The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-24
Dew Book ncWS

mind for Mir. James makes us dread that so many things will happen blessedly Gas he often writes) never does. If anything ever should happen he blessedly (again) never let's us | know what 1t was:
 ] "Something grave had happened, somehow and somewhere, and she had, God knew. her choice of suppositions."
 So have we.
 The Empty Paradise. William Nor 1 ris. A reprint in cheaper edition of William Morris's most important poet ical work. The poet toots from chance the idea of series of stories in verse; The poem Is made up of the twenty four tales, two told each month of the year by a stranger and a native Greek. | The stories are selected from ancient Grecian tales, tales of Suabia, Norway. Brittany and other countries of Europe. 1 The poet put English weather, Eng i fish landscape and himself into the an cient legends of many lands. There is an introduction by J. A., Mackall. editor of the edition. Mir. Mackall writes: | William Morris, one of the most emil nent imaginative writers of the Vic torian age, differs from most other poets and men of letters in two ways l-frst, he did great work in many
 
 ondly. he had beliefs of his own about all that men think and do and make, very different from those of ordinary people, and he carried out these views | in his writings as well as in all the other work he did throughout his life.
 ''The Way of the North" by Warren 1 Chency.-In this book is depicted the dCeps and shallows encountered by the Colonfsts during the early days of l Russian occupancy of Alaska; when the settlers were few. and the larger part were natives, hunters and hangers on of the fort company so repulsivG to the eye that according to this book, If they were as bad Inside as out, they had strong need of the pope and all his kind to bring them to even a scant salvation"
 The young doctor, Feodor Delaroff, | who Is the hero, because of an early in- discretion is being taken as a semi prisoner to Alaska on board a vessel containing about eighty settlers, a young girl and her folks of the better class. and a priest. all on their way to | Alaska to help swell the number of | Baranofs colonists. A terrific storm is encountered at sea and while shut up in the hold of the vessel with the | hatches battened down, the settlers Kill Gregoe Ivanovitch Yarin, father | of Anna, because he is a heretic and they think he has cast the evil eye on them, holding him responsible, like Jonah of old, for the storm at sea, and their miserable condition. shut up without food or water while the storm lasts by their brutal captain The young doctor is called to Yarin's aid. but to no purpose. and the old man is | buried at sea, thus strangely leaving his unprotected daughter in Dr. Dela- rofs care, and that of the good priest. Anna Yarin hopes to meet upon land ing, Alexis Lookin, Baranofs lieuten- ant, to whom she has been betrothed since childhood. When she arrives, however, she finds that heP arrival has not been announced by the captain of the vessel and she learns inadvertent- ly that her betrothed has for three years been unmistakably in love with Maria, Baranofs daughter, wrongly called Creole, by the inhabitants be- cause of the admixture of Indian blood In her veins. How this situation Is solved, forms, of course. the main thread of the story.
 While there are unpleasant clements in the story. yet on the whole, the au- thor has firm grip upon his material. and the problems involved have their interest. Though the nice questions of moral ethics seem not to weigh with the Creole Maria. who because of her blood must be declared a thing apart and Is almost willing to gain her love at the expense of her virtue, in strong contrast Is the awakening of love in the heart of the pure minded Anna, so strangely and cruelty bereft of father and lover. The love for the young doctor develops in her heart like some opening bud. hindered in the pro- cess by many adverse circumstances.
 fine touch in the book Is that which shows the affecting and inspir- Ing devotion of the priest. Joassaf Pet rovitch, to the Alaskan Indians. Dur priest said to the young doctor: Eco dor, why did you leave Okhotsk |" When the bitterness of his shame is confessed the good father leaned for ward smilingly and said: But now you may understand that l. too, came not altogether of my own free will. The call came to me to go, and had no choice but 10 obey. Of life, I have left behind me everything that love, but-God willed 1t and l came"
 The author robs of no shade of real ism the savage and half-civillzed, the rough and uncouth people. and their manner of living in this far northern land. The grimness of the whole is shadowed by a villain and many ras- calls, but it is softened by the tender love episode.
 The fault of the book is it's unsat- isfactory construction, it's lack of CO., herence, so to speak; but the virility of the book is noticeable, and most of the characters stand out clear and i'm cisive, like the lines of an eching.
 The Gift of the Morning Star. Armistead c. Gordon. A forceful orig inal story put on new ground The scene is laid in a drunken community. The wonderfully strong and beautiful motif by which the power of self con quest is illustrated gives title to the work He that overcometh, I will give him the Morning Star"
 The story demands interest from the moment the Drunkard Touart brought home bride the French maiden: Mareanne Thebreand Beauxarty called by the Drunkard neighbors "Tibbey Buzzard." The third child of the mar riage the Drunkard farther would call, Bennammi, Son of my People. Let me give it him. plead libby. 'Benam- mi. Son of My People," she called him. The boy was of her people gentle, tender, dream, ''do-less" and lover of all flowers of earth, flowers of lit Ierature, flowers of the soul, a stranger