Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-13

pictured and we are introduced into the
life at the fort OF the officers ana their
families. The plot is by no means intri-
cate. but IL Is sufficient TO Sustain the
interest Of the story TO the end. which Is
happy one for two young couples. The
gIimpses OF frontier service that the
authoress gives are life-like. and Will
prove TO be entertaining TO hundreds
who have very vague ideas of the routine
of our military posts in the Indian coun-
try.
THE DESTROYER. BY benjamin Swift,
Author OF Nancy Noon" and The
Tormentors." New York: Frederick
A. Stokes Company. Publishers.
IL is significant OF the decadence Of
the novel and the present vitiated taste
of the novel-reading public that such a
book as 1.-THE Destroyer should find
publisher. 1t is morbid. pessimistic, and
irreligious to the last degree, and the
effect II leaves on the reader is like the
effect of bad dream. The author Is
disciple of Maeterlinck, and the serpent's
trail Is plain on every page of his book.
one finds here the same rhadowy OUT
lining of character, the same unreality
OF setting. the same morbid love of de-
plotting misery that mark all of Maeter-
lincks work and are imputed TO him Tor
btuiuS ny his
The characters in THE Destroyer" are
not characters.
"They are neither man nor woman;
They are neither brute nor human;
They ere ghouls."
Or, more exactly, they are the shadows
of ghouls. Mr.. Swift projects them for
us upon screen and as they come and
go he tells us what emotion moves them.
The book Is a study of emotion, particu-
larly of the master emotion of love. Mr..
Swift expends all his talents-and he has
talents, after a fashion-on making love
appear as CHASTITY as possible. BY that
destroyer the hero is led to abandon his
faith; his friend and companion is driven
into a mad-house, and the other person
ages in the book are brought TO death or
misery. And yet the author evidently
believes, and would have his readers be-
lieve, that love and the pursuit of beauty
are the chief end of man. His teaching
seems TO be: That Ito paraphrase the old
SAW tits love, it's love that makes the
world go wrong: that no matter what
misery II bring, love must come and man
must take it as he takes food. as a ma
ter Of course; but that he must expect
not TO be nourished, but poisoned by II.
In conclusion, the best that can be said
OF the book is, that parts OF it are clever;
For when a man writes book with bad
purpose his performance is damnable just
i'm proportion to the power 1t is written
with.
For sale by George NJ West Company.
Price, $l.25.
GRACE O'MAELEY. PRINCESS AND
PIRATE. Told by Ruari Macdonald,
Redshank and Rebel The Same Done
Into the Tongue of the English by Ro-
bert Machray. New York: Frederick
A. Stokes Company, Publishers.
Among the host of authors that the
popularity Of Stevenson and Weyman
has called into life a new man must
speak with no uncertain voice TO be
heard. and to have gained hearing at
all is a proof of more than mediocrity.
But Robert Machray has done more than
just succeed in getting a book before the
public He has written a story of I'M
usual interest. which, if taken as earnest
Of his future work, promises great things
in his particular province. He mas
broken ground in a new field and to the
aid of a fresh and vigorous style he has
brought new characters, new scenes, and
new Incidents.
Grace OMalley Is a story of Ireland
in the sixteenth century. 1t gives vivid
picture of that troubled period from the
beginning of EliZabeth's reign to the
first Desmond rebellion, eliminating IN
the battle Of harrington Bridge. The
story is told by Ruar Macdonald, right
hand man Of Grace O'Malley, chief of the
OMalleys, and he tells it in the good,
Old way He is the traditional hero and
has the traditional habit of always being
responsible for the success of his side.
1t is always Ruari that sinks the enemy's
ship. Ruari that routs the enemy's army.
Ruari that saves the day. In a word,
there is no denying that Ruari killed the
bear. Tie is none the less interesting.
however, for being an old friend and his
companions, at least, have new faces.
Some of them have pretty stern faces,
certainly, but whatever effect Of sombre-
ness may be given by too much battle
and murder is well relieved by the ro-
nance woven into the lives Of Macdonald
and Grace OMalley.
For sale by George NJ. West Company.
Price, Sl.25.
THE LOST WORD. A Christmas lie
gend n Long Ago. BY Henry Van
Dyke 12mo., II pages. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons For sale by
The Bell Book and Stationery Com
pany. Richmond, Va. Price. $50.
At the present time. when 40 many
books of a trashy or artificial character
are being put forth in elegant style and
pushed by the great book-houses. it Is
not surprising that works Of fine
ethical value and charmingly writ
ten fail TO come before. the at
tention of thoughtful people who
would appreciate their intrinsic value.
This story is simply, but admirably told.
1t is unique In many respects. and from
cover 10 cover it is charged with lumi-
l. . -
story of the time of the Emperor Julian,
with the scene laid in Antioch. The
author aims to show the divine in the
human heart Of both rich and poor, and
that the children of wealth, no less than
the meek and lowly followers of the
Master, only know what true and en-
during happiness is when they carry
knowledge of Him into the web and wool
of life.
The bright. interesting. and suggestive
pages Of "The Lost Word should be
read by young and old, for its influence
cannot fail to quicken conscience and
inspire the divine in the heart of the
reader.
The volume is daintily presented, and
Is Illustrated with photographers from
original drawings by Corwin Knapp Lin
SON.
THE BASHFUL EARTHQUAKE AND
OTHER FABLES AND VERSES. BY
Oliver Herford. With Many Pictures
By the Author. i2mo., 126 pages. New
York: Published by Charles Scrbners
Sons. For sale by The Bell Book and
Stationery Company, Richmond, Va.
Price, $lZ5.
This volume Of sprightly verse. which
is profusely illustrated, kindles atresh
that spark of child-lifc which stu Hes