Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-11


of Virginia life which he has made pc
culiarly his own. to be Immediately inter
ested. While several of the articles which
make up the present volume are. in part
at least. addresses delivered before vari-
Gus societies al different times. others are
in the informal vein OF sympat hetlc r5rai-
n ,sCence in which the author is peculiar
ly happy. and all are full of love for his
native state. together with the keeneSt in
terest in everything that concerns her his
tory or present welfare. The chapters on
Reconstruction" Since the War An
Old Naighborhood." are filled with di-
vining comprehension OF the difficulties
under which Virginia. in common with
the other southern states has la bored
and with subtle appreciation of The spirit
with which those difficulties have been
met There is also no lack of the mellow
charm for which Mr.. Page possesses all
unfailng recipe. The earlier essays OF
historical interest exhibit the formative
influences that were AZ work during the
settlement of Virginia and during the col
onial period. Some of the subjects are as
follows: jamestown, the Birthplace Of
he American People The Revolution
AIRY Movement" Thomas jefferson and
the University of Virginia. An Old Nir-
sina Sunday.
THE SUPREME GIFT. BY Grar- DEMO
Litchfield. author of In :hc Cru
chile etc. With From tispIcce by
Alice stephens. SUN
tie. Brown e. CO!
Miss Grace DEMO Litchfeld's story of
Washington life is instinct with tender
ness and sweetness. Having taken re-
cent great local financial failure as It's
theme the book is crowded with the
tragedy. the pathos. the meanness and the
heroism for which such crises offer op-
portunity While the fundamental Incl
u &c. not, mo n ar
real estate and banking history, the char
acters and the denouem2nt are entirely
fictitious. The heroine. a girl of rare
beauty and unselfish spirituality OF ma
ture. endeavors to repair some OF the
suffering occasioned by her fathers fail
ure with its consequent loss of the hoard
ings Of poor people. Chance brings to her
an opportunity to make good the loss at
the expense of her own happiness.
Joan Kelden and the other characters
who surround her are seen against a
background of the residential life Of
Washington. which has not often been
given sympathetic or intelligent an in
depreciation. This, the author is peculiar
ly fitted to do by reason of her own as
sociations. The beauty of the heroine s
character is admirably thrown into relief
by some of the other men or women sell
fish. or merely careless. whose aims snow
sordid beside her own. The unconscious
humor of the suffering poor is done with
=
Horace kelden. the over-optimistic Wis
ionary. who precipitates the catastrophe
because of his optimism and soft-hearted-
ness. which bring him peri!ously near to
dishonesty, is n clear-Sighted bit of anal
ysis. The romance is one of charm and
distinction 1t offers an appealing picture
of the good that might result were prin-
ciples of honesty and unselhshness to pre-
vail in the business world
Apart from The Supreme Gifts inter
CT g.,
its peculiar characteristics of idealiIy and
sincerity probably its most purely literary
achievement is the power of portraiture
which Miss Litchfield displays. There is
in her touch a surety OF line and sense OF
color which is mastery. \ chance exam
pie is the following:
Mr.. Mortimer was a tall and exceed
inglY handsome man. of the type that
bears its mental. moral and social worth
stamped lesibly upon it. as Il coins value
is imprinted upon its face, expressing its
precise and unvarying worth, never a jot
more nor less Thus the whole man was
comprehendnd at a glance. with his pride
of race and faStidiousnoss of person, his
small rigid opinions and unimpeachab bic
habits. together with the chilIiness of
temperament of tllosn whose ife-b blood
has been conveyed along the generations
at an aristocratic height above the crowd
nowhere dipping down to warm itself by
contact with mother earth
Such men hold no surprises in their
natures. and are 10 be managed accord
ingly. their conclusions being always
practicable beforehand.
THE MOTHER OF California;. BY
Arthur Walbridge North With an
Introduction by Cyrus c. Adams of
the American Geographical Society.
illustrated. New York: Paul Elder
& Co.
This publication is beautiful specimen
of book making. The subject matter
moreover IS % unusual interest. Lower
California. Mexican California. is an al
most unknown territory to the usual
traveller. The author has found il full OF
interest. not only from the traces of the
old Spanish occupation. but from it's pres
ent charm and future possibilities. The
book contains vivid descriptions OF the
natural features of the country analyses
of the political and social conditions
pictures of the old missions in various
vationS as to the mines with which the
country is rich. Mr.. North has spent
much time tracing the ancient history of
records that he could discover. from local
William Walker, Il soldier of fortune
the province by force of arms and de-
stroyed wealth of historical detail con
corning the CALIFORNIA;. there is great
difficulty in discovering authentic details
to fill out the chronicle. Mr.. North