New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-16
FICTION.
a BOOK IN PRAISE OF LOVING KINDNESS.

THE HELPERS. By Francis Lynde 12mo. DID,
400 Houghton, N1ifiin & co. '''
THE. GENTLEMAN PENsIoNER. A Romance
Of the Year 1853 BY Albert Lee limo, PIP S5l.
D. Appleton & Co.
JUDGE ELBRIDGE BY Opie Read limo. DID. 2a5
Chicago: Rand McNally & Co
THE E c;ARBPFET-BA6GGER. By oPie Read and
Lee. -1o'-0
THE Helpers" by Francis Lynde is prefaced
with this rather unusual dedication: ITO the
Men and Women of the Guild Compassionate
Greeting: FOrasmuch as it hath seemed good in
the eyes Of many to write of those things which
snake for the disheartening Of all mankind, these
things are written in the hope that the God-gift
of loving Kindness shared alike by saint and
sinner, may in some poor measure be given Its
due" This affected language may be inter
.preted to mean that the author, IN undertaking
his present work. wished to write book that
should display the more generous aspects Of
humanity. To many people he will seem to have
succeeded. The story tells Of a weak but by no
means vicious young man from the East who
suins himself by gambling in Colorado, suffers
bitterly from poverty and shame. is given
chance to redeem himself by various good peo-
pie, and in the end becomes useful member Of
society again, and the prospective husband OF a
good hearted but rather theatrical young
woman. This scheme is simple enough, and it
well; but, unfortunately. his zeal stood In his
way. He wanted so much TO make his char
acters seem good that he yielded every now and
then TO a temptation TO sentimentalize them and
TO make them Go and say unnatural things.
Parts of the book are cleverly done, with occa-
sional flashes Of insight other parts are me-
,chanical and trite. On the whole THE Helpers
must be commended chiefly for its good inten-
s1ion
Albert Lee is another Of the large band Of
writers who IN recent years have followed in the
footsteps Of Anthony Hope and Stanley Wey
man. He belongs distinctly TO the weyman
school Indeed, in plot and in treatment, THE
Gentleman Pensioner" bears a not very remote
resemblance to 1.-The Gentleman OF France"
Mr.. Lee lays his scene in England during the
time Of Queen EIizabeth's Imprisonment OF Mary
Stuart His hero Elizabeth with loyal
devotion, and after many adventures he is re-
warded by winning for his bride the maid that
he loves. Mr.. Lee has caught the antique flavor,
and he keeps his story moving briskly.
In Judge Elbridge' Opie Read seriously in
lures his story at the start b. beginning with an
obviously melodramatic and absurd situation
from which the plot develops So the whole mar
rative IS weakened. Judge Elbridge" a fine
specimen of the Western selfmade American
thinks that he sees his son engaged in the at
tempt 70 plumber his safe but the thief is really
the villain Of the story. who has disguised him
self to look like the This is carrying the
rornancer's license altogether too far The story
moves with a good deal OF CELEBRITY and II shows
tfat the author has a shrewd. If not very
deep seeing, eye. The humor is cheap.
The carpet-Bagger," by opie Read and Fran
ces Pixley, is q vivacious. entertaining and well
written story OF reconstruction days in the
South. Now and then II is true It suggests
clever comic opera; but the whole. the cpl
sodes and the dialogue are extremely well
handled, the conversation being notably natural
and engaging. '"rhe Carpet Bagger," who is
persuaded by the influence Of a good woman to
turn from rascaily career as Governor Of
Mississippi and to become an honest citizen
makes a human and iovable hero In its way
the book has much more than average merit