Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-02
THE SECRET OF TONI. BY

THE SFtRET OF IONI by molly IiiIo't
Seawell author of The Sprightly Ko-
nance of Marsac." Illustrated by
George Brehm. New York: ID. Apple
ton x Co.
Miss SeaweIl has given the reading public
another romance of the France she loves
So well-for love it she must to have so ad-
mirably adapted herself to its hunors. Since
THE Sprightly Romance of Marsac she
has written nothing of such undeniaple
charm and originality. While In the ear
Iier book an Interpretation of the Partisan
bourgoeois was given, in The secret OF
Toni IL is a pleasant picture of provincial
life that forms the background for the lives
of a group of thoroughly delightful per-
sons. ,
little town of Benville that makes possible
the childish association between Toni the
thoroughly reprehensible son of the widow
Marcel, proprietress of the only candy
factory" and Paul. the hope OF the house
Of Verney-that, and the democracy OF BOY
hood. And that Lucie, the petted child OF
the magnificent Chateau Bernard. heiress
of an American fortune, should at the age
of ten have formed determined attach
ment for Paul must be ascribed to Blen-
vile and to the American taint.so de-
plored by the truly French. The lifelong
alliance between Toni, dirty, lazy and cow
ardly and Paul clean, industrious anu
brave, is one of the charming realities
of the book: and the two love anairs, that
of Paul for the grown,up Lucle ana u
Toni for the dainty and dutlful Denise, pro-
vide fund of delightful romance ana OF
equally delightful humor.
In the sketch of Toni Miss Seawell has
produced a personality. Nagabond by ma
ture. idle by preference, clean only IN DEFER
ence to public opinion, he is yet entlreiy
lovable and quite as fascinating to ms read,
ers as he was to his mother ana 10 faui
and to Denise. The study of moral cow
ardice through which Il man, who rs not
afraid of horses or guns or anything other
men are afraid of, is held in shlVerins
bondage by a pair of rascals, is a really
interesting study in temperament That
anomaly is the reason for the dreaded
secret of Toni" and makes up the situa-
tons of the story which Miss SeaWell mas
told so well with her quiet cleverness.
INDUSTRIAL AMERICA. Berlin Lectures
of 1906. By j. Laurence Laughlin.
Ph.D., author of principles of Money.
With Maps and Diagrams New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons. Washington:
Woodward & Lothrop.
The lectures delivered in Berlin last year
by Prof. ]. Laurence Laughlin, professor
and head of the department of political
economy in the University of Chicago, are
here gathered together under the title of
Industrial America" The author says in
his preface
I'm connection with the interchange OF
professors between Germany and America.
interest, the author was invited by Director
Althoff of the Cultus Ministerium TO deliver
course of lectures in the spring OF 1915
before the NereinigunS fur Stattswissen-
schaftliche Fortbidung, in Berlin. Lectures
from this course were also given in the
Gurzench in Cologne, and before the STU
dents of the University of Berlin. To Ger
man audiences the German language was
used. 1t was suggested that these lectures
should deal with the industrial problems
which are at present occupying public at
tention in the United States. Although
time and space create obvious limitations
to any detailed exposition of each subject,
an honest attempt has been made to present
to non-specialist hearers such an impartial
account of the situation as an inquirlng
foreigner might find instructive and I'M
portant.
While these studies were prepared di-
rectly for German audience. 1t is thought
that possibly they may be useful to readers
in this country, who may wish to inform
themselves upon the pivotal issues of the
day, and Yet who may have no time 10
give to an exhaustive course of reading"
The lectures take up the following sub
jects: american Competition with Eu-
rope" ''Protectionism and Reciprocity
1.-THE Labor Problem The Trust Prob
lem 1.-The Railway Question The Bank
ing Problem THE Present Status OF
Economic Thinking in the United States"
THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL; Home
Woods. Home Landscape BY w. Rob-
inson author of The Wild Garden"
London: John Murray. New York:
Imported by Charles Scribners Sons.
Washington: Ballantyne & Sons.
This charming volume needs no ilustra-
ton to enhance its value. 1t is full of the
benignity of the lover of nature, the
scholarship of the classical student and the
poetry of the beautiful. Moreover, it is
authoritative.
In his preface the author says: 1.-The
book is for the country house or any place
where there is woodland or land to plant.
Its object is to get people after thought of
the needs of a true garden. to think more
of their woods from esthetic and other
points of view.
In the different chapters he takes up
garden design and recent writings upon
1t-fowering trees and shrubs and their
artistic use; climbers; the wild garden; the
flower garuen in autumn and winter; the
flower garden in the house; the woodland
garden; underwoods and what to do with
them; fencing for woodland etc
The book is full of the most practical
ideas. the result of wide experience and
any one who has TO do with a country
place. large or small, could not but gather
many pleasant ideas and much wise advice
as to what not TO do from this book
THE SOUL OF AN ARTIST. Translated
from the italian of 'Neera" by E. L.
Murison. With an Introduction by L.
D. Ventura. New York: Paul Elder &
Co.
II IL uliHCult 10 classify Inc Soul OF
Artist in any OF the conventional literary
types. 1t Is neither novel nor essay his
tory nor autobiography. 1t Is, as the title
indicates, the self-revelation of a person.
ality. The model of "Neera's' portrait has
been generally underst TODD to be Eleanora
Duse, and there are undoubtedly MANY
points Of resemblance between the woman
who pours out her soul in these pages and
the great italian actress. There are paral-
lels both of character and OF incident
The woman who in The Soul Of an Art
tst reveals somewhat of her history and
all of her heart is of a representative
exalted and artistic type. In the height of
her ideality she ignores altogether the
wholesome, material human life. She
shudders at the manifestation Of what she
considers vulgar-and she considers most
things vulgar. She Ia Of an extreme type:
there will be many to call her decadent
She pours out her soul to Lawrence Dud-
ley. Marquis of Middleforth. wherever he
may be-" on the mere chance that he may
some day read what she has published
Yet when Lawrence. in actual presence
had said. Let US be united; we are made
for this" she had replied: THE princi-
pie alone Is ideal. and We are united in
principle
And again she has expressed her creed:
ITO breathe beside a sister soul without
merging oneself. with full self-conscious-
ness, to love with something yet incom-