The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-13

victory. But victory is turned into de-
feat for Patricia has been stolen by
| the Indians during the fighting. Denied
admission to the search party that i'm
mediately starts after her, Landless,
assisted by friendly Indian, makes
the journey alone. rescues the TN
happy girl and restores her to her dis
tracted Sinsfolk. From the first he
had loved her; during the long weeks
of their journey through the forests
love comes to her also, and their last
days together are spent in a happy
dream. The story concludes in a
grandly dramatic manner. but one that
is ambiguous and unsatisfactory to the
readers hopes.
One is tempted to say that Miss
Johnston has united in prisoners of
Hope the best traditions of DIR. Weir
Mitchell and Fenimore Cooper but Dr.
Mitchell is happily not yet reduced to
the position of a tradition, and Cooper
never in his widest moments dreamed
of literary power such as Miss Johns
ton brings to bear upon her novel. she
rehabilitates the noble red man. and
the reader is amazed at the fidelity,
honor. self control and woodcraft dis
played by him: but she does not fail to
paint the picture faithfully, and shows
him in all his bestial appetites and ma
tive savagery.
The easy, irresponsible life Of
the transplanted English cav
alters is contrasted strongly
with the earnestness, the long,
ings and the piety of the rebellious
Presbyterians and republicans, and
( with the miserable hopeless slavery of
| the white convicts and the negroes
The book is panorama of the social
and political life of the time in Vir-
ginia, and it is painted with such a
frm. broad touch, such a sweep of the
imagination, and with a mastery of de-
tail and of the technique of the novel
so rare that, with all Difference to the
accomplishment of gifted women in the
field of literature, one cannot conquer
feeling of surprise that this should be
the work of woman In dramatic
power 1t is unsurpassed by any novel
OF the day. There is no padding, no
refuse, nothing superfiuous; it seizes
the reader on the first pages, bears
him GREATNESS through situation and
climax, until the last page read he
closes the book with a sigh of regret
and relief. The books that one cannot
ay down till he has finished are so rare
hat when such a one appears it is
;9mething to feel grateful for
Concerning Isabel Carnaby." By Ell
en- Thorneycroft Fowler d. Appleton
& Co
This is a conspicuously brilliant novel
and one that will repay reading. The
author, while apparently well known in
London, is comparatively new to Amer
lean readers, but if she can keep this
sort of thing up she will hardly fail to
win as large a circle of admirers in
this country as in England.
Concerning Isabel Carnaby," it must
be classed as society story, but the
pendulum oscillates between smart Enc
fish people in London and at their
palatial country places, and the family
OF poor Methodist parson in a re-
/ tired country town. The author is
equally at home with either.
The same versatile cleverness is dis
played in the development of the char
acters, all of whom are distinct types
and sharply drawn. Isabel is a cross
between Dodo and Dolly Of the 'Dia-
logues, but she is more virtuous and
characterful than the first lady and
far more witty than the last. The con-
versation all through is exceedingly
bright and entertaining, while Miss
Fowler herself talks with a mingling of
wit kindly hHmor and wisdom that
istic range. a large understanding Of
life and gift for varied and keen OBJ
selvation-
The Adventures Of Francois: Found
ling Thief, Juggler and Fencing Master
During the French Revolution" BY
S. Weir Mitchell, NJ. D., LII. d. How
ard and Edinburgh. The Century Com
pany.
That the author of Hugh yTynne,
Free Quaker" should also be the au-
thor of Francois" is one of the para
doxes of modern letters to which the
only clue is in the amazing versatility
of DR.. Mitchell Two novels more i'm
like each other or more admirable aft
ter their respective kinds i would be
hard to find.
In Francois. the author has rlade a
hero after Robert Louis Stevenson's
own heart-a gay tender hearted,
brave, shrewd altogether engaging ras-
cal Francois begins life as & charity
boy in a Benedictine asylum il Paris.
His beautiful voice makes him fit
soloist for the cathedral choir of Metre
Dame: with tho failure of his voice
comes great restlessness. in conse-
quence of which he runs away, tAus
beginning the career of VagahOndage
which was TO last until after the over
THROW OF IODeSDlplIe ana the itflbT.
EARLY in his wanderings he picks uu "a
little black dog, which is henceforth
his assistant and conhdant. Together
Francois and Toto go through adVon-
lures not a few. eXtricating themselves
from many n dangerous situation by
the quickness of their wits, their
knowledge Of human nature and good
luck. which, though at times badly
strained. yet held intact, only failing
irretrievably with the sad death Of
little Toto.
AS The dreadful days of The French
revolution begin, the easy prosperity
Of the two is rudely Jared. With every
mans hand against every others S, and
suspicion and intrigue undermining The
very ground under ones feet. the light
hearted thief and his faithful frisad
md themselves, willy -niiiy, forced 20
bear a part in the tremendous cata-
clysm Denounced by his land
lady. Francois is thrown into
prison in the height of the Terror
Where. with a company of about 200
men and women, cures, ladies, seams
tresses great mobiles, unlucky colonels
musicians poets and actors-he
awaits his sentence and death.
escapes, making his own good for
tune The fulcrum for saving
others, and that eventually ne esehews
theft and vagabondage, and with his
noble voice restored to him. begins life
over again ON an honest law-abiding
pattern, is but the natural sequence OF
what has already gone before.
AS a rascal Francois is irresistible.
He uptfolfng fl1a diHiolllf font of heitay