The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-04
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
THE UNEASY CHAIR

-
other Intense Story by Hall cane.-The
prodigal in Hall Gaines The ProdigaI Son
sets out for his far country from Iceland.
He does not go, however, until his selfish
ness and unstable character have brought
ruin and sorrow upon two families which
have hitherto known little but the joys
which kind heaven and q simple life
have to give. When he goes away, there
fore, he has no Inheritance to squander
and almost at once finds himself among
swine and filling his belly with husks.
His extremities soon drive him to permit
the dissertation Of his wife's grave, to
desperate playing at Monte Carlo. to
cheating at cards and to his first death
refuge In q false report Of his suicide,
which forever forbids his use Of his name
again. Then follow years Of toll as COM
poser, under an assumed name, financial
success and restitution to the remnant Of
his family in Iceland, but no escape from
that ultimate bitterness which is the har-
vest Of evil sowing and from that death
which is the wages Of sin. -.
The future prodigal, Oscar, returns
from Oxford to his home in Iceland, a
young man Of attractive appearance and
promising qualities, Of mind at least. He
finds his brother, Magnus, pledged TO
marry ThOra. a lOvable Iceland maiden.
Magnus loves the girl, but she has given
her consent to the arrangement only be-
cause she respects his manly qualities
and because it Is the wish Of her father.
Oscar, however, wins her heart, and Mag
nus, seeing the situation, surrenders his
claim to the girl in order that she may
find happiness with Oscar, but makes an
awful threat of vengeance on Oscar,
should he desert or bring sorrow upon
Thora. Helga, Thora's sister, then comes
upon the scene from Europe, where she
| has been educated, and Oscars devotion
| to Thora weakens. But to escape his fas-
cination for Helga he narries Thora Then
comes the tragedy. 1t breaks upon the
head Of little Thora, who believes that her
child will bind her husbands heart to
her against all the attractions Of the beau
tiful temptress, Helga. Helga fears the
thing that Thora hopes for, and cunningly
plots to have Thora's babe taken from her.
The plot succeeds, and from it springs
a brood of devilish consequences, 1nclud-
ing the prodigaTs departure.
This Is melodrama, spelled thruout with
capitals. There are the necessary abun-
dant ingredients Of romance and agoniz-
ing situations. These are Of such proper
lions, indeed, as to make veritable saga
but the proportions are we'll preserved
for the most part, and the grotesque
Is avoided, except, perhaps, In the case
of Magnus, who now and then comes close
! to tearing passions to tatters. Turnout
however, Mr.. Game shows more restrain,
in the intensity of his situations in "Tht
Prodigal Son. than in some Of his Other
books, "The Manxman," for example, Tho
there are quite enough bleeding arteries,
torn tendons'' and the like. In spite O
these, or, perhaps, because Of them, it il
not difficult to see why Hall Game i
widely read.
D. Appleton & Co., New York. $3.50.
!, MADONNA.
The same rich hair is yours, the sweet. deel
eyes
} That meet us in old frescoes, where are wrough
The prayers Of the old masters as they sough
To paint Christ's mother. And that look defie
The world and time-bright as the morning skie
With love and trust; as listening you ha,
The glory from them, or some holy thought
Or whispered promise out Of paradise.
Press that wee, sleeping bit Of humankind
. Close to your breast, and sit here at my feet
J see-no, Raphael, Guido were not blind.-
Twas such as you at twilight came to greet
Their tired footsteps at the door. that laugh
To weave Its safnted spell about the heart.
CHARLES Coleman Stoddard, in the Februar
Booklovers Magazine
Do Prisons Do Nothing to Reform Prls
? oners7-'No. l500," the author of Lift
. in Sing Sing, says Sing Sing, at leas
does nothing to reform those who serv
), sentences therein. He puts 1t even NOR
= strongly, for he says:
: There is not single indisputable case of
reformed character in the whole history Of Sin
Sing that can be placed to the credit Of tn
agencies aimed directly to that end.
o The reason he gives is a bit strang,
i tho it must be understood to be only
partial reason and to apply to the perio
9 Of the authors service, which, howeve
i is rather recent He says that refor1
s agencies fail largely because the idea {
!. lgraft permeates the institution. SO tina
. the prisoner leaving It goes out as fror
2 q school Of thievery, .tsrith dishonesty j
every fiber" The case Of Sing Sing Il
& regards as typical.
. No. 1900" writes as one who has bee
d observant and Is anxious to tell the trutl
Z He certainly gives q graphic picture {
prison life as he found 1t. in serving te
81 years sentence.
Ths Robhsr Merrill company, Indianapolis,