Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-08-10
"The Yoke" By Elizabeth Miller.

Inc 1Oht. by EliEdDetH mlilT.
Cloth, 12mo, Ga PIP. The Bobbs.
Merrill Co.. Indianapolis; $3.50.
A refreshing story told in such u
way that II can be re-read with added
zest; thing that may be said truly
of few novels of the day.
It Is a first book, and although II
falls naturally in the list Of so-callcd
historical novels, being a romance OF
the day when the Lord redeemed the
children of Israel from the bondage Ui
Egypt" II Is so well conceived and so
carefully executed that its place In
the Nst is near the beginning.
Miss Miller has dedicated the book
to her brother Percy. who construct.
ed the plot" a graceful. sisterly act,
but one which will rather amuse tho
reader who fails to discover any plot.
This fact adds to the writer's skill.
for with materials most carefully Sc
lected and worked in, she has made q
deeply impressive story out Of sim
pie tale.
In the first seyenty-fivc pages or so
Miss Miller sets her background, mus.
tiers her forces, and so thoroughly i'm.
bues her reader with the spirit of the
country and times she writes OF, that
one unconsciously becomes an asso.
ciate of the ancient people described.
In this respect the story is strong:
II grows larger with each chapter.
gaining momentum as It goes, and.
like all things heavy 10 start, It does
not stop when the author finishes her
recital. She has a full knowledge Of
her subject; all OF her descriptions
and details, II sometimes too minute,
are accurate, and she not only takes
her reader into the desert. over the
Nile, among the courtly Egyptians and
weary Israelites. but she does not let
him get away for one moment from
the skies and atmosphere OF Egypt.
Her art, too, In delineating the char.
acters Of SO remote a period-"a civil.
lization that was already 5000 years
old fourteen centuries before Christ"
Is good. Her debt to biblical &C.
counts" and "contemporaneous chron.
icles" is necessarily great; greater to
Ebers and Rowlinson and Ingraham.
than to Wilkinson, Bich. Erman and
Wallace, although five of these names
are mentioned In an authors note"
Kenkenes, an Egyptian noble, and
Rachel. a Jewish girl under bondage
in the Masaarah mines, are the chief
characters; both are natural and soon
win the admiration AS well as the love
of the reader, who rejoices with them
in their pleasures. and shares some.
times tearfully the trials they expe.
rience.
There is pathos for the reader when
Kenkenes comes home and tells his
father of his love for the outcast; q
keen, quick thrust into the heart Of
ones human sympathy; while the de-
scription OF the marriage OF Kenkepes
and Rachel is unique:
"Thou knowest, my Kenkenes." she
began, "the Hebrews are married sim
ply. There is feasting and dancing
and the bride Is taken to the house Of
her father-in-law. Thereafter there 10
still much feastlng, but the wedding
ceremony is done at the home.brlng.
ing OF the BRIDE"
~ hear" said Kenkenes, when she
paused.
~ am without kindred; thou art
here without house. There can be no
wedding feast for us, nor dancing, nor
singing. for Israel Is on the march"
"of truth" Kenkenes assented.
$50 there is only the essential por'
ton Of the ceremony left to us--tho
bomebringlng Of the bride"
1T Ii enough" said Kenkenes.
"Hur and Miriam brought me 10 thy
tent last night"
With his face lighting. Kenkenes
drew her TO him and put his arm
around her,
$50 II thou wilt, We shall say-lhat
from that moment Her voice
grew lower, her words moro unready
.nI G.il.N uNlanath.H