The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-14

ment: an adventure nover-vith the ire
ducib.e minimum of bloodshed: and a love
sto~ry-without a single kiss. The plot is
worked out with remarkable ingenuity. The
whole book has an elevated and restrained
poetic quality. and is inspired at once by
keen sympathy and by a manly stoiclsm."
The Times is not quite accurate, for there
are several tender scenes between the low
ers and something is left to the readers i'm
ag1nation. But there is little doubt that
The Four Feathers" comes close to being
the work of a man with a genius.
In NO Hero the early publication OF
which Is announced by Char.es Scribners
Sons. E. W. Hornung is seen in an alto
gether different vein than that presented
by THE Amateur Cracksman' and The
Shadow of the Rope" but with all the vivid
interest of these and former novels.
An Elton boy who has escaped from his
mothers influence and has fallen in love
with a woman who is believed to be an adj
ventures, is the central figure in Mr.. Hor-
nung's new story. The scene Is laid in
Switzerland, with a background of piquant
hotel gossip. the narrative being in the
words OF a friend of the boys mother, who
has undertaken the task of misunderstanding
the lad. TIL result is as unconventional as
1t is unexpected.
Ruskin's message OF the beauty that is In
nature is interestingly dwelt upon by Pro-
lessor w. E. Simonds in his recent STU
dents History of English Literature" NO
other" remarks Professor Simonds, has
ever approached him.. even among the poets.
in the description o. river and rock. of plant
and leaf, of cloud and sky-of all natural
phenomena-and that imaginative vision
which sees into the life of things"
There is a considerable interest in the 10
cation of Adam Rush. the American love
story of Lynn Roby Meekins. Chicago pa
pe,s placed 1t in Ohio. Philadelphia pa
pers said Virginia. Two other States have
teen named. and a Pittsburg journal de-
clared. Only those in the secret can know
how near Pittsburg the actual scene is
laid" When appealed to. the author wrote:
Il have never been near Pittsburg. except
while passing on an express. Good Amerf-
cans are about the same everywhere in the
eastern middle belt of the country. And II
the people are all right in the story. 1T
doesn't make 50 very much difference about
the post office address,"
Time. the Comedian is the suggestive
title of the novel in Ainslee's for March.
The author is Kate Jordan CMrs. r. NJ.
Vermilye), whose work is always notable
for intense qualities and fidelity
of characterization. In scene setting this
novel is peculiarly attractive. The earlier
parts Of the story are laid in the familiar
circles of New York society, and the latter
in the environment of the American colony
in Paris. The March number of Ainslee'S Is
particularly bright and attractive. the list
Of its. contributors comprising many of the
best XXI names in American current
literature, and the table of contents is suf-
fciently varied to satisfy the most exacting
taste.
Brentano's will issue during the next few
weeks new editions of Volney Steamers
charming volumes. What Makes a
Friend" and In Friendships Name" The
first of these books of selections of choice
savings in prose and poetry has already run
through seven editions; of the latter. no less
than thirteen editions have been exhausted.
proof positive that they are favorites with
the pubic. For Easter. a number of these
books will be daintily dressed in white raj
ment.
The French Academy Of Moral and Po-
litical Science has just awarded a prize of
200 francs to the French edition of Pin
loche's 'Pestalozzi and the Modern Elemen-
tary School, which made so much of an
impression in educational circles in this
country last year, as one of the Great Edu-
cational Series. Its author, by the way,
was some time professor at the University
Of Lille. France.
Mrs. Nancy Hutson Banks's new novel
has its setting in another corner of the
Kentucky country which she loves SO well,
and which she has portrayed in the