New-York tribune., 1900-12-23


sinned In this story does not carry his secret
through a term OF years. He is accused. con-
fesses and is punished all in the early chapters.
His church Is burned TO the ground. He Is sus-
pended from the ministry for five years. Slow
Iy climbing out Of the depths. however. he re-
builds his beloved church stone by stone with
the efforts of his own hands He fuIhls every
law of obligation that repentance might exact
the church Is finished. the fiye years pass. and
then comss Mr.. Hornung with a lurid finale
as cheap as tire calcium lights of a melodrama.
just missing the writing of a good story
In 'Dr. North and His Friends the author
of "Hugh wynne'' portrays "merry bowl OF
souls" some Of whom might have graced the
lAutocrat's breakfast table. and others who would
not have been disconnected had they found
themselves In the midst Of the Concord Circle"
Dr. Mitchell in his latest work suggests that he
, may have been active as his own Boswell There
is a strong likelihood that the experiences and
associations of the poet novelist and physician
have been on a similar plane with those that
isurround DIR. North; but as he disclaims any at
tempt at being photographed Il Is unneces-
sary to pursue the Psychology OF the subject.
The love story that forms the connecting link
in the many conversations held by the exclusive
and cultivated circle of this book leaves much to
the imagination Of the reader No one really
knows-least Of all the persons most concerned
whether ST. Clair and Sybn In love with
each other or not. The development Of this
romance. however. Is secondary in Importance.
DIR. North and his friends find much to discuss
in matters of social and artistic import. Through
the medium of dialogue many embryo essays.
which in turn are witty. philosophical and
enlightening. set forth The interest Of the
work depends entirely upon these conversations.
which reflect the mature mind of the author and
make his book readable.
II rrt.1 r.,
dedicated to extolling the beauties Of Venice.
the Venice Of several hundred years ago. in the
height Of a magnifcence now only traditional
The thread Of the story which holds the brilliant
passages of description together tells Of the mar
rage Of the hero MarcantoniO Giustiniani.
grandee. 70 the daughter Of GirOlamO Maga-
gnati. Of the people So beautiful is Marina thar
Paul veronese takes her as model for paint
ing Of the Madonna. and so devOut is she that in
spite of her loyalty to her husband she takes the
side of Pope Paul v against the Republic.
The struggle between the Pope and the Govern
ment for supremacy and PauPs edict against
Venice give historical interest to the story. and
the strenuous efforts OF Marina to cement the
differences give some vitality to the plot. which
is otherwise rather unwieldy. Mrs TurnbuI
has studied her Venice very carefully. In her
preface she admits her Indebtedness TO various
standard works on the City of the Sea In pre-
pairing her portrait of Fra PaoIo Sarpi she has
read and pOndered over his collected works.
The result is a volume that may be read for it's
vivid word painting.
A quixOtic young girl. distraught married
woman. and some immature. rather steTeOtyped
socialists the main characters in "The Image
Breakers" a novel cOmmUnistic in theory and
hystericaI in quality. Miss Dix is new writer
with IaudabIe aim. but her endeavOr to display
the difference between drOsS and gold is not
very inspiring. and aesthetic looking Anarchists
are wearisOme creatures at best. There is some
flesh and blood about Leslie Ardent and Red
= gold. her lover: they eventually came to the
b right understanding between men and women.
and found nothing very original in their philOso
E ply after ALL The experiences Of ROsalind and
e Ferrar are not sane. but are what might
;, have been expected from their endeavOr to force
a new creed in place of an old tried and more
: or less successful Miss Dix's icOnOclastS
" fail somehow to excite either admiration. SYM
C pathy or interest.
"The Eagles Heart is a character study. dis
! closing the evolution Of boy who most
unruIy urchln-in fact. it is extremely difficult
TO find the stuff that heroes made Of in the
following ideal MIR Garland presents:
O "YOu touch me and TIL kill you" he said in a
- EN