The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-28


of children who are concerned in the tale
go to live on an island called The Island
Impossible" from which they make jour
| neys to any part of the world. and do ex-
actly what they please. The whole book
is very much like the fairyland which most
imaginative children construct for them
selves; and. like that fairyland, il does not
bear cold analysis, though this will make
it none the less delightful to its young
! readers. The Illustrations. by kathar-
inc Pyle are charming. Boston: Little,
Brown G Coz
THE Bronze Buddha by Cora Linn
Daniels. is a emi-theosophical love story,
with romantic and slightly melodramatic
plot. There is just enough mysticism in IT
TO pique the reader who is interested in
such subjects. and not enough to make it
very technical or take it out Of the realms
OF pure fiction. The reader who likes
realistic or adventurous stories, will proba-
bly, be slightly out of patience with it be
fore having gone very far; but it is fairly
well told. and the interest Of the plot is
! well sustained.
An artistic bemish is the lack of defnite-
ness in character drawing. The characters
| are hardly individualized at all. and there
| is considerably more transcendent beauty
! scattered around among them than falls TO
the lot of half dozen people In ordinary
| life. The story centers around the search
! for bronze statue of the Buddha, which
/ the father of the heroine has continued
through his life, and which he makes his
daughter promise to continue for five years.
! Before the five years are over, however,
the statue is found and the reason for the
search explained. and several other mys
teries cleared up to the satisfaction OF all
4 ppn oil eel G 4
'1etitia Berkeley, A. NJ by Josephine
| Donteoou Steffens. is a novel which has
| decidedly decadent atmosphere about it,
| though the author is evidently in earnest.
! and not exploiting her unsavory idels for
profits sake. A great deal can be forgiven
TO serious purpose, but in this case the
writer seems TO be on the wrong track.
Briefly. it Is situation much like that
of "a Lady of Quality" transferred to mod
ern times, and deprived OF the sensational
element. There is good deal OF human
nature in it, albeit the portrayal is some
times rather garish and crude; and the
author has undoubtedly some ability at
character drawing. II the world in gen.
eTal did not know better by this time.
this book might give the impression that
all intellectual women are without proper
moral stamina. The grain OF truth In the
wholS oyerdrawn picture is that il is Gam
gerous to bring up girl under supervision
so close that she knows nothing OF the
world from practical experience, though
she may know great deal about the Ian
guages and sciences. New York: Frede
rick 4. Stokes Company
Resolved TO Be Rich'' by E. H. Cooper.
is story OF English provincial life. writ
ten with considerable cleverness. The
central figure is a youth who is born
moneymaker and this character Is brought
out especially I'M the first few chapters,
in very cunning way. One OF those
swindling companies which are only too
common everywhere and TO which certain
English peers have lately lent names and
aOtorety, furnishes material for the plot.
such as it is But the main interest lies
in the pictures of people, and the witty
sentences which sparkle like bits OF crys-
tai on nearly every page. Here are few
OF them:
He really had no cut and dried desire TO
plumber his neiglbOrs bat merely wish TO get
his share Of this worlds goods; and my lords
idea Of his share much he could pos
sby get without being hanged or sent 10 Jail
for IL.
lie had given nothing for nothing all his life
having. indeed. made hut present III the
course Of his thirty years, and that merely
to give hi deceased mothers false teeth TO his
lsndlady
Miss Bcrtrams brother had supported the In
Urinary tas secrrtRT,) for some time. but was
found at length 10 he ratber in the nature Of
fyiHg buttress. since he had abscondcd to Spain
with most Of the current funds.
Gambling is as completely 4 disease as n
hundred Others which YOU visit Ems Homburg
to cure: only unfortunately the German baths |
have not set been found which will eradicate it.
There a certain man who famous
mischici-Iaakcr. who went about the world max |
ing qnsfrels and rows everywhere. One DAY he |
came 10 a town where one qu1freied, |
where talked SANDER. and every one was !
friends with everyone else. The people who knew
him said: 1t is 10 good coming here; YOU |
can't make any mischief here. II you told the |
most outrageous stories night and day about Us !
no one would believe you. II you collected Wit |
nesses and appeared to prove Of guilty |
q crime you would only be laughed at You |
had better not waste your time here" The |
mischicf.maker laughed and said nothing; but in !
the morning he bought some honey, and put |
dab OF il outside a door.
A ay settled the honey. spider settled |
the fy and eat him; chameleon settled the /
spider and eat him; cat attacked the chameleon; |
a dog attacked the cat: the owner OF the cat at
tackled the dog; the owner Of the dog attacked /
the owner Of the cat; then all the town came |
out and took sides. forget what happened to /
the mi-clci-maker himself. There is end to
il IT ALL chicken. The uprOIr in the town. when |
,he end Of that story even now.
These paragraphs taken at random. are
fair examples of the authors style. tChi-
cago: Herbert :. Stone g. Co. $l.25J
THE Honor OF Thieves" is sea story
by Cutcliffe Hyne, in which that interest
ing pirate and hero. Captain Kettle re-
appears in a new and happy role. To be
exact the story is not strictly marine in
it's scope since a good part OF the scene
is laid in London. but there is a distinct
flavor OF salt water about il. which is not
at all unpleasant.
The hero. Patrick Onslow, Is daredevil
Young Englishman who is so far as mod
err opportunities will permit, "A sort of
latter day pirate. AZ intervals he turns uo
in London society, with plenty OF money,
plenty of good stories, and a close mouth
about his own doings. All that this society |
knows of him is that he was OF good fami-
ly, went through the public schools, fell
in love with a girl who treated him badly
and thereafter became wanderer the
face OF the earth. He is first introduced
in connection with whitewashed rascal
named Shelf who has graduated from the
position of pillar or a dissenting church,
10 that OF millionaire and would-be baro-
net II is curious property of some kinds
Of moral whitewash, that the blacklist
charcoal will almost leave 4 white mark
On IT. and beside the sanctimonious
of this whining capitalist the
straightforw ard deviltry Of Onslow shows
10 great advantage, and will endcnr the
Young man TO the average reader. II Is ex.
tremely refreshing TO find a modern
Pharlsee called by his correct name. even
II il is only publican and his partner VINO
gives him his character.
The two. then, go into partnership TO
steal an enormous quantity of gold. which
4