Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-02
THE TOWER, ;

THE TOWERf Novel by ND, r.,
York: Charles Scribner's Sons WASH
ington: VIM. Ballantyne sons
Most stories Of college life are told from
the view point OF OF at least relate TO 'he
student body The faculty is supposed TO
have passed beyond the range of possiple
romance. 1t Is utilized chiefly as oack-
ground. a Greek chorus, or an element Vi
cornpIication. Mrs. Wright has chosen
novel view point from which TO resaio
the educational field as the producer Oh ne
ton The daughter of the president OF
collage and the wife of n university profess
sor she is Ideally equipped to adopt this
position. Her stories are all more or less
colored by the faculty outlook. In The
Tower she frankly relegates the student
body to the rear. 1t appears only occasion
ally to meet subordinate purposes. Her
chief male figure is that or a mlddle aeeu
instructor in literature, graduate OF the
college which has summoned him to take up
the work of an invalid. In his student Gays
he has loved and has been loved by the
daughter of the president OF the collese' d
bishop On his return, after years OF an
sence the old romance awaits him BUT
new elements develop. The widow OF
man with whom he has been somewhat
closely associated in the past touches ms
life. There is a bitter struggle OF cor
science Circumstances suddenly turn all
the switches in a contrary direction ana
the climax comes swiftly and Unexpectedly.
The story is distinctly of the love affairs or
the middle aged. But somewhat unneces-
sary number of young lovers Is In evidence,
confusing the reader for several chapters.
A charming study of scholarly and parental
devotion to duty occurs in the case OF Prof.
Maxwell. This mans character stands out
one of the strongest factors OF the
work
Nv Arfh
Stringer, author of The Silver Poppy"
&c. Illustrated by Arthur William
Brown. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
Wire-tapping as a fine art is exploited
in this stirring tale of the under world in
a manner to open the eyes of the good
people who have no conception of the wiles
and ways of crooks and swindlers. To the
uniformed it should be stated that wire
tapping" means to steal information by
means of secret connections with telegraph
or telephone wires It is used, as in this
story. TO obtain first knowledge of sporting
and financial events, such as horse races
and crop reports. A young electrician who
has fallen into bad ways is taken in tow
by a masterful fellow with a crooked rec
ord of his own and used to work big
swindle against the pool rooms. He meets
a young English woman who has been
shared into the same business by the willy
MCNutt. They soon break away from the
chief member OF the gang and struggle
desperately for a long time in a curlously
dishonest effort 10 be honest. Their various
adventures. dangers and successes are told
in a lively and at times dramatic fashion,
pure and tender romance developing to
a conclusion that meets the approval OF the
most sentimental reader. Mr. Stringer has
displayed a high degree of technical infor-
nation in this work. which should have
rich success for its entertaining quality
THE LUCKY PIECE; Tale of the North
Woods. BY Albert Bigelow Paine au-
thor of THE Van Dwellers,' &c.
Froutispiece in color. New York: The
Outing Publishing Company.
Mr. Paine is a lover and student of out
Aors He knows the woods and hills and in
81 he writes there IS a breath of nature
slat invigorates his reader. In this ro-
sance of the forest he is delightful He
Ras devised a tale OF sentiment and mys-
terry that holds the attention closely to the
end. Incidentally he renders faithfully the
voice Of the trees and the stream. His
characters are as rugged as the pines. Their
emotions are as strong as the winds that
blow through the tops. Constance Deane
s. a revelation To the fiction reader.
charming woman Of purpose and intensely
sympathetic nature. striking note Is
sounded In the episode OF the hermit upon
whom Constance and Frank stumble in
their wanderings over the mountain. Mr..
Paine here draws "a picture Of solitude and
suffering. resignation and preparedness for
the end which is Of classic quality.
HOW TO LOOK AT PICTURES. BY Rob
ert Clermont witt. MA. illustrated.
New York. G. 7. Putnams Sons.
Washington: Woodward & Lothrop.
Books alone" says the author, can no
more teach how TO see pictures than how
TO paint them" Nevertheless. II Is possible
20 lead the eyes and train the minds of gal
lery tourists so that they may grasp some
thing OF the meaning and the method of
the artist and appreciate some of the
broader differences Of style and school. 1t
Is possible in short TO change gallery View
ing from mere racing about from room to
room and frame to frame to an intelligent
survey OF the beauties hung upon the walls.
A great variety Of elements enter Into the
equation, especially in the case Of work
which is addressed to the general reader
and not TO tho student Of a particular pc
Rod or mode OF painting The matter must
be divided and subdivided infinitely In order
to make the book of value This has been
eXcellently done. the author systematizing
the subject in a way to permit effective
classification OF all works OF art He dis
cusses first the personal point OF view. In
Yolving the temperament and taste OF the
observer, and then proceeds to view the
painting SublecllNG4Nt Win reference TO the
date OF production, the influence Of race
and country. the school, the individual
artists, the subject-with special consider
alton Of historical painting. the portrait the
landscape and genre works-then passing
on 10 consider drawing. color light and
shade. composition, treatment and methods
and materials. The book Is profusely and
srtistically illustrated with reproductions of
famous paintings which meet the require
ments OF the text
AMERICAN PUBLIC PROBLEMS, Edited
by Ralph Curtis Ringwalt THE
ELECTION OF SENATOR'S. BY George
II. Haynes, Ph.D.. professor of political
science In the Worcester Polytechnic
Institute. New York: Henry Holt Il
Co. Washington: VIM. Ballantyne &
Sons
The submission OF senatorial candidates.
to popular vote OF partisans in primary
elections IN two OF the southern states
Arkansas and Tennessee. has brought once
more to public attention the fact that faith
IN the constitutional method Of election TO
the upper house OF Congress by the legisla-
lures OF the states has decidedly waned
during the past decade or two. This be-
lief Ia sharpened by the spectacle OF the
legislature OF Delaware in extra session in