Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23


fortune. The four pursue their ways indie
pendently. One, who has set out to gain
great influence as preacher. and has
thought to devote himself to the spiritual
wayside when tempted by the lures of the
world. the flesh and the devil. Another,
thinking to win love and fortune together,
gains the fortune, but loses love and his
senses" The third, deep in researches
into the protoplasmic secrets of life, de
stroys the young plants" of animal life
and finally suffers the loss OF his only son
through inattention to his physical needs.
The fourth gains his hearts desire. Anne
Blythe stands in the midst of these forces,
gradually awakening to her own spiritual
requirements. and finally gains great hap
piness The dialogue of the story is bril-
liant and the atmosphere throughout Is
that of vibrating life. The scene occurs
first in western state, then In New York
and finally in Florence, where the climax
occurs and the sympathetic reader is am
ply satisfied
THE CHAPTERS. By Francis Lynde. Illus
trated by Arthur 1. Keller. indianapolis: The
Bobbs- Merrill Company.
Hearts money bags and railroad stocks
are mixed up together in this stirring story
of the west in way to please the widest
variety of tastes. MIR. Lynde has under
taken, with meritorious success, to Indicate
the methods of the men who capture the
political machinery of boom cities and boom
states in the plains regions and manipulate
men and measures to their selfish advan-
tage. The city of CASTOR sprang with
mushroom suddenness into prosperous be-
ing. Then the railroad which afforded its
only excuse for existing was pushed on to
the state capital, and CASTOR from being
terminal, became way station and the
bubble burst But the wolf pack" of free
hooters moved on to the larger field of
state politics and in short order captured
the government of the commonwealth and
proceeded to play ducks and brakes with
the property of the railroad that had.
through its enterprise, left the town of Gas
ton stranded. David Kent, being the local
attorney for that railroad and the I'M
avowed lover of certain young woman in
New England who, with her mother and
sister, owned stock in that particular COM
pany, became involved in situation of the
most complicated kind. The story of his
fight to regain possession Of the railroad
after it had been placed by judicial trick
into the hands of receiver at the behest
of the wolf pack" headed by the venal
governor, is filled with the sparkling quali-
ty that comes from personal acquaintance
with the actual experience The author
shrewdly withholds the full measure Of his
facts. so that the reader Is kept in a state
of suspense and interest. general strike
The corrupt Judge is to be manipulated for
a final stroke of chicanery which will tie
up the property In a ninety-nine-year lease
to it's rival. David Kent organizes a coup
which, If successful, will check the scheme.
1t suffices for the present purpose to note
that he does succeed by a narrow margin,
and against heavy odds, political, practical,
physical and sentimental, and wins a SUBJ
stantial and satisfying stake.
LETTERS FROM JAPAN; Record of Mod
Life in the Island Empire. By Mrs Hugh
Fraser, author OF .The Looms Of Time" &C.
Illustrated. New edition, in volume. New
York: The Macmillan Company. Washington:
Brentano's.
Mrs. Fraser's delightful letters from ia
pan. descriptive Of her life there in 1SS9-94
as the wife Of the British minister to
Tokyo. were Immediately upon their pub
LEGATION, five years ago. accepted as one of
the truest records that had been written
Of the life and customs Of the japanese,
and one Of the most accurately sympa-
thetic reproductions Of the atmosphere
which envelopes the island empire. Their
republication now is amply warranted by
the outbreak of the war between Japan
and Russia. with It's consequence of
keenly aroused International interest in the
land OF the mikado. Whereas the first
edition was in two volumes this is In one,
with no diminution OF matter or lessening
of the richness Of illustration which stamp
ed the work upon its first appearance as
exceptional. Mrs. Fraser was in a position
beyond most travel writer's to observe close
ly, especially in high places and to under
stand. through the courtesies extended by
Japanese authorities. what she saw and
heard. Her descriptions Of court life are
therefore, the more valuable and they
bear upon the present-day questions. OF
especial interest Is the chapter devoted
to description Of the outrage committed
by a Japanese policeman upon the person
of the Czarevitch of Russia In May 1901,
at Ctsu. Mrs. Fraser. after telling of the
assault which came within an ace of kill
ing the prince. describes the remarkable
state Of Japanese feeling on the subject.
From emperor down to the humblest peas
ant the affair was regarded as a shame
from which japan could never recover.
Peasants and noblemen carried presents
to the warship on which the wounded care
Witch lay. The whole Japanese nation pulsed
with sympathy. The empress, abandoning
her remarkable composure wept bitterly in
her palace for the grief Of the young mans
mother. One little samurai girl offered her.
self as sacrifice for the nations disgrace
by committing suicide In the doorway of
the government ofices at Kyoto, leaving
behind two letters. one farewell to her
family, the other message to the en-
peror. saying that she gave her life gladly
hoping that though she was so lowly she
might wipe out the insult. and entreating
him to be comforted by her death 1t is
impossible to read Of this incident without
feeling that the western world has not vet
fathomed the depth of the Japanese char
acter. This work helps greatly to this
end. however.
A NIGHT WITH ALESSANDRO, an Episode
In Florence under her last Medici By Tread
well Cleveland. 1r. With three views in color
by Eliot Keen. New York: Henry Holt Co.
Washington: William BaTlantyne Sons
The Emperor Charles wished to learn the
sentiment OF the Florentines toward Ales-
sandro their duke. his subject He sent to
Florence Roland. Compile de Ronsard, bear
Ing forged letters indicating that he came
from the King of France 1t was not a
pleasant assignment, but one such as the
gentleman soldier OF the period craved for
the sake Of the excitement and the possible
honors flowing from success Roland was
putting his head In the lions mouth when
he entered the palace Of Stroxxi, the papal
banker, fayorite with Alessandro. but In
triguing for his death and the enforcement
Of another In his stead. For Strozzi in
stantly detected the fraud of the letters
and led Roland dance which was likely
to end In death. The author rapidly carries
the intrepid emissaFy of Charles through
his adventures. into the midst of masked
revel. into nunnery which the bestial