The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-07
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
A Thrilling Romance Of the Husuenot Per-
secutons In. the Time of Catherine de
Medici, by s. Levett-Yeats-NeW Book
6 by Lafcadio Hearn-Books for Young
Folk.

The days Of Catherine de Medici and
her husband, Henry IL. Of France, We're
bloody. The man who was not an adepe
with the sword in those days ana VINO
had not put his skill herewith to the
test by splitting some brother mans blood
was no gentleman. Blool-letting was the
| aristocratic diversion of the time. It was
to the sixteenth century what automoph-
ing is to the twentieth. But there was
much bad blood that needed to be let.
| so that perhaps the custom was not all
together reprehensible. The only trouble
was that sometimes it was the good blood
that was split while the bad was safely
preserved in its bottle Of human skin.
However, the time was bloody. ..
| 1t is of that time that OrraIn, a romance
by S. Levett- Yeats, treats, and in so far
as English words, with few French and
Latin thrown in now and then, can de-
! pict such times the author has succeeded
well.
| There are stories-the novel-reader
knows them-wherein are described events
that take hold Of the reader. Some
times he will find himself with muscles
tense, respiration frequent. pulse rapid
and eyes travelling at their sWiftest, all
because OF feverish 1mpatience to learn
the outcome Of some incident in the story
in hand. "Orrain'' is one Of that KIND OF
stories. 1t falls short of greatness by
thrills in 1t in rather generous numbers
It might have been greater had the author
been more painstaking in painting In the
details of the times and less impatient
} to spin his yarn, and had it not left the
reader to wonder why Catherine de Me-
! dici did not use certain letters which play
an important part in the story to crust
! her loathed rival in the kings favor, Diane
! de Poitiers, instead of merely to help {
friend. The characterization of CATHERINE
does not quite fit the historical Gather
ine. But then, "Orrain'' is romance no
history. Bertrand Orrain springs from
:, noble family, but is obliged, in order t.
return to, Paris after an enforced exile
to live among the bourgeois under a
, assumed name. Chance leads him to tn
assistance of men of the court in nigh
fight in the streets of Paris This re
p suits in his again appearing at court an
being sent ION a mission for the queer
Catherine. On this mission he saves tn
: life of MademOiselle de Paradls from nj
half brother's hand. Mademoiselle is
y Huguenot, and it is Huguenot blood tha
is staining the soil of France. He take
Mademoiselle to the queen, on the wa
. very naturally falling in love with he
for she is a winsolne maiden, albeit stun
il dy in her faith. At court the girl incur
the enmity of Diane, who plots the whole
d sale slaughter Of Huguenots in order thu
she may obtain their estates, and VII
e uses the king, her paramour, as a to-
:. to carry out her sanguinary plan. "
- Mademoiselle de Paradis, knowing tt
chara cter Of Diane and the danger
s. arousing her, is unafraid, as the followir
e shows, Diane speaking first:
~ hear, mademoisells, that you do not fir
the the court to your liking" And the rep
J., was simply a bow.
rs The duchess (Diane) all red and viii
- now The insult open and patent; b
follow. q
81 and went on, with a sheer:
le ut is pity they do not more
IN the education Of girls TN Poitou; but think y
v are right, mademoselle. The court is not suit
it to you. You should take the veil and the bla
ut robe -. =, E:~nz :. ~ -E53
ar II should prefer the black robe to a crims
one, madame. The latter reminds one too miuc
amongst other things Of the blood Of t
martyrs <.5r.r'.5 "a. z..- -~<.zi.:[....
-, - What became of Orrain and the Hugh
ed not maiden amid the intrigue and bloc
0N shed Of the time Is for the author Of t
40 book to tell. IS S544fs p s,.r