The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22

the guns and hred them out 10 sea until had nc
| more soldiers. Then ! began firing gitiZens.
| ran out OF citizens But there were Congressman
around there somewhere in my dream. and,
though they made speeches OF protest to un-
der the fiye-miuute rule, | promptly loaded them
in and touched them of in their turn. the feet
was pretty ha:d-looking by this time, but still
in the ring. l could see the foreign sailors
picking pieces OF Congrcssmen from around the
brcech-hlocks and the officers were brushing
their clothes with their handkerehiefs. was
about to give up when | thought Of the Key
West shrimp salad. one walked conveniently up
to me, and | loaded her in. With last con
vulsvc yank ! pulled the locL-string, and the
feet Was gone with my dream.
Mr.. Remington's style is now so well
known that the reading world knows about
what to expect of him. II is safe to say
that his latest book will disappoiat no
body. (New York: Harper d. Bros. $L25.)
"Adam Grigson," by Mrs Henry de Ia
Pasture, is a story of English country life,
and shows a thorough knowledge OF human
nature and considerable ability in the con-
struction of novel. Its most serious fault
is one which, somehow or other, is apt 10
come to pass in the work of authors who
write more or less with a purpose The
person who is supposed to be the central
figure is nothing of the kind. Precisely the
same thing which happened in Red Pot
tage" has occurred in this less remarkable
book. The authors favorite character fails
TO make the strongest impression on the
reader
Adam Grigson, taken by himself, is an
attractive personality enough, though ii
takes SO long for Mrs de la Pasture to
reach him through the morass of her pre-
liminary explanations that we almost for
get there is to be such person. He makes
his first appearance in the eighth chapter
not sooner. He is a simple old country
man with an overwhelming reverence for a
real lady" which will be a little difficult
for the average reader on this side the
water to understand. Not that the Ameri-
can does not pay due homage to women of
gentle traditions, but he certainly does not
consider them as goddesses sort of beings
apart and above the rest of humanity. and
perhaps it is as well that he does not. All
Mr.. Grigson's troubles came from that be-
lief. The strength of it makes him seem a
trifie improbable, and his nephew. though
an outrageous cad. is much more real TO
the imagination. So is the pretty. shallow,
frivolous, selfish little Rosamond-the
Rosamend of "Midtllemarch" over again.
Why should lady novelists select that par
ticular name for blonde and heartless yam-
pire maidens?
But the real creation of the book i.
Lady Mary Evelyn, the proud, passionate,
loving, wayward, disappointed grand
mother. whose imperious will strives to
assert itself over each character in turn,
only to be beaten back by the inevitable
determination of human nature to have its
own way. Lady Mary is a real person.
vivid, lovable, provoking, and interesting
from the FIRST to the last page. Her grand
daughter Elizabeth is simply a replica of
herself. The fair and gentle Margaret
comes near being insipid. Francis Evelyn,
despite one or two flashes of sbrewd hu-
man nature, is little more than a puppet.
The maiden aunt is Enthusiastically a char
acter, but minor one, and the same may
be said of the types of English smart"
society. But Lady Mary, with her Irish
impulsiveness, her higb-bred pride and
delicacy, her real kindness of heart and
her naughty spirit and quick temper,
walks through the book the one genuine
portrait il it. There are in fiction q few
old ladies who, by sheer force of fascinat
ing personality, secure for themselves
place above that of all the young and
beautiful heroines VINO may chance 10 De
their relatives. One is Mrs. Gano, in the
American novel, The Open Question" An
other is Josephine de Bougainville, in Miss
"A Brave Lady" The third OF
the group hay well be Lady Mary Evelyn,
and it is only TO be regretted that we do
not see more of her. New York: Harper
d Brothers. S1.50)
a History of Canada for Young Read
ers." by J. y. McIlwraith. really ought not
to be considered a history. There is too
much romancing in it, especially where it
deals with the United States. While GER
tain statements therein made may be cal
culated to feed the patriotism of young
Canadians, they cannot be said to be in
strict accord with the facts of history. |
Some Of the fables in the book are given |
n connection with the war of 1912. In the !
,hapter dealing with this 1t is represented |
hat the United States, being aggrieved at !
he searching of American ships for Eng |
ish deserters, chose a time when Eng |
and's forces were occupied in fighting Ma !
1oleon, TO make war on that country. 1t /
s also stated that the Canadians were al |
most uniformly victorious in land battles, |
md that the reason for American victories |
IN the sea was simply that England could |
'nly send her worst and most inefficient /
hips across the Atlantic. America is also /
focused of fraud in connection with the /
Ashburton Treaty. (New York: D. APP |
,leton e. Co. 60 cents.)
"Knights in Fustfan," by Caroline |
Brown, is a romance of the civil war. |
woven around that curious organization |
nowL as the knights of the Golden Cir |
le." There have been attempts to portray
his association in fiction heretofore. and |
lso to deal with the "Copperhead" but |
With the exception OF Harold Frederic's |
ovel. named after the latter, none of them |
las thus far been very successful. Miss |
Browns work. while Of some value as a /
icture of lie in Indiana in Governor Nor
on's time. cannot be said to take high rank
S a novel The character drawing does
ot amount to much, and the plot is slow
n development and somewhat indecisive
purist might take exception even 10 the
lite. for "fustian'' is not an American
sord, and probably none Of the Indiana
armers described as wearing It would
now whether it was broadcloth, blue
cans, or new sort OF cattle food. II is
ardly necessary to remark that novel of
his sort ought to he American in every
inc. CBoston: Houghton, Mimin & Co.
1907
THE Greatest Gift" by A W. March
lont is an English story, with deformed
ripple for the central parsonage. The
ripple is the best bit OF character-draw-
az in the book, though he is anything but
n attractive figure. The next best is an
nscrupulous coquette, who does all that
he can TO force former lover into an en-
agement with her. some OF the English
leas in the tale are not likely to prove
greeable to American readers, notably the
Ian to allow young girl to sacrifice her
Elf by marrying the cripple. notwitbstand-
lg a previous unsavory ENHANCEMENT OF
is, and in spite Of the fact that she does
OF love the man in the least, and does
I'VE someone else. Such a match, in the
yes of most Americans, would seem moth
lg less than criminal. but it seems to be
egarded as all right by that man of the
-nrlh and neMenaner ndifnr Dallas mhn |