University Missourian., 1909-02-25
NE of the good, recent historical
novels is "The Red City," by
Dr 6 Weir Mitchell. The story

~ ~
novels is "The Red City," b!
~ DIR. S. Weir Mitchell. The stor!
;s set in the time of Washingtons sec
ond administration when party sp'ri'
in America ran high and France was
disiointed and torn by internal revo
lution. The place is Philadelphia prin'
eipally. although New York is proml'
nent in the story, and Paris plays IN
the background.
At the opening of the story 'lcounte
de Courval, seized by a French mob' Is
condemned by "Citizen" Carteanx
Louis Reni de Courval. his son, is fore
ed to flee with his aged mother to Am
erica. Once in the free country they
wander from place to place and are
looked down upon as poor French I'M
migrants. Finally they accidentally
fall in with Thomas Jefferson. lie
guides them to the house of Mary
Swanwick. a Quaker. where they hnd
simple. inexpensive quarters. MIR.
Schmidt is the only other bOarder, a
GOOD hearted German. who becomes a
fast friend and the sole confidant OF
Louis. Margaret Swanwick, girl with
opinions of her own. original ideas and
spirit. the daughter of Mary Swanwick,
is the heroine. a Quaker by inheritance
but not by disposition.
Louis mother has aristOcratic ideas
and is shocked when he accepts posi-
tion as clerk under Hugh Wynne,
prominent commercial man. Louis be-
comes invaluable to Wynne who sends
him on dangerous and important mis-
Sions to the English shore to take and
sell a cargo that was captured. AL
though discouraged by his mother, who
is i'll at the time. and by Margaret,
who is becoming to be a factor in his
life. Louis breaks away and starts on
his journey. He accOmplishes his pur-
pose in spite of the captain and the
rough seas. On the trip home they ran
into the enemy and Louis receives a
serious wound.
Just as he recOvers from this shock
the yellow plague sweeps over the
country and strikes down whole house.
holds at once. Friend and foe, rich and
poor are all buried in common ditch.
Louis friends are suffering. no nurses
can be gotten so Louis, regardless of
himself. plunges into the midst of the
suffering and nurses them back to life
with his strong. young hands.
Through all these days Louis never
fails to look constantly for Carteaux.
who came over with "Citizen Genet" to
arouse the Americans against the will
of Washington to help the French win |
their freedom. And he does not look |
in vain. He comes upon Carteaux sud
denly one day and before a companion
can interfere knocks Carteaux down. A |
duel is now inevitable. When it is over
Louis is carried home once more with
a bad wound.
When he recOvers he is successful in
his efforts to obtain a place under
Randolph. who has become Secretary of
State. As fate will have it. about the
same time CarteauX becomes a member
If the French Legation in America.
-arteaux is sent to New York with
'ome important dispatches and Louis.
CarteauX to be trying to get
way from him and get to France. in
ercepts and shoots him before he I
caches New York. Louis is accused of
rying to obtain the dispatches. where
IS he knew nothing of them But he
las no proof of his innocence. so he
5 forced to resign his position.
With clean hands and pure heart and
strong assurance that his wrongs will c
e righted Louis goes about as usual. a
opeful. happy and confident. Marga- '
ct. the one who helps him most in his r
rouble and spurs him on when he be- t
ONES disheartened. becomes dearer to u
i'm each day and is uppermost in all il
is thoughts. c
Louis old friend Schmidt finally OBJ v
'ins the proof necessary to show that
ouis is innocent. and his enemies see d
Is position restored to him. The sim G.
hines bright on the path of Louis as \
and Margaret pass between the a
raves into the modest Gloria Del. the s.
lurch of the Swedes. 81
In after years the men of Penn's q
lty read of Napoleon's soldier. General t;
fomte de Courval and of the Ameri-
in beauty at the Emperor's court. Is
THE Red City" is published by the P
entury Co. and illustrated by Arthur m
Keller. The book is bound in tan ol
ID blue. with THE Red CITY" in
mature on the cover reproduced in Sc
arlet. S15O. e
h;