The Washington herald., 1912-05-26
Literary Review Of Latest Publications
- q. D. JAcoBsoN.


THE RECORDING ANGEL; By Gem HHrria-
Doubleday Page 4 Co. New fok,
when It Is said that Cora Harris is
the author of the Circuit Riders Wife. "
which had 50 remarkable q run In the
saturday Evening Post, my readers viii
understand what the book means to
those who go beyond a mere novel plot
in their literature. For a number OF
years abe enjoyed the reputation Of be-
ing one of the most brilliant editorial
writers and book reviewers on Ameri-
can magazines, but her identity remained
hidden behind the screen OF editorial
obscurity-the proverbial blind horse
Of newspaper desk men and women.
On the appearance OF q Circuit Riders .
Wife" the reading public became inter
ested in the woman who could analyze
with such piercing accuracy, yet with
so much kindness, the characters typify-
ing persons well known. This was en-
HANGED when Ewes Second Husband
ris understanding Of woman ana her
mental makeup Is almost marvellous
The story Of THE Recording Angel Is
too well known TO need repetition al this
time. Hundreds Of thousands have read
It piecemeal in the Saturday Evening
Post being unwilling to await It's ap-
pearance in book form. Only let It be
EalQ LnGL the AuL0OE II
epigram. Here are one or two OF them:
'sElbert White never said a good thing
or a bright one anywhere but in the
presence OF his wife Her blindness was
her faith, and hence his inspiration.
do not recommend II, but I do say that
II more wives had cataracts over their
eyes, more husbands would become
great The fact remains that the way
80 many wives get their eyes opened
about the men they marry and keep
them solidIy observant often prevents
these poor saturn souls from collecting
and congealing their rings Of Immortality
more credltably."
Again she says: "she inspired Ebert
White to lie about It beautifully, as she
inspired him TO lie about his daily ex-
istance and as every good woman in
spirzs a very bad man to fabricate his
autobiography. The truth is we
are all sutObiographical liars, but the
funny thing is that once We see our
selves clarified by such faith as Any's,
we accept her aversion and experience
q shriveE piece that must detract the
God who makes our moral sense, but
does not control it afterward.".
We append a likeness Of the famous
author in order to give our fair readers
a chance to have a glimpse OF the tea-
lures of one of their sex, who is so
pre-eminentIy a woman, with the truest
kind Of an understanding OF a woman's
intuition.
THE JUST AND THE UNJUST: By Vaughan
Hester lauthor Of the PTOdigal Judge. Illus
trated BCbbs Merrill Company, indianapolis.
This is not a mystery novel in the
sense in which that term generally is
used. II is plain from the first page
almost that the hero is innocent and
who the guilty party is. Yet the tale is
g1rf cT1f-
fic!ent suspense for the reader, which,
after all, is the essential thing in
novel This suspense remains well sus-
tanned and it is not until the last para
graph Of the last chapter that the inno-
cent prisoner is made to escape death
on the gallows.
Mr.. Kester is not unknown to novel
readers from his first work, the "PrOdi-
gal Judge" to which the Just and the
Unjust" proves 10 be a worthy successor.
The author has shifted his scene OF ac-
ton, which this time is not laid in the
old South, but staged in a small town
in the Middle West, Just large enough
for every one to know everybody else's
business"
A keen knowledge of human nature
and gentle humOr also make themselves
felt in this second effort Of the author,
and the events create and sustain in
terest and give food for thought With
out trying to preach lengthy sermons
on law and order the author sounds
note Of warning against capital punish
ment and circumstantiaI evidence and
succeeds in weaving his theories into his
plot so that they become part OF IL.
This is the story, the hero having
sown more than his share Of wild oats
and squandered his small inheritance at
the gambling table, finds his real self
through the pure love of a pure, high
minded, wholesome girl. He resolves to
begin life anew, to make something of
himself so as to enable him TO reach
a position where he may claim the girl
Of his heart But he becomes the victim
Of circumstances. He is arrested and
witnesses. partly bribed, partly intimi-
dated. perjure themselves against him.
Justice is blinded TO his plea and his
QuiXotic impulse restrains him from US
ing the only means that will free him,
but which would involve the name OF a
woman, his school friend and the wife
OF man who is the real murderer. And
so he goes to the very edge of the
scaffold before the tide turns and his
innocence is established.
THE APAcHEs OF NEW YORK: By Alfred
Henry Lewis. Dillingham; Company New York
The stories making up this volume
ale as interesting as the most vivid
imagination could desire, and were they
considered, as examples Of applied Grim
inolgy they would command attention.
They have the additional merit however
of being based on fact. The incidents
happened not more than three years agu.
Mr.. Lewis took the stories from the lips
OF the police, and filled in the missing
details from the actors themsylves.
The stories give an excellent idea of
how the criminal portion Of the other
half live and though they do not end
in the electric chair as perhaps they
ought to, still the lesson is plain.
Mr.. Lewis has not added any moral
TO his stories. They carry their own
and all carry a point as befts the char
acters depicted.
FALSE MoDEsrY THAT PROTECTS VICE BY
IGNORANCE: By Dr.. z B. LoWry. Furbes
90, Chicago.
An earnest. convincing appeal for
the proper education of the young in
matters pertaining to sexual hygiene.
A book OF vital. helpful interest to
every parent, teacher, physician, and
minister DR.. Lowry is famous as the
author Of the only books in that line
which have received the unanimous
Endorsement Of the leading medical, ed
ucational, and religious authorities OF
to-day. They are supposed TO be the
first books TO meet the standards and
requirements Of the present great
world movement for sex education
THE FUN OF GETTING THIN: By Samuel G.
Blythe. Forbes Co, Chicago.
Mr P1yyfha r1-fFbo,rt O da,,k4 4. -