The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-28
RICHARD wHIrEING.s 1.-THE ISLAND,

Richard Whiteing has issued Il new
edition Of The Island" a work lie wiote
| earlier than No. ; John Street and
which has renewed sale, because of the
great popularity of mo. John Street
and a natural demand for more from the
same hand The value of 1.-THE Island
has the same value as NO. John
Street" that is-it is a work which has
been given a degree Of leisurely. scrupu-
lous care, far beyond that usually be-
slowed on books of its kind Every word
has been selected with mental exactitude.
and the sentences are carved out with
such nicely, that the marvel is that the
author did not sacrifice his style, which
remains graceful and always charming.
The idea used in THE Island is similar
to that utilized in political pam9h-
let circulated widely in Kansas some
years ago. in which pamphlet some dozen
folk were put on an island in the Pa
cific. One turned money loaner and in
very short time owned everything in
sight by virtue of the monstrous accumu-
lating power of interest.
In Whiteing's book an English lord
finds an island in the Pacific peopIed by
a simple, love-laden clan which reioices
his eyes. He becomes one Of them He
finds that they worship England as land
of great superiority. He is persuaded, by
a native girl, an admirable character, to
try to induce her father, the magistrate
of the island. TO set out on a system of
reforms to make the island conform to
the mother country. He demurs, and
trial He points out to the magistrate
who carries the laws of the country in
a note book, that he ought to live up 10
his station, ought 10 raise his house at
least six inches higher than other peo-
pies. He admonishes: Guide your peo-
ple-rouse them out of this sloth of com
fort and happiness; give them national
ideals. great ambitions great struggles. -
He shook his head. 81 really don't be-
Ieve you could get up fight about any
thing here
q don't mean that exactly; but why
not have foreign policy, and then it
would all come in the way of nature?
Have you no neighbors?"
None"
There's that island Reuben found out
father" said Victoria.
why not place it under a protector
ate?"
There's nothing to protect only some
dead coral and a cave full of bones. Be
sides it's a hundred and fifty miles
away"
"Oh. my good friends. your motto
should be Distance no Object if you
want 10 get on. But is there nothing
nearer?"
"Wen. there is another only eighty
miles of: but that's worse-dead coral
without the bones"
You are certainly unfortunate. But I
should protec, these places. all the same
and leave a garrison. Never tell me! If
YOU push on far enough. YOU mast come
to something 10 fight at last. Providence
can hardly have meant You 20 be shut
up in this place without an enemy in the
world. Only take care. when you come
in within touch of your fellow creatures
70 have a weapon in your hand"
The girl shuddered: More hlliug.'
You've got to find your excuse for hit
ting 'em. even then" the father said.
..Oh. insist on annexing them for their
good and yours; that viii 90"
But how are you 70 find The exouse?f
.eNhv. you seize one place today, TO
mako GOOD your hold o. another you
seized yesterday; and tomorrow you seize
one place more, for the same reason Il
is a process known as inevitable eNpan-
sion. and If only you follow IL out logic
ally. it leads you ali round The world,
The book. from one end 20 the other Is
fun Of this clean-cut irony. Il 5 pub
nshed by The Century COMPANY ana may
be- obtained in Wichita of the Goldsmith
Rock and stationery concang-