The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-03
ROCKS or THE DAY
UNDER BRIEF REVIEW

| critical aud biographical, anecdotal ana
descriptive. It is infused with q very
charming and genial humor and Is most
compnnionable for tina. reason. Certain
chapters on ..Wishmaker's Town, Poor
| Yortck,' and "Robert Herrick" Will IN
| vlte many readings. Indeed the entire
sheaf which makes tho composition, OF
! the little volume has been bound together
III a very delightful fashion.
DENNIS FoGGARTY.--By Lord Gilhooly
Published BY Frederick a. Stokes
! Company, OF New York For sale by
the Bell Book and Stationery Company.
Appropriately gotten up In covers OF
emerald green bearing the title ana nu.
thor's name, together with shamrock
posy, the whimsical and highly humorous
volume called Dennis Foggarty" makes
its New Years bow to the public.
The harp that hung on Tara's walls"
wrcathed in shnmrock's. makes very
pretty marginal decorations for pages
that arc filled with the liveliest irish hu-
NOR, purporting to DO an exchange OF
condolences between Mr.. and Mrs. FOG
garty, overheard because of thin parti-
tlon.
and some OF his adnonltons to his better
half are exceedingly shrewd. He afflrms
that:
1Thcre's no bigger fule, Mrs. Foggarty.
than that fule who shows no gratitude
when ye've nearly broke yer back t DO
him favor, because he don't know
enough t. be sensible av 1t.
And again
when q girl marrles a dude, Mrs.
Foggarty, she shud be made t promise
tn poor thing that she'd advise him only
wanst In WHILE raproovu> him never.
an see t. 1t all tn time that tn cat
didn't chase him out av tn back yard.
Dr.. Thomas Nelson Pages christmas
Peace" published In the December Metro
poitan. revives the spirit instinct IN
MARS Chan" and Nleh Lady" The ''old
plantation and 'the relations" appear
once again. The names and atmosphere
are Enthusiastically Ylrglnan and one has
curious feeling Of being glad to get
back home. with DR.. Page, who never APP
pears to so great an advantage. as when
on his native literary heath writing about
his own people.
The scene of his last stor! &ls sald 10
be laid in King William org Hanover
county, Virginia, The church referred
to In the story-St Martins recalls one
OF the early Honover parishes so named.
Tho two principal characters-Judge
Hampden and Colonel Drayton--are said
to have their prototypes In two well
known Virginia gentlemen and 10 be
easily recognizable. The Illustrations are
fine. fronttspiece In color being the
work Of Blendon Campbell.
The Christmas Metropolitan in entirety
is an excellent issue. Beside DIR. Pages
contributions which is accorded the lead.
ing place, there IS Ills Second Wooing,
from the pen of Eden Phtllpotts; Re
tanning Fees by Mrs. Annie Flora Steel
the talented author of one of the best
books ever written concernig the Indian
NIutiny; 1.-THE Duck" an excellent poem
in dialect by Mr.. B. B. Valentine, Of this
writer OF animal stories. Charles G. D
Roberts, and several lovely poems from
Carolyn Wells. Theodosla Garrison and
Bliss Cartnan.
THE MASTERTOLK.-Writ by Hal
dane Macfall. Published by Harper and
Brothers. For sale by the Bell Book
and Stationery Company. Price, 81. 90.
The author Of THE Masterfolk has
drawn the veil from the face of Bohemia
in London and Paris. and painted 1t III
its realism for all men to read, and all
women, too, If they will.
This Is an age Of unserve. Formerly
there was much that was left to silence.
The Imagination passed much lighly BY
Suggestion, If touching certain phases of
life at all, did so only by way Of warning
y.
Every and all phases OF life must be
minutely described and set in order for
the inspection of those who may desire
TO examine the record. The more real
Istic the annals are, the more ruthlessly
the plain light, Of common sense Is turned
upon the why. the whence and the
whittier of Bohemia, with It's joys and
sorrows its good fellowship and its I'M
governed impulses. Its loyalty and It's
brutality its personality--nay its vitality.
and It's color-thc more wonderful seems
the work Of the literary artist. who
catches all the different impressions and
reproduces them quite frankly and I'M
ashamedy.
The writer of THE Masterfolk' has
evidently taken Du Maurler for her modes.
Being II woman. she has gone beyond
her master in daring OF conception and
expression Her book shows great talent
and great originality. She has written II
straight from her heart and consciousness
and with certain drectness and SIN
cerity that appeals to the reader, ever
though much condemnation may be on
his lips
The love story OF the book Is kept pure
and tender and leavens with Its uplft-
Ing tendency things in contrast that seen
hopeless. grim and tragic. The bool
title Is taken from an anonymous pubi!
cation called 1.-The Masterfolk," on the
authorship Of which much OF great IN
terest hinges. Several very remarkable
quotations are given by Miss Macfall from
the composition which she represents a
the inspiration of her own novel name
Perhaps ono of these passages may, bet
ter than anything else. give some Idea o.
the very unusual style In which Miss
.Macfall writes. The passage says:
IAN language dies, giving birth to othc
Color fades, paint perishcs. marh'
crumbles. the statue falls in the grns
| tho glowing harmonies pass into blnc
ness and are no more; the rains was
| the hands craft from the hardest stone
tho cathedral. the masonry OF which.
splendidly upsprlngIng to the clouc
| reaches toward the swinging skics
| crumbles at last and falls and sinks I'M
! the guttcr--is carried grain by grain Il
! drainage OF runnels to the water-brooR
| or by babblng brook In rounded pebbl.
! into the sea of obliterate things.
"Thut literary works die, as all huma
| effort dies, Is a part OF the pathos
the unatainable-a part OF tho grin
| tribute OF life to death,
I'm tho life OF the world, Homer
| but OF the day before yesterday, and h
Is dead except TO few scholars; even
| Shakespeare himself, who is but OF yes
| torl Ia, 1v,J L.