The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-05-23

anu WHO'S up with an evening pOrtnK
over volume OF our Washington lrv-
g.Though the author Of The Sketch
| Roox" Is familiar TO him and Bernhardt
Y In Hamlet is a novelty we are made 10
feel that on the whole the old things are
the best In this easy-g0isg travellers
eyes. He disc4urses Of books as we'll as
scenery. as may be suggested by the
places visited, and has a thoroughly
good time as wen with the reflections
that are stimulated as by the scenery
and incident which rise before him on
his journey. Indeed these Travels in
England' are quite as much little Jour-
neys In literature and the two are de-
lightfully combined. The book is call
culated To make the reader hungry 10
go over the same ground with Mr.. lie
Galliene's Travels In hand along
with some OF the literary companions
that the writer himself had I'm his
knapsack Herbert Railton has provid-
ed six exquisite and unusual illustra-
tions and the volume Is handsomely
fashioned. Published by John Lane the
Bodley Head. (For sale by Preston &
Rounds, $1.50).
THE GREEN TREE LIBRARY, Her
bert s. Stone & Company
This series reaches It's eighth volume
in the new ibsen play When we Dead
Awaken" The idea is to publish in the
library representative productions in
the line OF what may be broadly speak
ing, called the new NOV. ment IN mt
eldture,' as working IN dineient coun-
tries and different languages. The term
new movement may De vague but IL
is quite generally understood and
serves to give definition 10 a library de-
voted To IL quite as much as popular
fnr ms a
OF another character
This series brings together in harmo-
NOUS form and fashion the works OF
writer's inspired by the new move
ment" wherever they may be found and
H.. we believe, the only series that aims
10 accomplish this. The 16mo volumes
are daintlly bound. the cover bearing
design OF the green tree and are other
wise put together stylishly, as is usual
with the books bearing the imprint of
Stone * Company. The price of the
volume is usually Sl.25. The new lbsen
book costs $l.50.
When We Dead Awaken is a play to
stir the pulses OF the reader IL he Is
not disposed 10 go below the surface
and stir him intellectually, not TO say
spiritually. If he is disposed TO take his
Ibsen by deep draughts. 1t Is an cxcit-
ing love story, but like every
thing lbsen writes. the charac-
ters and their experiences are
but types and a parable. and II would
likely take "a long sounding rod to reach
It's poetic depths. Worshipers OF Ibsen
ought surely To be satisfied with the
quality and the quantity of madness in
volved and even the superficial reader.
who cares nothing for the play beyond
the stimulant of good story Is likely
to remember for long time some of
its crises. When We Dead Awaken
is, 1t is reported, likely to be Ibsen's
last production.
act comedy THE Bending of the
Bough" is quite a different sort though
also in the Green Tree set and con-
vincing representative of the ''new
movement" in literature. Ibsen pra-
sents his play with very small cast
Moore likes to have stage full of peo-
pie in his company. There are speaking
parts enough i'm The Bending of the
Bough" TO demand the whole strength
OF the average stock company. But
there Ia not one OF them that fails in
securing individuality. The comedy
would likely be classed as rich" by the
critic. 1t Is fun--with serious los
SON and makes the same sort OF de-
licious reading that is found In what
are classed as "the old Comedies" 1t
is indeed cnnspicuousIv rare treat as
romance in dramatic form.
THE CARDINALS SNUFF BOX, by
Henry Harland--
For a captivating love story calcu-
lated to cordially interest the reader
in at least three clever people whose
acquaintance is eminently worth while
The Cardinals snuff Box is COM
mended.
n 1t is thoroughly good piece of fiction
winning i'm character and decidedly
clever as to style. Ii Is absolutely de-
void OF either motive or plot. II is just
love story. You come to know the clev-
er people who figure as it's chief char
acters and are imperceptibly drawn in
TO pleasurable interest in the pro-
gress of their affairs-which are of the
heart The Duchessa IL a charming
woman and Peter Marchdale is a thor
oughly good fellow There is no non
sense about eithe of them even when
they get very deeply in love. The cardi-
nal is a fine old boy, too, who devotes
himself tirelessly to the poor In his
charge. but otherwise is "a centre of
levity." The Duchessa Is his niece
beautiful; English. and widow. March
dale i'm his strolings settles down for
a while in one OF the rentals on her es-
tates in Italy. The snuff box figures, in
way IL would be hardly fair to the
prospective reader OF the book to dis
close, in bringing the Duchessa and
Marchdale together. So also does q |
novel which Marchdale has written un-
der an assumed name in which the
Duchessa figures as the heroine. So
does Mrs. O'Donovan Florence, a minor |
character but altogether likeabie as
are all the people in this admirable |
story.
Dialogue rather than incident is the |
vehicle OF the narrative. Neither is
there much description. The readers
acquaintance with the several people
il developed by their talk rather than
by anything the author ventures to say |
about them I'm the way of description. |
The people are clever at conversation. |
They talk brightly without straining
at II. They do not derI ip obviously |
studied epigrams. but clever though !
they be they are perfectly natural. |
There is no villain dragged in to inter- |
fere with the course OF true love and |
no untoward circumstances other than |
what IL created by the persons most |
Interested themselves. Such as there |
H.