The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-22
THE 81 OrM CENTER. BY Charles Eg !
8 bert Craddock. $3.50 The Macriiil-
lhn Company, New York; Bell, Rich-

THE STORM CENTER. BY Charcs. Eg
bert Craddock $3.50 The Macn1il-
ian COMPANY, New York Bell, RICH si's
f1londs 3SSSs III. s+ iJs N
The title * Miss Murfce's charming
book, "The storm Center" ls both np ?,
propriate atid descriptive II the prevail
Ing idea that there Is calm at the, center ne
Of storm be an acceptable one. AROUND re y;
the home center which Miss Murfee PIC .
tires In her latest book VIII, 50 tt1uc |,
tenderness and beauty surge the tul1uit
and the stress 81 civil war, but the
march and the counter march. the rev
ollie, tho drill and tho tattoo with when g.,
tho days begin continue and end are but
the vivid contrasts which,, through the
cunning art Of the writer. helghtcn the
peace OF the thospitnhlc mansion, WITHIN
whose wallis existence Mt Its best, sociai
life at It's truest ,nnd llnppost, flows tran !
guilty on.
without and within the story Is the
same. Tho library Of the old mansion.
with its pleasant wealth OF books ana
It's pleasnntcr2S:swcalth Of pcrsonnlity---
Judge Roscoe, the master. gentle, cour-
tcous and dlgnincd: Mrs. Gwyni, ms
niece. and his granddnughtcrs. the little
ladics''. OF his house and heart; Captain
Buynell, tho guest and woud-be lover
how complete a. little world within Itself.
III its ambitions, It's loves, Its hidden
tragedies, its sweet serenity, it's care for
the stranger and It's perfect ,inworldli-
ness.
One could not nnd happier or more
truthful del!ncntion OF home nnd nome
life In what Is now spoken Of MS the
"Old South" than In "Thc Storm Gem
ter. Miss M',irfeo has selected her types
we'll and drawn them In with almost per.
feet character delineation. The love
story between Mrs. Gwynn and CAPTAIN.
I3aynell is referred to almost Incidentally.
but serves to add to the interest inspired
by the grouping OF incident nDd the trend
Of event. IN y
* One OF the most attractive persona ges
introduced In the novel Is the Confederate
officer, Captain Julius Roscoe. The ac-
count OF his visit to his home and his
father by stealth; Of his being hidden IN
the attic and his wandering like q ghost
through. rooms haunted by happy mem 4
cries OF the past; OF his being within the
sound OF loved voices and almost WITHIN
the touch Of loved forms, without oe IN,
able to reveal himself: Of his final dis II
covery land the remarkable circumstances
attending his escape--these things taken
in their entirety and presented as doubt
less they really happened, enable one 20
comprehend something of the great
f1ra ma enacted In Tennessee, as else
where in tho South, during thc CiHI.#
War period.
The book throughout Is thoroughly
sweet and pure. Its morality IS OF mo
3hiahcst and It Is altogether free from
nxfravaganco or bitterness. Miss Murfee
has given in It striking evidence lof the
qualities that have. given her prom1i-.
hence in the field OF American fiction,
Al THE SIGN OF THE FOX. BY Bar
bara.''6s PIP. 372. $3.50. The Mac
milan Co.. New York.
A our opinion is that this book VIII add
little to tho reputa ton of the well known
writer whose anonymity is preserved
sometimes as above, and again. again, ,,l [lore
nonularly as ',The Commuters Wife
Barbara Is less successful as a construc-.
tive novelist than as an agreeable PM
losopher OF nature or penetrating com
mentator upon modern life. Tho story
that she has set out to tell is quito
familla + one which, however, IN Its es-
sentials and It's moral Is always worth
fresh telling from the pen Of master.
But to Justify ltselfSin rcAppearnncc u
must come forth Illuminated with me
gifts OF a charming and overlooking im-
asination; and with this duality Barbara
has hero failed TO invest 1t.
@ The wealthy IIawtons lose their money
almost to the last dollar, and Pamela
Rrooke Lawton, aged twenty four, pretty
and now the man OF the house. moves
her family TO a little farm place, which
Nv great good luck had been saved from
Inc wreck. The cheerful struggle OF
Brooke, as the young lady is usually
known. to earn a living form the man
thread OF the narrative. She finaiiy MT
on the plan Of turning her mousse lnto
.,t,n
tea, delicious chicken sandwiches ana
other succulent edlbes most dalntliys
served and at prices fully equal 10 Ssler-t
5rv's Brooke did "a nice business among
automobilists and walking parties ~
tho lucky unearthing OF little pile OF
securities In a forgotten safe deposit
yault somewhat eased the necessity Tor
continued efforts OF course, brooheS
whole time was not devoted 10 business
on the side, so to speak, she l vi y:
J. l.imotive" to tacturn Robert STEAD,
,'hosn lifc for ten years had been n bur-
den to him because it so painfnliy lacKcu
one -, 4, = 80
t,velv managed, but the readers interest
in him is so slight that this makes llttle
difference. Besides It Is not ncarly SO
\ wkward as the transformation OF VEG
Lawton's stolid hired man into Brooke
shadowy and embarrassing artist lover
who virtually does not appear IN the story
until the last few pages,
In the CHEEKY spirit with which she she
treats Brookes efforts to retrieve the
family fortunes. Barbara shows healthy
and encouraging optimism, and for this
even where she falls to convince US, wo
have to thank her. A Wholesome iohd-
ness for nature and the simple lie also
shine through her pages. These however,
are qualities Of the woman rather than
of the writer. and her book here yalnly
for much OF tho graceful fancy the
kindly wit and gentle philosophizlng with
which the name OF Barbara Is ,lsuany as
ISOLATED. at the Sign Of the Fox Is
book which might have been fathered by
good many people who could never
write THE Garden Of commuter's
Wife"
AMERICAN YACHTING. BY W, T.
stephens, PIP, $50. $500 net. Tho Mac
milan Company, New York,
Here is n valuable and Interesting his
torlcal sketch OF yachting In this country,