The San Francisco call., 1899-10-01
* III THE BOOK WORLD. IS

N He Man Who Dared" has been
written IN the shadow Of the gull
Iotine and the scenes and incidents
closely follow the history of the
Reign os Terror. Since its first pub
IicatiOn in serial form il has been
materially altered in plot, giving it a
greater historical value, ard cOrstdera-
bly, charging the text. The author, John
2. Reiter, has handled his subject with
Skill and realism aId brought the horror
and despair and brutality of the period in
Gn echOing cry quite dawn the century.
In its Oft-Tepeated and stirring climaxes
the romance still bears The unmist taxable
ear marks Of the serial; but, in the light
Of sustained interest, this 8 a good liter
ary plan. for it rushes the reader on 10
the end without the dull feeling ever over
taking him. Mems characters the author
handles with skill. but his heroine is
rather too elaborately drawn in appear
ance and action to be quite human. She
IS more what he would have her than
what She would naturally have been. His
descriptions are realistic ana convincing
his narrative easy and natural IN style,
but his conversations are too often by
the book" Excellent pen pictures are
given OF DantOn, Marat, Robespierre, 81
mon, TalNen, .CarnOt and others or the
JaCobin Club. The bachelor dinner OF
Barrere Is introduced and intimately de-
sCribed. and other historical events are
used IS background and to help the march
Jean Louvet the man who dared, is the
hero who, when Robespierre is at ythe
height of his power, pits his puny strength
es an obscure member Of the convention
against the power Of the chief and his
friends, that he may save Citizen Vau-
ban, the father of the woman he loves,
from The eXecuConeT'S ak. He appears
the quiet. stealthy instigator Of The plot
only through his downfall can the re-
lease OF Nauban,/ arrested as q
suspect, be accomplishing. In the
course. Of the narrative father, daughter
ana resCuer all are confined In the Con-
ClerGerIe, are even ratified in the awful
l-nbrlls over the avenue Of blood to the
Pace de la Revolution. They pass the ty-
rant on the way, being taken in another
tlnbTu TO the prison where the Paris
mob Is hurting the idol Of the last hour
~ a piece OF strategy, the condemned
escape IN their tumbril by being driven
hastily from the direction OF death by a
erl"er who has been schooled in his part
by the friends Of Louvet. The romance
closes with the downfall and death Of
RobespIerre and the happy union and con-
sequeut thanksgiving Of Jean and Louise.
Inc book is an easy and pleasant road
TO knowledge Of the French history
OF the time, and is well worth the hours
spent IN It's company. The book is well
illustrated in halftOnes. ('The Man Who
Dared" BY John P. Reiter. C. W. DiIling-
ham Company New York;
Horatio Alger Jr, the writer Of stories
descriptive Of the trials and successes Of
Hage-earning boys, adds another to his
list OF juvenile works In 'Ruperts Ambi-
ton" II tells the story of a boy whom
the world began by using. no better than
II could help and ended by leading well
and steadily on the road TO fortune and
prominence. The story goes over the old
Toacs-they all debut Ayers simplicity
Of style, directness of method aversion
70 deep plot or exciting incident, and
healthy moral tone, give his books q GER
tain value as amusement for the i'm
pressionable growing boy.
RuDert Rollins. the young hero. an hon.