The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-09
Her LATEST BOOK
The Color of His Soul,'' by
Zoe Anderson Norris.
STYLE is CHARMING
Keen in Her Treatment of Be-
hemlan Life.

Years ago when Zoe Anderson Norris
began writing weekly sketches FOR the
Eagle. she little thought that her pen
would lead her at last between the covers
Of book and into a creation OF q story
challenging IL its style, its plot and pen
etration, the admiration OF the literary
critics OF the country. Since that far
day and this. her capabilities as a writer
have broadened, ard her style losing
none OF its original vivacity, has been
polished TO the lustrously fine stage by
the emery OF much practice. But il is
interesting TO note that despite the new
viewpoint of the writer. the environment
which she describes, the strange and Pc
cUliarly metropolitan folk. she handles. 4
little Of the old Kansas habit viii creep
in and that once IN while she presses
q political argument or an economic
axiom home with great dencacy certain
! ". but with Enthusiastically hansas-like
triumph.
The title of her book is. THE Color of
His Soul That is a unique title. The
book is in keeping with its title, being
oddly bound and being set in an artistic
! type-style of its own. The title page,
as part Of its design, contains a siel-
houette of the author. The work IS pub
lished by Funk and Wagnalls Company.
New York and London.
( The dedication reads: This little book
is very lovingly dedicated TO my 8ladon-
/ IA Col. Bambino,' something quite be-
yond any Of US in Kansas.
! Her explanatory preface is this and it
/ is recommended as a model bit of charm
ing style: Between Altruria and Bohemia
there lies a land where, allegiance is
double and therefore doubtful. The moral
outlaws and social banditti who OCCUPY
this land claim now censorship over So
Getty as whole, and no individual ex-
+ ernption from the pIainest and most
righteous OF human obligations This
as it happens TO fall in with the -inclina-
lions of their lofty egotism or low de-
sires
Frank Bohemians and true Aitrurians
viii consequently recognize in the poseur
Of this story one who is not single of his
kind, not unique nor extraordinary, but
who belongs to an iIlz set apart ana Pc
cuiar, to be eyed askance, not alto
gether admired nor wholly trusted. by
the good folk Of either camp into which
he more often than not forcibly in
trudes''
The story deals with one Cecil, young
man who is gaining prominence as a
lecturer before Socialists. and particu-
larry that subdivision which would
switch the modern marriage ceremony
onto the rip track as rubbish. and dis
charging the train dispatchers OF our
social order generally, let loose every4
body to run on what rails he pleased
matrimonially with what speed and time
and change of cars he chooses. This
subdivision lately in New York has been
showing signs Of viperish life and the
author serves a good cause IN rolling a
stone on it.
Ceeus peroration went like this: THE
shirt on your back was stitched by tho
attenuated fingers Of half-starved wo-
men, bloodlessly white from the want Of
food that noUrishes-your vest. your coat,
your overcoat The L" that brought
you here is run by men exhausted by the
work OF twelve hours out of twenty-four.
The meat You eat was cut up by half
grown boys. standing ankle-deep in the
blood Of slain animals for wage barely
sufficient TO keep breath in their bodies
and blood in their veins. What Of these
wage slaves2 What of these serfs? Is
it not time and past time for some John
Brown to strike their note of freedom
a note that viii sound and resound from
state 10 state, from shore to shore. from
ocean to ocean a bugle call that SHAH
strike terror 10 the heart Of the oppres-
scr Of the poor that shall unleash thu
bonds. unciash their crushing chains.
and snatching them UP from the slough
Of despond. free them forever and for
ever I say the time has come Ard
this is the hour
This young lecturer was Ioafer. not
only. but an inhdel and the first person
singular OF the story SAYS 70 him.
There Is something lacking. it seems n
me, in those people VINO don't believe in
Cod"
4 should think" he said. that a wo-
man so advanced as you. would havs
long ago recovered from that old fan
tasy"
From what old fantasy. Cecn7~
queried- That OF religion" ne replied.
The moth-eatsn fable Of Adam and Eve.
I suppose you believe that. too?"
1 was silent
And that Christ was the Son OF Cod
IT believe that I said solemnlv, as Il
the purple dome CT the night was shut
out from view and We stood beneath THAI
OF soma dim cathedral i do"
He laughed again.
And when we die. we shah al 90 TO
heaven and wear shining robes and play
or harps2r