The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-08
NEW BOOxs.
Mem orles Of . Rur,an Husband.

Mem OrIea o. y RuWen ItuSDonu.
II the reader is at MI like us he will be
curious regarding Mrs. Gwynn in Charles
Egbert Craddock's story OF THE Storm
Center Crhe Macmillan Company. The
appearance Of Mrs. Gwynn is artisticoliy
delayed here. She becomes more and
more important and the idea Of her beauty
grows TO great proportions as VIC wait
for her, For eleven pages abe Keeps us
fdgeting. When she does appear her
loveliness appeases us in measure. 1t
is naturally pleasant to have for company
a young widow so decidedly good looking.
She refuses. however, to re altogether
good to ,Is. She lets lis see her. but de-
clines to allow us to understand her. We
may care great deal for her, but she does
not care two straws for us. Her interest
in US is painfully shallow and perfnnctory.
She sets out the teacups in manner to
give us chill. We could forgive her II
she would allow ua to know what 1t is all
about 10 1t true as the merest rumors
hint, that her husband once upon e. time
dragged her about by her beautiful hair
hair OF rich golden brown, which, at tho
time Of this story. waved back from her
white brow In heavy fluctuations, caught
no ornament, simplicity itself''
Why should there be grief for such
husband on the part Of a one time wife
who now has the felicity to be widow
Suppose he struck her on the head with
chair, according to another Of the stories.
Why now should she sit plunged in remi-
nisoenoe. as though sorrowing for some
vanished joy1
Very slowly Mrs. Gwynn's case is made
known to US. We are sorry to say that as
we looked through many pages for a solu-
ton OF the mystery Of her trouble we en-
countered a number OF split inf1ntives.
Tho expression "to properly receive him
stands on page 8. Facing it, on page Q.
we find the expression ito thus segregate
her." This otIense multiplies itself a. We
60 on, and We are the more surprised be-
cause the description in other respects is
80 obviously painstaking.
At page 4s we find definite statement Of
something that Gywnn really did. We
read here that Mrs. Gwynn's husband had
disspated her fortune as we'll as desolatsd
her heart" At page 40 we are further
enlightened Rufus Gwynn, in the ex-
tremity OF his needs as spendthrift and
gambler. desired to sell his wife's horse.
She refused to part with the handsome
animal, a present from her father. She
was about to mount the horse one day when
Rufus 0wynn bounded madly into her
presence. "She saw the CLINT Of steel in
his hand" At first she thought that she
herself was to be her husbands victim.
-She honestly thought her nus band had
intended to kill her. Somehow the veil
a har and chn kpaw him
for the fiend he was. even before the das-
tardly act that left him unqualified. But
it was not she on whom his spite was to fall.
Such deeds bring retribution. Only the
horse, the glossy. graceful, spirited ami
NAL. turning his lustrous, confding eyes
toward the house as the door opened whin-
nying low joyous welcome, anticipative
OF the breezy gallop-received the bullet
just below the ear"
The scamp shot the horse because she
would not give it to him to sell We believe
it is true that he struck her besides. He
met deserved end shortly a'terward.
Another horse reared with him. and fell
upon and killed him. 1t was upon these
unhappy matters that Mrs Gwynn brooded.
Her brooding was remarkable, because she
was only %. We are glad to say that she
recovered fairly healthy poise at last
and married Capt. Baynell of the Federal
Army. Her sentiments were all Confed-
crate, and ye, she did this thing. We were
glad Of ii. He was u very earnest and
scrupulous man, and she very earn est
and scrupulous woman, He was court
ina rtialed and came out all right.
4 well written story. perhaps just a
little prepostprous and attenuated.