The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-30

Mr. Gardenhire left Topeka six or
seven years ago to live in New York
His wife is a daughter of A B. jet
more of Topeka. He did little literary
work in Topeka and was court stenog-
rapher before he was elected district
clerk. He began the practice of law
after he went to New York and also
organized a liquid air company
In Harper's Weekly of last week ap-
pears an extended review of the book
by James Macarthur, from which the
following is taken.
Sometimes the best criterion Of pub
lie taste in reading is to be found IN
the composing room, where the book
is set up in type, and not in the liter
airy department of a publishing house.
If this be true in a recent instance,
then LUX Crucis,' by Mr. Samuel M
Cfardenhire, has an enViable popularity
in prospect. 1t so happens that me
manuscript Of LUX Crucis" passed
through the hands of the same man
who set up "Ben-Hur," nearly a quar-
ter of a century ago, and 1t appears
that his enthusiasm was reused TO such
n pitch that he declared he had not
read any story that excited his interest
in such a degree since he read ben
1iur." LUX Crucis'' possesses, I'M
douStcdly great elements of popular
~ T1si as "Ben-Hur'' was "a tale u
tbe Christ so Lux Crucis" is "a tale
of the Great Apostle" Paul is a very
human and picturesque figure IN the
story. of a commanding yet loving per
sonaljty Without detracting from MS
high calling as an Apostle, the autnoi
has insisted on the human side OF ms
character; and has woven his mlssloI
into the thread of fiction without Vlo-
lating the truth of history. L know OF
one reader whose interest in PAU ilo
the uonentous part he played In plant
ing the earl Christian church was sc
freshened by q reading OF LUX cruces
that il sent him back to the falnll az
pages of the Acts of the Apostles with
renewed zest. But LUX Crucis is noi
q religious novel in the strict sense OF
the word. The background is Rome III
the days of Nero, when that cruel mon
ster's malignant humor was Wreakeo
on the innocent sect of Christians nOur-
ished and promulgated by refer an
Paul and their followers Wlthln the
purlieus of the Roman city, ana WhlcI
was REPRESENTED to Nero as menace
to the throne OF the Caesars.
The browning. tragedy OF Nero reIg sIa
the massacre of the Christians by gladla,
tors and wild beasts-is the climax o.
Lux Crucis. The action of the tale II
self involves the drama of conflict pc
twixt Roman and Christian, the decad,
ence of luxury and lascivlousness, aht
the new uprising life of simplicity ane
nnseifish devotion to the Christian ideal
1t IS tale of love and sacrifice OF pas
sion and power, of turbulent emolioils
and human strife, of court intrigue, OF
the things of this world that pass away
and the things that endure the story Is
told with great power and simplicity, VIII
force and intensity of feeling. 1t is Won
derfully vivid and graphic in its descrip-
tive style. and the reader can not fail tt
be thrilled by the narration of the clos
ing scenes in the amphitheater at Rome
which inauguratcd the reign of Chris
tianity. Mr. Gardenhire has conceived 9
story of this eVer-interesting epoch IN tins
making of Christian civilization, which
ne has carried out with great construc
tive skill and human interest. and which
is likely to command a wide and far
reaching audience. The drama of thu
early Christians in the reign of Nero ha;
served the ends of fiction in several nota
Bile instances, and the outstanding land
marks of the period are familiar to US
hut the author of LUX Crucis has brough