The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-02
NEW WORKS OF FICTION.
Novels That Will Interest Many Kinds Of
Readers.

Novels That viii Interest Many Kinds Of
Readers.
"a "Bicroft of Withens." By HALL
well Sutcliffe. Appleton & Co. For
sale by Putnam, Davis Sc Co.
(2) Rachel" By Jane II. Findlater.
Doubleday & Mcclure Company.
so The Wire Cutters" BY M. p.
NJ. Davis. Houghton, Miffiin & Co.
For sale by Putnam, Davis & Co.
I (4 In His Name and Christmas
Stories" BY Edward Everett Hale.
Little, Brown & Co.
In going back to the England of 1745
and Charles Edward, the young pre-
tender Mr.. Sutcliffe has produced an
excellent novel a. which win be read
with pleasure by those whose taste is
not for the sketchy, more or less NOR
bid stories so much in vogue. There is
much Of battle and intrigue and the
young pretender and the Duke of Cum
berland, who afterward defeated him
at Culloden, are prominent figures;
but the chief interest lies in Yorkshire,
with the young master of Withens, his
cousin and sweetheart, Jessie Thorne,
and the Carlesses, g. powerful family of
outlaws who inhabit a fastness whence
they make raids upon the countryside,
carrying off the farmers crops, cattle
and daughters. Both in subject matter
and treatment the novel reminds one
pleasantly at times of Lorna Doom"
/ Mr.. Sutcliffe knows how to render with
vigor the quality of the Yorkshire
moor jewellers, their rugged power,
unconventionallty and rough tender
ness, and he also knows how to tell
his story well.
! Rachel (2) is a remarkably pretty
story of Edinburgh and London, with
modern prophet Of the Edward Irving
type for hero and Scotch minister's
niece for a heroine. 1t is impossible
not to believe that Miss Findlater has
modelled Michael Fletcher upon the &C.
centric, talented, pathetic friend Of
Carlyle and Mrs. Oliphant. Michael
Fletcher turns aside from the Presby-
terrain church, for whose ministry he
had studied, to become the leader of a
! little congregation of Foreseers, an OBJ
| scure sect which, under his guidance
achieves a popularity and success that
are phenomenal. He uses his powers
of divination and clairvoyance Inherit
| ed from a gypsy fortune-teIling mother
to electrify his audiences, and these
weird gifts added to his wonderful
mental and spiritual gifts make him
| the petted idol of London. In the end
| then he deliberately manufactures SEN
sations, and dies, knowing that he has
! Deen ruined by his popularity. His
death leaves Rachel broken hearted,
for he had fallen in love with her and
she with him during the few months
ne had spent at her uncles house as
sisting in the parochial work But
Michael had previously engaged himself
out of pity TO a sordid, uneducated lit
tie woman with whom he lodged, and
when next he returns to Rachel, after
having told her his love for her, 1t is to
say that he Is married, No small share
Of the sadness of the novel comes from
the tragedy of this marriage Miss
bIndlater has told her story in a simple,
sympathetic manner, with fine ap-
probation of Its various types OF char
acter.
In THE Wire Cutters" 80, Mrs. NJ
". NJ, Davis has written strong novel
In which heredity, that favorite theme
OF the latterday novelist Is treated
with force and originality. The title
however Is misleading, as wire cutting
Is a minor episode. There are vivid
pictures OF ranch life IN Texas, of the
risks Of the cattleman, the preciousness
OF water and the starved existence of
the dWeller In the small Texas town,
and If Mrs Davis has set out to write
q handbook of ranching In this state.
she could hardly have produced q more
definite or colorful picture Wire cut
ting, it may be explained, is the term
applied to the systematic cutting by
the ranchmen Of the barbed wire fences
which spectators or dlsagreeable peo-
pie put up and which, by preventing
free access to springs Of water, bring
distress and death to thousands of
herds of cattle. Mrs. Davis has put
into her story one of the most interest |
ing phases in the development Of the
vast prairie lands of the country.
Little Brown e Co are comforting a /
favor upon old and young readers alike
in bringing out their new library edi- !
ton of DR.. Hale's works. Volume two |
a. is, like its predecessor, q model Of |
elegant typography and binding, and |
would prove an ornament to any libra /
ny and a welcome visitor to any fam
lily. 1t includes beside the title story, I
Christmas Waits in Boston," "They /
Saw a Great Light" Daily Bread" /
Hands or" "Cromwells Statue" and /
an appendix upon the passwords Of the |
Waldensian church. This edition is is /
sued under the s"oerVision Of the |
author, and beside .-ing revised con
tains new matter. Dr.. Hale has 80
long been g. favOrite with young peo-
pie, Just as he has been hero to his /
in age, that praise for /
his stories appears almost superhuity.
pen for the edihcation OF amusement Of |
Young readers since he began, yet he
remains q standard author, one who
can tell really good tale without
STOPPING to the sensational or the com
mon