New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-15

nance of the Spanish Main. Iiy Cyrus Town,
and VIII Crawford. Emo. pp. Az. O. W. Dl-
Hngham Company
A TOUCH OF SUN AND OTHER STORIES; by
Mary Halock Foote. Emo PIP 2'5 Houghton'
Mifin * Co
~ BABEL. Stories Of Chicago Fly George Ade.
12mu PIP. 35S. Mcclure, Phillips a Co.
MIR. Bailey has chosen for his hero one more
Of those men who move through history with
heads lowered in shame. Patrick, Master OF
Gray was not content IL serve Queen Mary
alone, Queen Elizabeth alone, with whole
heart He was too bent upon serving himself
and so, instead of playing the part of a loyal
gentleman, he played the Dart Of an Infamous
spy a pretty hero fer novel! But FORUM
ately readers do not ask nowadays that the
central figure in a novel should necessarily he
Eayard II is enough that the romancer should
tell a good story. and such a story Mr.. Bailey
has unquestionably told in THE Master of
GRAY" The author of MY Lady of Orange"
proved in that book that he had the narrative
gift He has waited until to show that he
can write sparkling dialogue. that he make
his drama move nimbly and even gaily to its
appointed end. He has painted wonderfully
living portrait of his leading parsonage. ex-
hibiting in him a handsome person and
dabonair demeanor. and he has exploited the
Masters faculty for lively speech in the best
possible way, making it serve really to carry
On the story. to illustrate the action. This is
a spirited romance, excellent i'm color it is
in movement and we like it the better because
the author has had the good taste to refrain
from bringing Mary actually upon the scene.
Instead he wreaks himself from time TO time
upon sketch of Elizabeth, seated between
Walsingham and Burghley, every inch queen.
and at the same time very human potentate.
Of course, he does not neglect to do what he
can to make the Master sympathetic. but he
does nothing to diminish our lOathing of him
He simply endeavors to explain him, to show
the good struggling with the evil in the mans
character. In this he succeeds. and gives
a novel of more than ordinary interest.
Mr. Brady has also taken a rascal for his
hero. painting in "Sir Henry Morgan. Buc-
cancer a man whose wickedness he does not
wish to understate. At the same time he seeks
to bring out his dauntless courage, his mill
tary ability. his fertility and resourcefuIness,
lis mastery of his men, his capacity as a sea-
man, which qualities worthy OF admiral
ton" We are not much concerned with this
ambitcc of the authors, for it is not as n
character study that the book is to be read
1t is to be taken. rather, as a rafting romance
Mr.. Brady is lavish of incidents, and handles
one thrilling situation after another with a due
sense or all the melOQramatlc force that is to
be got out of ii. His description of the last
poments of Morgan is one OF the most effective
pieces c. writing he has put to his credit. His
diction IS in places needlessly rhetorical This
is, in the circumstances. however, pardonable.
In picturesque romance a certain amount of
fambOyanCy is perhaps to be expected. Sir
Henry Morgan. Buccaneer," may not be a tri-
umph of style. but it is absorbing story
Mrs. Foote sets forth her little comedies of
Western life with 4 suavity and n lightness of
touch that make her new book pleasing COM
pany for hour. She sketches her scenes
With feeling for pictorial effect and in them
Che places men and women whom it is agree
able to meet and whose characters and affairs
she treats with understanding and wholesome
sentiment She is intensely vivid. On
the contrary, neutral tones suit best her deli
cate art IT Is quiet, reasonable realism
which she practices. and she practices it very
well
The author OF the bundle of Chicago stories
called I'm BabeI'' has brought to the writing
CT that book the qualities naturally look
for. remembering his Fables in Slang" He
deals with commonplace people, and is careful
not tr take their joys and sorrows too seriously
He writes of them with certain curt humor
and finds his account in hitting off a piquant
IT is a mildly amusing book. for which