The Washington times., 1901-11-03
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commandment; in fact. ii is more like
football, the way in which they treat that
unfortunate moral law There is not
much left Of it at the end Of the book,
with the heroine married, divorced, mar
riod to somebody else. and about to be
remarked to her first husband. If such
a state Of things actually exists in any
thing which calls Itself American society
it is certainly time that Providence did
something about it.
The heroine is a rich New England
girl Of Unitarian traditions. which have
in her case produced 4 condition of pa
gansm The hero is a Puritan of the
same section Of country, and holds the
conservative view of marriage. while the
heroine has on her own confession, but
three rules in life-to think what she
pleases. to say what she pleases, and to
do what she pleases. Naturally it Is a
case of the meeting of the irresistible
force and the immovable post, for the
young lady has overlooked the patent
fact that if two people are going to live
together in any possible human relation
there have to be concessions OF some
sort or other 1t is to be doubted wheth-
er there are to be found in real life many
maidens with quite such guileless feroci-
ty of determination and innocent, rock
bound stubbornness. a s are possessed by
this damscl; but if there are. they Will
probably have much the same expert
ence that she had. The plot is original
and fairly well constructed, and there is
considerable humor of a somewhat grim
kind (New York: Harper x Bros. SI1U)
"Fernley House" by Laura f. Rich
ards. is the latest volume in the Three
Margarets'' series. In it We find Peggy,
Margaret. Rita. and some of Peggy
school friends, all gathered into delight
full old country house. It seems to he i'm
possible for the author to get along with
out tapping her characters in luxury of
some kind, but as this is inexpensive for
her and pleasant for them, perhaps the
reader ought not to complain. The non
sense in the boolI-and there is plenty of
it's bright and original. and there Is
one girl character who is certainly un-
like any other heroine ever put into fic-
ton having a peculiar habit of climbing
up walls by means of the woodbine ana
the rainspout and coming in by the win
dow instead of the door. In fact. the
writer seems to have weakness 1or
athletics in girls. and so long as she does
not actually set her young feminine char
acters to fighting with Queensberry rules
as she came very near doing once, no
harm can be done. OBoston: Dana, Estes
& Co. S1.25)
-Four on a Farm, by Mary P. Wells
Smith. is a story for children, the scene
of which Is laid in a farmhouse near Lake
Sunapee. ". II. 1t is perfectly evident
that the author knows her ground, Tor
she has reproduced the atmosphere of
New Hampshire farm life TO perfection,
even to the peculiar idioms and proverbs
of the Inhabitants of that part of the
world The children are well behaved and
full of life and spirit, and the grown peo-
pie are individuals, every one of them,
and as quaint and likable as farm people
can be. which is saying something. There
is a good deal Of fun in the book, but not
so much that it would be impossible in
real life. 1t is rather optimistic, and If
the children are a little too good to be
true. at least they are not goody-good.
aud-this viii be a merit in the eyes of
anxious parents-they are not likely to
suggest new mischief 20 juvenile readers.
Boston: Little, Brown & Co. H.20)
THE Traitors Way" by S. Levett-
Yeats. is one of those books which are
somewhat difficult to read. and extremely
easy to forget. 1t does not make any
impression. The thing one does remem-
ber about IS that it was hard to get
through it and keep up even a semblance
of interest In the characters. CNew York:
Frederick \. Stokes Company. Sl.5O)
Mistress Brent" by Lucy Meacham
Thruston, is story of Maryland in its
early days, when Calvert was Governor
fs hg has
to the New World in d spirit Of adven-
ture, to seek her own fortune. and TO
her own estate. There is n good
Heal Of pioneer intrigue in the story, and
A considerable amount Of hist Jrical in
formation. CBoston: Little, Brown & Coz
Anne Scarlet" by Mary Inlay Tay-
or is a novel dealing With Boston life in
the time when Cotton Jather was young
and learned men were studying the
witchcraft problem. The author is evil
deEtly familiar with the history and Gus
toms Of the time and takes some pains
to clear the Puritans from the charge of
being more intolerant than the rest of
the world regarding witchcraft by call
ing attention to the fact that long after
the Salem persecution men and women
were being hanged and burned for this
crime IN Europe and in Old England
while hanging was the worst that befell
any of the victims of the superstition in
this country. She also shows how in
some cases malicious plotting was used
to get an enemy out of the way by play
ing upon the fears Of the people and the
premdlces Of the judges. Chicago: A. {.
& Co. Sl,25)
1.-THE World and Winstow." by Edith
II
life in the country and in London. the
plot, characters and general theme being
formed after the Yonge type Of romance
The heroine is a lovable girl, and event
ually is rewarded in 4 suitable manner |
for her patience and long suffering; but
the authors English is susceptible Of i'm |
provement. CNew York: Dodd, Mead &
Co. $L5oJ
1.-THE Nighthawk" by Allx John, is 4
Of the ConfederaCy, the heroine |
being a spy In the service of the South. |
though the scene is Laid for the most part |
In Canada. II is evident that the authors |
are entirely with the Lost |
Cause" There is plenty Of incident and
in the book, and the plot is
well constructed. 1t is said TO be founded
on fact New York: Frederick A. Stokes |
Il Coz,
maggie McLanchan," by Gulielma Zol-
Iingor, author Of THE Widow O'Calla-
ghan's Boys" is a bit OF juvenile fiction
with a good deal that is wholesome and
in its pages. The heroine is a
little Irish girl forced by circumstances
to earn her own living. and that Of a little
orphan cousin as well. and the ways il.
which she docs it are interesting. There |
are several studies OF Irish character |