The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-11

not make half so livening a tale out
Of his Froissart as did Doyle. Though
in the recital of Brakespeare' adven-
lures as a wandering mercenary, we
are piled with battle. siege and sudden
death quite to the FILL the hero is al
ways trailing his crest in gloom, al
ways rebelling against hard. hard fate
by giving over to a discord with the
tune OF things. AS we remember The
White Company from a reading OF
many years ago, much more exhilar-
ating spirit of diablerie and reckless
good humor characterized the doings
of Doyle's hardy bowmen. They fought
with a laugh
Though the then lately fashionable
Childe Harold pessimism must have
had its influence upon this author Of
the late f1fties, guiding his pen to
strokes invariably of the darkest.
Shakespeare" shows an erudition in
things antiquarian scarcely possessed
by so-called historical novelists of the
day. The word of the ancient chron-
icles is strictly adhered to throughout
the tale and the spirit of those far
off times of Poitiers and Crecy wildly
reproduced.
(F. NJ. Buckles & Co., New York;
illustrated; price 81
"Crecy." by Edith Lawrence. is a
pretty little tale Of the Revolution,
rather stereotyped, to be sure, but
capable of providing a good two hours
pleasure. The author, realizing no
doubt that the story Of the winsome
colonial lassie and her British lover has
been told many times. seeks to Turkish
up the old type stock by change in
the manner Of the telling. In the form
of a series of letters between the vari-
Gus characters of her story Miss Law
renee finds conveyance for the romance
a bit cumbersome at times and prolit1c
of a certain lack of continuity.
Crecy, whose bona fide portrait from
the brush of Stuart graces the frontal
page, is as wild a blade as one would
meet in a month of Sundays. The first
of her letters shows her berating her
Quaker cousin and affianced husband,
Nathaniel Darrach, for his policy OF
non-resistance, pursued steadfastly IN
the face Of the invasion Of the British
Then we find her confiding in Cousin
Peace Darrach the details of little
affair of the heart with a young red
coat cornet of the English forces who
presses his suit with far more stead
fastness than the cause Of his coun-
try.
With all of the characters introduced
thus through their own written words
the tale proceeds to unravel its length
through mingled cloud and sunshine OF
war and frolicking. Crecy gets into
the net pretty deeply with her young
Britisher, her Quaker cousin turns
fighter and her own brother has the
bad grace to turn traitor and spy. AT
the midnight revel Of the Hessians at
Trenton Crecy's father, resolute Friend
though he is, acts as the one to signal
when the Continentals should fall to
the slaughter Then enters Washing
ton upon the scene and remains to the
fore throughout the rest Of the story
as arbiter both of life and love. At
the end Crecy's rampant patriotism so
far adjusts itself as to admit OF her
marrying her British lover and pre-
sumably living happy ever after"
Like nearly all Of the colonial stories
this book attempts near view OF
Washington, with results not altogeth-
er satisfying. 1t is hard to believe that
with the manifold worriments OF an
adverse campaign vexing him without
cease the great general could devote
hours of his time to the settlement OF
the love affairs Of a girl, even OF
Crecy
Of. M. Buckles & Co., New York;
price SD