New-York tribune., 1906-02-24
"a Good Study of an Actress in a
Difficult Situation.


charles Scribner's Sons.
--ur GOLDEN HOPE. A Story of the Time OF
TN, hhs,eSarder the Great BY Robert Il. Fuller.
Enc, pp. x. 4o2 The Macmillan Company.
THE LAST SPIKE And Other Railroad Stories.
ners Sons.
.oxs o. MEN. BY G. B. Lancaster. l2mo. PIP.
s Doubleday, Page Co.
-As opening pages OF "Au That Was Possible
,sa rather oulinous demands upon the readers
-saspce They acquaint him with the fact that
=, heroine. who has abandoned the stage for
So lover has just been regretfully but con-
sws,yelv abandoned by him. Mrs. sibyl Crofts.
.ss more or less cheerfully in her pretty house
a. rbury street wondering what she shall do
nth herself. in view Of the approaching mar
80 IN high life OF the Earl OF Medmenham 10
r.s1 Florence Marlowe." Shilling shockers are
,+ m begin in this way. But Mr.. Sturgis is
700 clever 10 write shilling shocker out OF
sic almost hopelessly conventional material he
.,h-icstes a story that is both unconventional
and sound There is more OF honest human ma
,r-e IN TITS little book than in half the novels
earring nowadays with much greater preten-
S,ns 70 originality. This authors originality
,,,5 epnear 10 consist OF feeling for truth
,rticb might. on the surface. seem cynical but is
,saIlv at bottom, humorous and wholesome.
AS crofts. as he portrays her. is not naughty
Sor,e exhibited for the sake Of her naughtiness,
-. a natural woman, studied with under
.o,ding that is too complete TO place her in an
ssvsnf;tious perspective. She and her affairs
engage our attention on legitimate grounds; we
take her seriously. and in the long run, while
be- indiscretion is in no wise condoned. it turns
ont n he one Of those things from which much
can he learned by the thoughtful reader. 1t is
iu,possible 10 put the book down without con-
sc,ousness Of having somehow been stimulated
u wider more sympathetic outlook upon GER
,sin phases OF life. Yet Mr.. Sturgis never
breaches.
He allows Mrs. Crofts 10 speak for herself, in
g series Of letters. and she does this with un-
expected artlessness. Perhaps she is a shade
surer Of herself than most women would be
An the circumstances. but she is neither brazen
nor morbid; she carries off the situation in thor
oughIy plausible fashion. never striking a false
note II the machinery breaks down anywhere
Il is az those points which involve the filing up
Of her life story; things about her past that the
reader needs 10 oe told are brought in with
less than the authors usual spontaneity. But
there are no weak places at all IN the main argu-
r,ent. IN The simple plot which carries Mrs.
Crofts from London 70 Wales, and there. with
the introduction OF a new lover. entangles her In
q difficulty in the treatment OF which Mr.. Stur-
Fis shows g delightful insight into the mys-
teries Of character. The plot is too slender. the
climax Is TOO interesting and artistic for Us 10
spoil the readers enjoyment of either by even
the scautiest revelations. The main point is 10
record that both rest upon true conception
OF human nature. and ere handled, moreover,
with q delicacy and a freshness which only
serve 10 make the dramatic outcome OF the hero
ine's second love affair the more impressive and
illuminating Mr.. Sturgis could not be praised
TOO highly for the fine texture of his narrative.
II fe lett
not novel, and it might even have been made
a short story without the sacrifice OF anything
essential We can imagine with what deftness
Maupassaut for example, would have developed
the theme in that form. But we can imagine, too.
how insensitive the Frenchmaa would have
been 10 the spiritual appeal in Mr. Sturgiss
motive: how he would have left soiled and de-
pressing that which the author has left quite
free from sordid implications and. in fact, even
exhisrsting. Beneath the light fabric Of the
story. considered simply as a story there is
moral quality which excites our special admira-
ton.
In the de6icatory letter prehxed TO Twisted
Byzantine" Mr. Watson indicates that he
has tried TO give in the book a portrait Of an
eighteenth century English beau, ''assiduOusly
and sincerely painted" We wish We could say
that We recognized in Sir Piers Blakiston type
sembes a lay figure far more than he resem-
HES man Dandies OF this sort abound il
novels. bur they are unheard of in the memoirs
Of the time which Mr.. Watson has doubtless
been al much pains TO explore. Sir Piers is duly
clothed after the proper fashion; his insolence
is unouenchable and he goes about the busi-
hess Of detachng the heroine from a faithful
EEiior with q diabolical resource which, on the
stage would cause the gallery TO go wild with
wrath Unfortunately he fails TO promote con-
hdence in his reality; he moves like a puppet'
and We had almost said that he talks like one.
Certainly, for beau, supposed TO be person
o. killing Wit. Sir Piers is one Of the dullest
cores ii has ever been our luck TO meet The
story is the old one OF a silly girl betwixt two
lovers. one town bred and wicked and the other
rustic and good. II is TO be read IL read al all,
simply for the sake Of finding out how Mistress
Barbara finally managed TO behave with ordi-
nary IeEsonableness.
Mrs. Burnett's pretty parable, THE Dawn OF
Io-morrow" IS executed In primary colors.
with rs lesson writ so plain that IL could not
eaoe the comprehension Of q child. The pathos
q n-Icistaks bic: indeed, IL is laid on with a
NoNel. Yet there is something in the very sim
paeity OF the thing that saves II from collapse
me Tlch man bent upon suicide, and saved
-rom that crime by occurrences into which 1t
4 hot unnatural 10 read the intervention Of a
0l'lhe power. is a possible figure. and the group
q outoasts with which he comes in contact is
Ao' without its legitimate elements. The
llcr Understands her craft. She is brief and
.'fo' and though she is melodramatic. too she
"0cGes the emotions with an effective hand
HI Fu,,er's novel. The Golden Hope" opens
VIZ the fall Of Thebes follows Alexander
through RS Persian campaign and ends with the
sesnag u Ptolemy on the throne CT the
FAiaohs. Tie story tells ot the adventures Of