Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18

"Atii tiie iiititi LOCK POSSESSION or FaFlS anu
chaos reigned for a time. She sought
safety in flight to England and 1t was DR..
Evans part to plan the secret departure
from Paris. the cautious journey to the
coast, and finally the perilous voyage across
the channel In a craft far too small for the
safe navigation of those troubled waters
IN the storm that then ragged. In the volume
of consolidated memoirs which his friend
ana associate, DR.. Crane, who assisted IN
the escape of the empress, has prepared
there Is no more interesting passage than
that which describes the journey to Eng
land.
The work has been evolved from n
voluminous manuscript left unpublished by
DR.. Evans. One part was prepared in
1854 dealing with the political and military
situation In France and Germany immedi-
ately preceding the war between those
countries the flight of the empress and
the establishment of the imperial family at
Chslehurst. The other part was begun in
1895 the year before DR.. Evans death, and
consisted of photographer notes and
memoranda which he had intended TO bind
together into consecutive narrative. HIS
death prevented the completion of the task.
and DR.. Crane has now adeptly contrlVed
the evolution of a single volume, which IS
wildly interesting a every stage and pre-
sents the imperial court in perhaps the
most intimate aspect possible. DR.. Evans
wrote easily, though without any pfeten-
sion to literary style. 1t is unfortunate
that his task was Interrupted by his last
Illness, for there are evidences that had
he possessed the strength and time to
continue he could have written highly
valuable account of the second empire. AS
it IS, this volume has personal rather than
an historical value.
SIDNEY LANIER. BY Edwin Minis. IL
Illustrated. Boston: lIoughton, Mifflin
& Co.
There has been a somewhat remarkable
lack of good biographical material regard
ing Sidney Lanier, when his performances
as a poet are considered. The man was
highly individual, a most interesting per-
sonality, attractive in his social relations,
and his career was varied and dramatic.
Perhaps the fact that he died only twenty
four years ago is accountable for the tardy
arrival of an adequate story of his career
life and works. 1t has now come, in some
what too brief form, from the pen of Ed
win Minis, who proves himself sympathetic
and yet a discriminating biogra pher.
Ianer had more than the markings of a
great poet. He produced some material
that will always stand among the finest
examples of American literature. 1t is
moot point with students of his works
whether more fortunate circumstances
would have permitted a higher evolution,
or his sufferings and privations worked
out their best result in the tuning of his
soul Mr.. Minis dispels the impression that
has obtained that Lanier was an object of
pity. He declares that probably the poet
himself would most emphatically have
resented the phrase poor Lanier" He was
the enviable ~possessor of a CHEEKY, sunny
spirit, far elevated above the clouds of
despair He suffered sorely indeed in
health and fortune. He strove valiantly
for the means of self-support. He was
proud and infinitely preferred self-help to
unearned assistance, and he never tagged
in his pursuit of the higher ideals of life.
Mr.. Minis tribute to this rare soul is elo-
quent His account of Lanier's life and
works is intensely interesting, and his
critical analysis of his poetry is fair and
gives evidence of a restraint of the enthu-
siasm for the subject. The book Is APP
propriately illustrated by portraits and fac
SMILES of letters and manuscripts.
THE WOOD FIRE IN NO. 3. BY F. Hop
kinson Smith. Illustrated in colors by
Alonzo Kimball. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons. Washington: Wood
ward & Lothrop.
ITO those of you who love an easy chair.
mug, a. pipe and a story; to whom
well-swept hearth is a delight, and the
CHEEKY crackle of hickory logs a joy: the
touch of whose elbows sends a thrill
through responsive hearts and whose genial
talk but knits the circle the closer-as well
as those gentler spirits who are content to
listen-how rare they are! Do I repeat
Sandy MacW hrter's hearty invitation:
Draw up, draw up! BY the gods, but I'm
glad to see you! Get a pipe. The tobacco
Is in the yellow jar -"
To this hearty welcome to the wood fires
genial influence there can be no resistance.
And within that charmed circle, composed
of MacWhtrter, Lonnegan, Marry, Stir
ling, Boggs, Woods and the Colonel, who
tells the whole story, the guest will find
entertainment and comfort and rare com
partnership. Whether it is MacWhirter him
self telling a somewhat melancholy tale
of some half-suppressed desire, or Boggs
ridiculing the others and spinning a glo-
riously Impossible yarn, the man who has
the hearth is delight, and the studio, with
It's cluttered corners, its quaint shapes, its
Chinese screen, and, above ALL Its big
fireplace stands for just that sort of thing
every fire worshipper Graves for in his
heart of hearts.
THE PANG-YANGER. By EIma A. Ira
Wis, MD. New York: Mcclure Phillips
& Co. Washington: Woodward s.
Lothrop.
A strong story with poor title DR.. Ira
Wis perhaps did not realize that she was
writing a novel appealing to a thoughtful
circle OF readers, propounding vitality Inn
portant social problem, when she gave 1t
name that suggests joke. A "Pang-Yang-
er" Is one who works at Pang-Yang, re-
mote mountain settlement in Delaware
county n. Y. chiefly devoted to the tan
ming industry, and in the old days one of
the wickedest regions In that part of the
world. Abijah Bead was a Pang-Yanger
for a brief period in his late boyhood and
young manhood. A holocaust occurred and
he fled to the far west and there accumulat-
ed q fortune and returned to his native
city of Huntsville to perplex his neighbors
by his conduct and his speech and finally
to shock them to the point of scandal by
bringing to town a flve-year-old boy whom
he introduces as his son. Inasmuch as no.
body has ever heard of his marriage, the
community is at once agog. A certain
strong resemblance suggests the maternity
of the child and the wagging tongues are
set going afresh. The story of Abiiah
Beads career, the advent of a young south
ern girl, who fascinates him, his embar-
rassment through having already one wife
who has ignored her ties and married again
and finally the tragic climax and solution
of the problem s told wildly, with humor
and dramatic effectiveness.
MISS DESMOND; an Impression BY
Marie Van Worst, author of Amanda
of the Mill" &c. New York: The Mac
milan Company.
The readers most distinct impression of