Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

ItuSSld is a ripe fleld for- the nOVefStS,
and as yet has not been well enough work.
cd. Mr.. Hope has taken out of the many Gle
ments of romance which surround the his
tory of the rise of the house of Romanoff a
group of facts and woven them into a
fiction of unusual strength and interest.
He has told the romance of story of Count
Ostermann, Peter the Greats German prime
minister who did much to weld the COM
ponent parts of the state into a national
whole. Ostcrmann was noted at the time
as the only honest official in the service
of the car, and this characteristic is aptly
illustrated by the opening chapter which
reveals a French diplomat unsuccessfully
trying to bride him to consent to a treaty
Peter decided that Ostermann should
marry, and forthwith betrothed him to one
of his own relatives, a young princess who
had just come to the corrupt court as a
maid of honor The girl conceived violent
aversion to her husband which was foster
ed by the Intriguing members of the court
and foreigner hangerS-on, and she did not
awaken to a realization of his splendid
qualities until he was in disgrace in con-
sequence of one of the overturnings which
followed the death of Peter. The story
closes with the couple united and
the wife determined to accompany her hus-
band into exile. The novel abounds in
dramatic situations which sharply illustrate
tic COIlOltlOn Oh AFFAIRS at ST. petersburg
and Moscow during the exciting days of the
close of Peters reign and those of his
grandson, of Anna and of Elizabeth.
Guy Wetmore Carryl Boston: Houghton Milf
fin Co. Washington: Woodward & Lothrop.
Mr.. Carryl has presented in this novel a
phase of the political problem in the United
States growing out of the balance Of power
held in some states by radical labor agita-
tors. Taking advantage Of a factional
split In the dominant party-it is not diff
cult to reach the conclusion that Allie
ghenia stands for Pennsylvania, though the
political situation is fictitious-the labor
party secures the nomination of tool of
Its own as governor and young reformer
as lieutenant governor The latter soon
finds himself fifth wheel in the mechan-
ism of administration, and he is quickly
involved in a difficult situation growing out
of strike at the mills of the man whose
daughter he Is to marry. A state of an
archy develops, with the governor unwill-
ing to summon the state troops to preserve
peace and seeking to shift the responsibility
upon the shoulders of his lieutenant The
situation is solved by means of a tragedy
to which the author deity leads his plot.
The great climax of the story comes in the
struggle of the young governor, elevated
when confronted with a great petition to
commute the sentence of the man whose
criminal act has cleared the way to law
and order in the state. His decision marks
him as great character, capable of earn
ing future political rewards. The scenes
of the labor agitation and it's political by
play are rendered with evidence of a close
familiarity with the actual course of mod
ern affairs.
THE EXPANSION OF THE REPrBIIC SERIES
THE HISTORY OF PUERTO RICO; from the
Spanish DssSgery to the american OCCUPATION
lie Library. San Juan, Puerto Rico; Edited by
Martin ia. G; Br,mbaugh, Pip LID. professor
first commissioner OF education for Puerto Rico.
New York: d. Appleton & Co.
The war between Spain and the United
States made necessary the rewriting of
current historical works treating of the re-
gions affected by that struggle, chiefly to
bring them up to date" and to include the
latest political changes and military events.
But in the work Of revision on that score
the historians have discovered that the ex-
listing records have been indifferently pre-
pared, and even have been delibera tely dis
torted for political effect upon the COM
munities OF which they treat. This is true
of Porto Rico-which the present author
chooses to spell Puerto" notwithstanding
the official dictum in favor of the shorter
form. 1t was not the policy of the Spanish
government to permit the people of it's de-
tendencies to learn too much or too ac-
curately of the stories of their lands and
thus efforts to straighten out the history
books or to bring them in touch with re-
cent events were discouraged. This handy
work on Porto Rico meets the need adj
mirably. 1t supplements the imperfect rem
behring's of the islands story which have
heretofore done service as histories, and it
adds chapters to tell the tale of the Amer
lean war for the independence of Cuba and
the annexation of Porto Rico. The charac-
ter of the people is clearly and fairly set
forth, the resources are carefully estimated
and the prospects of the betterment of the
general conditions under American SOW
ereignty are Indicated An interesting
urne. 1t is well illustrated from photo
graphs.
THE GAME OF LIFE. By. Bolton Hall. author Of
Vessels Company. Washington: VIM. Ballan-
tyne Sons.
rather pessimistic spirit has inspired
the writings of these parallels and fables
Of modern life, but that seems to be the
source of the inspiration of the average
aphorism producer. 1t is often easier to
say the disagreeable things in snappy
manner than the pleasant things, and when
these disagreeable truths are smartly put
they make a deep impression. Some of
the parallels have already been published in
periodicals. They are the work in all of
seven years of thinking and writing Proba-
bly, Mr. Bolton Hall has written other things
besides these during all this time but ac-
cording to some standards his seven years
would be well spent if he had produced only
these for they are telling rebukes and re-
mnders and chastisements They run in
length from a few lines to half a dozen
pages, and have the impersonal, general
address of the true fable which covers. in
truth, a multitude of sins without appear
ing to tread upon any ones pet weakness.
THE GREAT SIBERIAN RAILWAY; from 81.
Petersburg to Pekin. BY Michael Myers Shoe
maker, author of QUAINT Corners Of Ancient
Empires, etc. New York: G. P. Putnam's
Sons.
The author of this interesting travel book
has undertaken no research in Russia s
political motives in penetrating to the
eastern coast of Asia, nor has he sought
to describe the actual work of constructing
the great transcontinental line across
which he travelled a few months ago ii,
more or less discomfort. He leaves the
narration of the politics and the pecula.
lions of the Siberian railway builders to
other pens and confines himself to the tell
ing of how he made the journey. 1t may
tba