The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-17

A story set quite after today's style when the cut of a mans clothes Is more clearly described than the cast of his character. The plot is of a thinness that is at- tenuation. A young composer of operas has loved widow. ten years his sem Tor, she has been an inspiration to him mentally and a helper socially. He re- peatedly has asked her to marry him. she has as repeatedly refused. realix- Ing the barrier which the discrepancy of their age creates. At the House Party. which is the theme of the book. the young man develops sudden absorbing love for the rarely beautiful daughter of the house. Finding him self drifting from old moorings with new channels he loyalty urges Mrs Essington to rush to the city ana marry him. Mrs. Essington, however. with the wisdom of her years, brings tht two young lovers together. and reconciles the ambitious mother. who has cherished other plans Tor ner radiant daughter. Then Mrs. Essing- ton. not having grown wordly-wtse with her increase of wisdom Of years' rejects a most desirable partt, an own. CT of railroad bonds and stocks out of number.
 The beauty, wit and charm of Mrs. Essington must be taken on faith. the characters talk much, but say deal of nothing"
 A fair excerpt of the conversations of the book Is this concerning the young composer of rejected operas. He's queer as Dicks hatband"
 "QueerT
 "Ch I don't know." Mrs. Budd said. vaguely. Hes written an opera. and when he does talk one can't always make sure of what he means. Ana look at his neckttes"
 matter peckties," said her daughter coldly.
 Well, I don't know what 1t is." her mother threw over her shoulder. put if they were quite right we wouldn't notice them"
 And later: She caught herself com pairing his tie with Thair's. relieved to find them identical, to see, as Long acres head turned toward the woman on his right, that the blond hair, long tsh over the forehead. was clipped close behind the ears. Correct as 0he could wish; and yet. her mother had said he was queer.
 Queer stun out of which to make a romance. The descriptions of Cali fornia scene and air are alluring. the abundance of heliotrope. the wild yell low jesSamine, the dozens of wild ca- naries. the chatterings flights of lin- nets, the white mists, and the surging sea that ever woos the long and beau teous coast line.
 There is the usual golf and drag hunt-which somehow, with the in- terlarding of studied terms of game and chase suggest an unfamlliarity with sport for sports sake.
 The heroine is the up-to-date athlet- ic girl of the hunting set. The fre- quent descriptions of her marvellous beauty are moved by the insistence of the phrase her hot yellow eyes, which will suggest to the reader hot fried eggs.
 The most real and natural and true ringing touches are those that relate to the opera, the acceptance and pro- 'duction of which is to make turn Tn Thus when the long awaited decis- lon reaches him:
 "Pinioned between his alternatives, his eye caught his own name on an en- yeIop that carried New York post mark. He took 1t up slowly. He read the letter-head. This was what he had been waiting for for months This was to have made the turn in his life. Now a quite different thing had made it. The turn was wrench. He ripped open the letter. There had been some lack of authority for the nnal decision in the last communication from the Metropolitan Opera Syndi- cate On account of-he got through the list of reasons to the closing sen- tence-the Syndicate could not, after all, arrange to produce the Harold.
 "A year of unsparing labor. year of wire-pullng and waiting, thrown over because of a stronger pull.
 The writers show strength and charm in the work, there is good promise foi the future. It seems a pity that their book in this instance should be on such stereotyped lines. The distinctly smar' set no doubt offers some strong individ-
 hau "a failed to find them. Smart set ro' mances run very much to architecture of new built houses, crisp palaces oft ener, descriptions of gowns and phrases picked up out of golf, hunt, and riding and driving manuals, and talks of ''rec devil" automobiles.
 If there Is a distinct class set apar to itself as The Smart Set" its mem bers seem to lose rather than gain by isolation. Eager as the publishers ant editors are to hurl at the public all sto' ries purporting to be of the "smar set," we have yet to find one of req vital strength, of lasting interest Thackerays romanaces were rather o the Smart Set folk of his time and the. are alive today. He gave us rather more of characteristics and rather less of cravats, rather more of gTaces o his women, rather less of their gown: than do the writers of the Smart Se folk of our day.
 The Breath of the Gods, by Sidney Mccall, author of Truth Dexter r.- Rarely has a novel the good fortune to appear so opportunely as has thi. story of Japanese life and love. The author writes with what the reader 1! bound to believe is an intimate knowl- edge of Japanese customs, habits, man ners. A knowledge far more intimate than that attained by the usual Eng lish-writing person. The American that depicts the heart of Yuki mus have been blessed with the boon com. panionship of some such tender Japan, ese maiden. The writer that gives sucf glimpses of the innermost home life ol Japan must have herself enjoyed suct glimpses. It is, we believe. rightl. opined that Sidney Mccall, who ha, scored such success with the two books, Truth Dexter and The Breath of the Gods," is a woman.
 This latest work of her pen Is ont of rare power and of absorbing inter. est.
 There is found in these pages mucf of dramatic power, much of human in terest.
 The book is clever and brilliant I is rich with a sentiment fine and genu inc
 The plot is closely knit and vividl, unfolded.
 The book abounds in striking situa lions.
 The characterize tions are vital ful