The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-01
WAR ON THE OCEAN.
The Theme of the Story Is
Fight on Sea.
An Interesting Novel Very Well
Written.

SIN the Wasp's Nest by Cyrus Towns
end Brady published by Charles Serb
ner's Sons, New York
A great deal has been written of late
about the case and rapidity with which
Cyrus Townsend Brady turns out new
novels and stories. No other writer among
those who are now prominent before the
reading public can anywhere equal the
formerly Kansas" minister.
Mr.. Brady is as versatile in style as he
Is prolific in output His writings are OF
interest to all classes, old and young
Among his most recent works is one which
appeal especially to boys-in fact 1t was
written for boys. It is entitled. In the
Wasp's Nest" and is published by Scrib-
ner's. Like many others OF Mr.. Brady S
books it deals with the sea, and IN such
a manner as will not fail to appeal to
the average American boy At the same
time it differs from the majority OF sea
tales in that it is exceedingly wholesome
and will teach the boy who reads it a
lesson Of bravery, patriotism and trulh'
without really appearing to do so.
The story opens with the troubles De
tween the United States and France at
the beginning of the last century. There
is a sea fight between the United States
ship Boston" and the French lie Ber-
ceau" After a hard fight the Americans
are victorious and capture theFTenchman
A few DAYS before the French vessel
has picked up a woman and a small baby
in an open boat at sea. They We're ap-
parentlv Americans but the woman was
delirious from thirst and had not regained
consciousness at the time of the battle to
tell who she was or how she came to be
at sea in an open boat During the bat
tie an American cannon ball caused the
death of the mother but left the baby
unframed.
The youngster was taken on board the
Boston" and the entire crew became
IL he md lar
down to the humblest seaman. Around
the mothers neck had been found a chain
and locket and these with a ring from the
mothers finger were transferred to the
baby The initials. IN. E. D." were found
on his clothing, and the name promptly
attached itself to him. and for a surname
he was called after the ship, Med Bos-
ton"
At the end Of the cruise the boy was
adopted by the commander of the Dos
tom Commodore Little At the breaking
out of the war of 1872 through the in
fuence of his foster father he was COM
missioned midshipman on the United
States slOOp Wasp" Thestory of a num-
Der Of sea ights fOl1ows.in which several of
the naval heroes of that war are intro
duced. The Wasp" destroys the British
"Froic," but is itself captured by a larger
British vessel. A new Wasp" is built
which cruises in and about the English
Channel, destroying British merchantmen
and harrassing the British generally, but
1t eventually is struck by a hurricane af-
ter severe battle and goes to the bottom.
An old seaman named Jack Lang, who
has been Ned's special protector from the
time he was taken from the French ship,
leaps into the waves with him as the
Wasp goes down. and succeeds in get
ting the boy and himself onto a raft. The
boy is suffering from broken arm, the
result Of the battle Just before the hurri-
cane, and he is delirious He takes his
mothers locket from his neck and looks
at it. After two days the pair are picked
up almost dead by a Dutch vessel with
an American aboard. The American turns
out to be Ned's father The ship in which
he had been crossing the Atlantic fourteen
years before had taken fire. He had placed
his wife and baby in boat in tow of the
ship and had returned to fight the fire
The fire burned the cable which fastened
the open boat to the ship and the woman
and baby drifted away from the larger
vessel without the knowledge of the fire
fighters. who afterwards escaped in other
boats. The American hunted the world
over for his wife and baby but had never
gotten trace of them. When he saw the
picture in the locket which Ned wore
around his neck he Immediately recog-
nized 1t as the picture of his long-los-
wife. and the ring the chain as hel
wedding ring.
The story is free from the demoralizins
language of the sea, and while it is filled
with descriptions of carnage and blood
shed it cannot help but teach a wholesom,
lesson of patriotism and manliness. anc
1t IS done in such way as will appeal t.
the average American boy.