The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-06
NEW BOOK NEWS
CONDUCTED BY MARTHA YOUNG

music; even that early. people were thronetnR to the Chamber where the Congress met.
 Once only was the hero too late. Having met MT. Davis and spoken a few words to the President of the Con. federacy he was filled with regret that he had not said to him "something to inf,uence him--he might have shaken hira. he might have turned the scaler Turning back he sought MT. Davis again. determined to influence" with a word: Mir. Davis was engaged with a Cabinet session: The session will probably last all night. Is there any thing can do for you7"
 No" said Allan, in dazed way mo- and turned and went out again 'sIfe was too late!"
 Mir. Sinclair's hero reaches point of absurdity here.
 Mir. Sinclair does not, however, often overshoot his mark. He has power of description. vivid and compelling force in his words. Here is his story of The First Shot:
 Suddenly the crowd whirled about. startled into silence, transfixed. Across the harbor there had shone out sud- den far-off gleam of hre--instantan- eous, like a flash of heat-lightntng close to the horizon. At the same mo- ment a pale spark of light was seen to shoot into the sky. It went up in . curving track, trembling, scintillating slowly and more slowly 1t moved then seemed to stand still, lowering. hesitating. haking like star. And then 1t fell, faster and faster--and sud- denly, like a meteor. disappeared. A moment later there came across the waters a dull and heavy boom-and ~ka xtla burst roar that seemed to lift the very roofs off the cars. It was a shot!'
 MT. Sinclair's hero hurries on through Baltimore. out of Dixie, into Washington where he met Edward Lovejoy who was a sort of guiding and guardian spirit to him, an easily moved Allan Montague.
 'Lovejoy, turning. rushed toward him. and seized his hand in a paralyz' ing grip You got my messager h' said.
 "Messager gasped the other. No What do you mean?
 "T wired you ten days ago. sait Lovejoy. telling you there'd be war and to come
 1T didn't get it. Allan answered But I'm herer"
 AL SIdECCAy hCCOS0 8Ahb VI PAOPhS~j to reveal such a wire. and Allan was it seems. became nearly obedient tt Lovejoy's thoughts.
 Rapidly follow pictures of Lovejoy in the White House. always the joke telling rail splitter. asking" the boys to be careful not to injufe the White House furniture. Pictures of stree vista, of the marching to the front. O the New York Seventh. the dandy reg iment," of the march from Washing ton an army accompanied by sight seers: Some of the regiments were mere mobs, having come to Washing ton but few hours before-and nov going out to battle! Still farther ir the rear was the train of white-toppet wagons. making one think of the pio neers and the prairies. Among then were also buggies and coaches, fillet with civilians who had come out tC witness the spectacle--senators ant leongressmen, diplomats, newspaper men, all eager to be in at the deatf of the rebellion" Then Manassas. This Is announced as the first of ( triology of novels by Mir. Sinclair. The second volume will be called "GettyB- burg" the third "Appomattox." The first is full of many interesting matters well told.
 It Is to be hoped that the following two will be more free of prejudice facts less covered up with irrelevan- cies.
 On page 314 Mir. Sinclair gives ar interesting bit of his family history though one does not often enjoy meet ing another personally in the paths oi his romance:
 That day, also, in a little house in Norfolk. there sat two captains of the navy who had given between them a century to the service. They were Vir- ginians both. and they labored with each other. pleading, each of them with tears in his eyes-through the night, and until the break of day, but all in vain. One of them. the grand father of the writer of these pages, went South to ruin and to death; and the other came North-his name was David Farragut."