Evening star., 1902-09-13

| is difficult to acquit her of cherishing a
distaste for pretty much everything mod
| ern, OF hugging a bitter pesSimism to her
bosom with painful Joy.
The story is undeniabH strong. 1t tells
| OF modern kng-so modern that the char
acters talk about the present English mon
arch-of an INDICATED southern European
country. 1t is unnecessary to identify il.
1t might easily stand for England in some
respects, for Italy in others. The monarch,
after waiting until middle age 10 succeed
his long-lived father. suddenly determines
to throw aside the role of royal dummy
and to study his peoples wants at close
range. He adopts the trick of Haroun al
Raschid and soon becomes member of a
socialistic revolutionary committee, ex-
planning his resemblance to the king as a
source of serious personal annoyance.
Thenceforward the plot thickens" rapidly.
heartless queen consort does not fill the
kings life with the joy that his noble
characteristics deserve, and this fact gives
rise to a romance which justifies, on some
grounds. the authors rather ruthless selec-
ton of tragic climax. 1t may be argued
that such story could only end in a minor
key. But the majority of story readers
nowadays-and it may be assumed that
nine-tenths will read Temporal Power for
its value as a tale rather than as a disser
tatlon-prefer cheerfulness TO gloom in the
last chapter.
LUCK o. LASSENDAIE By the Earl Of Iddes-
leigh. New York: John Lane.
The Earl of Iddeseigh has presumably
had close acquaintance with the great En-
glish financial game that wrecks mobiles as
well as commoners He writes as from a
viewpoint of intimate knowledge, dealing
deftly with prices, interest investments
margins, profits and the like. But he is
no novelist. Had be collaborated with
literary hack" furnishing the color and
the facts while his partner did the tech
meal and perhaps despised work of framing
sentences and designing plot, the result
would have been much better. The story
he tells, presumably without aid, is not
thrilling even interesting in any degree
save as revealing the pig headed blunder-
ing of representative of a family Of the
aristocracy who undertakes to become a
king of finance" Perhaps the name of the
noble author will command certain re-
spectful attention in England. 1t will eX
cite only mild curiosity here, which will
not be satisfied by the book itself.
OUT OF THE WEST; Novel. BY Elizabeth
Higgins. New York: Harper & Bros.
Elizabeth Higgins" is locally well known
as the wife of Mr.. Florence Sullivan, Wash
ington newspaper correspondent. Her book
is a story of the west, linked to a portrayal,
it were only fair to say an attempted por-
trayal, of life in Washington. Up to the
time that the story in confined to the west
ern region it is convincing and vivid. When
IL cOtIleS Gut b1 lne W est II loses It's
interest at least TO Washington readers
1t is unfortunate that the excellent work
manShip of the novel should be marred by
failure to follow closely the facts of gov
ernment and of Washington society TO the
life. No one familiar with the capital and
its affairs will accept the dramatic climax
of the story, marked by a moving speech
in the House of Representatives, follow ed
Immediately by the passage of bill revo-
lutionzng railroad freight rates in turn
Suppeeded wifhOnt interval nv q mi
motion for Congress to adjourn ''sne die"
Laws are not thus made and it is regret
table that an incorrect impression should be
spread abroad widely is insured by
the general excellence of this novel. The
western scenes are admirable The story
tells of the populistc rise of a few years
ago and deals with the evolution of poll
tician from a young New Yorker who is
banshed to Nebraska by an irate wealthy
father.
THE LIBRARY OF USEFUL STORIES-TfE
STORY OF THE ART OF MUSIC BY Freder
lex J. Crowest. New York: d. Appleton & Co.
Music, which is at once the Oldest and
the youngest of the arts, has for too many
years been studied only in the form of it's
present-day development 1t is the oldest
of the arts, because music in some form is
a feature of the recorded history of every
race of mankind. But it is really only
about 500 years old, If the student applies
to it any standard of melody harmony
which obtains today. The periods of its
development are consequently of eXtraordi-
nary interest and should of their own force
tempt muse lovers to study its history
diligently. Mr.. CroweSt'S work is well suit
ed for the average American musician. 1t
is a primer, merely. But it is very good
primer, and admirably adapted to the under
standing of even those most ignorant of
technical music. And who would not read
200 small pages of large type to understand
the purpose of composers like Beethoven
and Wagner?
COMPANY COMMANDERS MANUAL OF ARMY
REGULATIONS. Compiled by First Lieut.. VIII
liam II. Waldron, 18th United States Infantry.
Kansas City, Mo-. Hudson Kimberly Publishing
Company.
This manual is the result of a careful
scrutiny of the revised edition Of the army
regulations, and embraces all the para
graphs that pertains to the administration
of company, troop and battery; a digest
of the opinions of the judge advocates gen.
eral of the army and the Revised Statutes
Of the United States. The work also con-
tains the number Of the blank and the
authority for the same and a fac smile
reproduction, in reduced size, of all forms
and blanks required from company COM
manders The compilation is valuable
and handy reference book for army officers.
Books Received