The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-15
ENGLAND'S NEW LITERARY SENSATION

The cleverest woman in England today
is John Oliver Hobbies (Ndrs. Craigie In
private life). She is also the most talked
about, as her new book, Robert
Orange" Frederick A Stokes company,
is the literary sensation of the day across
the water, says the Times-Herald.
Mrs. Craigie is in reality an American,
as she was born in Boston in 1867. Her
grandfather, Rev James Richards, was
the founder of the first theological SEM
mary in New York She left this coun-
try, however, at an early age, and trav
eled extensively with her parents. Her
elementary education was obtained in
Paris, where she was put to school.
Having learned French in her childhood
she speaks it with the same facility as
English. She is also deeply versed in
the classics, which she studied at Uni
versity college in London under the cele-
brated Prof. Goodwin. She began writ
ing at an extremely early age, but did
not attain to general recognition until
the appearance of her first long novel,
Some Emotions and a Moral
T. Fisher Unwin became her publisher
through the fact that she was unwilling
to relinquish the unusual title which the
book bears. lit was first submitted to an
other firm, who accepted it on condition
that the author accept a different title
and make other lesser changes She re-
fused to comply and offered the manu-
script to Mr. UnWin, who also strongly
recommended that She alter the title, but
did not insist when he found the fair
author tnlexible. Her judgment was ap-
proved by the outcome, as the book
proved a great success, selling over &c.
900 copies in the first few weeks after
it's publication.
Other we'll known books by Mrs Grail
-
mystical, impassioned tragedy, "Osbern
and Ursyne." The chief quality of her
work is her power of brilliant generaliza-
tlon, a power which she sometimes sub
ordinates to a satirical and biting ten
dency. In her descriptions of character
she is a black and white artist, using
but few lines, but those most effective
She also has the skill of the major nov
elists in handling elemental passions
with a certain added ma sculine compre-
hension which enables her to breathe
the breath of life into fictiye men as well
as women
Another quality of her work which
must not be forgotten is it's indefinable
air of having been written by a mental
aristocrat-a genuine lady of quality No
one has ever laid bare with more skill
the motives of the better classes of Eng
land. Her women and men never for a
moment forget their breeding; they never
do or think anything vulgar-for the rea-
son, one comprehends, that the author
herself is such q thoroughbred that she
has no conception of vulgar or low-bred
traits. Even her villain, ParAete Gin
Robert Orange'), receives his death
wound like a gentleman, and opens the
door for the exit OF his murderer with
the courtly remark: Sir, I have the
honor to wish you good day"
. =
Robert Orange" is the sequel to the
story "a School for Saints and it deals
with the irresistible impulse which push
es a man on towards his calhng-if he De
strong-and despite the temporary allure
ment of love and ambition. Mrs. Craigie
is a Roman Catholic, and her chief char
acter is a Romanist who is destined by
fate or divine purpose for the priesthood
He is beloved by tWS women, and he
loves one of them in return. Bright Par
fete, the object of his affections is a
married woman living apart from her
husband A well-substantiated report of
the latter's death arrives, and Robert
and Bright are married. The report
proves false and they separate. Later
Parfiete actually dies, but Robert has
renowned his ambitions and passions of
the world, and Is on his way to Rome
to join the Jesuits.
Such. in bare statement, is the funda
tH0IlldI anu rather 1uSd upon
which this talented author has erected
q structure of character analysis, philos-
ophy, passion, wit, romance Tor, de-
spite the fact that this story deals with
English politics in the days of Disreali
and that it's chief character leaves one
of the most charming women ever pat
into the pages of a book to become
priest. is a story of absorbing interest
after all. Love is always interesting, and
Mrs. Craigie knows how to write about
dove as do few living authors. This IS
how the spirited unconventional and
beautiful Sara loves:
Whenever I hear his name could faint.
When L see him I could sink into the
ground At the sight of his handwriting
/ grow cold from head to foot, tremble.
my heart aches so that it seems break
ing in two. / long to be with him, yet
when l am with him [ have nothing to
say. / have to escape and be miserable
all alone. He is my thought all day; the
last before I sleep, the first when I
awake I could cry and cry and cry.
try to read, and 1 remember not a
word. / like playing best, for then 4 can
almost imagine that he is listening. But
when [ stop playing and look around 7
find myself in an empty room. 1t is
awful. 1 call his name; no one answers.
/ whisper it: still no answer. / throw
myself on the ground and l say: Think
of me! you shall, you must, you do think
of mei 1t is great torture and a great
despair. Perhaps it is madness, too.
But it is my way of loving. / want to live
while live. If 1 knew for certain that
he loved meme only-the joy, I think,