The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-26
SOME OF THE NEW BOOKS


earth, lean, sapless, and marked with dis
ease. A chain of purple hills looked down
on its dead level. over which a wagon
road passed like a scar across haggard
face. From the brazen arch heat poured
down and was thrown back from the
scorched surface of the land. Ii was Au-
gust in the Utah desert in the early ff-
ties. In the silence and deafness OF the
scene there was one point OF life. The
canvas top of the emigrant wagon made a
white spot on the monotone Of gray" In
this wagon were enacted the tragedies Oh
life and death. A little child, worn out
by the rigors Of the long journey across
the plains, succumbed TO a slight childlSh
ailment and died. His mother, young In
years, but broken by suffering, brought a
daughter into the world before the day
ended. She was cared for by the other
woman OF the party, the man accompany
ing being the husband of both the women.
He was a Mormon, not because he was
believer In the doctrines, but because ne
had become infatuated with the second
woman, a buxom, handsome creature, and
under the laws of that church could marry
her. But he was tired of Mormondom and
was making his way to California. he
could not live in open polygamy in the
latter State and the problem that troubled
him was what to do with his first VIE.
What he did was simply to desert her. cir
remained ailing, winter was coming on,
and they were likely to be snoWbound at
a remote miners camp in the mountains,
which they finally reached. The miner,
moved by feeling of pity for the woman,
agreed to let her stay until she recovered
her strength. The SHOWS fell and shut the
camp off from the world until spring:
settlement and went through the
form of marriage TO satisfy the
womans conscience, though she knew IL
was really no marriage. Then they, too,
left the mountains and took up their abode
in town and lived their lives quietly and
decorously, the little girl born on the desert
being the pride of their hearts. The childs
own father, meanwhile, his early record
unknown to his associates, was pursuing
his way and it was the way TO fortune
BY the time his daughter, who knew MOTH
ing of him, was grown he was bonanza
king, q man OF power in the community,
with a family about him-a son and daugh-
ter of whom he was not especially proud
The complications that come into the al
fairs of these people after all these years
as result of the second marriage and the
desertion of the first wife so long ago
form the incidents of 'To-morrows Tan
GLE" These incidents occur in San Fran
cisco, and the writer, Geraldine Bonner,
who is evidently sure of her ground, gives
some vivid pictures of life in that city. The
bonanza king owned a newspaper, among
other things, and there are some clever
touches showing familiarity with newspa-
per routine. To tell what the complica-
tons are would be to lessen the interest
of readers who like to unravel the plots of
novels themselves; il is enough to say that
ours might actually have happened de-
scribed. One gets a glimpse through the
pages of the book of the curious conditions
that undoubtedly existed in California;
early day, when personal and family his
tories were not inquired into with safety,
when many of the citizens had pasts that
they preferred to keep hidden. There is
abundance of action, some good dialogue
and some clever bits of character drawing.
The portrait of Mrs. Willers, the society
editor, for instance, is well done; it is the
mir of hn ha he
appearance and some of the habits char
acteristic of a fast life, but is entirely
worthy in essentials and is a good friend
to helpless girl. "To-morrow's Tangle,
as a whole, is a story out of the common
and one to hold the readers attention and
interest. 1t has in good measure the chief
essential of properly-constructed fiction,
that of being entertaining-which is a good
deal TO say for a book in these days when
the deadly dull novels are so numerous.
The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis.
The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come
When John Fox, jr., named his latest
work of fiction 1.-The Little Shepherd of
Kingdom Come he evidently wanted a
catchy title, for the name gives the reader
little idea of the nature of the story. 1t is
true the hero and his dog make their
first impression on the mountaineers along
the Kingdom Come by rounding up a flock
of sheep, but the shepherd does little herd
ing in the story; fighting is his strong card.
Left lonely by death, in the mountains of
Kentucky, he battles his way through life
with an energy and determination that
wins the admiration of everybody. The
story is so well told that Mr.. Fox need not
fear his future in literature 1t is what
the police reporter would call human
interest tale, simply related, but with q
pathos that charms. There is realism, a
naturalness in describing the life of Chad,
the hero, that must appeal strongly to man
and boy alike, and women and girls, too,
for the latter can fully appreciate the
manly impulses that impel Chad to the
course he pursues. Early in life Chad is
led to believe he is woods colt" a de-
risive term applied by the mountaineers to
foundlings. He lives with a kind family
until cholera robs him of his benefactors.
Then he kneels by the newly-made graves,
and this is his prayer: God! / haint
nothin' but a boy, but / got to ack like
man, now. I'm a-gon' now" He goes-he
and his dog Jack. They flee from Lonesome
to the settlements" on the other side of
the mountains. From then until Chad at
tains manhood he fights battle after battle,
real and figurative. until he makes name
for himself and proves that, instead of
being woods colt" he is the legitimate
son of Colonel Chadwick Buford, a men,
Der of one of the most noted families of
the South. The solving of his parentage is
largely due to Major Buford, who finds
Chad wandering in the blue grass country,
takes liking to him, carries him home
and afterward sends him to college at Lex
ington. Major Buford is the boys uncle.
Colonel Buford was killed in the Mexican
war, and his wife died when Chad was an
infant Chad has two love affairs to deal
with. Melissa, with whom he goes to
'blab school on the Kingdom Come, is his
first boyhood sweetheart. She loves him
with devotion that causes her to risk
her life TO save him. Margaret Dean,
daughter of General Dean, of the blue
bloods of the blue grass region, is Chad
second sweetheart, and though, in her case,
the course of true love does not run smooth
Chad fights on the Union side. and so does
one of Margarets brothers. General Dean
and one of his sons join the Confederate
army. Chad comes in contact frequently
with Morgan and his raiders, and succors
both the Dean brothers several times be-
fore the close of the war. When he re-
turns to Lexington in 1865 Margaret and
her mother welcome him, though they both
tainted and condemned him for fighting
against the South. While Chad is winning
shoulder straps with Grant, his benefactor,
Major Buford relentless rebel, dies after
forgivipS Chad for joining the Northern
army. He makes no provision for Chad,
however, but wills his incumbered estate
to Margaret, knowing that she loves Chad
and will marry him when he returns. No
kentucky story is complete that does not
have horse in ii, and Mr.: Fox has intro
duced several thoroughbreds. There is not
a dull page in the book, and the reader
will finish it with the wish that there
was more. Charles Scribner's Sons, New
York.
The Adventures of Gerard.
Ia