The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-13
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD

VirgInians Before and During the War,
"a TrIlogy Of Romances,' by George
EggIeston-Two Years OF Battles for
Honor-conrad's Parents Siberian Elk
lles-An Almost Forgotten Naval Hero.
Virginia life has been rich field for the
noVellsts. Again and again they have gone
to that land Of romance for material for
their books. George Cary Eggleston has
drawn from it a trilogy Dorothy South
showed what the Virginians were In ante
bellum days. 1.-THE Master of Warlock"
showed the same people during the first
half Of the war, when they expected to
defeat the north in it's effort to save the
union; Evelyn Byrd, the last Of the tril-
ogy, is an endeavor ''tO show the hero
ism Of endurance that marked the con-
duct Of those people during the last half
Of the war, when disaster stared them in
the face and they unfalteringly con-
fronted it."
Mr.. Eggleston somewhat overshadows
his avowed object, as quoted, by the in
terest he arouses and the space he devotes
to the romantic side of his story. How
ever, the daring and courage with which
Lees army, conscious that 1t was fight
Ing for a cause already lost, continued the
struggle, matching strength and strategy
with Grants far larger numbers, is well
portrayed. In so far the author has sue
ceeded In his purpose. Indeed. he has
given a very graphic picture of the strug-
gle for possession Of Richmond He says:
From that hour when Grant moved from the
Wilderness to Spottsylvania till the end came.
nearly year later, these men of the south did,
dared and endured for love of honor alone, with
no hope to inspire them no remotest chance of
ultimate success as the reward of their valor.
Theirs was pure heroism, untouched, untainted,
nnallOyed.
It will be seen that the authors sympa-
thy for the south is very deep. 1t is
not surprising, therefore, that he describes
the heroism of the southerners in glowing
terms.
The two conspicuous figures in the ro-
nance of the story are Evelyn Byrd, a
girl with mystery, and Owen Kilgariff,
| a man with a mystery. The existence OF
the mysteries is disclosed early, but the
reader has to be patient for the unravel-
ing thereof Both characters are, so far
as our experience, which we admit is
| rather limited, goes. a bit more than hui
man. But Kigariff almost makes fool
Of himself in his devotion to honor The
author himself calls him "morbidly sensi-
tive" on the subject. Evelyn comes much
pathy Of the reader much better. The
device of ''Evelyn's Book" introduced to
disclose the mystery Of her life, seems to
us rather clumsy, and a wedding on a
battlefield, with the whistling Of bull
lets and all the rest for music, hardly
goes" Especially does it seem incon-
gruous with persons of such refinement
and modesty as the thigh contracting
parties" are represented as being.
Mr.. Eggleston's style lacks spontaneity.
Joseph Conrad has every right to be as
ardent a Russophobe as Marus Jokai. In
stead Of giving to the world his wonder
full descriptive stories, Romance,
YOUTH Lord JIM" ETC., he might cas-
lily have written such series of patriotic
Polish novels as did Jokai. Conrad was
cruelty orphaned while still a young boy
after the Polish uprising of '62, when his
father, who was the editor Of patriotic
review in Warsaw, was eXiled with his
mother to Siberia, where both died. Jo-
seph was adopted by an uncle, but rar
away to take ship in a French war vessel
1 at Marseilles, thus beginning the long and
varied sea career which supplies the ma.
terial for his works.
Andrew E. Watrous, the author Of
volume OF posthumous poems, which J. B
L1pp1ncOtt company have recently issued
was a newspaper writer, known from one
end of the country to the other by hi:
forceful editorials and by his energy anG
more than year ago, was loss altnos
as much to literature as to Journalism
He was continuously represented by hi
verse in the magazines and newspape
press. A graduate of Ann Arbor univer
sity, he studied law and was admitted t,
the bar of New York. Partly thru the en-
couragement received from the late H. C
Bunner, of Puck, he drifted into news
paper work, and for time was connected
with the Philadelphia Press. From tn
American University Of Tennessee he re
. ceived the degree of Phi. D. The new vol
ume Of poems brings together the best o
; his work in verse and contains som,
striking and original lines aside from tn
philosophic interest Of its thought.
1t is announced that following serial pubica
ton IN the Century, DR.. s. Weir Mitchelrs 9TH
Youth Of Washington Told in the Form of al
Autobiography will be published in two edition.
in the fall. one limited to 500 copies. The Au
gust chapters of this unique serial will tell o
the circumstances leading to Washington's re
tirement from the colonial service. and, later
of his appointment on General Braddock's per
sonal staff. .".. -t
u "The wrong use or the omission of con.
nective words is often the occasion O.
looseness Of STYLE says Austin Phelps
| Those who appreciate the truth Of tn.
SldleileHL anu VINO nave any reason To-
wishing to improve their style will value
Connectlves Of English Speech, by Jane!
G. Fernald, editor of The Students Stand
ard Dictionary. The book is one of some
three hundred pages (and the space is no
wasted either), and the very fact that {
book of such size has been prepared or
the subject Is evidence of the subject
Importance. 1t deals with the correct use
of propositions, conjunctlons relative pro
nouns and adverbs. The plan Of the worl
is to give the various uses Of each word
and under each use numerous examples
making the use clear even to the uncrit
1cal. Such a book cannot be other than O.
, value to all who are careful in the use O
their language.
} The Uneasy Chair.
That an American sea captain a hero /,
the revolution, could be entirely forgot
ten in the official records and in the his
:, tories of our country seems almost in
credible. Yet such is the case From
! private records collected from variou
sources, Edgar Stanton Maclay has com
l piled work, Moses Brown, Captain u
! S. NJ. which it is hoped will raise from
oblivion the name Of one of our bravest
, Captain Brown never had the opportunit
; of a John Paul Jones or an Oliver Hazar,
: Perry to distinguish himself, but in sew
, I4nA ~ to-,