The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-09

III III
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the heroic scamp. Lot u suppose that
whom the solioitous father asked to bs
supplied with this reasonable information
the sterling and indebted man had Just
seen the heroic scamp cheating ct poker.
Was tho sterling man bound to tell the
TRUTH Was he bound to hold bis tongue
and shield his devious friend7
There IL problem for the moral philoso-
pliers. We arc aware that tho philosophers
IN question have already afforded . num-
Der Of aphorisms which may be held to ap-
ply to It. Unfortunately for the chances
Of perfect eluddation, they apply with
results that are various and Trajectory.
We ourselves hesitate to cay whether Dr..
Dixie In this story should have told Joyce
Eldhdge's father and even Joyce Eldndge
he should have sealed bis Lips In behalf Of
the brave Capt. Eustsos Brandyos. who
went over tho cliff 30 generously and With
so little thought Of his own skin. Thu fact
abides and persists that Capt. Brandyos
was caught with two Aces IN bis slseve.
Wehsve always respected Tho power Of the
novelist to settle intricate questions finally.
Capt. Brandyce was . creature torn by
conflicting emotions. Selhshness led him
to cheat At poker. Unselhshness called
him perilously over tho cliff. He was.
perhaps, impulsive rather than reflective;
and yet We must think that some rejection
was involved In his thoughtful preparations
for poker. Even supposins that Joyce
Eldridge had known that his game Of poker
was not honest, she might still have loved
him, remembering that life Is not all cards
and that he had been y hero without any
sordid compensation. She cut the knot
Of the difficulty. She simply refrained
from loving him. regardless Of both his
good and bad sides. She had already re-
fused him when he had tho two aces up his
sleeve.
DR.. Dixie might have spared himself
many Of his most poignant emotions had
he known the truth regarding the state Of
Joyce Eldridges mind. Through many
steps Of cruel doubt no ascended TO IN ulN-
mately happy understanding. He was .
rather solemn man, but perhaps not too
solemn, considering tho difficult questions
that assailed his conscience. A carefully
evolved and well expressed story.
Russia.
Interest In things Russian b not Hhsly
to dc out till The present efforts TO change
tho existing order or disorder inset With
success or arc suppressed Ike Others that
preceded thsna. Books, good, bad and tn.
different, WIN continue to Be written and
published on Russian affairs TIL that time
comes, and al, No imagine. viii find read
era. The best - . matter Of ootrse arc
books written calmly to describe things
seen, with no thought Of recent modihca-
tons: more than ono Of these has been
noticed Of iate In thess columns. Tho rest
may be divided into two GLASSES. those In
tended to instruct. which are not infre.
ouently dull. and those intended to excite,
which are usually q httle hard to believo.
We have an ex ample Of each kind before
us.
The lectures delivered before the Uni
yersity Of Chicago by Mr.. Paul Milyoukov
on the subject Of Russian civilization are
published under the title Russia and Ito
Crisis by the University Of Chicago Press,
Chicago. II is q pity that the original
title was changed, for the book takes up
one phase after another Of Russian ma
tional life and describes ito historical do
yelopment. The author Is reformer
and his descriptions lead naturally to the
immediate need Of reforms. but his tone
Ia impartial and his statements Of fact
fair. His book Is thoroughly respectable
niece Of work, which would b moro road
able Il sociological and economic argu-
ments had less space and II tho author
h.d addressed himself TO the general In
stead Of . university public. The maps
are instructive. In tho spelling OF the
names we think the author has erred In
deferring too much TO his ideas Of Ameri-
can pronunciation. It 10 Q useful book.
but slow reading.
The opposite extreme Ii reached In Mr..
Alexander Ular's "Russia from Within
Renry Holt 4 Co... Here ws got our
money's worth OF scandal and abuse and
sindde history This II picturesque enough,
hut tho trouble with matters Of this sort II
to know how much may bo believed. There
arc court scandals. no doubt, that do not
ret into print directly, but are whispered
bout in clubs and among those who are
Veil informed Some slight portion Of
tbese NAV be true, but there Is room for an
~ Nnnited amount Of malicious gossip, and
uttI. room for definite proof. II the reader
Iii not believe too much Of tho evil told,
W., W." .vsllow entire intimate details and oon-
rsr.ahons, and will remember that mono Of
tha avis Of Russia arc Of such recent growth |
=. Tho author implies. he may got entertain |
80. from Mr. ulaF's book.