Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-03
TIE NATIVE RoRN


Abbott.
THE NATIVE BORN.
by /. A. r.. WylIe. Illustrated by
John Newton Hewitt. The Bobbs-Mei-
sin company. indianapolis.
Absorbing interest and eager curiosity
are reused by this story Tho author
sens really a new star worthy 10 be
named with Robert Kitchens and Flora
Anne steele. She has written "a novel
big iu plan. picturesquely imaginative,
ovorladen with the riches or the east
throbbing with emotion, and with three
or four really mastery scenes.
Tho characters are so interesting the
environment Is So darkly romantic, the
events Of the plot arc so dramatic, 80
thrilling. that the reader Is intensely in
tcrcsted Tho themc--thc race question
i'm India--is large and striking. and IS
there any npmc-Wor1 richer IN pictur-
esque connotation than the word lndia2
The author has quite appreciated the
possibilitic here of stage effects and has
set her scenes with the lavish wealth
and care Of Henry irving Tho pomp
and mysticism Of Hindu worship, the
personal veneration attaching to the
Rajah. the gay butterfly existence ~ the
women Of tho English nation, and the
wasting, ennuied life Of the men, tho
labyrinthinc palaces, the ruby eyed
gods. the deserted bungalows, the Dor
dcring jungle, the sororous names, the
stories Of former up"isinEs-al OF these
properties are used with impressive e.
feet The sharp juXtaposition Of an
ancient Orientalsm with the cry Of
modern English fashion produces con-
ditions OF life OF undoubtable fascina-
ton Throughout the story the WoaV-
ing together OF tho two stroins-SnNon
and Indians consistently pursued We
r.. a.. % a
beneath the walls OF the sacred palace;
social intrigue and race antipathy and
rebellion go hand in hand.
IN conception the plot is original and
strong For the f8ithfulness OF the
Anglo-Indian atmosphere; for the SUI
perh portrait OF the young ralah, Sc
reno and majestic I'm his robes OF white;
for Adam Nicholson. the ideal English
man for India, since he Is wise enough
and generous enough TO respect those
whom he governs; for the transforma-
tlou in the character Of Beatrice from
cold adventures TO "a noble woman;
for gentle, loving Lois; for the force
and vividucss with which the native
uprising led by the undeccived rajah Is
painted, with an echo i'm II NJ the thrill
We always feel when we arc reminded
Of Lucknow; for the beautiful scene "
rcnunciation between Nicholson and
Lois-for all these things-and they
are much--the reader is deeply IN the
authors debt
one Inevitably expects. cxacts much
Of the writer OF so bold and so yirilc a
story. For a first novel II is indeed re-
markablc Its power and appeal arc
genuine and on an order that commands
admiration. There is skill Of workman
ship The social groups form aud dis
solve with naturalncss and grace; the
shadowy. sinuous. dreadful figure Of the
Old rojah appears again ana again
with terrible menace; always IN the
background the reader hears the NUT
ter OF the coming storm, so that antici-
patton seems always to point the way
TO events still more absorbing.
The Native Born r. the best story of
India that has appeared since on the
Face OF the Waters.