The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-09

The resurrected story is hardly likely,
however, to prove more popular now than
1t did years ago when it was first sent
forth. It has a larger body of reading
matter to compete with, and, then, it is
one Of those stories that has to be read
with a diagram at hand, as the story of a
battle to be understood has to be read
with charts, and the author has failed to
provide the diagram. 1t is impossible to
give clear idea of the maze one finds
himself In before he has gone far among
the letters which make up the tale. To
simplify and condense in an outline is to
destroy the effect of confusion that set
ties upon the reader, but one may get a
notion of the way things are tangled from
the following:
Francis and Clara Cheyne are son and
daughter of John Cheyne cousins of Lord
Cheyne, and second, cousins Of Reginald
HARDWOOD and Amicia Stanford, who are
son and DAUGHTER of the same mother by
| different fathers. 3Amicia marries LORD
Cheyne and Clara aniarries,. Ernest Rad
| worth, scientist, and ally Of Lord
CheXne,- Then Francis falls in love with
| Amicia, who has become Lady Cheyne
and Reginald Hardwood does like trick
| with Mrs. Radworth. Lady Midhurst, the
| grandmother of Reginald and Amicia, anC
aunt Of Francis and Clara, with the as
! sistance of fate keeps the crossed cur.
rents from ending in tragedy. Elaborate
| tangle!
| Lady Midhurst is the predemina ting
| character. She is much more worthy OF
perpetuation than many a fictitious char.
acter we'll known to fame Notwithstand-
| ing the fact that Clara writes to hel
brother that Lady Midhurst has faller
! into a sort of hashed style, between {
| French portiere and a Dickens nurse" tina
same Lady Midhurst is forever pricking
the readers mind to attention by some
| new thrust, either at some character ir
particular or at things in general. She
] writes to Clara: Men have their uses
and their merits, allow, but you cannot
live on them" Writing to Lady Cheyne
"a diagram would prove useful here
Lady Midhurst says of Reginald, who i:
| in love with Clara: He Is capable Of
| finding moral beatty in a hump, ant
angelic meaning in a twisted foot" Again
she writes to Lady Cheyne Of the Rad
worths: II called at Blocksham and saw
the Radworths in the f1esh-that is, II
bones and cosmetics; for the male has
gone to bone and the female to paint
The poor man calls aloud for an en-
balmer; the poor woman cries pitifull!
for an enameller." Francis writes to hi;
sister: Lady M. always seemed to me
to live and think in a yellow-pape1
French novel cover, with some of the
pages loose in sewing" Francis was moi
| a favorite of Lady MS.
| All the characters are clearly anc
sharply drawn. 1t is, indeed, quite re-
markable that the author has given tt
each such distinct mental characteristics
The development Of the plot is by In
genious indirection and the revelation Of
character by subtle mental analyst:
rather than by action and incident-an'
other thing in the way of the story
becoming popular. Nevertheless the story
takes hold of the reader, and that fac
coupled with it's purely literary qualities
will compel attention.
4 = -.. uarner &. Rros New York, ST so.