The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-21

THE SILENT DOOR. By Florence VIII
lsinson Mcclure, Phillips e. Co.. OF
New York publishers. s1.5o.
This Is ~ story of fOw the world moves
Mt Joppn. around which Jerusalem River
winds On It's way to P!sSnh.
Needless to say, JGppa is a New Eng
land village. Its houses arc described as
wearing n learned air ike SCULPTURE
esuue tones bound IN official white or
yellow. the covers slightly aiar, but not
wide enough for the frivolous canocist to
scan the cos1tcnts. There arc farm
houses Of selE-contained aspect. with box
hedges and guinea fowl and broad lawn
like pastures. frequented by black and
white cows in attitudes OF elegant medi-
tntion They look hike placid young
widows In their second mourning, who
have begun to take interest in the latest
way of wearing sushes and the cut OF
white slippers. Although 1t is arrowy
sunset time and the shining cleanliness
of the long street attracts the traveller.
Joppa IA whole does not encourage.
the transient mind. Off there behind Il
billy apple orchard frowns the grey roof
OF a house, somewhat state!ier more
austere and far more sef-contained than
It's neighbors, even than the house OF
the hox-hcdge and the guinea fowl. The
apple trees are of great statue and de-
Ginning age, bowed beneath the burden
of their years. Some OF them bend the
knee and some clutch the air. Others
claw the hillside with tenacious purpose
not to be left behind. One stands aione
folding It's aged arms upon its bosom
and in the hollow of It's elbow, thrtishes
have built II nest. This one trusts to
fate. The stately gray roof appertains
to Penrith House where Justinian Pen
rith. scholar, tneologian and traveller
lives"
Tho Silent Door" around which
Imagination fingers. wistfully. Is the
door of n closed room IN Penrith
House. Years before the room be-
longed to Danae. Justinian's daugh-.
ter who had disappeared. no one
knew where. though the wild rue
transplanted with her own hands
p!umed out every July into tall, noon
shiny splendors."
Six years before the opening scene
of the book little child, then a few
months old, found by Justinan Pen
rith on his doorstep, was named by
him Rue, because she came when her
namesake flower was blooming its
bravest. Some tender memory OF his
lost Danae. some association of ideas.
was woven into the love that he gave
to the little waif who came naturally
| to call him grandfather, who loved
Everything that grew out-of-doors:
| whose tender, childish heart moved
| her, when she wreathed her own spe-
cial house domain into fairies
bower, to slide fringe of goldenrod
under 1.-The Silent Door," and then
call grandfather's attention to how
much the plumes looked like golden
tresses fuffing out.
The annals of Penrith House make
delightful reading, the author suiting
her style to her subject and writing
in leisurely. unhurried periods her
n-pictures of Justinian. Aunt Sc
rena, Justine, Rue. Eulalie and the
gardener
The household at the Bungalow"
including the hoy Lilo and the New
York episodes. form n series of brisk
life and motion, contrasting with tho
serene quiet and isolation OF "Penrith
| House."
The two characters that give
strength and individuality to the
book are Justinian Penrith and Rue,
+ the finest of all character touches
being given to the child who is in
tensely interesting In everything she
says and does. Justine, the other
Child in the Penrith household. is de-
scribed thus: "She had the broad fore
head and contemplative eye of a true
| Penrith. She took the yicissitudes or
life in tho spirit of a philosopher
and accepted her orphan state and her
adoption by Uncle Justinian with n
noble fortitude that wayered but once
on the railroad train to Joppa. when
her stick of striped candy fell out
of the window.
Her suffering on this occasion was
augmented by seeing q small boy /
the Pisgnh Junction pick up the striped
ana an sugary tribute and transfer it in
Justine arrived at the Penrith House
| In n tranquil frame Of mind. feeding
rubber baby with bit of cookie. q
quality, of offspring, and form of
susteDance as satisfactory to Justine as
| they We're contemplate to Rue"
Aunt Serena, Frederick, Rue's mother
| and others whose lives touched the
Penrith circle by kinship or associa-
! ton. are dealt with in clever and
discriminating fashion.
Among many charming chapters, one
on which the mind dwells. Is that de-
scribing the day spent by Rue and
Lilo In the woods and beside the trout
stream; another, when Rue, unknowing,
| her mother, Danae. in the de-
serted garden of the Kenyon house
beside the sundal inscribed with the
/ Legend
When You and 1 have quite, my
! deare,
/ Time still shall be remembered here. ;,
But probably-nay certainly-the best
chapters of all are those which bring
the annals OF Penrith House to Il
| happy ending. Rue having attained to
! "the highness of the meadow rue
celebrates her achievement with a
birthday party, to which she sends out
tho following invitations.
Grandfather
| Aunt Serena
4 or course.
Observation-Disclosures we all want him.
] Justine--so that she won't cry.
Rue-because I'm the Person.
Ellen-she makes tho cake.
Mr.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS he has such
long whiskers.
Uncle Jupter-thc ice-cream man
ought always to be invited
i Ono guest't name that does mot APP
pear on tile list, belongs to her who
was, nevertheless. received with great
Joy, she was Danae, Rue's mother
who returning, found her fathers arms
open to her and her fathers hear,
\ l,upnvs ipdon6 her horOa,vn I'D