The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-15

kins, is the story OF girl
who lived on her friends.
Her name was Evelyn
smith--a combination OF
the unusual and the common which very
fairly represents the young PERSONS
character She was reared by wealthy
aunt. who, dying left her five hundred a
year strong taste for luxury and
large number Of friends. She was the
kind OF 'lively" girl whom people
especially people who are not lively
tbemseives--Iike to have In their houses
She could sing coon songs to banjo
accompaniment with great effect: she
could talk amusingly to anybody. from
senator's to small boys. and she was, In
general way, socially invaluable. 80 she
passed from one visit TO another. giving.
no doubt fun value In return for her en-
tsriainment but unpleasantly conscious
ut times that her existence was parasite
cal The story tells how Evelyn grew
q soul and had two love affairs. IL Is
brightly and ciever'y written. 1t IL i'm
possible for Miss Tompkins to be dun,
and were II not for one fault In the book
We can imagine u NJ having pronounc-
ed success among younger readers. That
fault. however. - precisely the one
which younger readers~and rIghtfully
snough--wiil not tolerate In their fiction.
II has occurred to the author apparently
90 surveying the field OF life that nice
sfrls' do not always behave quite so
decorously In reality ~ they do In htera-
infe. especially girls who. like Evelyn.
"knuw their way about" She has ne-
cordngly tried 20 show both the better
and the worser slides of her heroine. and
especially To depict some of her small
feminine lures. which when shown up In
cold print are anything but aiiuring
The result II distinctly unpleasant. Eve
bn Is magnetic and interesting The
writer has made her alive aud absorbing
aud made her very much more OF
mans woman" than IS the heroine
whom MIR Frank Norris recently called
hy that title. hut with all her charm
she has not been saved from vntgaritv
The fact seems To be that IN Action. as
IN real Rte some characters cHn do
things tina, other people cant Mr. An
ihony Hope could turn out herolues by
the score who could throw themselves
Into their adorers' arms accidentally ON
pnrpese" and their fdllles would only
provoke nm indulsent smile. but when
Evelyn Smith does 10, or when she sug~
eests 10 the same unwilling adorcr that
he might kiss her because she hasn't
say h'oom 70 rs rubbed of. the reader
writes her down as hopclessly impos-
sible Young person, In spite Of this, how
ever, she holds the observers interest 10
'he nnal page, and It would be mistake
10 convey the hlep that the book II tiltod
With Eyclyn's errors IN taste II con
ialns a good deaf ~ sound philosophy.
much sparkling conversation and vivid
description THE character Of Dolly an
hefn, who ts very much uicer than Etc-
tn and much le~a attractive rs Very
clearly drawn, and the writer shows no
end = talents anil qualifications cor
amusing the reading puhlic.
Nefhe Things That Count" hy EiiFa-
hslh kalsht rompGius. q. y rutnsm's
sses Paper Soc. cloth. 81. For sale by
iawman 8 Hanfordi
Nj Iulian Raiph wont a. South Africa
she hcRlnuiug of the prca,ut contest
a tho correspondent o. the Iondon
t4lly Matt Efeta body knows that Mr.
hAlnh sccs things wherever there D. any
'sing 20 H. seem. ara that Re describes
Neas he observes Ntth force and pic
tare8ausnces Toward Pretoria" takes
iae reader With fhe author from Cane
Fg~n t1 he rvlirf ~ Ntmbertev There
30 doutt s@ e. Mr Rslph's sympa-
sA'es-thcp art prouounc~diy English
soa a. usuai he makes ais Readers sea
Nisa bis tYes Tho chapter on The Boer
~ Homo te n~ severe tu ore Way as
lassr~ ana AuNauaires i- ln another
u fast NJ Ralph ao,is horribly an, body
sefta NhHe" i- South Afrsca except
Ae Hshtlns rau Who had jest COME