New-York tribune., 1907-09-28
F;ction by Gilbert Parker Qu'her-
Couch. anthony Hope and
Jack London.

THE wEAEERs Tale v Of fiI6aFt h@FtaPPa Parer a a
Tarser i5s1ge Z Z Bros. sst5
,,.1oR v1GoUREUX. By A; T GSh5e1,s GqsTsCSS..s sons
'T'o"). l2mo. PIP Vi. 4'o- ch2rleS 0'i''''
HFIEeA's PATH. By Anth0nya d. HoRFi The Mcclure tst
Company.
,ovr OF LIFE AND OTHER STofSIEiil o91fSdI55iila9 p; CON-
London l2nle, pp- " 1eo- i'ie
pany.
+be first duty of the novelist to tell a
rood story, then the more practlse" it"i>N- -
So, action are this season in the rlshI
,,ooa .sThe weavers," for example Is s0oN
- we'll told It starts with situation nav
- ,o-+afn ,inuancy The hero is a Quaker
=, English village a young man not pre-
-, 7;snosed 80 kick over the traces, oIl uH-
+so,,st,Iv restless under the limitations OF
-, ox;s+ance and the discipline of his church-
summoned before the elders for several lhiFac-
,iors of the moral law as they understand It. ''
,,,alxas a defence in which the reader peIce1Ne'
some little defiance. but more OF a Wls'IU' ~
sire TO make his judges see that all ne N'
The privilege of being natural man .''iu
welcoming the healthy traits that are IN hiii =.
-o,c-+ II seer7s not improbable that DaN1o
r-laridpe will break the bonds that holu M
t,,t the author is true TO his concep'lo" - 80
ba-o's character as not only adventurous 49,
strong and patient and he makes the So"-l9
mans liberation wait upon the uilioI0eu nc
90 ,;r,,,,r,s-ances. The death of uncle in the
Fast launches David upon the world anu ii ''''
4,,-,+ o4 fifty wears ago he takes up an eAtraor
-, ..raer Negotiating with Prince ha1d
g ~, saf+leroeut of the estate Of the uncle
oeo-o.oid the Englishman fascinates the hgFp-
st. b,- his iufexible honesty and candor. ana Is
asantlv invited to remain in the country as d
Kind OF Grand Vizier. 10 carry out a IlucH
needed programme of reform with a free manu.
1fe stays and Sir Gilbert Parker has his story
II IS as we have said, a good story yet 1t
must be noted that il is not one OF those stories
IN which the reader is made to feel that he Is
watching the spectacle presented by actual HlS'
This is rather, romance a species OF larry
tale The placid and all conquerlng DaNlo
must of course. carry some handicap into his
Fgvptian campaign. Ere he begins II ne hiluS
himself Obliged to come TO the aid of young
English girl who has been beguiled INTO the
princes palace by the brother OF one OF that
nersonages high functionaries. David smites
her tnsulter and quite unintentionally kills him.
The episode occurs in obscurity, but the dead
mans brother knows the secret, and by dlnt or
q clever strategem so conceals it as to make
easier his own private plan Of revenge Ihence-
forth David has enemy at MS gate anu
thenceforth, too, the reader is conscious or a
certain Fictitious element in the tale Charac-
ters and incidents alike have faint SAVIOR OF
rnreality about them The whole business OF
the hero's paternity has a sadly melodranauc
edge Yet we go on, keenly interested in the
,,pshot of the plot. David's labors in the role
of a sort of Gordon may not he taken very
seriously but they are plausibly enough related
to hold the attention. He is not a wholly cred
t,J- he unSynpath hetic.
THE Weavers'' In short, is a first rate speci-
men of the modern romance which is put to-
gether in SO workmanlke a manner, and with
SO skilful a touch in matters Of picturesque
ness sentiment and dramatic surprise that the
absence of any really impressive substance in
the fabric is easily condoned.
Major vigoureux" is one more Of the
numerous stories in which Mr.. Quiller-Couch
has approved himself perhaps the most worthy
of all the disciples Of Stevenson. It is a work
after the latter's own heart ingenious, neat in
craftsmanship, demurely droIl in the portrayal
of whimsical character and marked above all
by that sheer gusto for romantic adventure
which is indeed. by itself a source of success.
-.Archelaus" said the Commandant, where did
you get those trousers2" We know that when
a tale begins, as this one does, with so unex-
pected inquiry. the author is going to have
something amusing to tell And 20" is very
amusing AS is his wont, he blends with his
hunlor a vein Of deeper feeling. The Com
mandant is an old soldier left high and dry in
his later years upon an island the British
coast There he is supposed to exercise the
functions Of military governor" but his gar
rison consists Of two who. like himself. are
on in years. and his Notifications have nothing
in the least deadly about them. The govern
rnent has in fact, dismantled the batteries, and
has left the Commandant with practically moth
ing TO do. But his pay is continued, and, being
the soul Of honor he bames himself for not
having resigned. Between the need Of aiding
kinsfolk of his. dwelling at distance, and the
dread of being deprived of his income. the poor
man is tormented almost beyond endurance.
There difficulties. TOO. at his very door which
cornplicate the misery. Altogether Major Wig
oureux is a type put 90 on his mettle, bring
ing OUT ali of the authors tenderness and skill.
He rises 20 his opportunity making the Major
q lovable creature for whose fortunes speed
fly come 10 feel the liveliest socitude. But 20"
could not be soInbre if he tried. The Major
must have his foil. and the part is taken by
wondrous native OF the island who has left her
peasant circle won fame and fortune a great
singer. and returns TO play the goddess from
the machine with all the Enthusiastically that
might be supposed 10 lie within the scope OF the
histrionic temperament. Vashu this beaute-
lady is called. distinguishes herself when
she first appears by plotting crowded liner
through dreadful peril and then she proceeds
10 strike up a very sweet and confidential friend
ship with the Major He enters into her rather
wild plans renewing his youth for all that pow
crfy and conscientious scruples are weighing
him down Strange things occur The villagers
nystiaed. The skirts OF tragedy begin to
rustic in the story. Swiftly the author goes to
and