New-York tribune., 1908-11-14
4 Romance of the CisH HPr and a
Study of Peasants.

sINcAIp's BATTERY. Ry Gsorge son5o W. Sa Ga0s. e
sss Charles Scrfbner's Sons.
THE VIRGIN IN JUDGMENT. s.. Eaen Fhiii-
pot.s. IGnao pp. 4ee. Moffat Yard & Co
THE CALICO CAT. BY Charles Miner Thonpss@sEs' ON sss
Hougaton Stiffn Company.
There is = moment, early in the development
Of Mr. Cables new novel. when the reader Woil-
sers with regret If "Sincaids Battery IS 20 oe
lust another conventional story Of the war Inc
hero Is found talking with another young man
ono * Of the South and the other of the North
and the talk is about woman Is the thrice
.la tale Of sentimental rivalry complicated WIN
,p .-i,tisr, 10 be told once more2 Mr.. Cable dis
arpoinfs US in the pleasantest fashion his t"o
friends remain friends. and neither war nor ro-
,ranee can shake the understanding between
them, The individual VINO tries TO cause trouole
this instance is woman. she ooes an liiat
si5s zan to keep Kincaid and the heroine apart
The fortunes Of those two are never lost sieht
,.f fut eq,lai interest lies in Mr.. Cables orig
;ns5 and convincing study of Just what the war
,ne.rt 70 the people Of given region IN the
so,,-b He paints New Orleans for US, not SO
r7,,cb tHe phys5ognomy of the city as What We
might cali its emotional state The eXcltehleh'
,,f his ueopie their enthusiasm and their anAle-
ties tire pressure Of pubic events upon lhelr
y-ivsfe life and upon the secret feelings IN thelT
he q
This ha describes with certain swift staccato
touch creating Illusion and atmosphere Inc
,,lot AZ .Kincaid's Battery" Is not very. clearly
defined The action is seen through a shit
tr veil or bv flashes of light. Yet If the story
s. not TO be praised for its structure from an
academic point Of view il is warmly to be
zrsised for what is more important in a book OF
the sort-its vivid revival of old sentiments, old
Zones and fears. In his Characterization, TOO
the author is sensitive and true The light
hearted Southern hero has never been drawn
moro att-actixeiv. with So complete freedom
from the rnav1Bis.lness which often enters
into such portTaituTe.
The Virgin in Judgment" opens with
Study OF nature recalling the first chapter OF
The Return Of the Native Mr. Phillpotts
would pu1 US in the mood for his story ny paint
ing in = solemn background. spacious, grim and
hesutiful Then with his introduction Of liv-
ing figures he brings US. Mr Hardy brings
Us close 10 TIE simplest human issues. This
book like all those others Of his based on obser-
walton Of life on Dartmoor shows Mr. PhH-
potts endeavcring to paint the rustic with hdel-
itv and et the same time 10 raise him TO
higher power by force OF imaginative art He
mas done better work in far as he has in
vented better dramatic fabrics. but he has
rsever shown truer insight into character His
eiri somewhat out Of harmony with the normal
movement OF her circle She balks at the idea
Of marriage She is critical where her sisters Of
the r1oor look with 2 kind of bovine good
nature TO the day when they snail have hus-
hands ard homes OF their own. Rhoda is IL
famed 10 fury when reckless swain places
kiss upon her cheek. The incident leads 10
grave transactions and ultimately. in fact, this
sefe-centred vestars fdiosyncrasies promote the
tragic climax for which Mr.. Phillpotts has al
wavs hao 2 prediction In this book. however,
he does not build up his crisis with special
power. The reader is thrown back rather upon
the traits Of simple types simple. but often deep
enough in ali conscience. There is humor in
The tale Of q dour sort. We are well content
10 he for an hour or 50 in the company of these
homespun characters Though his story as
story. may not be absorbing. Mr.. Phillpotts.
any rate. gets into his pages the sharp SAVIOR
Of the earth the artless charm Of the folk who
live close TO it
Mir Thompson's tale Of The Calico Cat is
Z farce linged with demure seriousness. II is
''neighborhood' story, through which there pass
familiar village types. 4 small boy is i'm
portant the working out of the little plot,
and indeed. the young reader should be pleased
with him: but il is not necessary 10 be young
sn order 70 enjoy the fun which Mr.. Thompson
has craftily developed out of an absurd Incl
dent old Mr.. Peaslee hates the cat Mr..
Peaslee seeks 10 sley the cat The cat. of
course. escapes Uriarfned, but Peaslee's shot
has. nevertheless. dire results. These need not
b here rehesrsed. it is enough to tell the
reader that he viii chuckle over The Calico
Cat