The times., 1899-10-15

much that the curiosity OF the public is
piqued, and it desires to see more Of him.
tNew York: Doubleday & Mcclure Com
pany $1,000
Minor Fiction.
Irish fiction seems to be coming to the
front nowadays Besides Seumas MacMa-
nus, the young Irishman who lately took
New York publishers by storm, to all ap
pearances, we have had Miss Jane Barlow
and Shan F. Bullock. Mr.. Bullock has
lately written new book which he calls
''The Barrys," and which is story of
Irish country life. The hero is rather de-
spicably weak, judged by the standard of
novel heroes, but very natural, judged by
the standard of the average man.
His weakness consists in falling in love,
at least partially, with two women at
once. He is young writer of Irish birth
but London residence, who goes to ireland
to visit an uncle. and gather local color
for a novel. He is at the time engaged
to beautiful and thoroughly admirable
young English girl, named Marian Dent.
who is in every way suited to his posi-
/ tion In life. While in Ireland he meets
daughter of the people, a sweet-natured
and wholesome young maiden called Nan
Butler, daughter of a ne'er- -do-weel ferry
man. Propinquitg Cues the rest. Frank
Barry is one those men who seem
Obliged to be making love to something,
and Nan happens to be the most attractive
object within his range of vision. She, on
her part, is attracted TO him, partly by
the fascination Of the life of which he
tells her, and partly by the instructive
liking of strong woman for weak man.
This naturally gives offence to her sweet
heart, Ted Ross, and there is a stormy
scene or two between them. Finally Frank
goes back TO London, and meets Nan again
after a lapse of some years, during which
he has married. He has not told Nan of
the marriage, and leaves her 10 suppose
all this time that he is living single for
her sake She finally finds 1t out through
Ted Ross, who is still suspicious, and it is
refreshing to find that she ceases TO care
for the scoundrelfy gentleman and re-
turns to her old lover The story is cley-
erly written, but hero without any back
bone cannot always be saved from oblivion
by the fine qualities of the heroine tNew
YORK.. Doubleday & McClurs Company.
s1.25) i-1is
''Under the Cactus Flag" by Nora Ar
chibald Smith, is a charming story for girls,
which depicts the trials and delights of
little California maiden who goes to teach
school in Mexico. 1t is full of local color,
and gives an exceedingly good picture of
life in an out-of-the-way Mexican hamlet.
Not the least attractive feature Of the book
is the way in which ii is bound. The cover
is picturesque and beautiful one, and the
illustrations are evidently reproductions of
photographs of real Mexicsns, while they
have a cleyerness Of composition not shown
in the ordinary photograph. (BostOn:
Houghton, Mifiin & Co. SL25.)
''The Helpers" by Francis Lynde, is
Denver story, dealing with one OF the
characters made and marred in the Coo
rado life of today. For some season or
other despite the richness and variety of
life in the gold and silver regions. the ic-
ton from that part of the country has
been, as rule, rather eolorless and unin-
teresting. There is q certain baroness
about ii which reminds one OF new un-
painted building. There are striking ex-
ceptions, of course; Mrs. Jackson and
Frank Norris are two OF them-but Mr..
Lvnde is not among these. He has good
theme, and If he had only wrought IL out
with the care il deserves he would have
had a good story. But he has been clum
sy about it, and the result is rather like
that OF statue of the Apollo cut out by
an inexperienced sculptor who has gotten
the figure a little out OF plumb and left
chIsel-rna-ks on the gods nose and chin
The hero is a man who has a passion for
{ gambling and is nearly wrecked by It, but
I finally does a somewhat Quixotic deed Of
leroism and is saved from destruction
/ Dartly by the influence of the eternal femi-
{ nine partly by his own determination and
I largely by luck. There is one good bit of
work in the book-the character OF the
I concert hall singer. Maggie Cannon. But
/ that is all. tBoston: Houghton, Mifflin
| & Co. $f5G)
"A Modern Mercenary" is a novel by z.
ana Hesketh Prichard (mother and SOM who
have lately been writing under the names
/ oil ''E. and H. Heron" 1t is an adventure
/ story OF the Anthony Hope order. the
scene being laid in an alleged German state
4 called Maasau. The hero is an Englishman
named John Rallywood, a soldier by pro-
fession, who has accepted position in the
Guard of Nassau, and gets himself into the
tolls OF court intSigues thereby. The hero
inc is Valerie, daughter of one of the high
officials of tie state The plot is rather
complicated, but the interest is well sus-
tained. New York Doubleday & Nc
Clure Company. $l25.)
'.In Castle and Colony" is a story OF
Swedish and American life at the time OF
the making of New Amsterdam. Though
not exactly a historical novel, it gives
some interesting pictures of the life of the
period and the details are carefully elab-
GRATED. The author Is Emma Raynsr, al
ready known through one book Free tc
Serve" (Chicago: Herbert S. Stone &
Co. S1.25.)
Lady Blanche's Salon" is the work Of
Lloyd Bryce author of Friends in Exile
and is described as "A Story of Some
Souls" II is simply a series of sketches oi
the conversation which took place in tht
salon of a rather witty modern woman
There is a thread of romance runninl
through 1t all, but the interest, such as il
is. lies In the discussion of most of ths
modern topics of conversation Some O
these topics are orthodox. but more ar,
not. The style is rather clever. but ther,
seems 10 be no especial reason why tn,
book should have been written. (Nep
York: +. Tennyson Neely $1.25.)
Leech's quaint illustrations to Thomas .
Beckett's famous Comic Histories of En-
gland and Rome" have amused readers 20
wears new edition of these books con
: tanning thirty steel plates, hand colored
and 900 other illustrations by Leecb vii
! be published this fall by the New Amster