Evening star., 1900-10-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

NEW PUBLICATIONS.
OLIVER cRohwE1L- By Theodore soc:e,:l.:
Sons. Washington: Brentano's
Governor Roosevelt's Cromwell" is a fine
example of spirited biography. 1t breathes
action in every chapter. 1t tells the story
OF the great commoner in q way to make
the portrait alive. There is an evident SYM
pathy between writer and subject which
anfmates the pages and makes them appeal
strongly to the readers interest. Crom-
wells career was just such as TO awaken
the literary zeal OF a man like Governor
Roosevelt. Aggressive, uncompromis:ng, en-
thusiastic for his cause, magnetic, he was
beloved by his intimates just as is the
young statesman-solder Of our times. And
1t was fitting, therefore. that the two char
acters should unite in such a work, one in
reflection, one in narration.
The book Is a valuable one not alone for
Its research, but for Its illustration There
has been every effort. apparently, to fill the
pages with instructive and interesting draw
lngs, portraits, maps and sketches, many Of
them contemporaneous, some reproduced
from paintings, some fanciful, following the
lines OF greatest probable accuracy. The
result is a picture of England before dur
ing and after the commonwealth which is
vivid and realistic. Governor Roosevelt's
literary style is well fitted for such a task
1t never falters. His words are strong. as
befits the man and the times of which he
writes. Serial publication has not dimin-
ished the interest which very large public
is certain to take in this work. easily one
of the most notable in it's line for a long
period.
ANNA Wills; Tale of the Siberian steppe BY
salsons Mya New York. paas % de
Washington: VIM. Ballantyne 4 Sons
1t is the avowed purpose Of this novel to
present picture of Siberia which will dis
abuse the western mind of many miscon-
ceptlons about that great region. 1t Is
questionable whether it will achieve this
end. 1t assuredly gives new view of ST.
berian social life, showing that there is a
large measure of culture on the long-frozen
steppes. 1t shows those steppes in summer
with their abounding vegetable and animal
life. But it touches the political problem
so lightly. almost negligibly, that 1t is to
be doubted whether the average reader will
be persuaded that Siberia is other than a
great penal colony-an impression which is
far, indeed, from being altogether fair to
the present policies of Russia. The story
which is used as q medium Is of some in
teIest. The types are strong and clear, but
their Slavic names are awkward to the
western eye that the attention is sometimes
strained to detect identities. The novel will
be noted rather for its sociological than
Its literary or political purpose.
TALES OF THE EX-TANKs: a Book Of Hard
Luck Stories. By Clarence Louis Cullen. New
York: Grosset & Dunlap.
Mr.. Cullen's group of "eX-tanks has al
ready achieved some notoriety. 1t is an
interesting assemblage If the point of view
be sympathetic. To be sympathetic, how
ever. does not require indulgence in strong
drink. 1t is possible to appreciate the ver-
nacular which forms large part of the
diction. the tenacity with which the mirage
of happiness through intoxication is pur-
sued, the crude bohemianism of the mar
rators of these stories without any sense
of personal participation. 1t is a per-
haps necessary misfortune of such work
that 1t presents the inebriate conQuering
each assault Of hard luck" so called, for
literary effect. Practically every tale ends
''happily." There is swing of invention
and language which makes the book novel.
The author is well known in Washington
through his newspaper work here.
BOY; Sketch. BY Marie Corelli, author Of the
Sorrows Of Saan etc PhadephlS Wm Raj h
lantyne & Sons
Boy is tragedy In every note and as
pect 1t Is the story Of the life Of lad
sacrificed to a selfish, short-sghted, ignor-
ant mothers jealousy Of another and a bet
ter womans interest in her offspring. In
cidentally 1t affords a picture of the life Of
the more depraved type of British army
officer 1t sketches two or three strong
characters and tells a feebly interesting
love story as an incident. The author has
wisely termed her work a Sketch for 1t
lacks the essentials of novel. 1t is marred
by BIT of gross carelessness One of the
characters Is made to speak of the lack OF
modern opportunities for an army officer to ,
rise like a Kitchener, although the action
occurs at that stage Of the story when
Lord Kitchener was an unknown, unhonored
subaltern.
COLONIAL FAMILIES AND THEIR DESCEND
ANTS. BY Mary Bourke Emory. Baltimore:
The Sun Press
Mrs. Emory's book is of necessity largely
a personal appeal to the sympathies of her
readers and friends, for she frankly avows
her purpose and hope to secure through 1t
a home in her declining years. She has told
the story of some of the oldest Of the families
OF the eastern colonies in a manner which
gives her work, however, considerable liter
airy and historic value. Her means of re-
search are not equaled by many writers.
Personal acquaintance with the descend
ants of some of the most interesting and
important families of Maryland has enabled
her to write with authority Illustrations
OF several famous Maryland homesteads en-
belliSh the book
TALES FROM TOXIC. By Clarence Ludlow
Brownell. New York: Warner & Brownelf
These are rather sketches than tales"
They are in no sense stories, but rather i'm
presslons of the people and manners of the
new Japan And they are charming
sketches at that, for they afford view of
Japan and the Japanese which is somewhat
novel, the author having evidently gone
far into the inner life of the people inter
preting some of their peculiaritles into Eng
lish text with pleasurable degree of hui
NOR. His descriptions of the japanese bath
the policeman and the newspapers are ex-
cellent.
THE. MAID OF MAIDEN LANE; a SEQUEL to 1.-The
Bow Of Orange Ribbon BY Amelia E. Barr
New York: Dodd. Mead and Co. Washington:
WIN. Ballantyne SoIs.
Washingtonians will be somewhat inter-
ested in one historic phase OF this novel. for
it deals in part with the removal of the fed
eral capital from New York to Philadel-
phia, from which 1t was moved to the banks
or the Potomac. AS a story it preserves
I he charm of which the author has shown |
herself to be capable in its predecessors
dealing with the same types, and in meas
ure with the same people
fAIhioIiC ilt ELo3UENCE; Relating to the Span
lsh- American War and Its Issues. Complied
ana arranged by Robert l. Fulton, Dean OF the