The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-02

out what he conceives to be the mistakes
of modern education and modern civiliza-
ton. goes on further to offer us what he
conceives to be the corrections.
Mr.. Wells is q. man of unquestioned
ability, and white ne does not profess
TO speak in this field as one having au-
thorlty. ne has made out good case for
more scientific evolution The volume
will be Of interest to the general reader
Of ordinary intelligence. no less than
to the sober.ininded citiseni with q desire
for civic and social betterment.
THE APOLOGY OF AYL1FFE. BY
Ellen olney Kirk. a23 PIP, $3.50
Houghton, Mlf1lin & Co., Boston.
It Is said that a well-knowf1 maker
Of rubber stamps is planning to put on
the market a brand-new patented arti-
Gle, designed for authors everywhere
which will, at simple twist OF the wrist,
print the following legend: John Doe
Cor Richard Roe) was d big. silent man.
sjuare, clean-shaven chin, o massive, In.
tellectual forehead, and an air Of strength
and conscious power all over him. That
he was a man Of iron will you perceived
the minute you glanced at him.. The
stamp-maker, after an examination OF
recent fiction, Is naturally confident that
a labor saving device of this sort would
be highly appreciated by American au-
thors. The hero of this type appears to
be the only sort Of man that a majority
Of our authors, particularly, shall we say,
our women authors, have any conception
of. So far from dying of old age, as the
judicial novel-reader could have wished,
he has multiplied and replenished the
earth. sas
OF course we like to have real men
for our novel heroes, but Is this the only
t,,nr tc,t,, 1Nf IA n "a
hood Can't man be a man without.a
solemn eye, q heavy chin, and, too fire.
quently. , deficient sense OF humor!
Can't we have few indolent, laughing
eyed men, prustachcd OF bearded, It
may be- understood, If you will, with
nothing particular In the way OF IAN
terri. jaw, yet. who, despite these OBJ
vious defects, prove to be the real thing
when the pinch comes? Can't we have
a man sometimes with the label off :?
Though Mrs. Kirk has boon at some
paips TO put tho usual descriptive tag Of
manhood upon the person Of Richard
Gale in her new book, he remains, for
all that. rather a colorless sort of wooden
image. It goes without saying that no
self-respectng reader will take the au-
thor's word for 1t that this or that tic-
tionaI creature is witty or wise or brave;
he prefers to draw his own conclusions
from observing what the chara cterS does
or says. No reader of this type is likely
to be overpowered by Richard Gales
strength Of character. Indeed, IN all the
people in "The Apology OF Ayliffe.' we
seem to see more or saw-dust than OF
fleNh and good red blood. It is rather a
dull story, quite unoriginal, and
without particular merit Of any sort r
Finding herself In need Of funds. Ay-
life, Of course, seats herself at her desk
anttN writes novel which a New York
publisher promptly accepts at good
price. Aylinfe's conversation. as record
ed by Mrs. Kirk, makes it scarcely con-
ceiyable that she could have written a
novel that anybody would take; but this
is only fair sample Of the unrealities
of much of our modern fiction. Another
puszling thing Is the mystery OF the
title. What is Aylffe apologizing for?
Possibly it Is for her very existence;
| and in that case we are willing, to ad-
nit that her point Is well taken u.s.
WHORE DOES THE SKY BEGIN. BY
washington GLADDEN., D. d. 1885 pp.
SIPS Houghton, Muffin s. Co., Boston.
t.Where Does the Sky Begln"-pre-
sumably question, though printed with
out the Interrogation points the some
what unusual title Of a new volume OF
sermons by the Rev. DR.. Washington
Gladden. DIR. GLADDEN. is already we'll
known a. q WTltcT1t OH 4clI6lOuo atO4uSos
and wha he has to sayis likely to COM
mand a good audience. The sermons are
all OF the direct, practical, "applied,.
sort aiming to bring the laws. Of right
and wrong, Of spiritual living. close into
the everyday life of men and women.
Many people hold the belief that the
weekly sermon from, the pulpit fills their
needs in this direction, but those who
maintain a contrary opinion will no
u1a Ia a (S1D6den'
book, for quiet hour In the library.
Whether DR.. Gladden's sermons are sufti-
GENTLY distinctive or helpful to warrant
their preservation in book FORM In view
Of the numberless excellent ones that are
being regularly preached all about VS. IS
n question that each OF us will no doubt
answer according to his individual mem
tai bent.
THE RIDER OF THE BLACK HORSE.
BY Everett T. Tomllnson. SS7 pp..
$3.50. Houghton, N1ifiin & Co.. Boston.
This Is n Revolutionary war. story Tor
boys. The Rider OF the Black Horse was
Robert Doron, a courier In the service
Of General Washington. Needless to say
successful, and In every way all that a
boys hero should be. Though taken
prisoner by the Thirteen" desperate
| band of outlaw cowboys, he manages 10
make his escape and faithfully TO deliver
the papers entrusted to his care. a
| young woman OF the name OF Hannah
| figures in the story, and doubtless makes
Robert happy at some later date; though
| good space is not wasted by any unHeces-
! sary love-making, to the exclusion or
hair-bread,h escapes. perlous adventures,
hangings, and other matters dear TO the
heart of boyhood. There are plenty or
these latter, however. to satisfy even a
fairly blood-thlrsty boy
ECHOES FROM THB GLEN. BY VIII
liam Page Carter. l3S PIP. The Grafton
Press. New York.
LYRICS OF CHILDHOOD. BY Edward
!. Mayhugh, .55 PIP. The Grafton Pvss.
/ New York. 5G m
CAROLINA DITTIES. BY .Pegram OAR
gain. lo2 PIP, Published for the au-
thor BY the Literary Collector Press.
! Volumes Of new verse nowadays have
the habit-we had almost said the merit
,,,y, ~ liz anH I