New-York tribune., 1906-11-24
NEW NOVELS.
hrs. Athertop's Study of an Old
Californian Episode.

REzANov. By Gertrude AAthertop. Illustrated in
SAUL OF gARsTs. 4 Tale Of the Early Chris
iAd AndTS o6bsaEF Ges!ItEPH CopaPPRR C2 PR ~ lndanaP0
RoMANCE ISLAND. By ZOna Gale Illustrated
apoiis Bobbs- Merrill Company.
THE Won BLUsTERs. BY Tom Mason. Illus
Yard & Co ''--''' '-'-'' pp' ''' -NOii3'
sH3pRTT p G7ARE BY sIy ssEs Ford Illustrated
Mitchell Kennerley
F0lkss: b seweiI Ford. Illustrated Emo. DID,
tx 81 Charles scribners Sons
In the year 1903 distinguished Russian vts-
tied San Francisco. and, in the midst Of prao-
teal preoccupations fell IN love with the daugh-
Ter OF the Spanish commandant. This man.
Nikolai Petrovitch Rezanov is the hero of Mrs
Atherton's new novel. Perhaps It would be
more accurate to say that she has made him the
hero Of a brief romantic study, a kind Of free
sketch based on history. There is little here OF
the usual machinery Of novel. There is, for
example, next TO no plot Instead. there is the
portrait Of an interesting character set in the
framework OF a peculiarly attractive love affair
Rezanov comes sailing into the bay, beset with
anXieties and nourishing large ambitions. He
has failed in one mission commanded by the
Car, and he seeks some means of rehabilitating
Of success in California? May he not establish
his masters power there and, incidentally. de-
veIop along splendid lines the commercial inter-
ests with which he is also charged? He goes
ashore, and almost before he knows it he has
begun 20 surrender the witchery Of Concha
Arguello Politics and business hold him fast
yet with amazing rapidty love takes the first
place in his thoughts. The story Of his expert
ence, considered merely as a story, Is charm
ingly told. Mrs. AthertOn shows just the right
restraint in that part Of her narrative which
separates the lovers and carries Rezanov TO
die amid Siberian wastes. She does not overdo
the dramatic note where the temptation must
have been strong. But the merit Of the book lies
even more in the sympathetic and vivid por
trayal OF the principal characters. Rezanov and
his Concha are made genuinely appealing fig
ures whose romance touches the heart.
\ slight acquaintance with history, Biblical
and profane, and lively imagination are the
principal requirements for writing the type OF
story to which Saul Of Tarsus" belongs. Miss
Miller is well enough equipped with both to I'LL
her novel with picturesque portraydis Of life and
customs IN the early part OF the first century OF
the Christian era, and 10 furnish forth an abun-
dance Of incidents to divert the attention Of the
casual read der from too careful consideration Of
the accuracy of her historic background. Al
though the volume takes its title from St Paul,
and covers the period of his persecution Of the
Jews during his preccnversi0n days. the narra-
tive actually follows the fortunes Of Herod
Agrppa IN his ambitious intrigues to secure the
throne Of Judoa. The real hero, moreover, is a
young Essene. friend Of the martyred Stephen.
who attaches himself to Agrippa's train and pro
notes his fortunes with a view 10 revenging
himself upon the fanatical Saul. The scene
shifts from Jerusalem TO Ptolemais from Alex
andria TO Rome. ard back again, and is replete
with intrigue. Local color is laid on with
generous brush and when the supply fails it is
el,ed out with whatever pigments the author
finds at hand-serpentine dances Ia Loie Fuller
and what not The fact that Miss Miller uses
the term crucifx when she means merely cross,
"a txynical of her archaeological looseness or in
difference
Miss Zona Gale invents for the scene Of
her first novel an island nation in the South
Atlantic-founded by adventurous Phmuicians q
tbousand wears before the Christian era-whose
people have discovered and explored the fourth
dimension OF space, and have even made ex-
cursions into the ffth. It viii be obvious that
she has allowed full play 70 her imaginative
faculties and is not to be hampered by any
trfyialities Of possibility. II would be diff
cult es no doubt II is unnecessary. to be logi-
cal IN dealing with conditions quite outside Of
human experience or even comprehension. One
characteristic of the fourth dimension. to which
property by which a hollow sphere can be
turned inside out without violating the tpteg-
rity Of its integument. Miss Gale is audacity