The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-23
ROCKS OF THE WEEK PASSED
BEFORE THE REVIEWERS EYE.

III making his book. HIS chapters on
tho thcureticn, nspects OF the nrt or
| cross-cxaminnt,on. which one would be
most likely to suspect OF dryliess, fairly
sparkle with illustration, comment, anec-
do,e and story; and there really ism
dull page anywhere. The style is SIM
plc lucid ttnd very AEi,enplc, and many
Of or tho specimens Of cross exaininatlon
selected With reference to bringing out
some special point or method, a 70 highly
entertaining. We disclairl competence TO
criticize this book In regard to Its value
to tho legal profession; but to yeiiernl
readers, even to those who believe that
Only melton" can crafty their lnsistent
and Inevitable demand for amusement
only III tlleir reading, we can ana 90
most cordially recommend It.
BENEATH VIRGINIA SKIES. BY
George Til,nnn snead 34S PIP. SEQ.
scott-Thaw Company, Nov YORK.
we must say that we sympathlze
with Leonard Seymour, whom on page
ao2 Of "Bcneath Virginia skics,' we read
that he sbilantly Kissed into tho waiting
ear OF Francis Courtney: Be sure that
thou shalt rue thy folly ere many days
seymour's vexation, we rcpeat, WIS well
founded. He and Nruriel were standing
before the clergyman at the moment
( In tho act OF speaking the words which
were forever to mako them one, When
into the church, stepped Francis Court
sndy, who had sort OF a mortgage on
Muriel by virtue Of tho fact that he
lad married her few years before him
self. Seymour, However, rightly thought
that Frances had no business to come
tohhing up again at a time ike TINT.
To make tho situation even moro try-
ing, there had been very bad blood be-
tween the two men for some time.
Not many pages back In the thrilling
chnpter entitled "4An Encounter on tho
Mountain" we are told how the two men
met and fought out their strength: Like
a wounded panther, Francis Courtney
arose and leaped at his antagonist, and.
with almost superhuman strength, ho
lifted him from the earth and swung
him around to a cleared space; then
BY {, single adroit blow he felled him to
the earth we fear that Seymour did
not appreciate Frtfnclss courtesy In 50
thoughtful looking about for cleared
space to drop him in. Certainly however,
he could hardly fail to conceive a Vlo-s
lent admiration for the man who. While
brandshing him aloft In the ether. could
still contrive way 70 pan, an aaro.e
blow in a vital spot upon his person.
we do not know whether Francis held
Seymour aloft with one hand and de-
lIycred the adroit blow with the other;
or, whether he was constrainedto make use
OF his foot in the style Of the French
savate However he managed It. VIC
will say that for that feat we admire
him extremely.
Francis was a Christian minister, and
he did not want blood on his hands
Though he could easily have slain Sey-s
nour he refused to do so. Failing upon
his recumhent antagonist he calmly an
nounced that he would pinion him TO
the earth until the miserable slanderer
5recanted his lies, and he did. Hour a
ter hour passed, and still Leonard Scy-.
nour lay PROSTATE on the ground with
Francis Courtney's powerful weight hold,
ing him to the earth. The shadows OF
evening at length began to grow black
under the forest trees, and the noctur-8
nal Insects commenced their nightly
tdirges. Sir Leonard at last realized what
manner OF man he had to deal with.
We do not blame Sir Leonard; our
wonder is that he stuck It out SO long.
We.are told that the meeting between tho
two men took place Immediately after
Francis had risen in the morning and.
as we have just seen, It did not come to
an end TIL the nocturnal insects COM.
menced their nightly dirges. All day
long, then. from morn to dewy eve, the
muscular Francis lay upon the defeated
Seymour slowly pressing him to a jelly
Truly. that was Titanic struggle. We
have little hesitation in awarding 1t a
high place among the memorable COM
bats of history.
The scene Of this story is laid in Viz
gina IN the year OF grace 1772, Francis
is dissenting minister, and occupies
himself ins mission work in the heart OF
the Virginia forest. There Is no lack of
adventure for all parties concerned, and
no dearth of eighteenth century verbaliz-
Ing. On page 4 we note that one OF the
characters observes in one breath: Marry
forbid Odsbodilsins! Gadzooks \ a Sc
ries Of expressions which, individually and
collectively, time and mu oh use has made.
very dear TO us. The following, on page
2oS. has also caught our eye: Charles.
old fellow, I am delighted to ace thee"
This. with its more modern air, seems,
to be sort OF chronstlc hybrid, It Is
Interesting to observe that the characters
in the story now and then grow weary
of using the somewhat awkward thou"
and thee. and simply chuck It, Their,
WEAKNESS Of that unnaturalncss IS az
common tic between ourselves and them
.Darling," says Francis, on page 33O are
you awakc?" And a few lines later. re-
collecting himself. he adds: Can It pc
possible that thou art blind?
There nre some remarkable descriptions
Of scenery which we would like to quote,
but must forbear; and, In general. me
ner,,sal OF this book has afforded US no
little entertainment and pleasure.
THE COMMON LOT. BY Robert Her
rick 42s pages. s1.5o. The MacMli-s
Ian Co.. New York.
"The Common Lot" Is quite q de-
cldedly serious book. but It, Is very intar-
csting for all that. and by no means duil,s
ii is n well executed study Of certain
segment Of modern American life. /l'hG
story centers about the career OF young
architect who Is equipped with long
ing for the good things OF this world
more firmly grounded than his principles,
and who Is by slow and almost lmper-.
ceptible gradations led 10 dshonor and
open disgrace Thanks to good, but
not particularly sympathetic or loyable
wife. he pulls together after tho catas-
trophe and begins his life anew at the
bottom OF the ladder and from a recon-