Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-11

man consecutively and briefly, with a rich
store of scientific information. Mr.. Dellen-
baugh takes occasion to score severely
those who responsible for the de-
bauching of the Indians with drink. one OF
the most dastardly acts, he declares, ever
committed by man.
DE PROFUNDIS. BY Oscar Wilde. With
portraits New York: G. p. Putnams
Sons. Washington: Woodward d
Lothrop.
Oscar Wilde was never greater as
writer than when, in the depths of his
degradation, IN prison for an unspeakabie
offense, he wrote this bit of prose, seeking
to express himself in the hour OF his sim
cere repentance. 1t was the only thing ne
wrote while serving his sentence, THE
Ballad of Reading Gaol," which echoed the
tragic note of prison life, was planned and
composed after his release. DE Fro
fundis' shows the purified. 1t re-
veals the working, not of what is often mis-
takenly called conscience, but of sense
of the real significance of the downfall. ii
is not an attempt to excuse nor 10 monty
the judgment of others. Wilde seeks no
justification. He portrays himself as
sinner who knows that he has forfeited an
right to hope for forgiveness whose soclai
life is ended and who can never escape the
awful odium of his crime and punishment
But there is no note of despair IN inns III,
tensely human document. Black tpoueh
the prospect beyond the prison doors soon
to open for him, painful though the re-
newed contact with free men, YET ne 10
eager for the liberty which, he tens hiiii
self he is to employ in the compie'ioa Vi
his artistic career. ,.,
wilde did rot live to crafty his ambition
to write that which should cause the worIo
to pause and proclaim him 10 De me
greater for his offending ana ms puhis a. ~,
ment But even though when he died III
Paris in 1900 he left behind OF Writings
since his disgrace only the Ballad anu
DE Profundis,' he had actually IN the IA
ter scored his highest point Perhaps ne
did not realize while writing 1t IN prison.
that he was striking his climax. But pos
terity is likely so to judge, reading TINS
brief paper alongside of the artinclai proo-
ucts of his early days. 1t needed shails
and suffering to make man OF oscar
Wilde, and one can read De Irol run
dis" with its beautiful cadences and us
perfection of prose style, without reaIlziiS
that he had indeed in Reading gaol 1ouhu
himself.
THE LIONS SKIN; a Historical Novel
and a Novel History By John 5,
Wise author of The End of an
Era &c. New York: Doubleday
Page & Co.
1t needs but the least acquaintance with
the character and career of Captain wise
to lead the reader of this book to UNDER
stand at the outset that 1t Is intended, as
the title itself suggests, as an answer TO-
or an indictment of, that other novel Oh
reconstruction days The Leopard
Spots" Whereas Mr.. Dixon showed IN
glaring colors the anti-negro side of the
case, Captain Wise shows in quite as viva
a manner the anti-democratic side OF the
question. He cannot be accused of lack
of sympathy with the south, for he came
of a stanchly southern family and himself
fought in the confederate ranks as mere
lad. But when the war closed he saw that
Virginias surest development lay along
lines of cooperation with the dominant
national party and policy, and he accord
ingly entered upon a vigorous campaign as
a republican, serving In Congress and as
United States district attorney as repub-
lican, and then in 1885 standing as candi-
date for governor, to be defeated. Three
years later he removed to New York. where
he now resides.
In 1.-The Lions Skin Capt. Wise tells
somewhat thin love story which serves to
introduce large group of historic persons
and to describe a series of events which
closely resemble actual episodes in Vir-
ginia's experiences. The bitterness of the
post belum days of readjustment, when the
state was torn asunder because of the prop
osition to repudiate the debt, is vividly
shown in the course of these chapters,
which are in Captain Wise's well-known
pungent style. He is an imimitabie story
teller in his own person, and no false mod
esty prevents him from presenting in the
person of his hero young man whose ex-
perences are strikingly like his own.
THE TWO CAPTAINS; a Romance of
Bonaparte and Nelson. BY Cyrus
Townsend Brady, author of. The
Southerners, &C. New York: The
Macmillan Company. Washington:
Brentanos.
So frequently do DR.. Brady's books appear
that the reader is apt to look in each to
see if there is not something to distinguish
it from its predecessor 1.-The Two Cap
tains" is in at least one respect unique It
opens with a preface whici} is probably
novelty in all the range of fiction, a heart
to-heart talk from author to reader In
deed, this preface overshadows the novel
itself for interest. This statement is per-
haps the best comment that can be made
on DR.. Bradys remarks under the sub
head "a Protest" in the course of which
he discusses the value and sincerity of re-
views. He says: Critics, the noble name
by which we describe overworked-or should
I not say Observation-Disclosures book re-
viewers, are among the few people who
read prefaces.''
The novel is a stirring tale of the naval
conflict between England and France, glori-
tying Nelson and Nalopeon and faithfully
following history while introducing num-
Der of interesting characters who are en-
meshed in a tangle of forces. 1t is book
to excite the attention and perhaps to en-
list the reader in a further study of one
of the most dramatic episodes In the worlds
history.
THE BANDOLERO. BY Paul Gwynne.
author of Marta" &c. New York
Dodd, Mead & Co. Washington:
Brentano'S.
Brigands and blunderbusses abound in
this stirring tale of early Spanish life It
is a story of revenge carried to an extreme
A young captain Of dragons is grievousIv
wronged by a wicked marquis and turns
bandit the better to accomplish the ruin of
his enemy He kidnaps his young son and
yearly sends the grief-stricken father
lock of the youngsters hair-a delicate bit
of consideration. He burns his farm build
ings. steals his stock ruins his credit and
surrounds him with terrors. Under the
leadership of Carrasco, the king of the
bandoleros, these knights of the Sierras
acquire a power that the government is
unable to crush. 1t is eventually forced to
come to terms with the outlaws and Carras-
co accepts a full pardon and the position of
chief of the mountain police. Mr. Gwynne
has told his story dramatically and with
many intimate touches disclosing a study of
Spanish life and traditions. But he goes
just one step too far. He causes his ex-
brigand to sacrifice himself for the sake of
his enemy in circumstances that cause the
reader to wonder Carrasco goes into the