The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-24
Latest Of Good Literature.
ARcHDEAcoN BRADY.s STORY

4
ners) an earnestly patriotic story of land
and sea In the days of the Revolution
His object has been the glorihcation of
General Washington and of the land and
naval heroes Of the War for independence
and in his endeavor to paint these scenes
| OF warfare he has rather allowed his love
romance to slip along best il could.
| The journey of Katharine's two lovers
| during the warship Radnor's wrecking
| in the breakers adds a doubly dramatic
effect TO that episode, and Katharine s
witness of Seymour's gallant attack on
| the Yarmouth heightens the dramatic in
terest OF that auda ciuos feat of daring,
and yet the romancer has elsewhere too
much neglected the love element. The
reader is led to believe that Katharine
had persisted with the Inflated Radnor on
the Cape Cod shoals, and when she bobs
up again so Unexpectedly near the close
OF the novel latter long interregnum of
battles and marches) she comes back on
the stage of the story much as though the
author had revived her ghost TO help him
to his climax.
Still this criticism must be passed in
all kindness. Archdeacon Brady set out
love romance. His is not any more
artifcially woven than the vast majority
of latter day historical novels, and if its
style is not literary, in the strict sense,
it is graphic, forcible and PICTURESQUE in
realistic color. Especially in his handling
OF the sea scenes does this graduate of
Annapolis impress US it'll the exactness
and readiness of his technical equipment.
The work can be ranked far higher on
the merits of its sustained interest and
earnestness than on stricter considera-
ton as a romance proper.
Briefly summarized, the author has trea
ted us to a Virginian domestic raid by
Lord Dunsmores men on Colonel Wei
tons household; to a shrewd and valiant
sea feat of Captain John Paul Jones, who
cuts the transport Mellish out of line,
and. taking her place, defeats the cor
vette Juno; to the wrecking of the Rad
nor on the shoals in a treacherous sea-
chase; to Washington's crossing of the
Delawore and the battles of Trenton and
Princeton, and to Captain Nicholas Bid
dies action in pitting the Randolph
against the Yarmouth-a deed assigned in
the romance to the mythical hero Sey-
mour. All of these incidents, it must be
admitted, are narrated in an exception
ally clear and vigorous style.
OF the death grapple on the deep" be-
tween the 32-gun frigate Randolph and
the 4-gun ship of the line Yarmouth, the
author remarks: ut was the matching of
a bull TERROR against a mastiff." And he
adds in the perface: 1.-THE remarka bic
fight between these two ships is worthy
of more extended notice than has nither-
to been given it in any but the larger
histories-and not even in some of those
of the time. As far as my Information
permits me to say, there never was a
more heoric battle On the seas
He also pleads extenuation if he "have
dwelt too long and too circumstantially
upon the Trenton and Princeton cam
paigns for a book SO light in character
Tt may, be set down to an ardent
admiration for Washington as man and
soldier and design again to exhibit
him as hewas at one Of the most critical
deed, this weakest point of the work as
a romance is one of its strongest fea-
lures as a readable production. These
chapters, in which veg ct a glimpse OF
soldiers life at Valley Forge, Of Wash
ington in the darkest hour of the young
Republic, of the actual hardships of the
crossing of the icy Delaware and of the
long night marches, are among the most
absorbing in. the book, and will we'll re-
pay even the historical students perusal.
Archdeacon Brady ceases to be an his
torical romancer and becomes an histor-
ian almost pure and simple, but he ach-
ieves an inspiring object. Were we to
quote from the book, these pages would
most tempt US -ss
1t seemse odd that an Archdeacon
should write a romance of warfare, but
the reader will discover that the spirit
Of the narrative is somewhat novel for
this type of fiction. Instead OF glorif1-
cation Of warfare itself, viewed through
the spectacle of mere patriotism, the
author shows US the horrors Of battle be-
tween brave soldiers and sailors on both
sides. II is the pity of it. after all, that
we feel, that such a thing as war should
still have to be in this boosted day OF
civilization and humanity.
ZANGwuIEs JEWISH DREAMERS.
In his new chronicle Of the 'Dreamers
of the Ghetto QIarpers) I. Zangwill has
given us just such a book as we have long
expected from the simultaneously learned
author OF the Children of the Ghetto"
It was impossible thai sooner or later he
should not have been attracted to the TO-
mantle phases of these historic souls Of
Jewry and sought to have presented them
in picturesque fashion to the keener ken
of the Gentle world of readers. Many Of
these studies-for such they are-have al
ready appeared in print as a hint Of this
comprehensive collection. THE Turkish
Messiah Child OF the Ghetto" 'Uriel
Acosta," and From a Mattress Grave
must have led their readers long ere this
to have dreampt of exactly such series
of-shall we -say-Jewish tabieaux. The
book is a collection of fifteen short bio
graphical romances or sketches, roman
ticalIy treatd, with prelude and epilogue-
Zangwil gives US a series Of pistures Of
Ghetto traditions at various periods in DIFF
ferent countries. not onl ycrowding them
with diverse forms, but also expressing
the spirit: he has at the same time taken
pains to accurately reproduce the charac-
teristfcs, principles and utterances OF the
prominent personages. Some OF these are
such well-known characters as Spinoza'
the philosopher and maker Of lenses; Ac-
costa. the champion OF Right reason
and The law Of nature" the poet Heine,
the Sabbath Zevi, and the Turkish Mes
siah: and into their mouths he has placed
language taken from their writings Thus
the sketches, besides being brilliantly pic
turesqUe, bear ire imprint OF authority
But although his characters are 50 diverse
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