The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-28

man is out Of place in this connection
man OF lofty and fiery devotion to duty,
narrow views. and gentle spirit. She in
merits his conscience and his intellect,
ana also some OF his narrowness. She de-
termines to dedicate her life to the mis-
sion work in India and in the course of
preparation for it meets a young mis-
sionary who has the same purpose in
view, and whom she marries without ex-
actly falling in love with him. Owing to
the failure Of his health the two do not
go to India, and the story of their life.
together is an odd psychological record.
and in the main absolutely true to life.
The story impresses one with its realism
until the other man steps in. He Is John
Gregory. Christian socialist, and some
how he is considerably more shadowy than
the other characters. The lack OF con-
viction in this character sketch is all the
more impressive because of the realism
of the rest Of the book, and the plot
weakens from the time of his advent.
Still, the book Is an Interesting contribl-
ton to that part of American history
which is recorded in its fiction. New
York: Doubleday, Page & Co. s1.50)
"Chloris of the Island" by H. B. Mar
riott Watson, is story of the last cen
fury. and the scene is laid in England.
One of the dominant impressions made by
it is that one of its heroines is pretty
fool, and the other handsome terma-
CANT. Miss Ch!oris Carmichael certainly
does some surprising things in the course
of her career, and she would be attrac-
tive to n man who liked combination of
wildcat and startled fawn for wife.
The young lady's feetness Of foot is only
equaled by her ability to use deadly
weapons. The hero, however, is mere
than match for her, which is not always
true in such stories of adventure. He
makes love to her by calling her "a hand
some liar" and other endearing epithets,
and the two of them are continually get
ting into desperate situations, from which
one saves the other as need may be.
The strong point of the book is its plot,
which is of n nature to hold the attention
from beginning to end. 1t is well worked
out. and fairly original. in spite of the
device for getting rid of the villain by
having him sunk in quicksand. Black
more did that once, and it ought not to
be wasted on any less a villain than Car
yer Doone. New York: Harper & Bros.
S1.50.)
"A Private Chivalry," by Francis Lynde,
is readable story of Denver life. The
u
opens, has nearly wrecked himself by an
unfortunate marriage. In the first chap
ter he determines to reform and make
man of himself, and the rest Of the book
is occupied with the record OF the kind OF
time he had doing 1t. The weak poip. OF
the plot is the exaggerated chiya.ry
which the quondam reprobate shows,
and which he keeps SO very private That
he allows himself to be regarded as the
blacklist kind of sheep rather than offer
any vindication. The local color is good,
the heroine attractive, and the characters
in general well drawn. New York: d.
Appleton G Co. $1,000
Cunning Murrell," by Arthur Morri
son, author of "a Child CT the Jago," is
a story OF the little village of Hadleigh,
forty years ago, when superstition was
still rife in the land. 1t contains soma
interesting pictures of English village
life as then existing, and Cunning Muir
rell, wise man md witch finder, is an IN
canny creature.
The perfection of the local color is the
thing which leaves the dominant impress
sion on the mind. One has the sensation
of having visited HadleiGh and Known the
quaint characters who are part of the
life of the town. Even the names-Robos-
hobery Dove, Dorrily Thorn, Sim Cloyse-
are redolent of the hedgerow and the,
meadows. There is an absence of any
straining after effect. too, which is re-
freshing The author is sure of himself
and of his reader. Mr.. Morrison has not
diminished his reputation in the least by
the writing Of Cunning Murrell.f- New
York: Doubl sday, Page G. Co. S150)
king Stork of the Netherlands by
Albert Ross, Is a story of the days of
William of Orange, and the scene. like
that of THE Key of the Hely House," is
laid in Holland, the hero being a young
Dutch burgher of the reformed faith. The
story lacks the creeping horror and grew
someness of its predecessor. but it is a
very good story after its kind New
York: d. Appleton & Co. $1,000
Southern Echoes by Louise Pike, is a
little book of negro stories, partly in dia-
lect. and dealing with negro life appar-
emily somewhere in southern Virginia.
The preface begins with the lament for
the "old-time plantation darby, with
which we have grown familiar in recent
years. The owners of those old time peo-
pie might have had tales to tell Ct their
ignorance, their superstition, and their
other little failings, but seen through The
rose-light of vanished years they are all
perfection. 1t seems to be the one in
stance in history where the less man
knew the more he was worth. The pre-
face also contains the remark that these
rctainers have lain" down the shovel
and the hoe.
AS to the t,ies themselves, they are
clever little sketches, and fairly true to
life. Some of them are humorous. and
some are rather commonplace. Boston:
Eastern Publishing Company
"Phebe Her Profession" by Anna
Chaplin Ray, is story for girls. and
sequel to Teddy: Her Book 1t will
suit the tastes of readers between the
ages of twelve and sixteen. (Boston: