The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-29
NEW BOOKS.
me Orerthrow Of Holoferns,.

The Overthrow ~ HOlOfernes.
The Assyrian wolves who wore accus-
toned TO come down upon the Hebrew
fold are pictured vigorously for us In the
opening chapters Of Thompson Buchanan's
story Of judith Triumphant Harper
4 Brothers). Holofemes Is powerfully set
forth. He was a roaring bull Of a man,
burly, huge, truculent, fun Of strong wine.
II II had been our fortune 10 be betrayed
into his tent We think we should have looked
early for a way out Of that place Of shelter
and high revelry. Holofenes, as he re-
clined on his ivory couch, with Nin-Gul,
the sensuous dancing girl, brazenly sharing
the same, was forever filling his cup from
a convenient bowl Of the rich wine OF Hell
bon and he never neglected to drain the
cup after Il was filed. AZ we beheld cup
after cup enter into the Assyrian Captain
we we're satisfied Of the paradox that the
Captain was in his cups. Waves OF temper
swept over him. and with every wave he
reached under his pillow for javein and
threw 1t at somebody.
We had never deliberately formulated
for ourselves the beauty Of judith. From
plenty Of pictures Of her we have received
the impression of a dark and terrible Wo-
man. the mere sight Of whom might well
have put Holofernes upon his guard. Here
IL Is only her eyes that are made TO contain
n possible waming-unless, indeed, 1t Is
10 be thought that all varieties and shades
Of feminine beauty are very well calcu-
lated to make us look out. This judith
appeared small by reason Of the perfect
proportion Of her parts, as the case Is SAID
TO be with the Church OF st. Peter in Rome
Her hair rippled back from low, broad
forehead and fell almost 10 her knees In
an undulating. enveloping stream of fiery
gold. "Her eyes were twin seas, blue
green, unfathomable, in which her light
and dark thoughts made the sparkle and
the shadows. Her nose was straight and
strong. Her mouth spelled love, though
there were final lines Of power at the COR
ners. Gaping all, enhancing the spell
Of all, was that mysterious, radating
soul charm which binds men even unto
death"
The beleaguered Hebrews Of the city OF
Bethulia were on the point Of yielding to
the Assyrians when Judith undertook their
deliverance. They we're without water
to drink. The story says explicitly that
the people were silent for they could
speak no IlOIts NlAllOhN "eANA u.s. 49,
soon become useless" The people Of
Bethulia were presumably uncommon Tor
they continued to say a good deal never
theless. II is recorded that they spoke
though they were silent. Life itself has
puzzled us so much, has been 80 full OF
fairly stupendous contradictions, that we
have not allowed ourselves to be disturbed
at this point,
There was hearty eating az well as copl-
GUS drinking in the tent Of Holofemes. We
make out that there we're nine guests at
the banquet there, reported at page 81.
The attendant musicians, who played
flutes and harps and taborets and pipes
and who played them madly, we're proba-
bly, fed also, else they never would have
had strength to carry out their insane
performances. st III there must have been
a tremendous quantity for everybody
who could have been got into a war tent OF
the period, for "the banquet board sup
ported sthe oarcasses Of two sheep roasted
whole" and "the quarter Of an OK, to say
nothing OF ~huge piles Of bread, figs, dates
and all the fruits Of Damascus. II we
were nine persons and a band we should
think it trouble enough to eat all the fruits
Of Damascus. We do not know what we
should do II we we're called upon to effect
n supplementary disposition OF two sheep
and quarter Of an OK, to say nothing OF
dates, figs and piles Of bread.
At page 81 we come upon an instance Of
the disoharging Of javolins by Holofernes.
He thought TO transiix Judith; also Achor
the Ammonite, hero Of this tale. judith
was shrouded in a cloak; he had not yet
been made aware Of her transcendent
beauty He objurgated himself when she
cast aside her cloak and acquainted him
with what he had endeavored to transfx.
The javelin, DETECTED by the ready swold Of
the hero. rang loud on an ornamental
brazen bull in the tent, having passed
clean through the body Of the sentry. The
soldier fell and died writhing, an impaled
worm As he died, Holofernes, casting his
eyes upon the uncloaked Judith, begged
pardon. His little eyes became red like
FIRE His very beard was twitching with
desire
We have not wondered that a commander
30 susceptible to the charms Of females,
and so given to the drinking Of wine, should
have encountered disaster. Surely the
fold had a chance against this bibulous
and libidinous wolf Without hesitation
the powerful Holofernes bespoke judith for
himself and passed over Nin-Gul to an in
ferior one. Behold this happy inferior
breathing in the mind-reeking perfume
Of Nin-Gul's hair-whatever sort Of perfume
that may be- We find Nin-Gul 4unnoticing
an interruption" a little later. She would
have been happier il the power had been