The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-06
) BOOKS
!. OF THE
!; WEEK.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

| Mr.. Alfred Henry Lewis. whose Woli-
| VILE stories have made him widely ana
| favorably known in this country and are
| now causing him 10 be compared with the
| late Bret Harte in England. takes ne"
| departure in Peggy ONeal which is pub
| lished this week by Drcxel Biddle of Phiia-
| dclphia.
| 1t seems sinsularly appropriate and char
| acteriStlc that the fiery and strenuous An
| drew Jackson should be the central figure
| Of Il historical novel from Ny. Lewis's pen.
| Also is ii typical OF the man that tie
! 'Pcgsy O'Ncal episode of President Jack
J SON administration. wherein Old Hickory
! chiva!rous championship of womans
| cause developed a political and social war
| OF imposing proportions. should have APP
| pealed irresistibly 10 Alr. Lewis rs offering
| the motive for the plot of his story. Tho
| Two combine for the best exercise of this
writer's talent and for his sincercst inspi-
| ration.
Peggy o'Neal" is. first and foremost. a
| distinctly readable novel. 1t begins on
| its very first page. that is. one is at once
drawn into the sweep of the story. JUST
| as when the first curtain rises on a we'll
constructed drama, and from that time Tor
| ward the action is spirited and there is no
| hating in the dramatic progress OF the
| tale. This is. of course, the first principle
| OF effective storytelling. the cardinal viz
tue. indeed. when an author enters the
| field of fiction. an art whose reason for be-
| ing is the amusement of its patrons. In
-. 'he s'oiS 10 ''e '''''s' AZ
'ATt aiu I'll ,le ,ine. .,,.
| NiNouii'ei 'i'e 1ehetdi' a.
Jackson is called throughout Mr.. Lewis's
novel, and the lustrous Peg O'Neal,' al
most as soon as We open the book and set
.ie ""ise!Nes LOT us reaoihs. JACKSON mas
80 I'eu III MashiiiS I'i' " sei,e ms
ntS. 'eiii as president [ireauy Is II KNOWN
t.as ne purposes 10 MAKE senator Eaton
Tennessee he b,ISh np Of viz
reSss. ms secretary OF war, ana instantly
tnete mas arisen storm OF protest because
" inc iact mat Pessy was low-porn.
the uauShter OF an lnnkeepeF, ana that ma
iiclous tongues nave wassed concerning her
SonGuc1 "hen she was the Wlfe OF Mr.. Inn
oei!ake OF me navy VINO mad later com
.,'i''eu Suieiue' fess9 he's.ii comes |"
.he indian Queen Tavern where jackson
IS Stopping. the very tavern once kept oy
her ldtner ana Is taken In TO meet the fres-
ident by tie latter's confidential adviser,
nameiess Warwick, who tells MIR. LeWiss
story IN the hrst person.
now. according to Veracious history and
TO TINS present novel. Peggy O'Neal was
one OF the most charming women. There
was thac IN her atmosphere TO prins brave
men 10 her, writes MI. Lewis and then
ne teiis tnat her SKIN was snow ana peach
biow, that there was meditation in her wide
prov. and that her teeth were like milk and
separated somewhat. wherefore he calls
them leopard teeth And somehow. we are
made to feel that there is a spice of the
devil in this same Peggy. and that her
leopard teeth are not without significance.
Also. the teller Of the story falls headlong
in love with her, married woman though
she be, from the moment her little hands
first rest in his. And President Jackson IS
finely devoted to her, so loyal to her good.
indeed. that towards the close of the story
he sends her away from Washington Ito
protect Peg from Peg" inasmuch as she has
fallen in love with this same mysterious
Major" who loves her and to whom Mr..
Lewis has Entrusted the telling OF his tale
In TINS one touch OF iove-interest, DANGEROUS
ana disturbing. Is the sole element OF SEN
timen'ai romance 1ound IN the novel Inc
rest Is capal anu intrigue anu oueilns ana
personal politics-a very storm OF action
above which the tall and spare figure OF
Old Hickory always towers in keenest REL
ism oil the Tray.
AS was 10 nave been expected. MT. Lewis
IS at MS pest IN plcturins such a NE. ne
makes us leei the intense ana DIt'er paFu-
sahship OF the Jacksonian Gays. lnec harac
ters whom ne brings on MS stage. oid
HICKORY himself. Dun Green, the lnslncere
editor whose double-dealing made 1t neces-
sary for Frank Blair to establish jackson
paper IN washington; Mordecai Moan Oh
New YORK, VINO nsures In a rattnng duei
with the anu-JacKson nre-eater Catron OIL
Maryland; the suave van Buren. tne
iion-faced WEBSTER, Benton OF MISSOURI
big, pompous. wise, but with bottomiess
Concert, John Z. Calhoun: pale, scnoiariy
anu me -Ihey are .rue 10 .hei. ,iii ,, anu