The Portland daily press., 1899-11-21
CONCERNING BOOKS.

The posthumous work Of Blanche Will
lis Howard (Frau Won TeunsD will Be
Of special intsrsst to her many friends
In Portland. and It 10 . pleasure to b.
able to say that Dronysins, the Wsaver's
Hearts Dearest. Is one Of the most inter.
esting and charming stories that has
come from the pen of this gifted writer.
Its atm ospher II fresh and healthful.
while yet the sins and pain OF this weary
old world mingls with Its dslights. But
there is not q trlfie OF moEbity In the
hook, while the lines between good and
evil arc distinctly drawn, and .he
thought as vigorous and compelling.
The author shows how . woman may sin
deeply, and Jet not bs vile. That she
may rise from the depths to purity and
poise II only the noble qualities are In
her. as they wers in Vroni, the weaver's
hearts dearest
The setting Of the story In its bsein-
ming has great charm. Vroni 10 born In
the hamlet of Hexenfsls, In the bleak bill
country, between the Danube and the
Neckar, known as the Rough Alps.
ana "torn naughty" says her peasant
mother. mild. hooking. glsesome
creature, bold. 1.-the, lawless. strong in
loving and hating. &c nerous and imper-
ous. Vroni is the darling OF her father.
the pious and gentle weaver. WHOM she
adoers. When all the other children Of
the family were quite grown up little
Vropi had come into the world like gay
surprise, as II she were the embodiment
of some merry melody (which had
fioated across the stubbly fields OF her
mothers laborious existence. or like O
fugitive flash of those old Vienna
days Of which Dionysius. the weaver
never spoke"
And by and by Veronica Lindl goes
out into the world tn seek her fortune
and Count Won Vallads's, Paris chef.
takes the giIl under his directions and
pill finds a genius Vroni becomes q COR
don-bleu In Monsieur Armand's kitchen,
and he gives her voluminous certificate
recounting her skill, signed by him, the
great Armand Giroux, and implores her
With tears in his eyes to regard 10 all her
life as her most precious posssf sion and
t1lisman. ''While yeu have that you will
never want. Today you snap your I'm
gers, one day you will comprehend, my
poor child. Sec give II you in this
strong leather case, with a stout lock and
key. Keep your receipt book also In IL.
Guard b,th as your life. 1t IL my solemn
parting word my little friend; my dawn
ing colleague. / hesitate not to pro-
nouncs you, ], Giroux" -, and then
poor little tender hearted, pleasure-lovin
vroni is left to her sin and her SORROW.
Such picture a. follows Of Vroni's
kitchen and Vroni in 1t. A more deli ight-
full bit of geure painting could not be
imagined.
And another telling episode ss that of
the little Countess Ne,lA, who seeks
Vroni In orcer to learn to make bisques
and omslstte surprise. that she may be
able to marry her lover who Is a poor
man; but she mArries the rich one, aftsr
all.
A strong. sweet, wholesome story,
tinged with sadness. but full Of q DELI
cate and subtle humor, Dionysins the
Wesvsrs Hearts Dearest remains .
beautiful memorial Of the genius OF the
woman from whose brain and heart the
work emanated. (Soribners; Portland: I:
Loring. Short 81 Harmony
The Doubleday and Mcclure Co.. havs
long liss OF books this season, and
among thsm are The Poor Plutocrats, By
Maurice Jokai; A Modern Msrcenary.
by Ii. and Hssksll Priohard; Talss OF
the Telegraph. BY Jasper Ewing Brady;
Blk. by Frank Norris; Lady Sermons.
BY Howard W. Tiiton; and The no
manoss. BY Edmond RossAnd.
Jokai's The Poor Plu~pcrAts, which