Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-28
THE SECRET WOMAN. BY Eden PHIL


1t is to be hoped that this novel is not to
be taken as an index of the latest trend of
of Mr.. Philpotts' mind promising more of
the same kind. 1t will be read with inter-
est by all his admirers, with enthusiasm by
some and with disappointment by those
who have heard of him as an entertaining
story teller. Succeeded by line of similar
tales it would stand as the sign of change
by no means to be welcomed in the case of
a writer with great possibilities for whole
some story telling. 1t is a tale of infidelity,
murder and suicide. 1t deals with the
strong passions of the Devonshire people,
whom Mr.. Philpotts has studied at close
range until he breathes their atmosphere.
While it is to be classed emphatically
among the Unpleasant stories, in that it
treats of tragic situations and involves deli
cate questions of sexual relations, 1t Is by
no means for that reason solely to be placed
among the least successful of this authors
achievements. AS a narrative it is ham
pered by long discussions of theology which
choke the current and confuse the reader
who is intent upon the tale itself. These
debates between the men and women
chiefly the men-of Devon may be of keen
psychological interest to the English stu
dents of character, but they will not
arouse much sympathy at a distance.
Yet it is not to be denied that there are
some exceedingly fine parts in the story.
The character of Ann Redvers, who has
slain her husband because of his unfaith-
fulness is a remarkable creation. Her re-
morse, crying for confession, conflicts with
her love for her younger son, who threatens
to Kill himself If she proclaimS her guilt.
One complication follows another until the
threads of cause and effect are inextricably
tangled and lead to further tragedies.
There some powerful passages, stand
ing out in strong contrast with the turgid
deliberations and arguments OF the peas
ants upon the complex questions of immor-
fa1i fiitrY ptIric ont md a w
At times the novel grips the heart. char
acteristic bit of Philpotts writing is to be
found in the presentation of Joseph West
away, the optimistic bankrupt sheep
master.
A PECULIAR PEOPLE; The Doukho-
bors- By Aylmer Maude, author of
'Tolstoy and His Problems" Illus
trated. New York: Funk & Wag-
nails Company.
The Doukhobors are chiefly known in this
country as a strange sect of Russian peas
ants who emigrated to Canada a few years
ago and later started on pilgrimages which
caused the Dominion government infinite
trouble and anxiety. Just who they are
what they believe, what holds them to-
gether as group, how they live, how they
came to emigrate, and why they went on
their pilgrimages, however, are facts with
which the United States is unfamiliar. 1t
is, therefore, of value that Mr.. Maude,
who was in large part responsible for the
immigration. has undertaken in this book
TO explain about the Doukhobors. The vol
ufne has double purpose, for besides set
ting forth the case of the Doukhobors, it
serves as Mr.. Maude's apology for the de-
ceptions which he innocently practiced
upon the Canadian government and people
in his representation of the Doukhobors
as docile peasants, eminently desirable as
immigrants, and deserving of aid. In some
respects he has changed his mind and has
found them to be erratfc, peculiarly adj
verse to obey the laws while holding firmly
TO the doctrine of non-resistance, and al
tCgether a hard lot to manage. But he
does not wholly withdraw his admiration,
and tries to set them forth as favorably as
possible.
1t suffices for general purpose to explain
that the Doukhobors are a Quaker-likc
sect whose actual theological beliefs are
somewhat shrouded in mystery owing TO
their long-continued habit of concealing
their real-thoughts from others, acquired
through generations of persecution. They
are communists in measure, although
their disputes on this score have contrib
uted to much of their difficulty and to the
friction with the government in Canada.
They came to this continent from Russia
without a real leader, Peter Verigin, their
acknowledged head, being then in exile in
Siberia He was absent during their two
pilgrimages in search of a land where food
could be obtained without spelling the
EARTH" When. he was released from
exile in 1902 and came to America
he set about the task of restoring the pill
grims to their lands in Assiniboia ana
Saskatchewan and bringing order out OF the
chaos caused by the folles of a few fanat-
les The colonies are now in fairly pros
porous condition, and are yielding more
tractably to the requirements of the Cana
dian government in respect to land regis
try and the submission of vital statistics,
on which points the unled Doukhobors had
been especially recalcitrant.
Incidentally the book is of interest as
showing a cleavage between Mr. Maude
and Leo Tolstoy, whose translator INTO
English he has been for some years Inc
former does not accept the theological ana
sociological doctrines of the Russian philos-
opher in their entirety, and in one chapter
of this book he engages in a severe critl-
cism of them, especially TO the extent that
they have led the Doukhobors, to whom he
has served as a sort of patron saint, into
many of their troubles.
THE MAKERS OF BRITISH ART;
Edited by James y. ason-THOMAS
GAINSBOROUGH, RIA. By A. r.
Fletcher illustrated. New York:
Imported by Charles Scribner's Sons.
Washington: Woodward & Lothrop.
Thomas Gainsborough was the painter.
par excellence, of English beauty. So
thoroughly did ne master the ART Oh pof-
traiture and so completely did he dominate
his field that his name is always associated
with all who have preceded and followed
him in this line. 1t is not for his land
scapes that he is remembered chiefly, al
though they are highly regarded by con-
noisseurs for their own merits, apart from
their value as products of his brush.
Gainsborough's especial claim upon the ad-
miration of posterity is based upon his
wonderful fidelity in presenting the forms
and faces of British women. Mr.. Fletcher's
book is a careful study of Gainsborough as
a man and painter. He traces the in
fuences which shaped his career and affect
ed his artistic style. The story of his life
is entertaining. For some time the favorite
of fashion, and greatly sought after by the
leaders of English society. he preserved his
composure and lived a decent, happy life.
The author tells incidentally several inter-
esting stories relating TO the vicissitudes
of some of Gainsborough's paintings, sew
eral of which. notably the celebrated por-
trait of the Duchess of Devonshire, have
been lost for years and then regained. The
volume is handsomely illustrated by repro
auctions from the works of the artist.
HEROES OF THE REFORMATION;
Edited by Samuel Macauley Jackson
THOMAS CRANMER; and the En-
glish reformation, 14S9-1556. BY AL
bert Frederick Pollard, MA, profess
sor of constitutional history, Uni