The times., 1898-07-03
I14Elt-ll!l1ItI.1|(1!1-l 14l-l ] ~ ) I.|(1 !

written "A Humble Romance" "a New
England Nun or Jane Field
The present volume is. however, of
slightly different type. 1t still deals with
New England, but New England of
olden time. Most of the stories date back
at least a hundred years, and two are
of even more ancient period. Around the
characters and customs of these old days
the author throws veil of ideality
which robs them Of the realism which is
so potent a factor in her modern books.
They are like the lavender and bergamot
of old-fashioned gardens possessed Of
a subtle aroma of their own, not like
other flowers.
Silence" the maiden whose romance
gives the book its title, lived in Deerfield
al the time that village was sacked and
burned by the French and Indians. The
story OF that horror has been ff-eside
tale in Massachusetts for hundreds of
/ years and il is treated with a fidelity 10
tine and scene possible only 10 a Mas
sachusetts woman of colonial ancestry
and traditions The strange prescience
which enabled Silence, like a New Eng
/ land Cassandra, TO foretell the massacre
4 ana warn her lover is one of those mys-
teal touches which Miss Wilkins likes 10
! give to her old-time romances, and il
/ makes the story something more than
/ tale of h0rror-it is poetically charming.
/ Another story, The Little Maid in the
Door," deals with the Salem witchcraft
/ horror, and Is the pathetic yet delightful
/ story Of little maid left alone in lonely
! house. her parents and sister carried off
to prison on the charge of witchcraft
4 There is nothing prettier in fiction than
] the stratagem of Mistress Ann Bayley,
running back against her husbands com
mand, and despite her own fears, TO the
/ haunted house so that she may comfort
the little creature left alone there.
I ''EVelina's Garden is the story of one
of those gentle, unmarried women of
aristocrauc birth with whom Miss Will
/ kins has made us familiar, and The
Buckley Lady has somewhat the same
: atmosphere. Only one story Of the half
dozen has touch of that quiet humor.
/ as spicy as a Baldwin apple. which is
| Miss Wilkins special gift This is "A
| New England Prophet which recounts
an incident Of the NIilIerte excitement.
| The meetings of the believers in 4 farm
! house, the farmers rapt exhortations
! and the SCOTS of the doubling ones are
| vividly described. The daughter of the
! Millerite leader. whose lover is outside
/ the faith. is a pathetic little figure with
/ romantic interest. and the uncanny deaf
/ and dumb boy, who had more brains, un-
] doubtedly. than he seemed 10 have, is
| good piece of character work. But the
| two principal figures are those of the
! prophet, Solomon, who has given himself
/ 10 the work of preparing his neighbors for
the day of judgment with the unquestion-
ing faith of a child. and his brother Sine
| on, who is a hard-headed and shrewd old
| unbelieyer with a fund OF humor The
! scene after one of the meetings. when
! the weeping, praying and terrified peo-
! pie filed out of the farmhouse under the
skeptical eyes of old Simeon, is worth
quoting:
Repent" cried Mrs Lennox. loud, in the
! woman's ears, like echo OF her husband RE
! penti there is yet time There are five DAYS be-
fore the heavens openi Repent Her nervous
/ hands served to intensity her weak, straininy
/ voice. They pointed and threatened in the wom-
! ans piteous, scared face.
Old Simeon Lennox fingered behind the others.
I'm a-comin' right along Ably he called
70 MS housCkeeper when she started 10 leave the
/ ROOM IF We 60 TO bed afore | come, mind We
| put the cat out, She won't get afou # that pig
/ meat in the pantry Simeon spoke with cool
disregard cf the distressed sobs and means with
| which the woman making her exit
| Dye hear what say, Abby? he called, sharp
| ", when she did not reply.
The hOusekeeper groaned a faint assent over hei
1 shoulder as she crossed the threshold.
well mind ye don't forgit it," said Simeon,
| ''fUr tell We what It's if that cat does git af1u
Of that pig meat therel be a Judgment afore
| Thursday"
The Old man clamped leisurely across the room.
| drew an armchair close to the fire, and settled
! into il with a grunting yawn.
/ Fire feels good he remarked His voice was
| thick, for he had tobacco in his mouth.
| Woe be unto you, Simeon Lennox, if you
| still think Of the comfort of your poor body,
| which viii soon be ashes cried his sister-in-
| law She waved before him like 4 pale fame:
| her white face seemed fairly luminous.
| Simeon shifted his tobacco into cheek as
he stared at her You'd better 20 to bed, Sophy
! Anne; you're gttin' highstericky,' said he, and
| chewod again.
''Woe be unto you. for the bed YOU shall lie on
| unless you repent, Simeon Lennox!''
| Look at here, S0phy Anne" said Simeon
''ain't you got fninee pies in the houseT'
Mrs. Lennox looked at him. speechless for a
| moment.
IF you have" Simeon went on. 81 wish you'd
! give me piece. ] amt had no mince pie 80 -
| eat don know when Abby Moseley, she wa n t
| never much OF a corE, and sence she's took t0
| goin' your m-etin' here three times 4 day,
| it's much ever get anything. 1t amt no
more'n fair, Sophy Lennox. that you should give
me piece Of mince tie, if you've got any,
| Mrs. Lennox broke in upon him with cry that
was almost shriek. Il shall make PICS
| in this world. Simeon Lennox Woe be unto youi
| Woe be unto you IL you think OF such things III
| the face OF death aid eternal condennltionl''
solomon Lennox had followed the derarting pco-
pie into the yard. His exhorting woke could still
| be heard out there, for the doors Opsn.
Simeon looked nround and shivered. III you
amt got no mince PIE. ] wish you'd shet that
door, soPhy Anne he said.
Sophia Anne LennoX stood looking at him for
minute. He chuekled in her face. She snatched
q candle from the shelf and went out OF the room
| with an air Of desperation.
The half-pathetic, half-comic scene in
which the Millerites in their white robes
wended their way to hill outside the
| town and waited for. the resurrection,
/ and the way in which old Simeon proved
| his brothers faith and secured for him
self his beloved mince pies, are as good
| as anything which the author has ever
/ done. The Millerite excitement, with its
strange mysticism and ludicrous Incl
dents has never been thoroughly hand
led by writers of fiction, and should she
! choose. there Is no writer more compe-
tent to found a novel on this line than
| Miss Wilkins.
(New York. Harper & Bros. Wash
| ington: All booksellers.)
MIR. hangs Ghosts.
1t is time that somebody suggested TO
| that amateur spiritualist, John Kendrick
| Bangs that, while slight acquaintance
with the unseen world is piquant and
| Interesting the man who sees too nnapu