New-York tribune., 1899-08-20
FICTION
TALES or THE GREAT CIVIL WAR AND
THE JACOBITE UPRISING.

NtctIc.rcy. With Frort-pece by Mary -
swan l2Ino. PIP 3i5 The Ma'ih'''i'' Oo'"''"'
o., rosr LADY OF OLD YEARS. 4 Romance
Ev John Buchan. l2m'. pp. o". JON" ''''0'
,,.or,co,,i,p romance we expect, as a
r,ot,or NJ course a fair degree Of Crom"''lllh
t,r,.or Mr. Paterson does not altogether 'lS-
o,roi,t Nc He dwells appreciatvely on the
,,,or,l force which was half the equipment oi
Olivor,s grim visaged troopers, and there are
+i,oos when he seems on the brink oi rePr'uuo-
ing pictures Of the Puritan camp tha' nav
long since become trte. But 'CromWehS OWN
has this much of novelty. that II presents '"e
great leader in domestic ana 9'l'
mood even more often than in one ol p''ue u
religious devotion The hero ka'Ph p'"e
field enters Cromwelrs service ARA i"''S J" '''v
with Rachel Fullerton, his Ward. lie 70 w"
oua1iGed TO succeed as 4 soldier oe'nb' u
course brave and resourceful though of he'S
tororor and often indiscrcct. The course OF MS
,vooin,, is less sure He Is Socinian' IKE "i9
father whose death at the instgatioh u id"N
has only made the son the reader ior pas
siorate acceptanec Of the forbidden teheIs' ~
Socinian could hope to marry INTO 'r'""e"
family and a solemn oath regiSter'u pS 'i'i'
dorcLtv Guardian Of Mistress Rachers interests
eorlv i'm the book seems 20 put the nero
cborcas completely out Of court But Mr. Pat
n Ike MS nero, mas I'r'ulN''' 49,
cbivalrous young man into CromWeHs own
troop ard leads him so nimbly through one
crcdjtable adventure after another, earning for
him more and more Of the love which Cromwell
v,es disnosod to give him at the start-for the
COLO of . resemblance between him ana ms
daa1 eon-that In the end Ralph is IN iair
way TO gain his bride. We leave him on me
last page listening to The assurance ol 'roW-
wells love and willingness TO help hm over
como all obstacles between him and Rachel Ie-
snitc Guardians and oaths. To witness the con-
summation of the young mans hopes IS WHAT
ono goes on reading for. vt there IS s''d ie'-
son for our attention offered IN MI. Ial'IS'''
spirited descriptions Of some OF Ciom"e" > mus
interesting exploits The tale IS rap1Iy anu
clearly told with only the slightest modieuh ol
WarIour Street rhetoric. Cromwell IS W."
drawn. and so is his beloved lieutenant "H'I'
the minor portraits in the book are consistent
and animated.
Miss NcChesney's hero, VIII Fortescue Is
with the Royalists and fights bravely for the
king but the first impulses of his loyalty are
for Rupert under whose banner he CONTENDS
and before many pages are turned we ma
rather melodramatic old magician. one CosmaS'
drawing the young man into conspiracy %
put the Prince on the throne The KouhdheauS
naturally come in for less amiable treatment III
this novel than in Mr.. Patersons. Nhere 'ne
latter makes tn IN men OF honest piety aho uh-
dimmed honor Miss McChesney paints them as
sometimes capable Of whines and blackguard-
Ism She needed indeed. more debonair bacK-
elound for her handsome young swashbuckler'
his lovely sweetheart and their leonine prince
than that afforded by the Puritan camp. her
book is all OF cavaliers and splendid gaHahtry'
Of fights that are seldom won, but are always
quick with the radiant personality OF Rupert
Trumpets blow and standards are ilung SHINING
10 the breeze Cosmas. the Bohemian. with his
gypsy granddaughter only adds to the pizarre
and spectacular scene in which she sets her
1icturesoue figures The execution OF this piece
Of fiction is not all that it should be. The action
IS necdlessly interrupted and confused. The
conspiracy devised among Ruperts friends may
easily be shown as puZZlng his enemies ana the
man himself, but it ought not TO puzzle the /
reader The whole fabric Of the novel wants
simplihcation. But there is no mstaking the
romantic charm which Miss McChesncy has
thrown about Rupert The ring Of true ro-
nance is in her portrayal Of him rejecting the
crown in 4 fury Of scorn for those who would
put it on his head VIII Fortescue. too. is a
figure excellently handled, and never more ef- |
fectvely than when, at the end he turns his
back the long years Of happiness which are
almost invariably bestowed on similar heroes
In similar stories We value I'm this book what /
we value in "Cromwell's own" a willingness to
depart from conventional lines in dealing with
important figures in history. Mr.. Paterson
shows us Cromwell not only fighting his battles. ,
but interesting himself in the courtship Of one
OF his favorte officers We see the commander
at home as well as IN the battlefield. Miss
McChrsney, similarly in weaving an elaborate I