Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-03
{ LITERATURE AND LIFE !

A. j. N.

4 A. j. n. T
We do not like Anthony Hopes style
his ambiguous construction, prolix-
ness, parentheses, metaphors and
French phrases; but there is no denying
his ability to tell a good story.
His latest book-"Tne Intrusions of
Peggy" which has run serially in Har-
per's Weekly, treats entertainingly of
various phases of London life and So
ciety, introducing us to a little OF all
sorts and conditions without surfeiting
us with any.
The players show their respective
hands at the various games of social in
trigue, politics, stock gambling. Bohem-
ian enjoyment, love and match making.
1t has about it the flavor of the Dolly
Dialogues" and is all very entertaining
and amusing.
Peggy Ryle, the persistent intruder,
is a wholehearted lovable, mischievous,
spendthrift Bohemian, tho some of her
readers fail to understand how such a
sweet combination of innocence and
mischief, without any means of liveli-
hood, could indulge so extravagantly in
| 'frocks and flowers and things and
spend all her days and nights gala
wanting over London to dine with Bo-
hemian bachelors. The usual lover
would not stand for 1t, but then Tommy
Trent was not the usual sort.
Tho Peggy is the most interesting
character in the book, Tix Trevaila is
the real herodne-a young widow who
having led a dull, sorrowful poor sort
of existence with brutal husband, up
to his death, thenceforth throws herself
into the whirl of London life. and fore
ing her way into the most aristocratic
and exclusive circles, endeavors to win
social distinction. AT the same time,
she falls into the hands Of Fricker, an
unscrupulous stock gambler with whom
she invests her entire fortune, and OF
course, loses 1t.
In her efforts to make a brilliant So
cial marriage, she gets herself into all
sorts Of difficulties, and in the last ex-
tremity, gives up the fight, and runs
away from Lord Mervyn to whom she
is engaged, and under whose roof she
has been visiting. Reduced to poverty
and despair she shelters under the love
and protection of Peggy and her Boz
hemian friends, where she soon recov-
ers from her many woes and folaes,
and makes Bohemian love-matc'h.
The story Is quite fascinating, but
that sort of life seems very unreal to US
perhaps, because we haven't any ac-
auaintance with Bohemian London nor
any other kind Of London.
Anthony Hope Is another instance Of
clergyman's son in literature. The
author is 80 years old. is barrtster by
profession, and practiced law until his
chief work-"The Prisoner of Zenda"
established his reputation in literature.
Some weeks ago Mark Twain wrote
to Harper's Magazine requesting the
editor TO aid him in securing the num-
berless obituary notices of himself pig
eon-holed thruout the world awaiting
occasion for their publication. He de-
sired to edit them himself. promising
not to change any statement Of facts,
but only that he might II he so desired,
amend the verdicts. The humor OF the
thing attracted the attention OF the
literary wits all over the country, with
the result that the funny replies and
obituaries are still pouring in-enough
to fill a large volume. One just come
to nv notice is from "Dinkelspiel," who
suggests the following "epit-laugh" for
Twain:
"Vile here below you tiggled US so.
Und made us laugh der vile;
So now init choy your time employ
M n
The translation Of President Roose-
velt's book into French has led to much
discussion of the work among French
writer's. They have gained from 1t
new view of democracy, and frankly
admit it contains the secret OF success
Of a republican form Of government. NJ.
Vogue, the French academician pub
lshed a review of the book, of which
cabled report says:
an. Vogue thinks Mr.. Roosevelt's viz
lie conception of the duties. rights and
responsibilities Of good citizens comes
to old Europe as a sort of mental revo-
LUTON. He ascribes Mr.. Roosevelts
popularity to the fact that the presl-
dents words and actions fulfill the ideal
in process of formation in the brain OF
the young republic. M. Vogue finds
in the pages of the militant president
none of the glittering generalitles OF
Gallican claptrap oratory, with the mis-
use of the words democracy, liberty. re-
publicanism and humanity. but Gown
right, manly common-sense from pc
ginning to end, set forth with straight
forward originality and fearlessness'
and with conceptions as different IRON
our own as might we'll be those OF the
inhabitants of Mars or Saturn. altho
both France and the United States are
republics
M. Vogue calls Mr.. Roosevelt the
champion of new standard of life de-
clares his personality corresponds eX-
actly to the actual phase of the psycno-
logical life of his nation, and predicts
that he will never be Q "CromWeA