Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-19
obscure beginnings. this narrative will be

obscure beginnings. this narrative will be
altogether a delight, but for the average
reader it will be more or less of a disap
pointment. The story itself deals with the
loves of two women and two men. Hilary
kincaid, the ideal of all his friends and
associates. is greatly beloved by Anna Cal
lender and Flora Valcour. the latter a
Creole of infinite resource and flexible con-
of Hilary and Anna are devious. Kin
caid is heroic figure, gallant. dashing
jovial and altogether attractive. In its
climax "kincaids Battery is perhaps one
of the strongest of Mr.. Cables novels of
the great struggle and. were it not for the
retarding fact of his broken paragraphs
it would be wholly enjoyable.
MIRAGE. BY E. Temple Thurston, au-
thor of The Apple of Eden" New
York: Dodd. Mead &: Co. Washing
ton: Brentano's.
On the second page of this altogether
delightful story of life in London and ru-
raj England the reader plunges into the
middle of things. not Of the narrative
itself. which unfolds gradually and nat
uraly. but into the midst of the affairs
of the great middle class or rather the
lower stratum of the middle class. The
author has on this page described Lon
don boarding house in terms which strike
a universal note of truth. The story deals
with the roSeate visions of an old French
man of title who has taken up a preca-
rlous lie IN London to accommodate him
self to his slender means without expos
ure to humiliation by association
with his old friends in France First a
little w1ndfall helps him to a more pleas
the daughter of an old love This young
girl arouses in him a tender passion de-
spite the disparity Of their years and then
comes great fortune in prospect The
Old mans dream proceeds almost to the
point OF realization when change comes
that shows to him that he has been look
Ing upon only the mirage of affection and
then comes bad news from Paris and
finally a return to the original conditions.
The author tells in simple, beautiful style
story which for interest-compelling
power and genuine pathos has rarely been
paralleled.
FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE. BY iona Gale,
author of THE Loves of Pelleas and
Etarre. New York: The Macmillan
Company. Washington: Brentano's
Miss Gales short stories, which were
gathered into volume under the title
THE Loves of Pelleas and Etarre,"
placed her in the first rank Of americas
writer's of fiction Friendship Village"
establishes her there permanently In
this volume. in the same tender, effective
style which marked her previous work,
she describes community of simple. I'M
affected, plain people, village where
there are no sick and no poor. where
everybody is thoroughly conversant with
the affairs of everybody else and where,
with their limitations and prejudices, they
are all neighbOrly and helpful and at all
times interesting. This is not a story in
the sense of being consecutively devel-
fiJyn hut 1nnc of
sketches, some of which have been print
ed heretofore in the magazines. Some
characters appear repea tedly throughout
the pages-Miss Calliope Marsh Mis-
husband Timothy: Pegleg Bemus. the
village wood-sawyer: Abel Halsey. the
itinerant preacher; Mis- Holcomb-that-
was-Mame-Bliss; Dr. June. the Proudfits,
Mis- Postmaster Sykes. Mis- Fire Chief
Merriman and many others. 1t was the
fashion in Friendship Village to give to
every woman her full marital title-that
is to say. the title of her husband. Thus
Mrs. Uppers was always known as mis-
Mayor Uppers.'' despite the official defec-
ton and the disappearance of her hus-
band. The book is an idyl of American
village life. and there are tears and laugh
ter in it, and although each chapter has
it's own boundaries of interest unappre-
ciative indeed will be the reader who does
not go on from chapter after chapter to
the end.
GREAT RIVERS OF THE WORLD: AS
Seen and Described by Famous
Writers. Collected and edited by
Esther Singleton. With Numerous
Illustrations. New York: Dodd Mead
& Co. Washington: Brentano's.
Whether regarded as arteries of COM
merce Or as the scenes of historic Incl
dents or as places of natural beauty, the
worlds rivers are always interesting
Miss ,Singletons latest anthology deals
with the great water courses. including
the Rhine, the Seine. the Ganges, the
Tigris. the Hudson. the Danube. indeed
all the principal streams of the world.
including some that are only noted for
their historic Or personal associations.
such as the Avon, the Tfber. the Clyde
and the Merrimac. The articles are Sc
lected from works of famous biographers
and writers, the author herself contrib
uting chapters on the Hudson the Po-
tomac and the Meuse. The volume is
profusely illustrated with reproductions
from photographs of scenes on the rivers
of the world.
THE HISTORY OF THE BOSTON
Tompkins manager from 1873 to
1901. Compiled with the assistance
of Quincy Kilby, treasurer from
1886 to 1901. Boston: Houghton,
Miff1in Co.
This unique work will interest many
classes Of readers. ranging from the typi-
cal Bostonian, with whom the history
and incident of his native city is of
paramount interest. to the INDICATED the
alter goer, librarian. collector of dramatic
literature. the actor. singer, lecturer and
all who have ever entered upon a study
of the American stage. The Boston the
alter is perhaps without parallel In the
record of its performances in the range
of celebrities, from tragedians and grand
opera stars to negro Ministries and vaude-
Vile performers. who have appeared upon
It's boards. This is. in way. an official
the files of programs and box office state
stitution. There are more than 600 por-
traits. together with numerous reproduc-
tions of old wood cuts from the illus
trated newspapers of the early days Some
of these portraits are now engraved for
the first time. The work develops chro-
nologically, each chapter being devoted
to single season. To recite the names
of the performers who have appeared
upon the boards at the Boston theater
would be virtually to catalogue those who
have taken part in American theatricaIs
for more than half a century. Particular
interest is lent to the work from the
fact that it is chiefly the result of the
labors of Mr.. Tompkins. who was man
ager for twenty-three years. and thus
he writes from an intimate acquaintance
with the text and personal intimacy with
many of the performers. There is val