The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-06-25

common story In any of its essential fea-
lures, the public must decide The heroine,
Edna Pontellier, is an impulsive. passion
ate, and somewhat self-centred South
ern girl, born in Kentucky, and married to
Creole whom she does not love. Like a
great many other women. she has mar
ried when a mere, girl. more because 1t
seemed TO be expected OF her than for any
other reason. At the age of twenty eight,
after becoming the mother of two children,
she comes to understand herself. and, as is
frequently the case. the agency of the
awakening is man, Robert LIE Brun,
whom she suddenly discovers that she
loves He, on his part, recognizing the ma
ture of the situation, abruptly leaves her
and goes to Mexico. And here comes in
the part of the story which will seem in
applicable to most people: Edna, once
awakened to the fact that she does not
care for her husband, enters upon yio-
| lent filtration with one of the roues of
| New Orleans. This comes to nothing;
| Robert returns, but leaves her once more,
determined to save her from herself.
whereupon she browns herself. And that
is the whole story.
Whether the book was worth writing or
not is a question which the public will set
| tie. That it is well written is beyond
doubt. 1t is the inner history of one of
| those women who, in modern days, figure
in divorce suits; two centuries ago they
would have figured in grim and horrible
tragedies. 1t is a psychological dissection
OF such woman's soul; and most people
will not understand it any more than they
! would understand the woman herself
There are two other characters in the book
who are admirably drawn in every way;
the odd. quaint little musician, Mademoi-
seile Reisz, and the exquisitely feminine
Madame Ratignolle. The portrait of Pom
/! TELLER is also vivid, while that of Robert
! is slightly vague in outline. The book is
an indication that the author may some
day write novel which will be an impor-
tant addition TO American literature (Chi-
cago; Herbert S. Stone G. Co. s1.25.)
"At a Winters Fire is book of short
stories by Bernard Capes. author of THE
Lake of Wine" The present book is in
some ways better than the novel. though
! the latter was more ambitious There is
a weird and grewsome atmosphere about
| the tales which is thoroughly fascinating
! like an old-fashioned ghost-story. and
| most OF them are spook-tales of one sort
or another. The best of the lot is perhaps
| Dark Dignum' and 1t is one of the fin
est yarns" of its kind which can be found
| among the seasons books. 1t deals with a
seacoast town and its superstitons and
1t ends with graveyard crumbling away
inch by inch into the sea, and a skeleton
| leaning out of the cliff-side to pelt his
enemy with Jumps of chalky earth II
that is not enough to satisfy the most con-
hrmed thrill-hunter, what more can be de-
sired?
! "A Voice from the PITT is capital piece
CT description, the scene being the side of
volcano. The Moon Stricken is origi-
nal in its central idea, and well worked
out The rest of the stories are less TAX
Ing, but most of them are good. New
YORK: Doubleday & Mcclure COMPANY
| sL25)
The House of Strange Stories" by A..
Eric Bayly, is frankly advertised as a de-
tective story, and it is good one The
plot is original and well worked out. and
no hint of the real solution of the mystery
is given till nearly at the last minute
This Is as 1t should be. The tale concerns
an English country gentleman who. 10 the
great surprise of his son, suddenly becomes
prey to nervous fears for his own safety.
apparently dreading an attempt upon his
lie. These fears are presently justified
by actual and mysterious attacks upon the
old gentleman, the assailant being a curl
Gus creature of the Mr.. Hyde type, who is
always just vanishing round the corner
when he is seen. A house in the neigh
borhood is suspected 10 be the place from
which these murderous proceedings eman-
ate, and is inhabited by a very odd collec-
ton OF persons-an escaped convict dis
guised as woman; a man who admits
that ne is passing under a name not his
own, and some creature shut up in the
basement and emitting strange noises at
Intervals. The mystery is finally solved
CT lf ~
tenant of this house, but not in any way
which can be anticipated by the reader at
the beginning. New York E. p. Dutton
& Co. s1.25.)
"a Little Legacy" by Mrs. L. B. Wal
ford. is book of amusing little tales, of
cacy of plot but presenting a fairly good
picture of the English middle-class life of
today, with its reverence for rank, it's
concern for money, its respect for all kinds
OF conventions, and its general fresh and
wholesome tone. The book is dantily
bound in blue, and would make a pleasing
addition to the library of almost any young
girl. Chicago: Herbert S. Stone & Co. 10
cents.)
1t is difficult to see why "a Girl of Grit. p"
by Major Arthur GrifFiths, should have re-
ceived its title. for the heroine certainly
| displays no very great amount of the
| quality indicated, her chief function being
to keep herself in the foreground without
any ostensible reason. The plot deals with
the fortunes principally misfortunes) OF
young English subaltern who suddenly
inherits fortune and is kidnapped soon af-
ter. New York: r. F. Fenno & Co. 70
| cents.)
1.-THE Maid He Married." is the title of
Harriet Prescott Spofford's latest story,
and both title and book remind one of the
| sort of literature found in the Family
| Story Paper" There is a poor heroine,
with marvellous beauty and the inevita-
BILE wonderful voice; she is invited to visit
her aunt, rich woman, and is the cyno-
sure of all eyes while there; but in spite of
all the admiration which she receives. she
remains faithful TO a remarkably hand
some and clever young man, to whom she
was betrothed while at home. That is the
plot. The book is mainly taken up with
descriptions OF gowns. Chicago: Herbert
S. Stone G. Co. 10 cents.)
"Oliver Iverson," by Ann Devoore, is a
| story of New York. Though the time ls
| supposed to be decade ago, there is a
flavor about the tale which somehow sug-
gests the past century. and, indeed,
| 1t might as well have happened in
] 1890 as in 1890 The plot is a good
one, and the character drawing is
| well done. while the interest of
| the reader is held from beginning to end
The hero is a farmer boy and poet. who
comes to New York and falls Immediately
into den of thieves, from which he res
cues pretty girl, who becomes his wife.