The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-08

THE HIGHWAY. a ROMANCE OF
1 VIRGINIA IN THE SEVENTEENTH
! CENTURY. ny Mary Z. Wilkins. New
York: Doubleday. Page & Co. Bound in
! cloth. u mo-. illustrated, 9oS pages, price
s15p For sale by the Bel Book and
J Stationery Company, Richmond
/, Miss Wilkinson is so identified with
| New England that ii Is hard to associate
| heT with a romance of Virginia IN Colonial
+! DAYS Her stories Of puritanical New Eng
| land village life her marvellous cameo-like
! descriptions OF the stern, repressed lines
| Of her heroines are in marked contrast 10
| the romance. fire and wealth OF local col
( or necessary to a tale of Colonial Hir-
| mia Even the outward appearance OF the
| two classes are in direct opposition Con-
| trast the delicate gray-gowned, straight
! VI, and down heToines of Miss Wilkins
| New England sketches with Miss Mary
! Canndish dressed in "a tabby pettcoat
| OF a crimson color, and crimson bodice
| shining over her arms and shoulders IKE
| the plunagG OF q bird. Z"
| Tina Tina OF the action OF the story is
| just after Bacon's Rebellion. The peo-
| pIa OF Virginia are much excited over the
! Navigation Act and the Climax of the
| story is tho burning of the young tohac-
| co crop by patriotic colonists The love
| story is pathetic record OF love from
| boyhood days, and at the time our story
| opens apparently hopeless love. since the
| hero is a convict employed as tutor by
proud Madam canndish Tor her beautiful
| granddaughter. Mary, the object of his de
votion However it all comes right in
the end, as he is StiiitlesS Of the crime
for which he suffers. having taken the
blame upon himself in order to shield
woman whom he supposes to have stolen
| the ring, which makes all the trouble from
| first to last
| Miss Wilkins has written most delight
| ful story. thereby proving The versatility Of
| her genius. Having proved it. let US hope
| She will return 10 her former field There
| are many writers Of Colonial stories, but
! New England has only one Miss Wilkins.
| Her field there is undsputed and her class
! of writing unique.
| The Illustrations are by Du Mond. They
| ara all true 10 life, except the one show
| ing the negro mother surrounded by her
| babies. NJ. Du Mond must have drawn
upon hin imagination, for Virginia pick
aninnies' never looked like those shown in
| thu picture.
AS THE LIGHT LED. BY James Newton
Basket, author of AT You-Alfs House.
Basket, author of AT You-Ails
! House." New York: The Macmillan
Company. Bound in cloth; gilt top;
| uncut edges; 392 pages. Price, Sl-5o.
| 1t seems to be the literary fashion of
| the hour to discuss denominational ques-
| lions. LAS the Light Led opens with
a controversy concerning their respective
beliefs on the subject of immersion
| between the Methodists and the Campbell
! ties in Northeastern Missouri. The time
| Of the story is the late sixties Gradu-
| ally the religious feature drops out, and
| the story resolves itself ito character
| study Of the heroine.
The study of her spiritual development
| at times becomes very tiresOme, and the
e -rlfT 10
| Hickman is a rough diamond. He says
| Of himself: I'm not the stuff they make
| angels out Of Oh. I'm the raw
I material reckon but awfully raw, l tell
| you These two are the only cear-cut
| characters in the book, with the possible
exception Of De Lorne, a dilettante college
| man, who makes love to the heroine the
| others are vague, shadowy, lay figures.
| crude and lacking Individuality Through
! her love for Bent the character of the
| heroine finally reaches its highest devel-
| Cpmcnt. Bent himself reaches the heroic
| plane, when, at the risk of his own life.
| he saves the life of the man whom he
thinks his sweetheart loves, that she may
! be happy, a any cost. Later in life he
| seems to lose his high ideal of right, and
| only in the last pages does he again COM
| mand our admiration
| While presenting striking picture of
the features and customs Of the 1Sssfal
| '
character sketch.
| BOY. A Sketch BY Marie Coreli. author
| of 1.-The Sorrows Of Satan, "Barabbas,"
| &c. Philadelphia: J. z. LipDincott
! Company. Bound in cloth; l. mo, 34S
This is the most pretentious work from
| the pen of Marie Corelli since the publca-
| ton of ''The Sorrows of Satan" 1t is
somewhat of a departure from Miss Co
| relli's usual style, being more wholesome
| in tone. The keynote is heredity and
environment Boy is a lovable little child
| Handicapped by a drunken father and
sloyenly mother.
The most attractive character in the
book, however, is Miss Lefty, an 'unap-
propriated blessing" and a most charming
old lady. Her influence over Boy, always
beneficial, finally proves his salvation.
| Miss Corelli brings some of her char
acters to America, and has some very
kind things to say of us as a nation.
On the other hand. she launches some
very fierce diatribes against the abuses
of English society.
THE SECRET OF THE CRATER. A
MOUNTAIN .COLOCTi. BY Dufield Os-
borne, author of .he Spell of Ashtaroth."
etc. New York. G. P. Punam's Sons.
Hudson Library series. Bound in paper;
price 30 cents.
what in the style of Rider Haggard and
based upon most improbable plot. 1t
describes the discovery of an island, in
habited by a colony of Carthagenian ex-
lies, who are under the control of the
native priests. The god Tao dwells in
the crater of the island, and whenever he
s angry there is an eruption from the
island and the god can only be appeased
and disaster averted by the sacrifice of Il
noble maiden. The discovery OF the ISL
and and the reckless daring of a young
officer of the United States Navy. by
which the sacrifice is arrested and the
power OF the black priests overthrown
form the substance OF the story. The
hero's thrilling adventures and hair
breadth escapes are told in vivid style.
Magazines.
Richard Harding Davis The Relief
of Ladysmth, in the July SCRIBNER'S
is probably the most brilliant piece of
war correspondence since his famous
story of the fight at Las Guasimas.
Another article by Thomas f. Willard.
the correspondent who has been on the
Boer SIDE throughout the war, and who