Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04

dedication of the monument the volume
now In hand has been prepared to set
forth the life and services of the man who
has thus been honored by grateful coun-
try. Gen. Hugh Mercer was a Scotchmaa
who settled In Pennsylvania for the prae-
tiee of medicine. Later removing to Fred
ericksburg, he became identified with Nir-
ginia and when the war of independence
broke out he offered his services and fought
calamity. rising to the rank of brigadier
general and dying January L. 17TT, as a re-
suit of wounds received in the battle Of
Princeton. The author of this brief bio
graphy adds to his appreciation of Mercer
sketches of the men with whom he asso-
c!ated at Fredericksburg, including George
Washington, John Paul Jones, Gen. George
Weldon, James Monroe and others whose
names are conspicuous in the annals of
American affairs A comprehensive gene
alogy of the Mercer family traces the de-
scent from the hero shortly to be slgnaily
honored.
Moore. Illustrated. New York: The
Macmillan Company Washington
Brentanos-
A book on the Balkans Is always interest
ing and timely. for that corner of the world
Is never at rest and may at any time be-
come center of keen concern for all the
world. 1t Is the ginger jar of civilization
Mr.. MOore's expedition to the Balkans was
undertaken during the latest Macedonian
rising, which resulted Ia the adoption of a
scheme, Of so-called reforms under the
auspices Of the Russian and Austrian gov
ernments. His text, however. serves as a
document bearing upon the case as 1t
stands today. and Will be of value in en-
Tightening the reader to prepare him for
the next outbreak of troubles, as certain
to come as the rising of the sun. For the
Balkan problem is perennial 1t is inherent
| In the soil. 1t arises from the anomaly OF
Turkish rule over vast body of Christian
subjects, who are themselves not agreed
as to doctrine There wifi certainly never
be solution as long as Abdul Hamfd plays
his part In the politics OF Europe.
Mr.. Moore's enterprise was journalistic,
hts journeys among the Balkans being
made as correspondent Of the London
Times. He was put to many inconven-
tences which Is a mild term when applied
to the experiences OF newspaper men or
other travellers in that part of the world,
and exposed to dangers sufficient to cause
most men to turn back and seek safer
regions He and companion def1ed the
orders of the Turkish government, which
held them within prescribed zone, and on
one occasion tramped across a difficult
stretch of country In order to reach the
scene of massacre. being caught Just be-
fore the goal was gained and hailed back to
the coast.
The chapters are not consecutive the
authors purpose being to present pic.
ture of the Balkan trail as 1t Is without
the hamperfng of narrative treatment.
The keenest humor plays through the pages
and lightens the load OF horror entailed by
Balkan cruelty. Mr.. Moore finds little to
choose between Turk and Christian as re-
CARDS truthfulness. He was lied to glitly
on both sides of the line and by representa-
tives of all races and religions. He cher
isheS al marked admiration for the Turk as
an Individual, and relates several deleet-
able experiences with the representatives
Of the sultan who were compelled by their
responsibilities to check his enterprises.
THE LADY EVELYN, a Story of Today
BY Max Pemberton author OF THE
Hundred Days. &c. illustrated in wa
ter colors by Arthur William Brown
New York: The Authors and Newspa-
pers' Association. Washington: S.
Kann Sons & Co.
How the Lady Evelyn. daughter of the
Earl OF Melbourne. went to London and be-
came a sensationaIly successful actress.
how her escapade brought trouble to her
house, how she was all but sacrificed by
her father in order to buy peace from per-
secution, how young architect who had
been engaged to restore the crurnbling cas-
tie of the Melbournes came into her life
and saved her from herself at imminent
risk OF his own existence. constitute tale
Pemberton is at his best when dealing
with mysteries and intrigues. In this tale
he has devised a plot which battles predic-
ton and commands attention from the pro-
logue to the epilogue. He blends with the
conventional English LIFE vivid streak of
gypsy colorfng and reyerts to the tragic
elements Of the wild Roumanian feuds and
plots. His humor sparkles at the right
places. In the passages dealing with the
Lady Evelyn's stage career in London he
offers an amusing and sympathetic chariic-
ter In Mr.. Charles lizard. owner Of theatars
and producer az actors and actresses. pos
sibly to be recognized as the portrait OF a
well-known American impresario
Readers Of The Star have lately been en-
joying this story in the columns of Its is
sues Of Saturday and Sunday and VIII
doubtless welcome the opportunity to OBJ
tain tho complete copy in book form.
LETTERS FROM A SURGEON OF THE
CIVIL WAR. Compiled by Martha
Derby Perry. author of Gods Light
as 1t Came to Me-" illustrated from
photographs. Boston: Little. Brown g.
DR.. Perry Joined the northern army as
a volunteer contract surgeon while still an
of the Harvard medical
school He desired to complete his medical
education and at the same time to serve
his country. The letters which he wrote
home to the young woman to whom he vras
engaged to be married and whom he lid
marry during the war have remained I'M
published until now. Stripped of their
strictly personal passages. they form an |
chapter Of war history, disclos-
Ing In vivid manner the Impressions of |
field service upon the mind Of a young |
man fired with patriotic zeal and yet with |
q heart large enough to include his enc
mics. Fragmentary though they are, the |
letters nevertheless furnish a fairly con-
secutfve account OF the operations of the |
northern army In Virginia during 1862-3-4. |
They tell their story with effective direct |
ness and with many entertaining anec- |
Totes. Mrs. Perry contributes spirited |
account OF the terrors of the draft riots In |
New York, during which her husband lay /
helpless in that city with broken leg.
INDIA AND HER PEOPLE. BY Swami |
Abhedenanda. author Of Spiritual |
Unfoldment." &c. With portrait New
York: The Vedanta Society.
Swami Abhedenanda. who is known in |
Washington through the delivery In this
.ity last year Of several lectures upon the I
teachings of yedanta, OF which he is the |
principal exponent In the United States,
now appears as a writer upon secular
questions, the book I'm hand comprising
series OF lectures delivered before the
Broolxiyn Institute of Arts and Sciences.
With an added chapter on "Woman's Place
n the Hindu Religion" 1t Is a valuable
LODI of