Evening star., 1901-08-31
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THE ETERNAL. CITY BY Hall Caine New
York: ID. Appleton & Co.
Hall Gaines new, novel may be judged
from two points of view as a melodra-
matte creation of literature, or as a socio-
logical treatise. 1t is interesting in either
aspect, less satisfactory perhaps as litera-
ture than a contribution to the passing
thought of men upon the large problems
of the state of society. AS melodrama
too often the authors mechanism of con-
struction can be discerned There are un-
pleasantly palpable evidences of a pro-
gram of dramatization. The scenes are too
clearly marked off. The flow of the story
is at times interrupted out of regard for
the convenience of the dramatist.
There can be little more than bubble
over the style of the telling. Gaines SEN
tences are never prolonged and are usually
definite in their meaning and often sentient
with an aphoristic force. A pulse of hu-
man quality surges through the pages, and
in places as when the child Joseph is kill
ed by the soldiers and the tragedy is real
lied by his parents and their friends, the
narrative rises to fine heights. And again,
when the pope opens the gates of the
Vatican to the Roman soldiers and bids
them enter, the dramatic force is unmis-
taxable.
AS a story, 1.-The Eternal City, will prove
a disappointment to some, especially to
those who do not for tragedy, per-
haps to those who dislike to read of use
less sacrifices and of the blight of misun-
derstanding In this instance the Deli
lah," Donna Roma, is brought to a cruel
fate through mischance alone. The whole
episode of her relations with the reformer
Rossi is on a downward scale. Rossi him.
self is at times an admirable figure. at
others impossible in his vagueness of tenn
permanent and contradictory tendency.
One incident in the tale is decidedly
questionable as matter Of literary art,
whatever desire the author may have had
with reference to the requirements of the
stage. This is the death of Baron Bonelli,
killed by the serrated edge of his newly
won order of the Annunziata thrust into
his brain during struggle with Rossi over
the possession of a pistol. Too much sound
realism is sacrificed here to the strained
ethics of an eternal Justice which dooms
the villain to punishment through the
agency of the honors he has won by his
crimes against the people and against God.
The sociological phase of the book is de-
cidedly interesting, although not especially
new 1t is the old theme of the oppressed
people the rise of a champion, the strug-
gle against power and prejudice, the dis
tortion of the purpose of the reformer, and
finally the triumph of right against might.
In the rendering of this story, Mr.. Caine
has occasion to deliver himself of num-
ber of excellent sentiments, well phrased,
and he combines his unities to throw the
position of the Roman Church into strong
relief He deals with the religious person.
ages of 1.-The Eternal City, with free
hand in manner which may be considered
by some as a trif1e irreVerent.
Altogether this is not a novel to mark.
an epoch or to establish a new school of
thought 1t follows In the average Caine
groove of depicting life in It's more somber
aspects, and, as before In his work, it
frankly utilizes woman with a past
for ends which appear to justify them
selves. There is practically nothing in the
story from the western standards to arouse
the criticism which In England has been
directed at it's moral tone.
CANT AND THE CANTEEN. By s., B.. Dexter,
terial Commission Investigation at Fort Sher-
fdan Chicago: The Henneberry Company.
Mr. Dexter demurred when the inter-
denominational commission reported that
the abolition of the canteen feature of the
army post exchange had resulted in an i'm
provement in the morale of the army, as
disclosed at Fort Sheridan. He has pre-
pared this little book to set forth his own
conclusions, deduced from personal inquiry
supplementing that which was conducted
by the commission, which he declares was
not complete, and the results of which
were not properly sanalyzed. He deplores
the necessity to furnish the enlisted men
of the army with liquors, but believes that
this ia best donethrough the canteen, under
strict SUPERVISION He traces the history
of the connection between the army and
the drink traffic, and maintains that the
canteen system Is best calculated to mini
mize the evils resulting from this habit.
He defends the army officers from the
charge of selfish interest In their advocacy
of the canteen, and asserts that their In
terest lies solely in the maintenance of
discipline and the elevation of the personal
standard of their men. His argument is
temperate in tone and direct in It's defense
of the canteen as an agency for the good
Of the military service.
THE ANGLO SAXON REVIEW; a Quarterly
Miscellany Edited by Lady Randolph Sp ncer
Churchill Nrs; George oornwails. .WesD. Vol.
TX June, 1901. New York. g. p. Putnam's
sons London: Mrs. George Corvallis West
Washington: Breiitanos.
The quarterly de luxe continues to ap-
pear, with no diminution in It's spIendor Of
binding and topography. It's latest issue is
bound in a cream-white feather with gold
tooling, the design copy of a binding by
Thomas Berthelet. who was royal printer
to Henry VIII. A full-length portrait OF