New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-29

AFFAIRS OF, STATE Being an Account OF Ger
tain Surprising Adventures Which BefelI
American Family in the Land of Windmills.
BY Burton E. Stevenson. Illustrated by F.
VaHx Wilson. 12mo, PIP. vii. 1856. Henry Holt
THE ROBBERIEs COMPANY, LTD. BY Nelson
Lloyd. Illustrated. Rmo, pp. V. 4A Charles
Scribner's Sons.
When Mr.. Marmaduke Pickthall published
Said the Fisherman" he did not precisely set
the river afre but. on the other hand, he in
spired some wonder to whether he might not
in the future do just that thing He draws
nearer to his moment OF complete success in
The House Of Islam" This book has at least
one Of the elements which go to mako fiction
OF serious interest: 1t comDels the reader to go
on with the narrative such as II is. in spite of
grave encouragement There is a long intro
duction-it IS ever so much too long-and the
tale, when once it is really begun, follows rather
loose lines of construction. This is, indeed, no
novel, in the accustomed sense of the word It
is rather study of Oriental manners, with only
so much plot as Is necessary TO hold IL together
For a while is tempted to put the book
down; there are times when 1t almost lapses into
duiness But then the authors peculiar gift
comes TO the rescue, and, as we have said, he
compels attention and delights us into the bar
gain. His central figure is a man of sanity
character who looks with alarm upon the world
ly-wise practices of his brother The two 60 to
a distant part Of the Sultan's dominions and
while one gains place and fortune the other
quietly follows the ways Of tho spirit. The
nobler man is the hero but Mr. Pickthau does
not attempt to exploit his virtues with any great
ingenuity On the contrary, he simply causes
Shems-ud-din to show his goodness in the or
binary paths of life. and finds his account in
the pictures that this enables him TO draw Of
true Orfentals. acting we are ready to be-
heve they act when no European eye is upon
them. Their simplicity and their cunning, their
swift readiness to do murder or TO weep, their
beautiful piety and their dark superstition,
everything which goes to make as curious a
compound as you will find in the whole history
of human nature, we see. as IT were in action
and all so artlessy revealed that we forget the
atmosphere of fiction and seem to be breathing
the air OF truth. The book as a book wants
form. and for that reason We feel that Mr. Pick
thalls best work is still before him. But he
goes far enough on this occasion, in charming
and instructing his reader to justify the con-
viction that he will some day produce a. brilliant
volume.
In the subtitle of his Affairs Of State" Mr.
Burton Z. Stevenson intimates that we are RI
expect surprising adventures" The adventures
in this book are more than surprising they are
so preposterous as TO be funny. They begin
a novel. Ar
mold Bennett. in The Grand Babylon Hotel"
shows US a rich American taking over the man
agenent of a hotel, in which he and his daugh
fer presently find themselves entangled with the
rertIous affairs OF royalty. The American
millionaire in Mr.. Stevensons novel ukewise
seeks 10 amuse himself by assuming the pro-
relationship of a hotel. and he. too soon has a
troubled princeling on his hands. In this case
our countryman IS blessed with two daughters
So far so good. but where Mr.. Bennett made
his hotel the scene Of plausible though fantastic
enisodes Mr. Stevenson deals in the widest i'm
probabilities He asks us TO believe that the
British government would leave matters calling
for the most delicate diplomacy in the hands of
a young man ready and willing to behave like a
silly schoolboy among total strangers He shows
us an affair of state being banded about in a
circle of irresponsible sentimentaists at a casual
place. This Is the kind of story which
fills a law hour well enough. asking of the
reader no mental exertion whatever and for
tired folk such story is often to be commended.