The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-18


way at the close of the book, and During
ton marries the Presidents daughter and
enters the civil service. Compared with
DR.. Nikola's Experiment this sort of
thing is rather tame. and the reader feels
like person who has ordered Hungarian
stew and been served with milk toast.
New York: ID. APPLETON & Co. Sl.00J
The Favor of Princes by Mark Lee
Luther, is a love story Of Paris in the
time of La Pompadour. and the hero is
an impecunious young nobleman, who
comes to the capital seeking an heiress
whom he may wed in order to rehabili-
tate his fortunes. He is introduced TO a
charming young girl, Heloise. daughter of
a rich bourgeois, and promptly falls in
love with the maiden for her own sake.
Moreover twhat seems more difficulty, he
succeeds in convincing her that he is not
marrying her for her fortune, and the
young couple begin life on the most de-
lightful terms OF affection and mutual con-
geniality. By i'll chance, however, the
King sees Heloise and determines to Sc
cure her for himself, through the con-
nlVance of her father; and the rest If the
story is taken up with plots and counter
pots, in which Canadian friend of the
hero plays not unimportant part. The
character of this fdus Achates reminds
one of Amos Green in Conan Doyle S
/ Refugees, and he is quite as ikable
fellow. We are treated to a glimpse OF
I the reigning favofite Of the hour, La
Pompadour, and the character drawing,
both in her case and that OF the King is
remarkably good. We also get fine pi--
ture of Paris, as it was in those exciting
] days, and there is Jesuit Pere Rameau,
who is an interesting and admirable fig
ure. Altogether, Mr.. Luther has written
a successful historical novel tNew York:
The Macmillan Company. s1.50.)
| 'POstle Farm" by George Ford, deals
| with the love of a young man of rank for
a beautiful girl who has been brought up
! as peasant. The hero Temple. cannot
/ be said to be an admirable character, for
| he spends most of his time oscillating back
/ and forth in most weak minded way be-
! tween the woman to whom he is betrothed
and the girl who has taken his fancy.
/ Cathie, the maiden who thus attracts him
| against his WILL speaks a DevonShire dia-
| lect, which is too broad TO be entirely in
telligibie to American ears. but when one
| has once mastered this. she is delightful
in her own way. The ending of the story,
while not altogether unexpected. is not
foretold from the beginning, which is
good point in a tale of this kind; and the
drawing of the minor chara tiers is care
fully done. New York: Dodd, Mead &
Coz
The Gentleman Pensioner." by Albert
Lee is. as we informed upon the title
page. "a romance OF the year 1863" and
the material, which Is unusually interest
ing, is treated in the same vigorous style
in which The Key of the Holy House
was written. The hero is a confidential
messenger of Queen Elizabeth, and is
given commission which involves numer-
Gus desperate adventures. There is moth
ing very subtle or hard to understand
about the book: it is simply an adventure
novel of a most thrilling type, and holds
the interest of the reader from begia ming
to END. Although not intended especially
for juvenile readers, il will certainly be
interesting to boys, for there is plenty of
fighting. considerable rough tumble
fun, and many hairbreadth escapes from
imprisonment, death, and torture There
is also a secret chamber which is most
delightfully."- used, and a jester who is al |
most as fascinating that sterling favor (
lite. Wanda. tNew York: d. Appleton &
Co. $1,000
Gavin Hamilton" by Molly Elliot Sea- !
we'll is romance of the days of Frederick /
the Great. The hero is the son Of an Eng |
lish uobleman and woman of untitled ,
family, and has been brought up entirely /
knowledge him. He falls in with French |
officer and dandy by the name of st. /
Armand. and they become bosom friends
and go through many adventures in COM
pany. Some OF these happenings cause
them TO make the acquaintance of Freder- I
lex the Great, and we get several inter- /
esting glimpses OF that monarch Another |
character. fascinating for her own sake |
is Madame Ziska, an opera singer ard
dancer, who befriends the two young men
in various ways. Trey effect an escape /
from the citadel OF Glatz, figure at the |
court of Marie Theresa. and have various
adventures in the war between that SOW
ereign and Frederick. Many OF the incl
dents of the story are spiced with de-
mure fun. as in the case Of Gavin's meet
ing his disdainful father at the Austrian
court. and dropping that astonished and
indignant aristocrat out of the window
into a flower bed; also the chapter IN
which the same audacious youth carries
Frederick across a flooded garden on his
back. and threatens To let his loyal bur
den fall into water four feet deep if the
latter allows a disrespectful word abou,
the Empress to escape his lips. The al
mosphere of the story is wholesome and
bracing. and full of life and movement:
and the accuracy of all historical details
is to be commended. tNew York Har-
per Brothers. sl.50J
The Boys of Scrooby.' by Ruth Hall.
is, the title indicates. a story of the
founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
intended for juvenile readers. The scene |
is laid partly in England, partly in Hol-
land. partly in America one chapter deal
ing with Virginia and another with Massa-
chusetts. Several historical incidents are
introduced among them the story of the
origin of Yankee Doodle and the es-
cape of Grotius the Armenian from prison.
in chest supposed TO be filled with books.
(BOston: Houghton, Miffiin d Co. $500
An Unknown Patriot by Frank Sam
uel Child is story of the Revolution
for young people. Washington. Major An
DIRE. Aaron Burr and various other bistor-
icaI characters are introduced. and the
story is lively and full Of exciting incl
dents tfostCn: HOughtOn, Mifflin & Co
$500
.Thro' Fire to Fortune" by Mrs. Alex
ander is one of those tales characteristic
of this writer. the heroine being a poor
but charming n;a iden WHO eventually turns
out to be the heiress OF a nobleman The
young lady has several lovers conducts
herself in most exemplary manner. and
no doubts deserves all the good fortune
which is hers. (NeW York: Il. f. Fenno
& Co. s125)
Terence" by b. NJ. Croker, is a novel
dealing with Irish life and character, and
decidedly well written. The hero is
youth Of good family, who has turned
coachman under assumed name, and is