The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-07
BATCH OF new BOOKS.
Some Publishers Offerings
of Spring Fiction.
B1ERCE's GREwsoME NOVEL
Latest Book of short stories by f.
H0pIkinsoR smith and Peculiar
New Novel by the Author of s'The
Purple Cosv''-shOrt History Of
American Navy, and other Books.

Mr.. Ambrose Bierce. we'll known in
Washington and a most gifted writer,
has just had brought out in a new edi-
ton one Of the most famous Of his
stories. and one that is characteristic OF
him. The Monk and the Hangmans
Daughter" The genesis of the tale is
that In 1890. DR.. Gustav Adolf Danzlger
brought 20 Mr.. Bierce what ne said was
translation Of a story by that brilliant
writer, Herr Richard Voss, of Heidelberg.
Mr.. Bierce was TO revise it, and as re-
suit, he amplhed the manuscript, max
ing the present story out Of II. Mr.,
Bieree still retains the name Of DR.. Dan
ziger on the title page as co-author with
him.
In much Of what he writes, Mr.. Ambrose
Bierce seems to have usurped the style
or Edgar Allan Poe. His mind moves
along the same channels; the same sar-
donic outlook on life is his. Many of his
stories are Erewsome and fun Of awe,
and the same tendency is markedly man
ifest In the present volume. The story is
supposed 10 be told in the FIRST person by
Ambronius. the monk. who. with his fel-
lows Aegidius and Romanus. is sent by
their superior from the Christian convent
OF Passau 70 the monastery OF Berhtes-
gaden. near Saizburg. The narrator Of
the tale is comedy youth. only twenty
one.
The style Of the story Is marked by its
sharp, incisive paragraphs Without much
adventure, but with some fine passages
descriptive OF the scenery, the three
monks travel until they reach the pass
leading 10 Salzburg where they come
upon man hanged 10 the gibbet. about
whose corpse the hungry vultures are fly
ing. But the hungry birds are kept from
their prey by a beautiful girl, Benedic-
Ia, who turns out TO be the hangmans
daughter, and therefore accursed. To her,
Brother Arnbronius is kind, thereby in
curing the dispIeasure Of his superiors,
for which be has 20 do penance. But.
hangmans daughter or not, the young
monk falls madly In love with her, to
the detriment Of his duties and TO the IN
health Of his soul.
Fight against it as he may, the vision
of Benedicta lures him on. When she
seems To fall in love with a cl0utish viz
lager, be Is angry ald tries TO save her
from what he deems means misery. His
narrative would seem 70 Indicate that
Ambronius does not realize that he is IN
love with her himself. but when. at last.
be finds the drunken viIlager visiting the
cottage where she is living alone, he
fights with him and is beaten. The vii
lager drops his knife, however, and, armed
with this weapon. the monk goes TO Bene-
dicta. and in a fury Of religious fervor-
deemiug that De is saving her soul by
preventing her from sinning-he kills her
lie is hanged for the crime Of murder.
that ends the story. a fOotnote tells the
reader that the monk was buried hard
by the grave OF the haugman's daughter
Much skill has been used in putting the
tale in its present form The story Is a
powerful and striking one but unpleasant.
New York and Washington: The Neale
Pub Coz