Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-25


has subtly suggested a moral laxity here
and there to warrant the removal of the
various victims. The book is abundantly
supplied with real first-class villains. Then
there are minor villains enough to people
the scenes at all times with interesting
characters.
= At the outset the reader knows that there
is to be a more or less secret yachting
voyage from London to a far distant port.
Is it buried treasure, or filibustering, or
piracy, or romance? 1t may be any one
of these, or combination The disclosure
comes soon. A certain imperial prince has
fallen In love with an actress and elopes
with her, his sister and his private fortune
headed for lands far across the sea, where
he can forget courts and ceremonies and
devote his life to love. Unfortunately his
identity, which is carefully guarded at the
beginning, is revealed through treachery to
the rascals of the ship and struggle for
possession of the treasure ensues, with the
fighting already mentioned.
Mr. Wilson keeps his reader in a constant
state of expectation, He adds decided
dash of romance to the tale, and does not
allow the interest to flag for a moment.
When at the end all the bad people have
met their just deserts, four-fifths of the
men who have read the tale will have fallen
in love with the beautiful Princess AliX, and
as many of the women with DR.. Phillimore,
who tells the story in his own person
MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. BY Mary
C. Dickerson, BIS. UNIV. of Chicago),
head of the department of biology
and nature study in the Rhode Is
land Normal School, Providence. IL
Illustrated from photographs by the
author. Boston: CHM & Co.
This excellent work on one of the COM
monest forms of insect life is written from
double point of view, to entertain and to
instruct the young reader and student. 1t
is, therefore, only technical so far as the
or, dc nd iS in
the main written in a delightful vein of
direct discourse with the reader. 1t is the
hope of the author whose acquaintance
with the moths and butterflies is extensive,
to induce her young listeners to go afield
in the search for specimens, and thus Incl
dentally to acquaint them with other forms
of wood and field life. Whether used
text book or for general reading it has a
distinct value. The illustrations are eX-
ceptonally numerous, there being nearly
80 half-tone engravingS showing the varie-
ties of insects and their several stages of
reproduction.
MY APPEAL TO AMERICA; Being My
First Address to an American Audi
ence By Charles Wagner, author of
"The Simple Life" &c. With notes
and appendix, and an introduction by
Lyman Abbott DID, LID. New
York: Mcclure, Phillips & Co. Wash
ington: Woodward Lothrop.
The Wagner books and the Wagner tour
have established what may be styled the
Wagner cult" in this country. Usually
cult appeals to a limited circle, an intel
lectual few. The Wagner cult, on the con-
trary, has appealed to the masses. Thousands
have read without fully understanding why
they have been held by the familiar truths
and the elementary arguments of the au-
thor. Some have been critically impatient
with the eager acceptance of the books,
alleging that there is nothing new In
them" In his introduction to this reprint
OF Pastor Wagners first address in this
country, DR.. Abbott speaks to the point
of this criticism. He says that these OBJ
jectors are entirely right in saying that
there is nothing original in The Simple
Life" For, he proceeds, that book merely
reaffirms and reillustrates simple truths
older than Christianity. The worlds great
est need is not new truth, or even old
truth put in strikingly new forms. What
it needs more is old and familiar truth SO
presented as to become powerful in the
lives of men, 1t needs vitalized truth and
this is what Mr.. Wagner has given.
THE WEDDING OF THE LADY of
LOWELL, and Other Matches of To-
biah's Making. By Una L. Silberrad,
author of "Petronlla Heroven," &c.
New York : Doubleday, Page G. Co.
These six short stories. each long enough
to be given in the course of chapters, re-
late to a series of romances in the develop
ment of which Tobah the Dissenter play
ed a prominent part. Tobiah is character
well worthy of perpetuation. His reap
pearance In the successive tales, in each
of which different characters appear, is a
sign that there will be strenuous doings,
that Tobiah will be won, often against his
will. to the cause of love and adventure and
youth For Tobiah, despite the warnings
Is<~f.1 toe SIT
man of big heart He warred chiefly
against evil as interpreted by the strict