New-York tribune., 1901-07-14

loins and get into close relations with it at
all hazards.
Dvce had his ideal of manly independence;
II annoyed him that circumstances made the
noble line Of conduct so difficult He believed
himself strong, virile, yet so often it happened
tazt he constrained to act in what seemed
rsther a feeble and undignifed way But
after all. it WAS temporary; the DAY OF ms
emancipation from paltry necessities would
screlv come, and all the great qualities latent
in him would have ample scope.
The explanation Of his willingness to wait
for his emancipation as though for gift of
the gods. instead of achieving it for himself
resides not alone in his laziness. but in the
very essence of his whole character
Among the many possibilities of life which
lie before young and intelligent man, one
never presented itself to Dyce Lashnai med-
tation The thought OF simply earning his nv
ing by conscientious and useful work, SATISFIED
with whatever distinction might come to him
in the natural order OF things, had never en-
tered his mind. Every project he formed took
for granted his unaboroUS pre-@minenCe IN
toiiIns world His natural superiority to
mar kind at large vas. with Dyce. automatic. If
he used any Other tone about himself, he afeCted
il merely 10 elicit contradiction: if in depressed
mood H. thought otherwise, the reelection was
50 at conflict with his nature that 1t served
only t. strengthen his self-esteem when the
shadow had passed.
The function Of such a is necessarily
parasitical and there is nothing surprising about
the spectacle Dyce Lashmar presents when,
with the true instinct OF his breed. he discourses
OF the political ideas on which he means to
basa his career without limiting Of the source
from which he had derived them.
He did not care to dwell upon the fact that
the views he had been summarizing all
taken straight from a book which he had just
read, He had thoroughly adonted Them they
exactly suited his temper and his mind. .
indeed, he was beginning to forget that he was
rot himself the originator of the bio-sOciologcal
theory of civilization.
From sponging on the brains of others to
sponginS on their pockets or their influence in
the world Is only a very short step. Naturally
Dye" takes il, and. just naturally. the friends
to whom he turns for encouragement and help
always Disgusting the ultimate selnshness or his
aims by high sounding periods on his ambition
to serve mankind-are practically all women
We would like 10 dwell upon his adventures.
Miss Constance Bride tho friend OF his youth
is woman with much strength Of character
very interestingly displayed by Mr. Gisslnc. and
the part she plays in Lashmars life is fun OF
amusement and thought for the reader. Lady
Ogram, the eccentric old philanthropist whose
secretary she is takes up our friend" and won
derful indeed are the results May Tomallu.
young relative Of Lady Ogram's. is decidedly a
type. inviting more than "A line ef commcmora-
tion. ard II is hard to pass over Mrs Iris Wool
stan and Mrs Toplady with the same brevity.
All these women have 4 hand in the Of
the charlatan. and every one OF them. like the
ingenious Dyce. is alive. That is our reason for
leaving the reader to make acquaintance with
them for himself our Friend the Charlatan''
is scarcely to be called "A narrative. 1t is life
itself. life truthfully ana yividly presented on
the printed page, with such completeness. such
Il rounded perfection that to detach any of its
episodes from the whole is to be unjust to the
author and to spoil the readers pleasure. The
latter may wonder if there is much pleasure to
be found. really, in the portrait of a charlatan.
He may not like charlatans. Neither do
But We advise the reader To buy this book, and.
as the reader knows, we always wish him well.