The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-22
NEW BOOKS.
Brief Reviews of Important and Interest
ing Now Publications.

memoirs OF the early career of the admirable
James Graham. first Marquis Of Montrose.
| H. G.. &c. including tho strange true history
| OF his sister. the Lady Katherine Graham: his
| friendship with certain gentlewomen. and the
| whole truth OF his alliance with the Scottish
Covenant. written by \. i. in year OF God 1861.
| aud the second OF the restoration of monarchy
| In this kingdom now first given to the world.
| This is considerable but no novel reader.
provided he gets good thing, OBJ
| jects to the quantity. Since the time
| OF Lorna Doone" a notable book, we
have had good many Of these histories Of
| romantic experience. In that stirring chron-
! ice there was offered to us. as We remember.
II broad picture. which included battle. and
| hus bandry. and the rude operations OF high
waymcn and the soft and devious ways Of
| royal court. and the quickening terrors of
| strong judiciary. and the picturesque and
| fetching Incidents of cider and cured hams.
and much else. In the preface here the sug-
| Gestion of vivid fact and interest is at once
| horne in upon us. The opening sentence says:
| When a man who has worn harness. lain
| hard, Jared III. and ridden fast and far.
| doth arrive Mt the age OF So his mere itch Of
writing is dead. IL he were ever infected there
| with" As regards the fact here stated we can
| not be quito sure. Many warriors write at 80.
| nor do they hesitate to do tho same thing at
| 40 The itch Of writing comes very power
| fully upon them In their mature years. 1t is
| hardly necessary 10 advance instances: they
arc so numerous that anybody may pick them
| up with small wear and tear OF tho recollcc-
| ton. What Is promising in the opening sem
| tencc Of the preface hero is the suggestion OF
| what the ordinary novel reader would denoml-
nate actual business. The promise strength
| ems itself in the succeeding lncs Yea.
even II man havo lived thro' times OF stir and
hnye npounnt wi ha arI
actions OF great men and beautiful women, he
is commonly content at so to recite the rare
things he has seen and heard to the circle OF
his friends. and then be forgotten-like the
play actors who now begin to show their heads
again" We have never observed that the play
actors cont ent to be org gotten to any degree
or In any circumstances. but what is more i'm
portant ia that we find here the insurance OF a
story OF historical and archaic and romantic
interest Tho have SERVED not little in
my younger days. not all the thum bscrews in
Edinburgh Castle and the Tolbooth would
make my fingers to grab the pen. were it not
that / lived and moved and had my being In
the very thick OF such a stir and rebellion as
our country hath never before known in all
her history" Inasmuch as the writer per-
mitted himself to SERVE "thro' and tho"
1t is passingly curious that he should not also
have SERVED or scriven "Edinboro'" but OF
course one has the right to permit to ones self
such OF these Injuries as one pleases. High
Dun Edin Is a good term. too. sanctfed by
Walter Scott and reasonable in the estima-
ton OF anybody who has ever walked up hill in
Edinburgh. That. however. is not particularly
important The obvious thing is that it is good
to have an Intimate story of the renowned and
most noble James Graham first Marquis OF
Montrose. and that the writer has been moved.
as he says to raise this monument OF praise"
to the memory OF one from whom he derives
his sole conception OF a true Patriot and
godlike Hero" 1T so fell out in Aberdeen
that Tuesday. the third OF November OF the
year Of God 1929 was n day OF exceeding hard
and bitter frost but no snow 1t had been
freezing for some long while. and the rude
Borens had been blowing shrewd and smell
and biting on the cheek with the sting OF Ice
The seniors stayed by the ingeside. except
when necessary business drew them away. but
we juniors were briskened by the dry and
caller cold into a lustier sense OF life and
prcked into more diabolic activity" So tho
story opens and the reader sees with pleasure
that the language Is TO be archaic and Scotch
both-a most generous combination. Talk
my lord! We're scattering and swimming
over head and ears in talk" This is
said by one OF the characters. a lady
and her truthfulness cannot be impugned
She continues with something like fun" OF
anger For the meaning must be plain to
the blind and to the deaf. We're Gazing back
all the road we haze come since the days OF
Knox and Melville. First. our TENDS were
rped frae us to max mucke stipends for tho
Bishops Now law and order are put into the
Bishops hands as well as religion. An tho
next will he the Bishops vii! have their lands
back and their abbeys. and their rrlories.
and a the lave OF" A book full OF its
own characteristic interest. A sad story.
for the Lady Katherine Graham was
burned for a witch. but a story with
it's ameliorating circumstances. for Mistress
Maudlin Keith. tho Angel OF the Covenant
who was thought, and who is said. to have
perished In tho fire OF the Covenant. survived
to be a scourge without name to her former
un-trends" A curious compound. "un-
friends" We suppose that an approximate
equivalent for it would be enemies" and
"un-cnemies." We suppose. would be friendly
or Indifferent people. We are moved to add
that II Maudlin Keith was scourge. II was
not business within her intention. or course
there Is such a thing as an unintentional
scourge. Maudin is queer name. The story
Is very sincerely and earnestly scriven.
In "A Girl OF Grit" by Major Arthur Griff,ths
(R. r. Fenno & CO... we have a story which be-
gins with much significance and activity.
Capt Woods man. Savory. wakes him UP early.
bringing lellor Wnlcn INFORMS inc captain
that he has fallen heir to $l5.0O0.000 left to
him by a gentleman recently deceased at his
residence at the corner OF Fifth avenue and
Church place in New York city. wherever that
may be. Tho Captain souscs himself with
water-sald to be an English morning habit
and goes in to see tho bearer Of this inter-
esting communication. who proves to be
the junior member OF the law firm that
caused 1t to be typowritten and signed it,
Capt. Woods collie smells at tho legs OF tho
visitor, and the CAPTAIN says: This lcttcr-
it's all bona flde. j suppose" To this the
junior member replies: Without question.
II is from our firm. There can be no possible
mistake" There was no mistake. and the
story goes on to relate that the Captan mag
unanimously paid what he owed for his lodg-
inGs and otherws" conducted himself as n mil
lonare shoud-a STRAIGHTFORWARD story that
will perpeX nobody. 1t has a plot. OF course.
The millionaire is besot by rogues. lie cir
oupnynutS than But hp than,