The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17
SOME BOOKS OF THE DAY
" REVIEWED AND CRITICISED


Josephsson. who hns done n great uehi
of literary work. Is perhaps best KNOWN
because he translated into the Sweolsh
Language John jacob Astor's ~ Jour-
ney TO other Worlds" His translation.
published in sweden, became widely widely
known.
THE wtrtTD CAswLE or LOUISIANA
| Nv NJ, r. Aileuroc. Published ny John
p, Morton and Company. Of Louisville
Ky Price, S1.25.
Far in the South I know land divine.
And there IS many saint and many q
shrine.
The ,land divine Is IA belle Louisiana.
vhrro "White Castle was built and
where the scene Of tho story told BY M.
r. Ailcnroc IS laid
Tbe story opens with letter written BY
daughter OF the White Castle mouse
nc)d to her mother from Paris. Inc
letter Is dated February 18TH lSb. anu
rs sent on tho eve Of tho writer's pre-,
s4,ntation at the court OF the secohu
empire, the most brilliant at tnat ''ii'c
IN Europe.
Readers may be intel ested In knowing
tho impression made at that day by the
Empress Eugenie and Napoleon III. upon
rsabe, Random, who writes thus OF th7
Tuilerles BALL which she attended:
~ told YOU in my last that I was max
,ns nreparations to go to the Tuileries
ball, to be presented to the Emperor ana
Empress OF the French On arriving
at the Tuileries the night OF the pail,
1ve assembled the elegant stairs at the
r;rht-,,nder the clock tc.wer-which were
DECORATED on either side with garands OF
flowers. =. The Empress is tall, with
a modest but imposing air; her features
nre delicate and we'll formed. her eyes
are blue. and her complexion transparent
her hair of IN Undesirable hue, vary
Inc in shade according 70 the Sght thrown
upon 1t. ''' The Emperor has kindly
face and a dirnified bearing, but ne can
not be caVed handsome"
OF tho gown worn by Eugenie she
cdds: "she had on magnificent Lyons
silk OF white with delicate gold threads
shining through. Her shoulders rose
gracefully from tho cloud Of lace sur
rounding them. Flor corsage was sden
with gems also her neck, and a teweied
Giadem sat majesucally on her head
From such an atmosphere as this the
story reverts to the period OF the civil
War and the days IF 'ts trial and sorrow
The most attractive feature Of the book
however, Is the description of home lie
On the Louisiana plantation and OF gay
Efe in New Orleans, the Crescent City
with its Mardi Gras festival, It's many
POINTS Of interest, and its general air or
unvkeness to all other American cities.
The romantic explorations OF De Soto
anG La Sale and the period of the
Louisiana Purchase ara brought INTO the
book by implication. Slave life in the
old regime, as contrasted with recon-
struction times, and the history of later
years, when planters endeavored TOY race
the problem of changed conditions, take
I'D many Of its pages.
The picture drawn of a sugar plantation
recalls to mind that Tart Of Louisiana
so often referred to as the land OF
Gabriel and EvanEsline, where the
la goons are covered with wnter lilies and
TIE perfume Of cape jessamines floats N
on every passing breeze. The writer
says
1T was early summer. At certain
rcint. between the outskr is Of Southern
swamp and the banks Oh the great Missis-
sippi looking westward from the levee.
which TANKS the mighty river in the sow
parts Of its flow. broad fields Of culti-
waited land and a growing crop greeted
Tho eye. A sugar house. about
mile back, in the center of the plantation,
lifted its tall chimreys midst tho vast
fields of waving blue. green cane, IKE
Il ship on the bosom of the sea"
AS no novel would be complete without
a love story, there Is one, and very
pretty one with 4 happy ending to en-
lance the interest of the white Castle
oe louisiana" The book has strong
connection in personages Ind names
with Virginia. and many young Nir-
einla girl who has bee.l guest In New
Orleans at the time OF Mardi Gras Will
81 preciate the force OF description In
this paragraph:
"There was one more sight to witness,
che more bal; to revel in. The Mystic
| Krewe of Comus.' This was and Is still
| the grandest ball of the season, where
F, all the elite, all the YOUTH beauty and
| chivalry of the Crescent City are wont
to meet. - Ar the clubs ar. illumi-
mated Mardi Gras night. and crowded
with ladies and gentlemen. who go there
to SEQ the procession pass
HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
AND WASHINGTON COUNTY. BY
Lewis Preston Summers. Published
by the ]. L. Hill Printing Company.
| Price $3.50
| Mr.. Lewis Preston Summers, of Abing-
| don, n graduate Of Tulane University,
and the University OF Virginia. has writ
| ten and published most complete and
attractive history of Southwest Vir-
ginia and Washington county. contain-
nE 800 pages. which bristle with inter-
esting matter relating TO the past Of
that great section of the State.
Prompted by a desire to rescue from
oblivion and present to the public, the
past glories Of his people and his sec
ton, Mr.. Summers has made contrl-
button to current literature which will
not only be widely read. but which tells
tho true story of n portion of the State
which has been neglected By other his
tories.
The book Is well written. and the au-
thor has used the utmost care In gath
erlng his data and illustrations 1t en-
braces the period from l776 to 1870, and
graphically describes the stirring scenes
when the mountains were invaded by the
pioneer. the days Of the forest charming,
the plow and the anvil"
The author tells OF the part the
Southwest bore In the Revolution King 8
Mountain, the Civil War and the recon-
struction that followed the latter. and
a chapter is devoted 10 educational in
stltutlons, Washington probably con-
tanning more OF them than any other
county In the State.
Another chapter deals with the Judi.
ciary, early journalism and churches.
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