that 1--WE are the children
of the Puritans, you know, and have
inherited. a twist toward the ethical
and the supernatural so strong that we
have to have these things served up
even in our amusement"
In the spiritual storm and stress of
Maurice Wynne and Philip Ashe, the
reader will see a remainder Of John
Storm in 1.-THE Christian" The young
men are noviciates of q bright church
brotherhood connected with the Church
of the Nativity Church of the AdventO
in Boston. They are serious self
sacrificing, noble. Accident throws in
their way two young women endowed
with wealth, beauty, position and love-
ablenesS. There is a lost will, for
feited fortune. a murder and a railroad
accident (between Worcester and
Brookfeld!) by way of spice, and the
book concludes with the election of the
broad church candidate to the bishopric
of the diocese, the fortunate love affair
of one of the young priests, who pre-
viously has renowned the monastic
order with which he expected to be
affiliated for life, and, with the CONVEX
sion to Roman Catholicism Of the
other, who also leaves the Boston
monastery to become a priest in Mont
real Poor Philip Ashe! Some one had
to be sacrificed, and it happened to be
you. There was wisdom in the warn
ing Of Sam Weller, Beware O vid-
ders.
A fondness for epigram runs through
the novel. Every one talks surprisingly
well, and there are no dull or silly peo-
pie in it, though Mrs. Wilson, who
looks like a caricature of the leader of
Bostons Smart set, comes danger
ously near the limits of responsibility
Many of the pages are brilliantly writ
ten, and a good deal Of worldly wisdom
along with not a little cynicism, ex-
presses itself in such sentiments as the
following, with which the book
abounds:
The man whom the devil cannot con-
quer through his vanity is invulnerable
individual freedom of conscience has
come pretty generally to mean freedom
from conscience.
1t is an inevitable and necessary con
dition of enthusiasm that it shall be
narrow; and religious fervor would be
impossible TO a mind open to convic-
ton. To accept the possibility of any
opposed truth Is to be secretly doubt
full of the creed which one holds; and
tolerance Is of necessity the child of
Indifference.
Men do not allow or disalIow them
selves to love. It's deeper business
than that
Religious feryor Is nourished by mar
tyrdom, but it is seldom proof against
ridicule.
Next to being forgiven for a sin there
Is perhaps nothing more satisfactory
than to repeat the transgression.
ITO my neice. Mary Webster Bah
cock. who is not a memory" but
more alive than the living" to those
who love her, l dedicate this collec-
ton of proofs from all ages, countries
and beliefs Of the power of an endless
life" is the dedication OF 1.-THE Star,
light Calendar" the pretty volume with
which Miss Kate Sanborn follows her
rReinbow" and Sunshine" calendars
1t Is a compilation Of selections from
the best writers Of all climes and CEN
turtles, bearing upon the tremendous
themes Of death and the future life
which are grouped under the days Of
the months. The quotations have been
made with good judgment and a cath
Ollie taste, and will be found by many
Eolace IN and after the hour of final
separation There are blank pages at
the end to record the days on which
friends have passed through death to
life, but the usefulness OF the calendar
would have been enhanced by an in
dex OF subjects or authors, or Of both.
The Starlight Calendar Complied by
Kate Sanborn: SIPS. Houghton, Mif-
fin & Co. Cambridge
"Four-footed Americans" is a sizeable
pill Of natural history sugared with an
interesting story about some nice boys
and girls. In It the author manages to
convey considerable information CON
corning the habitat, habits, appearance
end general characteristics Of the