New-York tribune., 1909-05-22
TRIPLES LIGHT rs AIR.
Recent Fiction By Dir. DaUis, Bliss
Tracy and Others.

Tracy and Others.
THE WT5 NJ eoFe RsRad Bbs HTatns a pP PaSs @
Charles Scribner's Sons)
MERELY PLAYERS-Stories of Stage Life. BY
Virginia Tracy. 12mo, PIP. $50 Cine century
Company
HEARTS ARE TRUMPs. BY Alexander Otis
THE TRAVELS OF A LADY'S MAID BY A B.
12rno, PIP vi, 1856. Boston: L c. Page & Coz
THE BUFFERS STORY, Being the Reflections G5a pota1
Observations and Experiences Of Mr e PeJer
Ridges. of Mapping -on-Nelly Devon. some some
@ of SdR @ t4s 4or seFff #n 35 SAMUEL BY ssFsE FS
BY arthur o., Train instgafs6 gcT6nas ny sons YUM
The episode from which Mr.. Davis's new
novelette, takes its departure is entirely humor-
Gus. and though. in the same chapter. we are ap-
prised of serious things. the authors touch is
light and even gay down to the end. He has
chosen lust the right key for one Of those com
edies which have a South American setting and
find their atmosphere in revolution" 1t will
not do to be too tragic when dealing, in fiction
with naughty dictators and wickedly imprisoned
patriots Those conventional figures long. ago
ceased to excite much sympathy But they
can be made very useful in subordinate posi-
tions. with young lovers holding the centre or
the stage and an authors success is sure II
only he will put the familiar types through their
at rapid rate ana keep up al tiiS tililE'
rattle Of amusing dialogue. This is what Mr.
Davis has done in The White Mice" The title
Of his book is that of a little society formed by
few voung fellows who are told about the
functions of a white mouse in the engine room
Of a submarine. When he smells sulphuric gas
escaping anywhere he squeals: and the chie1
finds the leak, and the ship isn't blown lp
The youths in the book resolve that they shall
save human life, when they get the chance, as
members Of the order OF the White Mice one
of these potential heroes. the son of an American
millionaire finds his opportunity in Nenezueia'
whore A man beloved by his countrymen Is
slowed away in a noisome dungeon by the poll
tician rnomentarily in power. Roddy Forester
,,,al,es Nm his mind TO Iiberate this victim Of
tyranny and incidentally he makes the acquaint-
ance of the victims lovely daughter Need
more be revealed? The situation ii not perhaps
the most original In the world, but Mr. Davis de-
veops it with skill. and, above all, with prodtg-
ious high spirits. He has written a capital
story which the reader in search Of entertain
rnent will vote delightful
Merely Players" is collection of short stories
illustrating different phases Of theatrical life.
Whether these tales written from the in
side" or not only a reader who has himself Reen
initiated into the mysteries of the actors world
can say but one does not need to have pene-
trated beyond the footights In order TO recog-
nize Miss Tracy's sincerity and delicate feeling
for the ups and downs Of human nature. There
is no fustian in this book there is nothing Of
that tinselIv and unreal condition of things
which we so frequently find in stage fiction.
The characters here are credible and sympa-
tbetic and their adventures are equally lifelike
Miss Tracy IS humorous without forcing her
points She can be pathetic too without over
doing the motive in hand. She has dozen
stories to tell and in each one an interesting
little plot is unfolded; but what we value most
is the strain running thorugh the whole book,
one of instructive understanding, Of quick in
sight into character. Merely Players' is nearly
always amusing and it is often touching. The
author writes so we'll of stage folk that are
sure she could write well of almost any types
she chose to study. IN other words, this ro-
nlancer has the root Of the matter in her.
Mr. Alexander Otis might concevably have
had the stage in mind when he wrote Hearts
Are Trumps." 1t is a farcical narrative with
drol1 entrances and exits tissue of improbable
,ties which doubtless could be made plausible
under the glamour of the theatre. The hero is a |
dramatic critic who. journey into the coun-
try, is caused by fortuitous circumstances to |
cnange places with a clergyman. The latter
as il happens is on his way to house in which |
an unwilling bride is waiting TO be married to |
an actor with whom she has had some COnsulta- |
tions on play that she has written. The actor
IS a scoundrel but the heroine's parents do not |
know IT. Neither do they know that their |
daughter is a playwright. They only know that |
according to their code their beautiful Beatrice
has compromised herself and be rehabiIi- |
tated only by marriage. The wedding seems in |
evitable, but when Mr.. Basil Plympton, the |
journalist aforesaid appears upon the scene I'm |
the character Of the Rev. Charles W. Tupper, it |
is obvious that the proceedings are going to |
suffer some strange notifications. The story |
thenceforth with celerity through one |
preposterous stage after another. The plot is |
funny. It would have lost none of its effec- !
tivehess II the author had used less slang.
The domestic servant has been playing his /
or her part in fiction ever since the art of story
telling was invented. but rule this person |
age is not put in the foreground. The anony- |
nous author of Travels of a Lady's Maid /
makes her heroine the supposititious narrator /
of the book At the same time she does not give |
her Annie too great cOnspcuity. This Scotch |
lass who goes up to London and presently en- /!
ters the service OF a titled lady, travels round