The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-23
BOOK REVIEWS AND
MAGAZINE NOTES.

THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST DAU
PHIN.--By Emilia Pardo Bazaar,
translated with an introductory es
say, by Annabel 1iord segar. Fun:
and Wagnnils Company, New Yorl
and London. fE}
Your Majesty I relate history, beside
which romancng IL a tame art"-so the
crafty Lecages declares to King Loult
xvii. OF France, in relating to him I,
part OF the story OF Charles Louise XVII;
known to history as the Lost Daup1in.f
Az VIII probably never be absolutely
( proven that the child OF the 9ill-fated
Louis XVI. and Marie gAntosnettei was
not killed In his foul prison during the
French Revolution; but there are many
who believe that The child escaped by THE
aid OF friends and, Under an assumed
maine, lived his allotted time. The author
K mas ia ken the opportunity offered by this
mystery. to weave around the personage
OF. the Lost Dauphair'' a ir,ont thrilling
tale OF adventtire ana disappointment. With
vivid Imagination, she tells Of events
that might have ensily happened In those
tro,iblous times taking for tho foufsSA-
ton Of her story the assumption that
the Prussian watch-niaker Nnundor1
was really the daughin, as he claimed
to re. and as has been widely credited
In this age. Y n
Naundorff himself ,s the central figure
OF the story With tho beautiful, I'M I'M
perlous Aneie, whose face was the res
sincarnatio III feature and expression Of
the. ill-fnted queen. Marie Antionette,S'
always by Ills side.
The Mot Of the story is Interviewer
with the destiny OF certain important
papers, which were to have proven to
the pretender's sister, Marie Therese,
and, through her, to the French nation,
that Nauniprffs claims were calld,
tender love interest IS imported By. q
romance between Nnundorn's daughter
Anelie and a cartain Rene Giac,E Mar
Quis de Breeze, IN "a i,
Nnundorff, who has suffered much and
who relates his entire history in pitful
appeal to his sister Therese, Is q peculiar,
mixture OF bitterness and tenderness-bit-
terness as the Inevitable result of his
own suffering ana the unfaithfulness OF
those he trusted, and the tenderness
awaksnsd ~ the Tove OF q good wife
ter Amelis. He Is almost d religious en-
thustast,. yet his royal blood cries out
for the dignity and honor that Is right
fully h1s--n powerfully drawn character.
Annette shows no traoo OF the pleban
blood OF her E1nothers 8; but Is every inch
o queen. Proud imp=rious, yet gracious,
she alone OF the family knows her fath-
er's secret; and with all her powerful
energy and brave 3self-conndence does
she lend her aid TO his plans.
The sickly usurper Louis XVIII, me
volpettl, and the fanatical-II
ly{religi ous, vet still royal, Marie Therese,
are all drawnGfwith a few Il 20 werfulf
strokes. Madame sBasan hns indeed sus-- 4
tanned her reput alton as one of tie great
est women novelists Of her time; and !,
no little praise Is due Miss seegar for
her clear ana beautiful English trans
lation. b ~ = - - :
THE TRACER OF LOST rrRsoNs by
Robert ". Chambers. D. f Appf,A1n
and Company, New York. Il .,,i lss
Il There nre five distinct loye;stories
pages Of this latest book BY Mr.. Cham
bers. { Each Of the. i've friends typical
,lub-nen. of New y ork, sf al is in love with
being seen,lHg ", WA + to Unable and each |
one IA helped sto at t9in; ne fect hal plnsss
through the aid OF certain Mr.. Keen.
whose business card q bears the unusual
Inscription Tracer Of, Lost persons.
The book has all the charm of we'll
written detective story without the ghar-;
rowing tragedy, .whench usually accom- |
panles them. The reader IS spared &un-
interesting details. and yet he lis tho
roughly satisfied concerning the .trnc
method Of work, SO that he finds himself |
reading the mosti,bafltng Of ciphcrsTnnd |
the most intricate hierogly-
phics, with an eagerress. which the min
ute observations Of the ordinary sher-;
ock- Holmes variety fails to a waken.tf{i5
I The author does not theaitates to employ |
The mysteries OF the occult, and one
has Just awakened from 70 hypnotic sleep
If several thousand years. ISL !
One OF the most noticeable thn- &eGmt |
The book is the local atmosphere. perl
aiming to New York City. The temple nf |
he people in that great city is we'll sPor-
trayed and the author seizes upon the |
fact that the new and novel has an irre-t
sistible attraction for them, to found Ills |
Ingenious plot. Such q business as that !
If the tracer. seems Improbable and |
almost impossible: and yet should the
significant sign OF Keen and Company.
De hung out In New York tomorrow, 1t /
Is safe to say that to some extent they
would be pntron!zed and, II successful.
[heir5 business might grow 70 enormous
u
The book Is the kind that goes we'll /
with deep verandfnnd a lazily-swaying
hammock. and summer readers will find |
It most agreeable. @
CALLED TO THE FIELD. BY Lucy
A1cacham Thruston. Little. Brown &
Co.. of Boston, publishers.
AS q writer of-Southern and Virginia
tories, Mrs. Thruston has made herself |
popular. here and elsewhere.
"Called to the Field" as Its title indi- |
ates, opens. In point OF time Just at |
he outbcak of.lthe war between the.
states. The service Of the hero OF the
,ook in tho Confederate army, and his,
lardships In northern prison. makeup
he outline OF the story, which Is a twits1.
old tale In the minds of many Of the |
,lder women OF the State.
Z But 1t Is a real relief to turn from
he complexities and entanglements with
which the pages OF most latter-day books
,ristle to the aniet and idyllic axistence6
Il Virginia planters life, that is told |
II by reverslon to the early sixties of the
nineteenth century. e.
49, A.. ~