The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-01
VIEW RooKs.
Brief Reviews OF Imp port and Intere.tipr
New Publications.

little likely 10 dement, him. without any strenu.
Gus endeavor he learns many things calculated
to illumino and 10 ornament his professional
work, In Word for Word and Letter for
Letter" by A. ]. Drexel Biddle published by
Drexel Biddle. Philadelphia we flnd II said on
pago 1853 that by the third day people wer,
settled down TO enjoy the monotony OF the
voyage" and that sufferers from NAL de mer
began TO appear on deck swathed In shavis
and steamer rugs" This IL good realism.
valuable as an accurate reflex OF the facts re-
garding an ocean voyage on the third dav.
Passengers do on that day feel better
and come out with shawls and rugs. ready TO
sit about and to regard with pity and with a gu.
perior feeling the unhappy few who are unable
to get out until the fourth day. Tho hero A
this point Is voyaginG in pursuit OF the heroine.
who has been spirited away to some remote
latitude by the villain Of the story. a powerful
hypnotist. Monotony 10 not opposed to the
realistic habit, and probably assists Il. The
hero had time to observe and the author the
inclination to record that the air became warm
and balmy rs the vessel approached the tropics.
The calmness OF the sea impressed the hero
and made It impossible for the author not 10
snv that IL was AS smooth as the proverbial
mill pond" One day the ship was reported 10
be directly of Lisbon still. though the Portu.
Guese coast was only 200 miles away. the
aspect Of water. water. everywhere remained
unaltered." Through that uncompromisinE
and undertaking watery expanse the vessel de.
liberately proceeded. affording opportunity 10
the author to attach q ~footnote to say that
Lisbon. Portugal. is the nearest port to Ms.
deira." Curiously. there Is no reference to old
Madeira" the still remembered tipple OF an
aristocratic past: but they had a ball
on board. and amid the hurrying passions and
breathless intensities OF the tale we are en-
abled to learn that about the upper decks
| T.-A-A- --.-- -
between unhung awning poles" II we are per-
picked at all by the phrase "unhung awning
poles" vaguely surmisinG that they are poles
which are not suspended. still another foot
note assists us, which says that for first cabin
passengers comfort, as the vessel nears the
tropics, awnings are spread above the deckS
exposed to tho suns direct rays" This makes
It clear that it was intended to say that the
poles were free Of awnings. IL being night. and
the moonlight, even in that warmish latitude,
not calling for protection Of the sort. Regard.
ing the moon. the author states that on this
occasion 1t "shone in full splendor from the
cloudless heavens. and dancers were sprinkled
with its Bilvery beams" Next morning the
hero was awakened by tho highly disturbing
sounds OF moving baggage. and remarked to
his roommate. a Mr.. BENJAMIN OF London.
after shaking him (Mr. Benjamin was an old
traveller and a good sleeper. exacting all that
W lOSSiblo VI IN uou JldO no ~ pAlu lOEIe
that they must be arriving. to which Mr.. Ben
jamin. without the slightest evidence Of en-
thusiasm. assented. Passengers landed. and
in due time the hero records. I'VE reached
our hotel" Nor was this all. He adds: Il was
shown to my room. where prepared to indulge
in a brief rest before breakfast. Previous to
my morning repast, however, q servant en-
tered. bearing a tray containing oranges.
bananas. fresh figs. Guava Jelly and tea "-sure-
| lw n enh1nianf nrovfctOn aitbar hnf0na hnnnk-
fast or before ones morning repast. Details
like these give o most convincing sense of ex-
perience and reality. and we doubt II Mr.. Bae-
deker. q realist OF towering eminence. has
done better. At the same time they are the
nero incidents Of q truly romantic story.
The hero proceeds steadily coward the
heroine in spite of them. and in due time res
cues her from the false hypnotist. conveys her
to Philadelphia. and enters with her upon Q
life Of great felicity. The heroine's family
perish in a midnight conflagration. as the hero
learns while turning the pages of q Providence
newspaper indolently over his frizzled beef at
breakfast and the eyes Of one Of the charao.
tiers glow like live Goals as he endeavors to bors
row money Of the hero. Romance and realism
20 hand in hand throughout the tale. Intense
and tragic things transact themselves with Q
businesslike air. and everyday things take on Q
romantic and thrilling Importance. When
the character whose eyes glowed like Goals
endeavored to borrow money. the hero SHOOK
of a strange feeling Of numbness which was
creeping over his concentrated thoughts and
abruptly turned the subject Of conversation"
whereat, it is pleasant to learn. the other party
appeared nettled. 1t can hardly be regarded.
perhaps. as an example OF his hypnotic powers.
but the villain once addressed the hero in this
fashion, showing at least that his conversation
was curiously insidious. Madeira" he said.
"is one Of the greatest lace and embroidery
manufacturing centres in the world. Hundreds
OF young women spend their lives at lace
making. and they are experts in the art.
England recognizes this fact: her importa-
tions OF Madeira lace are very large. Still.
tho output OF lace in and about Funchali is enor-
nous. and the demand is less by 80 per cent.
than the supply" Fortunately the hero eS-
capped any dire consequence from 4 rash en-
gagement In q remote lace enterprise but how
different this from the encounter between the
hero and the bravo Dooner. It was In the hotel
in Madeira. and the hero had retired to bed
after raising the indows. By his own account:
The next thing I knew was when / opened
my eyes and found a masked man bending over
me. 1 started up. but a towel was clappod
heavily over my face. 1t was saturated with
chloroform. What was more. my adversary
had straddled me. and fought with might and
main to retain the cloth where he had put It,"
In this same hotel In Madeira. the hero one
night heard a rustlinE in the foliage outside
his window. Looking out he saw a footpad
approach q respectable-lookinR old gentleman
wearing q white beaver hat and ask him the
time. As the old gentleman drew out his watch.
the villain cut his throat from ear to ear. As the
hero leaped from his window to the old gem
tleman's rescue 10 little too latel he awoke half
way between the window and the ground to md
that he had had adream. It was a dream con-
tanning q reality. however. for years before
this very room had been occupied by the hero's
father. who. returning to 1t one night. wear-
ing 4 white beaver hat. had been murdered In
this very way. From so much 1t will be seen
thai the story Is supplied with a strong ro-
mantle incident. and that the hero had good
reason to be glad to get back with the heroine
safely to Philadelphia. A picture on the cover.
showing the footpad about to cut the throat OF
the hero's father. will cause n shudder oven In
the most hardened.
That we should always show a properregard