The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-08

and the marriage. and divorce laws
lie then takes up some caluinnles cur
rent about her people and civilizations
For instance TINT the people are re-
rerting to barbarisin. that they prac-
tice cannibaltsni, witchcraft and voo-
uooisin. Carefully nnd inteiiigently tho
proves them to be unfonnded and to
he, moreover, designing and malicious.
the gossip of cowardly. ignorant and
often of, Incompetent enemies
this. ,emarkap,e WORK. "in putting this
book into English is to give the
Americans Tho means OF forming for
themselves an impartial opinion of
iaith II is IN adequate and nobIe
aim, an honor to the patriot-author
and to the Americans whom he would
bnre know his country, her ideals and
aspirations.
WHEN HEARTS WE'RE TRUE. BY
Willoughby Rtadc. The Neale
Publishing Company. of New York
For the past thirteen years the writer
of these books. instructor of English
e.andria, Va, has read and lectured
in various schools and colleges OF the
south, and has conducted lecture courses
at William and Mary College. Hamp-
der, sidney College, Virginia Polytech7-
OF Elocution and Oratory in PhiladeI-
phia. 1t is essentially the career of n
book lover. and one worthy the best
traditions of the Reade name. u nam.
long representative of the best intel
lectual culture of the South.
In tone and style these stories of
Virginia ere delightful. for Mr.. Reade's
work Is characterized by precision and
reserve. a self-control that has a charm
of It's ingnnnrahle
from the finished product. He tells n
story with directness and candor with
little ornamentation and clrcumlocu-
ton: he knows Observation-Disclosures
ly--the life of which he writes, and his
sympathy Is broad and tender.
A TRIAL MARRIAGE. by +. Frank
fort Moore. The Empire Book Co.,
of New York. $1.5o.
novel whose starting theme and
treatment gives 1t somewhat the effect
of bomb amid the mildly mediocre
mass OF contemporary fiction. is T..
Frankfort Moore's "A Trial Marriage."
As the title implies. the story deals
idea Of limited term wedlock, but In a
daring fashion that quite out-Mere-
diths Meredith. Not that tho book is
in tho rcmotest degree prurient or sug-
gestive: but because OF its utter
frankneSs and brilliantly original view
point in handling subject usually dis
cursed with gloves or sugar tongs.
Whatever else may be said of "a
usual interest cannot be denied. The
reader may gasp. but he will not
yawn. He may shiver. but he won't
skip. There is. also, sparkling play
of epigram thinuShou Ut. which II not
always strictly wholesome Is none the
less fascinating. The draw
ing, too, is strong aud the characteri-
cation clever--as in the case of one
man whom the author described AS
having 'manicured morals and gilt
edged conscierce."
The scene is laid in a Gtopian. AL
trurialike state named .AXalea'; with
q restricted citizenship and paternai
ism of government that leads TO some
Azalea there is no police force, no
church, no court of law. Children arc
taken from their parents when only
Il year old and brought up by the gov
perior modern ideas. Brains and the
ability to work are the chief qualifica-
lions for admission 10 the country. In
short. the only blot on Azalcas perfect
landscape in the minds of her govern
ors is that the marriage rate is falling
STEADILY down to nothing.
All. the Young people are SO very
wise and scientific they do not care to
get married So, in hopes of encours s.
ing matrimony, the government changes
the marriage laws, marriages are to be
for terms of three years. and at the end
OF this time will have to be re-
newed surprising. of course. that the
parties wish to continue living togeth-
er. If the marriage is not renewed it
ceases to exist In this way. 1t is
hoped, marriage may be made to look
less formiGable to the young folk of
4AZalea. and the chronic bachelorhood
and spinsterdom Of the country broken
up. Immediately after this law comes
into effect the hero and heroine marry.
and in their case and that of their
friends we have a chance to see how
the experiment works out-which is.
Very badly. indeed. The new law Is
fewer young people than
ever get married, and those who are
married are full of complaints. a wo-
man has ''outgrown' her husband and
sghs for fir soul-niate. And 40 on
through many grades of life. The one
ideally happy couple III he capital city
are man and woman who are held
taneous and unblessed love. An uneas
mess and unrest hang over Azalea.
and finally just about year after the
marriage law was passed. there is an
up IN their wrath. and the same hero.
who was the first to marry by the
new regulation, addresses the moi
and promises them their old marriages
back again.
The book Is intensely Interesting
because il Is probably the first popu-
lar novel to treat of this subject OF
temporary marriages, at which IT
would have been supposed novelists
would jump eagerly. Then too, 1t d nes
something which NOT one book In fifty
does-lt gives its readers something
to talk about. The usual story fur
nlshes US. with very little material for
converse ton.
Recently writers of fiction and So
called sociological experts have busted
themselves with attempts to Improve
on Christendoin's time honored mar
riage sacrament based on the senti-
ment--"till death do us part
Easy DIVORCE" trial maria ges"
and taking companion" are some OF
the substitutes these writer's sugreit
for the existing, to them undesirable,
form Of matrlmony.
i. Frankfort Moore, with his bust
ness-like. scientific and logical MAR
riage. Lease" scheme because this
novellsts more thorough than his fel-.
loWsl tries 1t on an ideal communi-
ty, and proves the futility of all such