The Saint Paul globe., 1904-06-26

well-to-do Clockett farm house during
storm and Mrs Clockett with many
misgivings, allowed them to sleep in
her guest room. The poor mother,
knowing that she had not long to live
and that consumption was stealing her
life away, got up in the night, leaving
LII Angelo with a note to Mrs. Clock
EFT pinned to his little dress asking
her to be a mother to him. Mrs.
Cfockett is full of the most virtuous
indignation when she finds that ''the
dago child' has been foisted upon her,
and she writes at once to the home
for friendlesS children and asks them
TO take him. In the meantime Angelo
Is making things lively and calling for
his 'mudder." 1t is a week before Mrs.
Clockett can hear from the home and
during that time Angelo walked into
the heart Of Mrs. Clockett and the little
ClockettS to such an extent that they
decided to keep him always. Angelo
was very real boy-he was no sooner
out Of one terrible piece Of mischief
than into another, but he made Mrs.
Clockett over into a woman and a
mother. The point of this pretty story
is the value of love and Of human at
fections.
The CastaWay-By Halle Errninie RiveS.
The Bobbs- Merrill company, IndianapO-
lis. For sale by ST. Paul Book and
Stationery company.
In this the kinswoman Of the author
of '"The Quick or the Dead" has sup
piled not only a romance of surpass-
ing interest handsomely illustrated in
colors, but helped the unheeding multi
tude to truer and juster estimate Of
Lord Byron's character than the long
popular impression permitted. Under
his real name, George Gordon, the poet
is the hero of Miss Rives' story. In the
main events and many Of the minor in
cidents the narrative is historically ac-
curate, "a king, cad and castaway,"
who Byron said had been ruined in
a year, were Napoleon, Beau BfummeI
and himself. These three men were
linked in comparison if not in asSocia-
ton. For time Byron filed and
dominated the world of letters as COM
pletely as Napoleon filed and domi-
mated the world of action, and for three
years enjoyed a vogue in London So
ciety that largely ecIipsed the rule Of
even the immortal Beau. With the
novelists license Miss Rives has, on oc-
easion, exaggerated the merits of the
noble rhymeSter, but her work has the
effect of emphasizing some leading
points in Byron's makeup and career
that can no longer be doubted. One IS
that only by miracle, it would seem,
could Byron have been much better or
different than he was, morally or tenn
pefamentally, in the face of his evil
heredity and painful childhood environ
ment. His friend Samuel Rogers ex-
pressed the thought charitably in
ITALY"
For who among US all.
Tried as thou vert. and with thy soul of
flame
Could say he had not erred as much, and
more?''
Another striking fact brought home
in "The Castaway" is that Countess
Guicciof was the good angel of Byron.
Her relations with him, to be sure,
were not sanctioned by the canons of
propriety, but her influence certainly
rescued MS better nature from the
morasS of Venetian debauchery which
had so long obscured it and helped re-
store it to the higher spiritual plane
necessary to that noble cfimax-the sac
rifice of his life to the sacred cause of
human liberty. Miss Rives' treatment Of
her subject, always fervid and sympa-
thetic, is marred by occasional touches
of crudeness and suggests the thought
that she might have studied Byron
more patiently with profit. Further
more, in quoting from "Childe Harold"
to illustrate the pathetically beautiful
soul relations between Byron and his
daughter Ada, much more illuminating
lines nlSnt nave Deen cuIled. But such
shortcomings count for little in the
scale as against the worth of the story
as a whole. II for nothing else, Miss
Rives is entitled to credit for having
assisted in the task, begun by others,
of exploding the worst ISLANDERS that
for ninety years have been busy with
the memory of him whom so many re-
gard the greatest Of British poets after
Shakespeare and Milton.
Fleetlng Fancies-By William f Kirk.
Richard G. Badger Boston. For sale by
st. Paul Book and Stationery COM
pany.
Three years ago Mr.. Kirk, Minnesota