The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-17

The West End" by Percy White.
comes near being the cleverest book of
London life since Red Pottage' appear d,
and in some ways II is more brilliant than
| that surprising success. The novel resem-
bles Vanity Fair" in not having any hero
The central figure. whose personality per-
meates and dominates the whole, is lit
tie lame gentleman of an innocently ms
licious turn of mind, who chronicles the
doings of all the other characters and oc-
casionally takes a hand in them. The
general theme of the book is the struggle
of London tradesman, John Treaiaway, 10
get into the smart set,' and tn, Boswell
to his johnson is his nephew, and osten-
sibly his secretary, Rupert Anterior. This
quiet little man is always around some
where behind the scenes, and frequently
serves as the deus ex machina for the other
characters.
The heroine is Miranda Treadaway. a
piquant and charming maiden who walks
calmly through all the snares set for her
dainty feet, and eventually marries hand
some young soldier known as Fair Daffo-
dis" apparently because his name is Her
rick and his head yellow. Anterior has
his finger is this matrimonial pie, as also
in that of Niranda's brother Archie. and
by his intricate Vaccinations, half of which
nobody suspects. earns the title Of 1.-The
little pea-green Machiavelli''-the adjec-
tive referring to his sallow complexion.
The whole story is admirably told, and
there is enough brilliant epigram and elev-
er analysis by the wayside to keep the
reader interested from first to last. When
the chronicler observes that the playing of
a certain lady was extremely intricate.
with involved gambols Of sound. which
suggested tesselated noise one feels the
relief Of having ng-sought expression
neatly put into shape and polished off One
of the brightest bits OF satire is the au-
thor's explanation OF the popularity of
Christian Science among the smart set"
He says:
So far as the doctrines of this remarkable body
have been revealed TO me, l gather that faith
aided by prayer il their one remedy. The more
advanced holders Of these tenets, by stretching
their creed 20 its limits, have persuaded them
selves that the prolongation Of youth is merely a
question Of faith. In other words, they believe
that you can remain young just so long you are
persuaded that you not old. II religion is in
tended fer the comfort Of humanity no creed
could be better suited to smart women. among
whom, l am informed. many converts have been
made. 1t is far more successful in dealing with
wrinkles and crows feet than the steam kettle or
the most expert niasseuse. The former, with faith
and prayer, reaches the root of the trouble; the
latter merely treat a relaxed in;egumcnt. This,
at least, ! gather from the half-whispered col
loquies Of Lady Tfeadaway and Lady Smyihe.
Even ''smartness" has its mysteries. Those who
believe its glamour is all the surface merel
superficial observers, and it is not for me- tolerant
as am, TO deny even to the most worldly a re-
ligion Of their own.
And here is another piece Of consum-
mately bright comment:
Church paraders admire themselves in altrristic
mirrors. The women judge the effect of their
raiment by impressions read in other women; the
men study the effect produced on other men by
the women in whose society they are displayed
Church parade, il you know where to find 1t, is
the West End "cake walk" The uninitiated
wander aimlessly among the outlanders who have
come up from the suburbs in buses; but the man
instructed In society's simple methods knows
when he has found the centre by the faces BEAM
ing there. This cake walk has always interested
me.
The brightness of Mr.. White is all the
more in evidence from the fact that he has
been shrewd enough to select for the
teller of the story-or to mold into being
for that purpose-a character whom his
epigrams exactly fit, and from whose lips
they fall with entire naturalness. He thus
avoids introducing his own personality into
the book at every turn-a most unfOrtu-
nate thing for an author to do-and still
avoids the impersonal attitude in which
epigram such as the foregoing cannot be
attained. New York: Harper & Bros.
$1.50.)
THE Black Homer of Jimtown." by Ed.
Mott, is a book of plantation stories Of
rather new type. The newness of 1t
lies chiefly In the dialect, which is that
Of the Cape Fear country. and differs
slightly from the Georgia and Virginia pa
tolls with which the public IL already famil-
lar It IL SOFT melodious, quaint, and not
difficult to understand; but both language
and sentiment impress one as belonging to
simpler, II not q lower, order Of humane
~ than those Of the Thomas Nelson Page