New-York tribune., 1903-02-11
PICKLE FORTUNE.
A Story Of Lite Here ard -4broad.

b1f Igfhor Tl Of The Martvrdom of an Empress"
I2rno. pp 5zs, Harper x Bros
The device upon the cover Of this book, with
its motto. 'Rota Fortune versat" defines the
current of its story. Fortune. in the turning OF
ner wheel surely never encountered more
resolute and CHEEKY spirit than is represented In
these pages Whether smashing the plots OF
villanous Egyptian official. holding off White-
chapel mob at the point of riding crop In g.
strong little hand. or setting herself to earn
living in foreign land. the fair Muzzi" is true
TO the self revealed in her earlier story. The
Tribuiations of a Princess: she snaps her fin
gers at the capricious goddess, and. ooff1ng q
troublesome coronet wears always the crown OF
bravery
Her animated recital opens in Egypt in a dip
lor1a1ic circle in which feminine quckness of
perception and readiness OF resource IND oppor-
tunity to defeat schemes and schemers galore
The scene in which the heroine. revolver ID
hand. compels a thieving spy to write down
confession of his wickedness is no less pictu-
rescue than that in which she detects his GRIM
inal employer in ali attempt TO poison her Amid
incidents of this nature are to be found many
slinpses Of celebrities and vivi4 descriptions or
Oriental manners and customs. Here, for ex-
ample is a flying vision Of Gordon as he lett
Roulak on his journey TO Khartounn--and death:
We saw him enter his train, clad in full evening
dress Of irreproaehable blackness and solemnity.
without even the bright ribbon OF an order TO
enliven Il, and carrying as sole hand luggage
bottle of liQueur brandy under one arm, ano q
gigantic box of cigarettes under the other! II
was strange 81 -ne and one tina. have always
remembered for, in view of subsequent events,
there remained for me sort OF persistent
ghastliness attached TO 1t The bell Changed lor
departure and the Pacha leaned out OF the WIN
dow to wave a asst farewell to Sir En- B-g.
the British Envoy and TO the little knot of friends
who had come to bid him Soospeea: the oaZzlIiis
Egyptian moonlight Illuminating his mild, kind
ly but slightly vacant countenance- IN wnich
one always family OWNED the rapt absorption
Of a zealot- Twice he raised his hanQ as uie
train steamed away putting blowing and Vo11l-
stine great white clouds from its smokestack,
and this was the last we ever saw OF Chinese
Gordon, one Of the most extraordinary charaS-
tiers OF the age
Some lively paragraphs are devoted TO Nine
Blavatsky the strange woman who hid under
inc e7,ise of a mystic the purposes Of a Rus
sian political agent Others given to the
tinia shallow Khedive Tewfk, whose wife was
g better man" than he. The Vicereine, as de-
scrfbed here was far from being the conven-
tional Oriental head of the household. She was.
.ve are told, courageous. energetic. learned. and
she ruled Tewfik for his good:
woman Of remarkable taste and refinement
she made point Of creating for her husoano
that unspeakable priceless home atmosphere so
sadly lacking in Oriental households; indeed
their life together modelled on that OF Eu-
ropean rather than Of Asiatic royalties, and al
though the Vicereines private apartments were
decorated and furnished with more lavish lux
ury than those of any empress or queen OF my
acquaintance, yet nothing therein denoted the
lazy self-indu1gence and emptiness Of purpose
peculiar to all born and bred occupants of the
zenana- Still singularly beautiful was Eminah-
Hanem at the time l am writing ABOUT, al
though according to Egyptian ideas, she was
already past her youth ArlstocTatlc . 10 rIe IN
hackbone-she was oaughter OF that re1narh-
zble parsonage, Prince El-Hanly Pacha-she
looked rather Spanish than Turkish. and her
large. VelVety eyes; her lips scarlet like the
flower Of the camellia: her skin, OF a creamy
Evaiteness which might well put to despair the
very magnolia blossoms in her garden, formed
q tout ensemble brilliant and lovely. like
Titan Rubeps premiere naniere, ano
marred only by n trifie too much enoonpolnt-
Possessed of the most delicate tact, in
tuition and persuasiVeness, she removed from
iiar lords path many difficulties created by his
hopelessly crooked nature and although she
was naturally obliged to remain ofncialiy In the
LA clzground she nevertheless was without the
possibility OF a doubt the true and only power
behind the throne
With the coming of the hero and heroine to
the United States the story grows even more
dramatic. Almost on the moment of return, the
news Of financial reverses arrives. and rather
than attempt the old life with empty pockets
the young pair settle down In New-York TO fight
dire poverty Chapter after chapter is given
20 details OF the weary struggle conducted in
the spirit Of the Muscovite Prince and Princess
Michael H-f, who, having come a financial
cropper," had sought refuge in America, Ito
work for their own support until such time as
the decease Of relatives holding life interest
in certain estates should repair their fortunes
They were great mobiles. and had occupied one
OF the most brilliant and enviable positions at
the court Of St Petersburg, but nevertheless,
they bravely and cheerfully doffed their coro-
pets. and, while the prince secured a berth, first
as brakeman and then fireman. On the New
York Central Railroad, his beautiful princess
took in fine washing TO help him keep the wolf
from the door" Good fortune came to this
practical pair-and II comes we'll TO the lead
ing characters of the romantic story under re-
view