The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-24
NEW BOOKS.
New York, by Dodo's Llmner.

New fOrks " DOOO'o Limner.
R.rt,e. Charlie, sybil-these English
rroper names Of dignity and beauty will
sreet the eye OF the reader pleasantly in Mr..
p, Benson's new novel. @The Relentless
city, Harper h Brothers.. BERTHE and the
others happily have undergone no change
sinos podo's time; they are the same calm,
scintillating company, warranted TO remain
n,acid and to continue the conversation In
The best British manner even in a Kraka-
taua earthquake For the sake Of the con-
trast Mr. Benson brings BERTHE and Sybil
70 New York, which ia the relentless city
OF the title and every bit as good as Kraka-
taua, we should say, in the authors view.
BERTHE Ia Lord Keynes and (surprising nov
city IN and out Of novel; is after an Ameri-
can heiress.
Chapter Nv. shows up the dreadful city
AZ II appeared at Broadway and Thirty
fourth street at the close of hot September
day. The pleasantest urban journey OF our
erperience was performed in London In an
omnibus that went out to Hackney one
afternoon when it rained. There was plenty
Of time to enjoy it. Here at Broadway and
Thirty-forth street all was 20 different.
The streaming multitudes in the electric
cars trod fercely on one another's feet and
depended marvellously in clusters from
straps. They were masses Of damp, human
hest talking through their noses. The
noises were many and deafening. and in
cl,ded the roar Of the Herald presses print
ing Buster Browns. Strangely, it may seem
to the reader, some Of the noise was con-
tributed by the iron-shod wheels Of drays
Makl
Of the street. Moreover this nelghborhood
Wa marked by 'dingy, sour smelling res
taurants'; and though we cannot be quite
sure, for the language Is too cautious to
Be entirely clear our impression il that Mr..
Benson, on that crowded and painful after
noon, found the Hotel Waldorf casting It's
shadow In westerly direction. and we'll
nigh a. far as Hoboken, where the sun was
nightly and mighty torridly setting at the
time. We may notice here before we forget
It that few days later Mr.. Benson found
Newport and Long Island engaged In a
social war that swayed those two com
fnunities more bitterly and poignantly
than the War Of Independence swayed the
North and the South
Lewis 8. Palmer's country place on Long
Island. where BERTHE and sybil were enter
tanned, was pleasanter in some respects
than Broadway and Thirty-fourth street.
It's statuary, for one thing. was superior to
he Horace Greeley and the w. E. Dodge
of the urban locality. The most powerful
strokes Of the authors satire Of American
society are undoubtedly bestowed in his
description Of Mrs. Lewis s. Palmer's pearl
fishing entertainment. We will crafty our
readers with just little Of this. Mrs. Palmer
and the Prince Of Saxe-Hochlaben. "a disso-
lute young man OF twenty five. with limp,
past, and no future led the way. THE
crowds screamed and chartered through
the woods. following their illustrious leader,
and at last emerged onto the beach. There
An immense sort Of bathing establishment
had been erected. containing hundreds Of
little cabinets. There we're two wings, one
Tor mon, one for women, and In each cabinet
Tor women was blue serge skirt and san
4als, a leather pouch and small fishing net.
Ia esoh cabinet for men was the same ap-
psratus, minus the skirt. The lagoon itself
bunelled strongly Of rose water, for thou
lands OF gallons had just been emptied into
u, and the surface was covered With float
ing tables laden with refreshments, and
large artificial water lilies; and scattered
over the bottom Of the lagoon. scattered,
too. with liberal hand, were hundreds of
pearl oysters"
We pause a single moment 10 direct at
tention to the fact that In this strong attack
ON American society the German aristoc-
racy is also made to suffer. BERTHE and
Sybil must have had their opinion Of the
Prince Of Saxe-Hoohlaben. who is quite as
vulgar and ridiculous, as far as we can see.
az the corner Of Broadway and Thirty
fourth street. The satirist powerfully
goes on:
There was no time wasted. As soon as
Prince Fritz grasped the situation. and it
had been made clear to him that he might
keep any pearls he found, he rushed madly
to the nearest cabin, rolled his trousers up
to the knee. and put the sandals on his
rather large, ungainly feet. and plunged
into the rose-watered lagoon. Nor were the
rest slow to follow his ex1hple, and in five
minutes it was a perfect mob Of SERGE
skrted women and bare-legged men.
Shreks OF ecstasy greeted the finding OF
the pearls, cries of dismay arose il the shell
was found TO contain nothing. Faster and
more furious grew the efforts Of all to secure
them. For time the floating refreshment
tables attracted not the smallest attention.
In particular the Prince was entranoed
and, not waiting to open the shells where
the oyster was still alive most, however
had been killed by the rose water or the
Journey, and gaped open). he slowed them
away in his pockets in order to examine
them afterward. not waste the precious
moments when so many were in conpeti-
ton with him. and his raucous cries of 'Ach
Himmel there is a peautyr resounded like
bass drum through the shril din. He
paid no attention whatever to the throng
round him; for the present he was intent
on the entertainment, and paused only
once to empty bottle Of Munich beer,
which had been especially provided for him
on a table with scarlet tablecloth, for the
day was hot and the exertions OF grubbing
b the sand quite severe. BERTHE Keynes
had not entered the water with the first
wild scramble, hut had stood on the bank a
few minutes divided between anna cement
and helpless gigging as he observed Mrs.
Cyprus F. Bimm. stout, middle-aged
woman lately widowed plunge In without
even pausing to take her stockings Oh
nIe -h a. q