Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-20

IL CiSion if it is rgidly kept
fvr Mr. Weyman's stories are
!. perennial source of delight to the
lovers Of wholesome. vivid, romantic
notion In Wild Geese he tells a story
uf Ireland during the reign of George l.
wien England executed a policy of re-
preston with few parallels for severity.
IN Irishman was forbidden to wear a
sword he was not allowed to own a
horse worth more than IS. he could not
worship under the guidance of a priest
or receive dissolution at the hands of a
father of the church. Between the Gus
toms dues and the tyrannleS of the
military quartered Throughout the coun-
try Ireland was in a sad state indeed
At this juncture there returns from the
continent a soldier of fortune of Irish
birth who has been left heir TO an eS-
tate by an uncle in order To prevent its
dissipation by a reckless young blade
Col Sullivan is an interesting study.
Ills adherence of blood letting Is quite
different from the usual style OF gentle
man adventurer. and the manner in
which he proceeds to fall in love pre-
sents the same departure from type.
His maneuvers to prevent disastrous
uprising on the part of the peasants
under the leadership OF few hotheads
are ingenious and successful Mr.. Wey-
man has in this story reached one of
the highest planes he has ever touched.
and If il should in truth prove his last
it will be a worthy valedictory.
THE POWER OF A LIE. Fly Johan
Bojer. Translated from the Nor
wegian by Jessie Muir With an
introduction by Hall Game. New
York: Mitchell kennerley.
Iohan Bojer is a name unknown t.
western readers of fiction, but Judging
from this work it will soon be familiar
rf,It
modern novelists. With the ruthless
realism of the Norwegian school in
which IbSen has long been recognized
as the chief exponent he tells how n
-ialsehood. conceived in a moment of
cowardice, grows into an evil OF great
proportions. With singular dlrectnesS
and answering fidelity the narrative
proceeds to its logical conclusion. knut
\orby has signed another mans note,
ard when the friend becomes bankrupt
is faced with the responsibility Tor a
large debt. Though able to pay, he IS
afraid of his wife's criticism of his act
and allows the natural moment of dis
closure to pass without acknowledging
his responsibility From that moment
the lie grows in his heart and then finds
expression in hints and silences which
serve as eloquently as speech. Norby
at last denounces the man whose paper
he has guaranteed, and a trial Is mao,
resulting in the alleged forgerS conNlc-
ton. The lie blights everybody. dulls
-consciences, distorts the lives of the
ordinarily truthful, wrecks families and
leads men into crime Yet the liar him
self is naturally honest.
The author has, with rare powers oil
discrimination, traced the psychological
evolution of the falsehood and its con-
sequences, showing the disintegrating,
dcmoralizing influence of an untruth
The story ends in the Gloritication OF
the liar by the community. 1t is to Herr
Bojer's credit that he does not resort
to the inartiStic device of "satiSfac-
tory ending by causing Norby to be
finally exposed. His resistance of the
temptation to visit the liar with his
deserved punishment stamps him as an
exceptional producer of fiction.
MUCH ADO ABOUT PETER By Jean
Webster author of when Patty
Went to College," etc. New York:
Doubleday. Page & Co.
Miss Webster has been contributing
the short stories which are here as
sembled into book to various maya
zines-for some time past and they Will
he recognized by a large number of
readers who have had brief glimpses of
the estimable Peter in various attitudes
and adventures. In this form the little
tales work together satisfactorily as a
novel of servant life. Miss Webster
renders with delightful humor the life
below stairs" which proves so elusive
- subject for the average story teller.
The trials and temptations of Peter,
the groom. are narrated with an ire
siStible touch of realism and wit.
STUDIES OF SHAkESPEARE's WOM-
EN-. BY Marie NJ. Mckinney. Wash
lngton: Woodward & Lothrop.
Mrs. McKenney's readings in Shakes
peare have been so extensive and ana
lyticai that she has been enabled TO pro-
rho nd Sit- "a
cant essays on the subject of the lead
ing feminine characters in the great
dramatist's productions. She deals, IN
this attractively printed and hand
SoInely illustrated volume. with nine
Shakespeare women: Portia, katharin 3
az Arragon. Cordelia, Lady Macbeth.
Beatrice. Juliet, Rosalind. Ophelia and
Cleopatra. In each case she sketches
the character and sufficiently indicates
the action to render the pen-portrat [
vividly interesting. An unusual artistic
series of portraits by Carl Bohnen IL
Illustrates the volume, each. being rem
dering Of Mrs. Mckenney's ideal concep-
tion % the character.
THE CORDS OF VANITY By James
Branch CabelI. New York: Double
day. Page & Co Washington: Wood
ward & Lothrop-
by some curious freak OF nature an old
family tree very seldom produces any
This fact in moral horticulture enables
the hero 10 account for the crop which he.
Mr. Robert Etheridge Townsend, has in
herited from heavy-bearing genealogical
ioughs. and which he takes graceleSs de-
light in sowing. OF course, II renders him
VIGOROUSLY good for nothing. but that.
after all is the only blemish on other
wise perfect character. His family tree
entities Mr.. Townsend 10 introduce wife
- the worst and sillest people in the
i country on perfectly equal terms but
there is no wife. There is an endless
chain OF fiirtations. with money and mat
rimony forever in view, but the end of a
chapter usually marks the closing Of one
love affair that new one may be started
with the opening Of the next, and there
suing heiresses this buoyantly bad young
man writes books
No truN moral reader can lie expected
L. indcrse nero who changes filn~eeS
with the frequency of. say. white neck
ties. and who having made love 10 a
friends wife puts the aYenging husband
on the trail OF another man who Is limo
cent, and vet one feels that the only thing
a. 10 with Mr.. Robert Townsend is u
follow the example Of the UoIaer in the
d, ok and forgive him. Why? Because
hos such a babyi
4, IL the killing of tie wrong man. l,c
rr1lly means - let Charters know that
fIrIGreSs is after him with pistol. but
the -irl lie happens 10 be with just then
: sTcN dear. and the garden is so de-
II htful at That hour OF the day. Be-
i,'aE. the murder Is done out of sight of
: TeaCcr Which makes difference,
-si &c il another reason. Behind tie
4u 1t:ab,e 2irl-hunser. the dishonor and
ff. - Ff.4r t4niN ~ -