The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-02
new BOOKS.


The man" he said (on page - OF The
Eternal city, "who goes openly into the
presence Of tho oppressor and kills him
face to face. then stands to be arrested
or torn into pieces. takes his trial. pleads
guilty, SAYS. 4 did not kill the Baron
Bonell, ] killed the Prime Minister: I did
not XIII the man. | killed the institution
condemn me, hang me. shoot me. bury
me alive In cell not much bigger than a
coffin am contant. awaft
the coming revolution let the world call
MN what II will. madman fanatic fool
that man needs some other name than as-
sassin."
The strangers face flushed up, his eyes
seemed 10 burn. and he leaned over to the
desk and took up the dagger.
See Give me this. It's exactly what
! want. IN put It IN boauet OF flowers
and pretend TO offer them"
Recalling the awful actual manner OF
the national tradedy At Buffalo on Sep
tember 9Th, this proposition seems sngu-
larly and startingly prophetic. Indeed IL
~ calculated 10 give the reader "A shock
"hen he comes across il and pauses to
reread II with the actual occurrence fresh
IN memory I'm all It's horrible details. But
II appears that David Rossi denounces
the whole notion of killing as being "A be-
Man and the universal brotherhood. at
the very outset Nevertheless. for all the
good viii that he inspires as his charac-
Ter rather than his purposes is developed,
the reader is not likely 10 be entirely re-
assured that. ~ David Is portrayed as A
type Of the kind of men that European
governments arc taking precautions TO
guard against, on the whole the govern
ments are not wholly 20 be blamed. Da-
Nid and his ideas may not mean danger.
TO hrs own mind. II THE Eternal city"
was read six months ago the American
reader AZ least. would have been dispos-
ed 10 feel that the governments that
made IL uncomfortable for his kind 10
meet and talk and take on" were acting
harshly toward a high minded. N not al
together tactful class OF their population
But republics of man and the like ideas
have new meaning TO us today with the
terrible nearness Of wretched tragedy
their was a tangible result of the doe
trine Of dreams heretofore oomposedly
regarded in this free country as harmless
80, while his author convinces us that
David Rossi himself is eminently a man
10 be respected and TO he sympathized
with when he becomes an outcast and is
branded for his notions, a lingering feel
ing is bound to remain that after ALI he
was Indirectly, Al least a rather danger
Gus chap because OF the misconstruction
and stunted Interpretation his less intel
ligent followers would give TO his propo-
gaDda.
But after all. Davids articles oil faith
ana the socialistic theme are by no
means the story of THE Eternal CITY,
any more than John Storms vague relig-
ious experiments were the story OF The
christian even though the author does
provide an epilogue indicating that Da-
vids ideas. nifty years hence are i'm full
and satisfactory operation on the whole
the average reader won't care ran for
the exposition OF socialism I'm the book.
TO our mind. We don't know as Hall
Caine really designed that Nc should con-
Germ ourselves about IL or he led To take
much interest in that feature for all the
epilogue. We have been little curious
about the matter and wonder II he did
intend anything Of the sort and would
feel hurt when he rea Lies that nobody
regards the views OF his hero Al all seri-
ously. but accepts them as only factor
for the making of the story and the de-
velopment OF the character. We recall
Looking Backwood" as a frank dis
adisition on certain notions 10 which the
story was entirely subsidiary and was
only used as the very ightest aud most
transparent sort of vehicle for convey
ng the notion. The Eternal City" is not
II that class. When YOU get into II YOU
Mil discover. at first with growing SUR
Prise. quite likely, that II is nothing on
,arth but love story as passionate as
'nything Ouida say or our Duchess, ever
IN setting fun Of dramatic
Incident and surging ensemble that for
Intensity and vigor would do credit TO
Victor Hugo.
We are bound 10 feel thus that Mr..
'aine probably had no other object I'm
lew in making his hero socialist or
l has t4etff L. n
le would had he furnished him with any
'ther attributes necessary TO the making
4 dramatic story. We may pay the au-
hor poor tribute i'm such an obserVa-
ion but IL was a considerable relief 10
- when as the romance began To stir
hat idea took root. Then we began 10
elish the story untrsmmelled by the fear
hat we were going 10 have didactics at
he turn OF the page. Happily. i'm the
nishty incident. the big groupings the
tirring climaNes, the vigorous character
york. and the tragic love story. the in |
rusion OF Utopia was lost. either inten-
ionally or otherwise on the part OF the |
uthor. We were of course quite content. |
ot TO say amused. TO have IL bob up in !
he epilogue just as though IL made any |
Inference.
There Is Hugo like massiveness about |
his latest work of HAL Game There are I
number Of graphically stirring descrip- |
ons Of impressive events. the Papal cell I
bration OF the dawn of the twentieth |
entury. an opening Of the Italian parlia- /
rent, big day and big row IA the /
hamber OF deputies, street pageants,
ot with the killing OF an innocent child /
: the only result OF a volley from the
DdlCrs clearing the streets David Rossi
-urorr-t---tt>-ii.4eltt4e -eAaracte than
ohn strom ever was and Roma Volonna
a Momanlv creation that comma nds pN- !
'aordinary sympathy and interest. Rig
CURES. Pope and King and prime minis
r are portrayed boldly. When YOU come
} think OF a. the placing of fictitious
-eations Of such magnitude In a real en-
ronment and at a real. indeed, the pres
n period is pretty sudscious and the
'ader may wonder what the real Pope or
ing or Prime Minister may think about
ich plan " they should come across
le book. The story is so remarkably con-
iNed and so splendidly sustained that !
lrly as strong interest is induced in