The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-23


-,-
us AND
AIM NOT ES
: be recalled to mind. Mr.. stimson Their
concealed his identity under the nom d.
plume above mentioned. The merit o.
y. his book and the fact that he was cor.
| rectly supposed to be q lawyer and Q
Bostoner, stimulated public curiosity t.
, a degree.
People who have always ranked hin
as a clever author III description and
characterization, and one possessing fine
qualities of style, will not be disappointed
4 In his latest book even though that book
as an exponent OF hgh-ca American
social life, follows In the wake OF Tho
i HOUSE OF Mirth,' and 1.-THE Wheel OF
4 Lise.,'
A noticeable feature Of this book is the
introduction In It Of q number OF book
4 people that have figured In Mr.. Stlm-
sons previous productions 80 that the
present story, while having n distinctive
flavor OF its own, Ia also linked In the
readers mind with old fictionni friends
md many fanilinritias OF environment.
4 Owen Wistar's Lady Baltimore" owes
Its charm to its Chnrlestonian ana South
Carolnlan distinctiveness. II lis a coin-
cidenco that the central figures IN Mr..
| Stimson's book--Atistir Pinckney and
Mary Ravenel--should both belong to old
and famous Huguenot and Charleston
families and that, even In the midst OF
the hurry and rush Of twentieth century
! life, their inheritance from their clean-
lived ancestry should render them 40 ems
ltircly different from all others around
them, 80 full OF comprehension and un-
derstanding toward each other.
The book, with the scene lnid mainly II,
New York, does not spare the materials
ism, tho puerilities ana the degenerncies
OF modern dornesticity, II indeed such a
thing as domesticity Is spared to exist
ence. Yet, through the influence OF ono
| noble woman, Mary Ravenel, the author
shows what may be wrought out for the
good OF many. i5
emphatic protest against tho social evils
OF To-day. In her grlef over woman,
whose life and usefulness had been cut
short BY a. vain attempt to reach Up to
false idea OF fashionable society, Mr..
stimson makes Mary Ravenel say:
We set up no ideal but money maxi
Ing, we American women, and the money
that mon make we spend not worthily.
+ The men are not to blame, 1t Is the
y; 1 4 wives do lighters, the mothers for
the daughters. who set the stu ndard. It
Is not SO much the luxury. the comfort
that tho rich can really use, ( II only for
tthenlselves--lt Is the show OF sc neelesss
possession, the pride OF possessing things.
that others must go without. We women
must bring about the change man
will follow where q woman leads. we;
must get 1dcals--it comes back to that
We must learn not to be vulgar in our
Shcnrts..'.8 8.3 s q; MI
Il And 1t certainly nj cans much II the
way OF social reform when such writer's
as Mr. stimson; begin q crusade In behalf
of return. on The part OF American
men Y and Wome en-, 81, to saner habit OF
thought. and conduct ii & 4.
$a,;3. In Cure OF Her soul''is book which
may surely demand careful reading ana
attention from the American public.
IN THE sHoDsTRING coUN.rRY.-By
Frederick /: chamberlain. c.. NJ. Clarke
Publishing Company. Boston. II d
I. Southern people have become accus.
toned to hearing themselves described
y as t,elligerent and high-tcmpered peo-
pie, beca,lse, forsooth. they brook no
reflection upon the honor ana integrity
OF their race or cause: 80 that one level.
made up. more or less OF descriptions sof.
/. blood thirsty y Sou thern men n And stheir
oWardlyNactsstoward the race or poor,
Ignorant, helpless people, with the years
1 OF men and the heart and education OF
babies!' can scarcely add to the whNs
mans burden. Especallyis this true In
the case OF Mr.. Frederick Chamberlln.s
book. where the frankly sensational story
will never appeal to the intelligent think
er or the man In any way acquainted
with southern conditions. Even the
headings OF the chapters fairly bristle
with exclamation points. The dnihor
explains that he $shocstring country Is
that portion Of Alabama where .'the
very map OF the districts OF this State
lis a disgrace to the South and the. coun-.
try because. the districts are so, arranged
that the negro vote has no chance Of
winning majority over that Of he
whites. The plot Of the story turns upon
"a political contest bet%eeH the william
of the book, q Southern Democrat. ~
name Robert Sibley, and the hero one
George Oakley, a Republican and a para
gon. .t # VI
10 complicnte matters both these men
love the same girl. Rose Sheldon, who Is
described as possessing "a great, mass
of golden hair and the transparent skin
of the women OF the North, with the
large black eyes, long lashes and heavy
eyebrows Of those of the tropics. rs
& The CRISIS comes on election d az when
2sibley uses every unlawful means in his
power to obtain an Overwhelming ma
jority for the Congressional election, and
Oakley. BY n series 81 cleIerly
streategems, gains incontroyertible evl-
tdenceaof the fraud practiced by the Dem,
ocrats,4 by which means he hopes to over
5throw,zthe election Arlington. IS
Following this, there Is a rtravesty OF,
q. lynching scene, In which slbley, With
few kindred spirits. attempts to hang
an old negro and to prosecute his faith
full wife and family because OF per-
sonal grudge he bears then,.-a deed Inn
possible In the South and. indeed, any
whore except In the fertile brain OF an
author like Mi. Chamberlin.
In the South. In her agony OF. defeat
and her still worse agony OF fear lest
negro rulo should be her portion. used