Evening star., 1902-02-22

questions. The story, however, Is interest
ing. but far from absorbing 1t is at times
unpleasantly continental I'm it's frankness
and its intimatfons, and the main motive
Is characteristicaily French. That is ends
WhCleSomely Is a concession to the finer
sLsceptibilities. perhaps. of the country to
which II is palpahly addressed Aided by
a Hindu adept, Eve triumphs over her
temptations. but not until she has run some
narrow risks and has all but lost her hold
on herself. A lot of talk at the conclusion
as to the jingoism of France and America
apropos of the Spanish war is clearly out
OF its place and delays the conclusion, for
which the reader has been somewhat impa- :
tently waiting.
THE COLHNIALS: Being a Narrative of Events
Chiefly Connected With the Siege and Evaeua-
lion OF the Town of Boston. in New England.
by Allen French. New York: Doubleday, Page
Co.
The story of Boston in the first days of
the revolution is sufficiently stirring to fur
nish abundant materials for a romantic
novel. Mr.. French has admirably utilized
the historic materials which the period and
incidents afford The Coonials is a praise
worthy product. 1t shows the sudden
straining of the relations between the
tories and the wings of the New England
capital. affecting many love stories and
causing much bitterness. The central tale
is deftly developed. It's strongest phase,
however lies in It's proogue-though not
so called-which sets the plot from the be-
ginning Of an adventure in the woods ad-
jacent to the great lakes. Nothing finer
has lately been produced in romantic lit
erature than the description in this story
of the manner In which the young hero
Frank cares for his Indian friends and his
young white girl protege amid the dangers
of hard winter in the forest. The tragedy
which closes this part of the novel is Wv
6ly- nrfy ax-aH md in1 foe hot hn
thor has acquired the art Of depicting In
tense scenes with few strokes. 1t is un-
fortunate that so strong tale should be
marred by depending for It's structural
success upon two distinct failures to recog-
nize identities that should have been i'm
mediately disclosed. This adoption of a
thread-bare device is the solitary draw
back to the complete enjoyment of an eX-
ceptional novel.
THE STRENGTH OF THE WEAK; A Romance.
BY Chauncey C. Hotchkiss. author OF Betsy
Ross etc. New York: II. Appleton Co.
The scene of this story Of adventure and
intrigue is laid in Canada and the neighbor
hood of Lakes Champlain and George, dur
ing the French and Indian war. 1t in
wolves the trials of a young Englshman
who is heir to the segniory of his father,
an English subject of the French king, and
who finds his title suddenly questioned by
an INSCRIPTIONS villain. A strong love
story forms the chief substance Of the
romance, which moves briskly and is at
all points pure and refreshing. There is,
perhaps. a surplus OF sword play in the
tale. the pages teeming with passa sages-at-
arms. So often do the characters fight with
rapiers that the descriptions of the hand
to-hand encounters of the principals be-
come somewhat monotous. THE Strength
of the Weak is, however. above the aver
age of the romantic novels of the day.
FOOLS YEAR. By E. H. Cooper. New York:
d. Appleton & Co.
1t is difficult for the average American
reader to accept the plot Of this novel at it's
face value, so essentially English is the
dominant thought, which forces million
aire from "the states to give young
Englishman, impecunious though we'll
born, a million pounds as the price Of his
silence in regard to the American pluto
Gratis crooked work in horse racing. This
inconceivable amount of hush money leads
to many complications, which are finally
cleared away, but by no especially brilliant
strokes of construction such as the reader
might reasonably expect from the pen of a
writer would would venture the primary
proposition of a $5OOO,OOO bribe. Yet the
story reveals a certain phase of English
sporting life which is entertaining in its
way
THE COLOR OF HIS SOUL BY Zoe Anderson
Norris. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co.
1t was black soul, but it's blackness did
not show until the fruits of his wickedness
We're themselves revealed. Then the mans
meanness, cruelty and egotism became ap-
parent to the young woman who had
hitherto regarded him as exceptional, a
lover Of his fellow-creatures, a worker for
their uplifting. The man was a shallow
agitator. gifted with a fluent speech The
story Of the unmasking Of his soul Is
strongly told, with many vivid touches of
local metropolitan color Its lesson is
plain, almost too plain. The writer pos
sesses the quality of discriminating in the
production Of intense dramatic effects.
THE pTn rR ny 5Osn PHILIP soHsa
dianapolis: The Bowen Merrill Company.
Mr. Sousa's thorough familiarity with
music has naturally drawn him in this, his
first story, into the treatment of dis
tinctly musical motive. The product Is In
teresting apart from the effect Of the per-
sonal equation upon the reader. 1t has q
dash Of the occult. strong suggestion Of
the melodrama and well-deflned love
theme. The Faust-like plot is by no means
unpleasant in it's familiarity. A young,
successful violinist conceiyes a desperate
love for beautiful American woman, but
fails to win her affections. In his despair
he fees the city, breaking his engagements,
and seeks the solitude Of a West Indian
island. where he hopes to find inspiration
for such perfection Of musical expression
as shall enable him to move his inamorata
to love. A satanic gift, with the usual con-
ditions. puts success in his way and love
follows, succeeded by tragedy. The climax
Is somewhat delayed by subordinate and
apparently useless demonstration Of the
malevolent power of the violin with the
fifth string" In literary finish and deft-
ness Of structural touch this story marks
the fact that Mr. Sousa is by no means
confined to the orchestral baton as a me-
dunn Of expression of the first quality
Ghost Seers. By Catherine Grove. New edi-
tion. with Introduction by Thomson jay
Hudson, Ph:D. LID, author Of "The Law Of
Psychic Phenomena" etc. Philadelphia:
Henry T. Coates L. Co.
This work was originally produced in
1S4S and was then regarded as an extra
ordinary collection Of folk tales and tradi-
tlons relating to the mysterious phenomena
which pertain to the hours of darkness or
the might side of nature" Modern psy-
biologists consider 1t in q more important
aspect. however, for they see in its state
ments much material for their serious
speculations. The enumeration Of miracu-
lous and uncanny occurrences by Mrs.
Grove was accompanied by remarks of a
40 oh octa