New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-05
FICTION.
,gGood Modern Study in Picturesque
Romance.

stoker. emo. pp 81 Harper 3 l,i0 r,,.......s
nay WEB f3y Frederick Trevor I'm rIiIi 1s{Iss
y = q Z 60. N'i''' Inv - - -,
lHe = &C., ro,1rtry BY Eden Phiilpotts lzno'
M sSs The Macmillan Company. -
sara jeanette Duncan. 12mo pp. 4e D. AP-
Tleton a Co.
a, Af.rnadslye Pickthal is not the first
,,,osern writer TO attempt 20 revive IN hcllo"
she Glamour % the Arabian Nights TO picture
oriental life rs fun of extraordinary Trans
.o-roatiors But IN said the Fisherman. ne
49,. -~o5uces a book which n in some ways
,,,oes,f,-e o. q fairy tale is based, like every
,-,o5 r,oarasoue romance in literature, on very
sous foundation The hero Is a man AFTER the
hear, % an early Spanish novelist QueVeao
would have re5oiced In him. would have chee'-
f.I,r admitted him TO the company OF ms own
delightful Pablo. Il is true that SAID Is III
telIectuaIly on a lower plane than the young
rcapecrace q segoyia, but In native resoufCe
d, is ,,,,,s as rich as that worthy. and. indeed.
shows even wider scope. In him II would seem
a. y We had the true Oriental type. one nove'-
ser after another goes adventuring in the East
and -etur7s with portraits Of the men he mas
studded which we would fain take 10 be au-
thcrltic but always these portraits seem 10 nave
heen drawn from the outside and there hangs
about them the atmosphere Of a Western MINT
Mr. Pclthan has entered into the skin OF ms
hero There is nothing q the West about Said-
He is an Arab q the Arabs from the bee'lliii''s
20 the end Of his amazing and yet natural Cd
reer
That career begins In hut on the coast
where the poor fisherman and his wife are leau-
srq a sol,alid existence i'm perfect contentmenI
efpce .ha hoard buried IN a hole in the floor Is
confidently expected 10 enable them IN oUe
course. 10 purchase a coffee house in the Town
near bv. once in possession Of such an es1ao-
lteb~oeu. said's rise to afluence and power Is
ne thinks only a question Of time Presently
he would be a Bey-an Emir perhaps. he "ouiu
80 al da, upon a cushioned couch. smoking
from a narghileh Of rare workmanship. Ana
when Abdullah came to beg him 10 buy hsn
he would seize him by both ears and splt III
his face" But lust as he is on the eve 81 ac-
oo--rrsbfng his desire he loses most OF a day
earnings on his way home across the SAND
and when IN a fury Of evaporation. ne reaches
his dwelling. Il is only TO find his VIE oe"al-
ing the robbery Of all their savings. me reaueT
IS allowed 10 infer that old Abdullah, the fsh-
errnan's partner who In the latters Flsloh OF
the future was destined 10 be treated with con-
ter,pt. is Al the bottom OF this catastrophe. but
said and his wife fee from the spot IN terror
being convinced that they owe their plight to
evil spirits. All through the book Mr.. PickthaA
is faithful 10 this note Of superstition. He paints
his Arabs as creatures in whom religion carried
70 the point Of fanaticism produces a state OF
mind Favorable TO the entrance Of all manner
Of strange impulses and fears. But he never
forgets that they are men and women. and he
makes s. I'd very human. The man is born
vagabc,d and trickster. and he goes forth
ruined. ssith no thought TO profit by every
encounter with his fellow man. whether by fair
means or foul. He Is rascal and he is
llumorist His first exploit on the road that he
ya-ifn fe
some time after its occurrence by a certain
Sheikh:
He set out a journey to Damashc-ush-ShA |
the with him. In lonely pass of the 4
mountains between Beyt Ammeh and the sea ne 4
met man called Farm riding on camel 4
asleep. Then Said. being joker, picked up a /
one from the path and flung il at Faron so /
that ne fell to the ground. And as he laid there,
stunned and bleeding Said took an the money
that he had and beat him someNhat with d
stick and Sc left him.
Said went his way rejoicing until he came
20 the village OF Beyt Ammeh. There, his
woman being faint. he entered the house Of a
certain fellah. who took pity on her and let her
lie on his bed After that. as they sat
smoking and couversing, the lord Of the house
questioned said. saying, 'Ddst meet IN thy
road hither one riding on camel2 Behold. my
brother Farln by name is gone this day 10 the
coast with a load" Then Saba clever fellow,
by Z1lah!--anSwered thoughtfuIly: Yes. it is
true: met such an one l found him by the
road IN q sad plight. His blood was upon the
stones Of the path. lie had been robbed and al
most killed by wicked men, stayed little
10 bind his wounds. and gave him moneE-all
that I had ] caught his camel and set him
upon g. Then I blessed him and came on hither
Al that the lord OF the house praised and eK-
allied Sa above ali the sons ~ Adam. He he
sought him 10 abide there several days. But /
Said. pretending that his brother was dead in
Damashc-ush-sham. said that ne must hasten
20 claim the Inheritance. Nevertheless. since
his woman vas sick. he entreated that kind 4
man TO take caro- Of her until she should recover !
her strength. The lord Of the house agreed |
ard hen "a IA Fl
drink he blessed him and Jet him go He paid 4
great honor TO the woman for the sake OF the \
mercy shown by her husband TO Far0n. his I
brother.
This episode is The first in a series as varie-
gated as the most exacting reader Of romance 4
could desire. Adventures are 70 the adventur- /
GUS said was never meant 20 lead the rnonoto- 4
nous life n en honest fisherman. spreading his I
nets from the safe vantage ~ q rock on the 4
shore Hts love of change and excitement is in
stinctive. as is his faculty FOR extricating him
SELF from every difficulty with Incompatible 4
sstuteness. A SORRY scamp. but almost Iowa 4
HE Nithal. He goes from bad 70 worse. theft is /
as natural TO him breathing. and 50 Is kill 1
inc Riches are his after q while. and then fol- 4
bow more expe -euoes. variovsly Joyous and BIT 1
ter The author divides his work into two parts /
and provides AZ the end % each a kind u time /
table enabling US. II we like. 10 increase with 4
rs aid our sense 81 t-e reality ~ the tale He 4
offers also glossary 81 Arab expressions and /
names OF places and there are even q few his 1
torical notes brought u. But this editorial APP
paratus is really moi needed. Mr.. PicSthaI has 4
made his hero a living man and that is the /
main point The style OF tho book is adnlira BILE /
II is AL of piece" and fits the substance Of /
the work like glove. said the Fisherman" is |
not for ali tastes. The reader with an ineradi- |
cable aversion TO dtsreputable characters in /
fiction could hardly be expected 10 care for il |