The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-07
SOME BOOKS. OF THE DAY
REVIEWED AND CRITICISED
,,.Lux Crucis,,' a Roman Story St? iii
St. Paul, the Great
Apostle e the 5 Gcntiles'
Is the Central Figure.
4 BOOK BY COUNT G; UNI ToLs s

s& Interest uSt NOW, III IVY -" -
the Trouble Between Russia
and Japai1-A Peep at the
February Magazines Notes
s 81 Books and Authors.
INK cRuCts: "A TALE OF TIE ClHD -.
ME- APOSTLE. BY Samuel Gardenhire..
I'll published by Harper and Brothers, or
Sew York and London. For sale IN
ys3 y 4 Richmond BY the Bell Book and Sta
tionery Company Price, S1.6O.
once mor,-as in Dean stanley's Be
fore The Dawn, and sienkiewicz's QUO
4 vadis"-the period of Neros reign IN
Rome. with It's luxury. its sensuousness.
5tits strange mingling of refinement ana
barbarity, It's banquets, Its gadlat s'rIl
combats, and It's Christian perse cntlohss,
q has been brought before the lnlnas O.
twentieth century readers. -.
THO Present does not care especially
{ Is be reminded Of the Past, or of It's rela
ton and obligation to It. The Present
Is too self-absorbed and too sel1-suiil-
clent to indulge in much looking PACK
4 ward. She Is lost in smiling contempAll-
Ation Of her own image IN the mirror,
which vanity holds up, and whct her
looks are directed differently, she shhrugs
& her shoulders and declares: But no..
~ hese dim echoes tease my ears and af-
fright my. senses. What have I, the
darling of fortune, to do with them?
Rid them cease, and leave mo to the
things OF to-day, in which my soul de-
Ights.''
Notwithstanding such an avowal 1t Is
well for humanity to pause and to con
slider the vision of days gone by through
the eyes Of others for whom Its volume OF
realities has been opened; who have
centered upon the Neronian period as
beipg the most important in the object
Hles>-ns which it presents and in the bear
ing It mas upon the history of Christian
%ity.
Il Mr.. Gardenfire's book differs from
several which have preceded 1t In that
he makes Paul. the Great Apostle, the
central and supreme figure of his story
and introduces into his narrative the
appearance Of Paul before Festus. In
his description Of Nero's court he does
not picture Nero SO wildly as he does
Tigellinus, Nero's creature and satelllte,
n monster who melted the Roman EN-
peror to some Of his worst deeds. Other
{ members OF the royal household Pop
&paea and Berenice among them, are
touched upon lightly, but. strongly.
Across this lurid atmosphere, which re-
volts while It attracts, fall the shadows
81 Paul and Peter, as they move hither
and thither on their rounds of bene-
f;cence and mercy. Their faith and cour-
age their lives filled with the spirit or
E&thc Master, whose mission they are a ,t;
complishing fill all who study them WIN
4 a clearer conception Of the power and the
srblimity which animated the leaders
OF the disciples Of Christ
The flower of love blossoms and flour
isles sometimes amid the unklndllest
surroundings &c. In the midst of Nero's
butcheries and ensanguined cont!lcts'
Il there was given by Mr.. Gardenhire space
for e. double romance to spring up ana
brighten pages which would else DC 100
sorrowful to contemplate with pleasure.
Escaping from the fate destined for
them In the arena, the four lovers or
the book left Rome to seek the green
hills and the generous hospitality OF
distant Brittany, a land where they
could exult in safety and put behind them
the sad memories that oppressed them.
The last chapter OF the book says:
"The day that had brought to the
travellers Its sense OF freedom was IN
Rome. closing upon the final tragedy
Peter, his venerable head liked down.
ward upon tho cross, hung limp and
1lfeless. his martyrdom accomplished
Paul, the dauntlesst the great apostle
thoughtful, but triumphant, had gone tc
Z the fate to which he was resigned. Blu,
Nero and Tigellinus. ingenius yet
achieved tho ultimate of cruelty.
This ultimate" was the burning of the
Christians as living torches In the gar
dens of the Vaticanus, the populace look
ing on and cheering Nero and Tigellinus
as each drove by In his ivory chariot
Isl no GROWING act of infamy, which ended
81 tho games arranged by Nero to give
Il Rome and the Romans series of holi
days.
The four cxIles and lovers, having &C
ccmpllshed days journey towards TN
shores of Brittany, sat upon dlstan
hillside and looked upon Rome and TN
.I was how they viewed the tragedy OF tn
i Naucanus:
x "Tho night seemed full of stars. The
IS hung like fire-flies low down on tn
q horizon, and then with seeming restles:
moss mounted into the vast abyss; the
grew in volume and number.
'Wnat is it?" asked Myrrha as the
looked in awe and wonder.
AZ IT know not" replied Fabyan. "Ar
vet the banked radiance moves II
4 strangely. / seem to look upon pi
FL ture."
1T is a picture" whispered Valentln
with breathess interest
IT could almost fancy 1t the flight
"A souls to heaven" said Ethetred. "Nev
have ! seen the sky SO beautiful"
'"Tis In our hearts" said Fabyan. "Bt
look, how the stars group themselves: 7
II a strange and familiar outline"
They looked. indeed.
'"rhe lights had thickened until t
horizon g!owcd as with the colors
tho aurora Gorgeous in the night with
new beauty, It's form now set in fire. I
hill of yaticanus was blazoned in t
heavens. its summit glowcd. Shaft
shaft the lights prayed over It. change
with CLEANS of emerald and sapphi
while far UP in the deep blue arches
the sky the eternal stars We're circ
over cross of light. shining Ike
promise above the summit Of the radit
hill"
sEVAsToPoL AND OTHER MILITIA
$6 TALES BY Leo Tolstoy. Transla
by Louise and Aylmer Maude, PUBL
ed by Funk & Wagnalls Co.. Of \
York, For sale by the Bell Book
Stationery Co Price $l.50,