The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-27
IA Book About the Growth Of
Cities BY d Wcll-KnoWn Ex-
pcrt-A Work That IS
Boil, Entertaining and
Instructive.
aTHE AMBAssAD.0 Rs'
"a New Book BY Henry James.
Hawthorne and Ills Circle
by Julian Hawthorne; :" Joy
and Power" Timely and
Seasonable Book, BY Or.
Henry Van Dyke.
Instructive.

Scasonable Book, by Or.
Henry Van Dyke.
THE AMBAssADOIsS. BY Henry James.
n Published by Harper & Brothers, OF
s, New York and London. For sale IN
Richmond by the Bell Book and sta
tbnery Company.
Any ono who has the slightest apprccla-
i ton OF artistic values will never fall u
estimate, on going Into q gallery where
pictures are hung, the difference between
work showing the effect at first hand and
work that is Just tho opposite, for tho
power OF the former Is so much greater
a than that OF tho latter.
s# No one Is literary heretIc enough not
TO admit Mr.. James ability as novelist.
He stands at tho head OF tho American
school OF realism, but his literary canvas
IS Is SO evidently worked over, so mucl,
& time and attention Is paid to unIinportait
circumstances and detail that one, ln-
stead OF puuslng to admire as one should.
4 finds the atmosphere a little too thin and
rurefied, the level triflc too monotO-
nour One, In short. Is wearied on the siine
principle as Tcnnyson when no charac-
k terized type Of beauty az.
"Faultily faultlea,. icily reg uar, spien :
didly null, III
Dead perfection, nothing more.
Mr.. James, with nll his .styllsnncss"
\ In presentation, would meet with greater
appreciation, would be read with mnch
kcencr delight. II he were little less
tIo95 RI mo
The twentieth century Is afflicted with
introspection;3it Is the curse OF the pres
ent age Why should a man Of Henry
James intellectual acumen give himself
over to literary dissection or mental vivl-
section as he does7
Every emotion is analysed BY him.
every thought is hunted down to its
source; his men and women are so coli-
stantly probing each other 8 motives and
Weighing each others words that they
seem finally to go around In their little
world With pocket x-ray, which they
are dragging out and adjusting on every
occasion. great or small
In such society. a reader Is apt to feel
the oppression produced by lofty atti-
tudc. ana generally speaking. experiences
(, an inclination to return to the human,
and with II to tho safe relief, even OF the
common place. s
SO it Is that Mr.. amcs' very real power
Is wasted. = A story OF childhood comes
back into mind after an iHN'rvteW with
..'The A,nbassadors',T The story Is cIl-
titled knowledge Is Power" Tho sub
ject is discussed between an old man and
young ore, and the conclusion they
reach at last may be summed up in the
y following quotation: "a
n Knowledge dwels In heads repleto
with thoughts OF other men:
Wisdom IN minds attentive to their their
own
"a BOOK OF GIRLS. BY Lillian Bell,
Published by l.. c.. Page and Com
pany, OF Boston. For sale by the
9i8 Bell Book and Stationery Company.
Lillian Bells art In short story writing
and In the characterizat ton of the Amer
icnn girl Is SO well admitted that one
may settle down comfortably with ones
mind already made up when one takes
"a Book OF Girls" in ones hand.
This little volume contains four
sketches expressed In Miss Bells spe-.
c!ally bright and entertaining way Of
presenting things-and people.I' Each
story has It's particularly good points.
but many will feel a preference for the
second number, called THE Surrender 9 :
Iapwing,'. and for the fourth, nomed
Garrett Owens Little Countess
& FI.oDDEN FIELD. BY Alfred Austin.
Published by Harper and Brothers.
5 OF New York and London. For. sale
by the Bell Book and Stationery Com
rany. Price sl.2O.
The poet laureate Of England has at
tuned his harp to loftier strains and
strikes in the memorable battle OF "Flod-
q den Field" the deeper notes OF. Scot
lands tragedy and OF England's triumph.
Tho drama is In three acts. the sprin-
cIpaI rersonages being Lady Heron. King
1 james TX OF Scotland. the Earl OF
Surrey, commander; Of the English army;
Mnrgery. Lady Heron's maid, and Sir
William, Lady Heron's husband,
"a climax Is reached In the second and
third acts In the third King James lp.,
In the disguise of minstrel. woos Lady
Heron; who encourages him for her own
purposes, being all the while enamored
\ herself Of the Earl of Surrey After en-
couraging the King, Lady Heron de-
nounces him to her husband. q song.
which the King sings to the touching or
his lutte while making his suit to the
lady has tender old world rhythm
1t says:
Il "Oh! fair arc Scotland's birken woods.
And fair her becks and burns,
When maiden buds fling back their
hoods
And pairing time returns. AIS
But falrer than her navis groves
Ana sweeter than her streams,
When loving lad with lassie roVes, &
Is the lady Of my dreams, 5,
81 .Now were lord of Stirling town,
Or scotland's sceptred chief,
{ / would nng down my robe and crown
%2 no share her bliss and grlef;f
with her to MOL In mountain field,
When oaten stocks are dried
\, TO bc her shield thro darkenng weald
Then slumber ut her side" 6
In the third act,after the rout Of Flod-
den Field Lady Heron reveals to Surrey
tia fact that she lured the Scottish King
and Kept him at her side until the bal
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