The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-30
BOOK NE US
AND RE " I e w IS S.

\ 5s38E Z-1}A - y
AUaUs T1NE TIIH MAN, ny Amelle
Rives (Princess Troube txkoy " ~ PIP.
s 49, John i Anes Company, New York
Thtss little boo 10 SO good as 70 ina re
us W lsll there had been more OF All II.
Venturing a1iew 4 Into ono Of the most
sdifflcul Of all the fields Of literature, that
OF dramatic literature, this gifted aus Y \
thor has III scored II 2 genuine SUCCESS %
lltAugustine the Man, lias enough 3of the
true 8quaU ty53of poetry to make It fa
poetry worthy 81 really serious considt
GRAFTON, II Will Inevitably draw cont
PARSONS WITH x the work Of s. that other
young dramatic poet, Stephen Phillips,
and can bear such comparisons even en-
though candid criticism will doubtless tie. (.
rank Nj August tine" ~ below lysses, Y
|fs..t,aolo and TFtnncesa. and the rest. #
Tho plot deal d WI til the conversion OF
lAugustinea to christianity the travail OF
tho spiritsWhtch preceded It and the rentl-
ting OF theH flesh which FOLLOWED There
are four scenes---at Carthage at Milan.
at Cassicfacum ana at Tagnste. We are
first introduced to the future father o.
the Latin Church just otter his argument
with II Famous. the Man lcilaeans bishop
which disappo intss md final disgusts
This wis, perhaps Slns his TWEEN ty-soventh
year HI s mistress, Melcorp; HIS son,
3Adeodantus, and "a friend Atltonius, ap-
pear in the opening scolic. Aug ustinos
restless spirit Il ana Il torlnented intellect'
ore admirably portrayed. 6 The succ eed-
ling 8act reveals Augustine in the garden
at Milan, viii ther, inter long, study With
his friend, 4, Alypius. Is over a the Pauline
5epistles he had rushed In q state Of
Sintolerable mental turmoil He 81 heard.
Their, the voice as from Heaven biddlng
lures ito u Romans Kill. Tn 10 and 1t a. Il and
This conversion was B. strni glltwaySS a thing
accomplished. This wi tn B! II the L heArt-
5rending parting from his mistress make
the climax. Tho closing scenes at Cas-
Ssicinoum and at his own home at Ta-
caste, show q new and serene ugustine,
yet one quite humanity cnpnb Of being
soVerWh elmingly fgrieved by the death OF
his son. ssS VI. }!55y 4
Nm Possibly there is more poetry than
drama NJ about Princess Troubetzkoy's
5treatlnentSof this thesls---the rarerssas 4 t
IA & surely the better praiseb but 1t has
seemed to us that the dramatic scenes
have been usually well sustained There
is real pow err In the scene In the Milan
garden, ir@the parting from Melcnru, In
tho death Of the chile .swhicll was the IA
Their last link with his stormy, vigorous
youth; The opening scene, too giving
glimpse OF his love for M lcarn and hers
FOR him. is fill $of engaging qualities OF
heart and head Fine lines abound.
false notes which would have been easy !.
are raro or altogether absent, and the
poet maintains throughout a. really high
level. Selections from q work o this
sort may DO Tess than Justice, but hero
are q fow5 lines which seem both in form.
and unity Of thought to lend fthemsel1e
readily to quota tion:$ III fF;l s@3l u
\. /. Il. !. ] were not Augustine,
Were pride III intellect set underfoot, S
For surely g Cd Is. mind as well as Love-.
Wherefore then came lie only to the
THE, 8 poor II n mind Wherefore these
@ IL q fishermen? 81 NJ s. 5s5 !53
Were mot ss great Caesar humbled, III and
tlirOugflrl owe, s
2A migh tier-wor than humble m on up \
Until they wrangled for Ugh place in
Heaven Z Il
And why should God-as- Man scorn II y
IVA tellect? SYSf ~ I'M a ST
}oh!#had Christ lived in Greece and talked
s with Platoif 833 rs VI ,tS ~
There wero 4 miracle worthy of His
Godhea d. ss5 Il tis 4
All love and knowledge blcnt to feed the
%bs # ages! "A u ss,i 81
& "a augustine % can only enhance ~ the
reputation which its author long ago es-
tabished. Ill ss s5S8
THE sPI1Nx,s. IAWYE OR. b Frank
535T| Dandy. \ Frederick AZ. stokes Company.
Of New Y orls, through the Sell Book
and tatlonory Company, Of Richmond.
Frank Danbyi,,''3il as every s5 one s3 now
knows, y or ought to know, is Z Wonan nj,
and the author OF u. r igs In Glover, AZ a
book which had an immense vogue when
1T came out. u, y.f S "a ist
Al THE sphlnx's Lawyer Is dedicated
In rather a sensational manner,%to tho
authors bro ther, Owen III Hall. ''gS3 The
first sentence Of the dedication says,
because you hate and @loathe3 my booi1
and is subject ! de- icate Z to you roy.
Ones mind Immediately reverts to q
fact that, taken ms connection with the
dedicat ton seems signlficant- promi- s
Snence indirectly given by the author to
a man to whom she refers, n und err the
name Of AlgeronF Hesettine, but who
might we'll be imagined to have been
Oscar hide. II OF this man the adcdica-
|tion goes on to say N "a y "a 81 .5t ii Nh
s5a.Y on, no less than !. know what he
was In his brilliant youth; YOU, as well
us a /, know how wea k he was III his
strength Of what flawed 4 plyaique and
suntoward Inheritance. Pity was the one
unsounded note in the chorus OF execrat-
ton that followed this poor tleper to the
grave. and beyond It (; to H vaken pity
L have written For was ~ not pltful
to see that tine brain set In that5unstable
body ~ 81 n l5 Il ,s5 5sS si M J,
K. ',rhe Sphinx" Is u the widow Of Algeron
IHesettine, the wreck OF o beautiful bril-
liant woman, dying by inches of creep
Ing paralysis and opium poison, yet bat
ting flercely With disease and still en-
3deaYoring TO hold sway over the minds
3of8 the few who remained faithful N 20
herself and her husband during their
days OF downfall ana the disgrace pre-
tcedlng his death. III lS ts5 53
* The hero OF tho book, M English law
yer and society man. Errlngton Welc1-
ISennard, has, through X his association,
with Algeron. Hesettine, lost his ideals
and standards OF morality 4 remaining
sense OF honor and a grea t pity hold him
faithful to the psphinx,''s 70 his lasting