The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-28


/ viewers are praising 1t mildly. Ills true,
but they are at least refrain'ng from
clashing with tho publishers Interests
| All these things have prepared the pur-
| chaser to expect great pleasure In read
| ing the book. with very pleasant recol-
lections of other charming stories by DR..
Page, the reader opens Gordon Keith
| In frame of mind go favorable that
| when the surprise of Its deficiencies 1,rst
overtakes him lie lays the blame to ms
own lack of insight He shakes himscil
| ana reads With closer attention. At length
| he is Obliged to acknowledge that this
book. from whose author he expected so
much. Ia lust one of the many written
| for an indlscrlmnate public that is new
| book daft.
| But 'Gordon Keith" Is too huge a dis
appointment to be spoken of by Or. Pages
| admirers in the passive tinid fashion or
considerable reviewers, who arc dainning IL
| with fain praise. If 1t were possible, IL
should be the duty of his friends to rip
1t up" and 1t should be done unflinchinglS.
But the author has left the reader no op-
! port,nlty to tear 1t all to pieces lie
| has himself given 1t to the public In
shreds--in n disjointed disconnected. Ia
tered tumble
To present 1t attractively in review
| review that would outline the plot hint
fascinatingly at charming characters.
vaguely suggest certain scenes that must
! be read with ones OWN eyes " SCe WV
| real charm Of them--to do any OF the re-
viewers ruses to inveigle readers and pur-
chasers. the book itself would have to be
i done over.
There Is no life. there nre no characters
in all the voluminous nvo hundred and
forty eight pages. There is n stage there
are players but even these players are
rl,ppets. and DR.. Page stalks about con-
fusedly shifting the scenes. calling new
combination of puppets to the front. while
he Is still shuffling to the rear group
that has Just finished Its part. And the
manager has robbed his poor stage ana
players of eevry semblance of reality by
letting his audience see him do 1T. we
feel that we aren't called In to witness
a finished performance. We are Devil
dered to find ourselves present ut tho
first rehearsal.
There Is not even a message In the book.
II Is sometimes easy to forgive failure
II we can feel that the writer is sacrl-
f1cng art to teach us something. But In
"Gordon KEITH there is neither purpose
nor art. On a severe pinch for raison
d'etrc, we might, by scanning side para
graphs not bearing particularly on our
hero's life, find that 1t Is the authors
own experience of New York society, that
he is setting forth; that 1t blemishes the,
pure, plantaton-grown ideals of the Viz
ginia gentleman. But why did not d. Page
let MS nero reveal ny ueSTeeS tHlS Sldl u
ling message? No. Gordon Keith Is
hero' The insipidities, the Inconsistencies
the decentralization, the wealth-devastated
social customs of our wicked metropolis
cannot gather him into their "whirling
maelstrom." He sheds these inf1uences
they don't phaze him. Environment may
make man, but 1t takes Thomas Nelson
Page to make hero.
From his earliest childhood Keith de-
veloped heroic symptoms. On quiet lit
tie trip he made to England while yet
tenderly young. he risked being drowned
to fly n Confederate flag on row-boat in
an English lake because he saw the
Stars and Stripes floating on another lit
tie boat. On this quiet little trip to Eng
land our hero met all the people who
were afterwards to figure vitality In his
eventful life. He whipped in England az
little boys the men whose afterlivcs
would contrast unfavorably with his own
In America. 1t is by his feats that we
know him. When he arrives at the age tc
go to college the author tells us "Gor.
dons college life may be passed over"
1t Is taken for granted we know by this
time that our hero would meet with no
difficulties worthy of mention in getting
q big education at n little bound.
We hurry to a time In his life when he
can do things. And he does them. He res
cues n young lady whom her horse has
thrown. and carries her In his arms down
a. rough, steep mountain path. After this
he sees her often; she is tho only young
girl he ever does see; the obvious comes
to pass. She Is Immensely rich; lie is
pltifully poor; again the obvious. She
marries In her set. but Keith's ideals re.
main intact. Opportunities present them
selves on all sides to show us the stun
he Is made OF. He defles Terpischore, the
vrago. and she beomes his lifelong
friend. Tho she Is dance hall keeper
drink-distributor and general wrecker OF
manhood. she can't phaze Keith.
He overcomes Bill Bufy the flercest
of mountain desperadoes. Bill Bluny Is
mad with drink, armed with pistols, and
Is OF superhnman strength Unaided and
unarmed Keith "does him up" AS stage.
driver, is Keith held up and robbed? Not
he! It is only Bill Blufy again whom
Keith pursues. captures, pardons and
with r1ght magnanlmty permits to es.
cape in his own clothes.
He descends into a flooded mine and
rescues moro than plenty of mon. ana
gives the reader horrible fright by
narrowly escaping with his own life
Terpischore, the tanned schrew. nurses
him back to his former heroic propor-
tons. Later, at Terpischore's final tragic
exit from her too-mellow drna. 1loith re.
pays her by letting her die In his - ms.
He opportrnely rescues the girl no
loves from the arms OF the lowest man
In New York, who is kissing her by
force In secluded spot In Central Park.
Now Just here We become aware, and
we have had no hint of 1t, that our
heros Ideals arc frosted He knocks
| down this unspeakable man. eyclaIms
You hound" and though he sees him
| many times afterwards lie never gives
| him the hrD Sbipr whi cb