Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-14

IN Y been Volum-
inous writer;
but to offset this all his works have been
of notably original and highly finished
character. Hugh Wynne" is no excep-
ton to this rule. It has received remark
able attention during the few months
since it was first published.
AS the many readers of the story in
its serial form and first edition are
aware, this is a romance of the Ameri-
can revolution-not the ordinary ro-
nance associated with that epoch, but a
really remarkable picture of life in Phil
adelphia and in the colonial army during
the campaigns in the middle colonies and
Virginia.
The characters are chiefly drawn from
the best Philadelphia society Of the time;
and English, French and Hessian mobiles
and officers add to the natural pictur-
esqueness. Hugh's father matter-of-
fact and somewhat stern Quaker mer-
chant; his French mother who is a
most exquisite character; his aristo-
cratic aunt Gainor, who does not SYM
pathize at first with the patriots; his
sweetheart Darthea, and others, stand
out luminously in a nobly- conceived and
executed canvas. Their life, associations
and ideas, slightly connected with the
history of a stirring time, are simple but
strongly described by a writer who
shows a rare knowledge of the better
side of human nature and a sympathy
with its experiences, joys and suffeftngs,
which takes the readers imagination
easily captive.
Then, too, notable historical person.
ages-Washington, Franklin, Lafayette,
Benedict Arnold and Major Andre
figure in the pages of these two absorb
ing volumes.
The hero. Hugh Wymne does not take
kindly to(the severity of his fathers
ways and is finally read out of meeting
by the Friends. He adores his mother,
who defends him more than once from
his fathers criticisms. He serves in the
colonial army, suffers in a British prison
and witnesses the surrender of Corn
wallis at Yorktown. The love element is
delicately and beautifully handled.
On every page is evident the care
which Dr. Mitchell has bestowed upon
the composition Of this story. Close ac-
quaintance with the scenes mentioned
is clearly apparent, and the local color
ing and faithful description of old-time
things and ways are notable features.
Perhaps it is not too much to say that
Hugh Wynne' is one of the very few
really great historical novels by Ameri-
can writer's. 1t is truly American
throughout, and an object lesson to
writer's who imagine it is necessary to
seek inspiration for literary renown out
side their native land.
Howard Pyle draws frontispiece for
each volume.
Published by the Century Co., New
York. For sale by Putnam, Davis & Co.
zOLAS PARIS"
Readers who take up zola's paris"
with the expectation of finding some
greater or nobler ideas than in most
of that authors previous novels, will
be grievously disappointed. Not that
there is here found any diminution of
the great analytical powers displayed in
81 L'Assomoir'' or 'Lourdes"; but be-
cause the analysis is largely of the
same sort, devoted to social unpleas-
antness generally.
Truly Zola is the high priest of the
unpleasant in fiction. He aims at the
truth, but limits his seeking after 1t too
often to truths which disgust or sadden.
The Paris with which he deals is not
the fascinating city which attracts so
many strangers to its hospitable gates;
not the Paris which investigates, stud
les, paints and tolls; not the society, the
military, the laughter-loving or the &C.
clesiastical city. 1t is rather a wonder
full Zolaistic melange of types and
phases of life of all sorts; but unfortu-
nately nearly all these types and phases
are the least admirable of the various
classes of society whom they are sup
posed to represent.
Venal Legislators and journalists,
members of the fast society set, corrupt
capitalists, actresses, courtesans,
anarchists, criminals, frequenters
of low cafes and places of
amusement,-such are the characters
which Zola is fond of dissecting and
parading. The author introduces a few
fine characters, but their presence only
serves to heighten his fiction. PARIS is
clearly the work Of a zealot who here
pretends to show that conditions which
loom larger in his Imagination than in
reality, portend the approach of new
era of ethics Zola holds that Christi
anity has failed and is moribund in
France, and that a new faith based on
reason, science and the teachings of life
will have it's birth in Paris first, and
thence will conquer the world. In con-
nection with this point, his ideas about
capital and labor must be considered
This is in fact the idea which his
"trilogy" of books Lourdes," Rome"
and Paris, leads up to. But it is only
from the words and thoughts Of the
sole ethical figures, the doubling priest
Froment, and his immediate friends,
that we learn this; and these persons
enter upon the scenes in such a com
monplace or else theatrically sentiment
tai manner that they do not leave a
lasting impression on the reader What
impresses the reader most in PARIS is
Zola's remarkable descriptions and
analyses of the many undesirable
things,-for instance, his painfully mi
mute account of the guillotining Of an
anarchist, which is as lurid as the most
sensational newspaper could make the
lynching of negro in Texas.
Undoubtedly many of the characters
and episodes were sketched from life
and real happenings. They are dealt
with in a mastery fashion; and this
makes the reader wish that more of
them belonged to the bright side of life
More of them do in Rome" Of whose
civic atmosphere Zola gives a much
broader idea than Of that of Paris.
Published by the Macmillan Co, New
York. The two volumes are translated
by Ernest 4. Vizetelly, who furnishes
an Introduction.
THE BRITISH EMPIRE
Alfred Thomas Story has undertaken
fruitful and valuable, but
somewhat difficult task in his
two volumes. "The Building of
the British Empire" which have lust
appeared in "The Story Of the Nations
series. This task has been to record the
marvellous development of the present
mighty territorial fabric which acknow-
ledges the sovereignty Of Victoria, from
its small beginnings during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth.
This is a story which, though inter
woven with the political history Of Eng
land Itself, may be separated therefrom,
as the author of the present work has
separated it, the better to emphasize its
Importance. A larger empire and ac-
quired in far shorter period than that
Of Rome, took its roots in the voyages