New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-09
"a szeaf of NeSU Stories, Long and
Short.

~ UHIIRwIND BY Eden Phillpotts. l2mo.
SaL n t57 Mcclure. Philips & Co.
-rroRE ADAM. BY Jack London. Illustrated by
charles Livingston Bull Emo pp. VII, PAP. The
Macmillan Company.
- WHITE DARKNESS AND OTHER sTo-
i1PPrFs OF THE GREAT NORTHWEST. BY Law
-snee Mott illustrated by Frank f. SchOonoveT
md cyrus cuneo. l2mo pp. sos. The Outing
Pnblishlng Company.
w.RTIN HEWITT: INVESTIGATOR. BY Arthur
Morrison Illustrated. lemo, pp. ZIG. Harper &
Bros.
NJ CuIler-CoUch has the art 81 writing ro-
.o,css IN which young people and their elders
rrn both become interested. Poison Island"
might almost be called a boys book, yet we
tor,ld be sorry for the older reader who found
q dull on the other hand. the older reader
nil be struck by hing about this tale
.hich might escape The average youngster.
This is its rough resemblance to Treasure
island" Il is not that o. has borrowed any
ching from Stevenson in the matter Of plot; in
fact he has invention enough and to spare 1t
!. rather that the bYoad scheme of the book.
sns its atmosphere, bring back recollections of
che earlier romance. The author has been, to
shis extent audacious. In seeking 10 rival Ste
yenson on his ground, and that the ground
m which his predecessor achieved one Of his
happiest triumphs he has invited troublesome
comparisons For one thing. I'VE are constrained
N note that he has not presented in this vol
prne Characters quite interesting in them
selves as are some at least Of the characters In
etevenson's book. The narrative is not so well
knit either ana the action is less breathlessly
cumulative. But with this matter OF Treas
ure Island" put behind him the reader may be
sure Of a delightful hour Ia the company OF
eos" strangely assorted band Of Adventures.
Two or three OF them We seem TO have met
before among the Cornish folk whose humors
Che author has long loved TO celebrate. Mr..
Sack Rogers. the impulsive. manly squire, is
familiar; so IS his donineering but tender heart
cd friend Lydia Belcher, and a. for Miss Pin
ii,nrnon we well remember her, and rejoice 10
meet her again-a sometimes austere but gem
orally sentimental lady. with a gift for drop
ming into verse II takes long time for these
people with a few others, TO come 10 the true
business Of the tale. the search for treasure
but patience is worth while. inasmuch as o.
Ills I'd the interval with divers mysteries In
rolving half a dozen picturesque or quaint
fypes He deals out incident. too, with a gen.
erous hand. bringing in murder and the like in
ffe most artless fashion, 10 keep the comedy
going And finally the treasure hunters are
well launched upon the voyage to Poison ISL
and, Miss Pnnlimmon serving as laureate on
the way. Here is extract from her descrip-
tive poem:
We sailed for Kingston IN the 'ToEInshend" pseket
THE dav auspicious was. and calm the heavens:
Not so the scene on board-oh, what a racket!
And everything on deck apparently at skies ana
Mail5ags and passengers mixed Up in every direc-
The latter. engaged with their relatives in fond
on the one hand the faltering accents OF efrecton
on the other the unpol.sht seaInen e5nitt1ns yeS
Those action for some reason they resented as
prejudicial
Al length the last farewell is said,
sWSs aheg n U ere past ' Pende t Head
Forth 10 IN unfathomable deep we steeTd-
The DO sun piped (he d manly bearo); .
And while III attentive crew the braces trimIn s,
Tie coast receded We with eyes bedimm'd
Inaulged II feeings natural a6 70 Fem Tue bue
Though darker in this neigbhorhood-stin adieu'
Albion. adeui I feel myself q rover,
Thy sons instinctively take TO the water,
And viii ], albeit but daughter
20" does not write ali the time in the spirit
Of these lines. There are serious moments IN
'Poison Island" and. indeed. there are certain
passages in the book which touched with
genuine feeling. Rut mostly the work is light
in hand it is brisk and amusing. Down TO the
last chapter, in which amazing adventure Is
brought 10 a stin more amazing end. the reader
Is kept in a sympathetic mood.
Just as we think Of Stevenson in taking up
'Poison Island" 50 we think of Hardy in TAX
sng up The Whrlwind." Here too the author
exhibits some audacity. Every reader Of Hardy
remembers the superb description Of Egdon
Heath with which The Return Of the Native"
Is opened and the imaginative way in which the
great landscape is invested with human in
te-est. THE whirlwind'' has a similar opening,
similar. but long way off. Mr. Phillpotts is
not like Hardy. a master Of creative art. He
has nothing like the depth or the breadth Of his
famous contemporary. But again find our
selves dsmissing unpleasing comparison and
Settling down 10 the enjoyment OF a story for
what il is worth. This book contains the evil
dences of very thoughtful and bold study Of
character The author is STRENGTHENING his
grasp upon human nature and exposes truths
Telatng il without having recourse to any
Of those inelodramatic expedients upon which |
be has latterly seemed disposed to rely. The |
heroine Is another type of Dartmoor woman
hood II is true that she discloses, like some
other heroines in books by Mr. Phillpotts. in
tellecual qualities difficult 20 reconcile with her
rusticity. and accordingly she threatens. from
time 10 time. 10 move little out Of the picture
Fortunately her genuine traits bring her back |
again and again. so that in the long run she is |
sufficiently plausible Especially natural does |
abe seem I'm her relations TO the three men whose |
hearts she engages. She is married to one of |
these lovers so early in the narrative that tragic
developments are expected as matter Of course |
There would be little sense. from the point Of /
view Of the story teller. in uniting Sara Jane |
Friend and Daniel Brendon so soon, if the two |
men who are left TO look on at the swift cul- /
mination Of her romance not destined TO /
hover around her ard intrude upon her peace
OF mind.
Nr Philpotts carries his heroine toward the /
crisis al a steady pace. and yet with something /
Of the celebration that is fitting TO a drama |
enacted so close TO nature IN one OF the most /
pastoral parts OF England. II is not the way of |
The peasants on Dartmoor 10 move in their ac- |
eustomed paths with excessive celebrity. Life /