The Washington herald., 1913-03-09

with the bonds issued for the loan. BY
this means they have become financial
power OF the first magnitude.
The romantic story of the rise of the
house of Rothschld is not the most in
teresting feature of Mr.. Balla's work
He has gathered delightful anecdotes
| which center about the members Of the
house, particularly about Nathan Roths-
| child the founder of the London branch
Some of these have been told before,
others will be new to the reader. but the
lpicturesqueness OF them prevents all OF
| them from being hackneyed. 1t is
wonderful story of a remarkable family
career; and not the least remarkable
feature of their career is the absence OF
intimation by the author Of any popular
feeling in Europe similar to the antagon-
ism which is felt in our country toward
our great financial leaders. The fact that
certain Of these have been a great power
in critical periods in our country does
not deliver them from inspiring criticism
when these crises are past. The Roths-
child, from this narrative, would appear
to occupy a lofty pinacle of respect In
Europe. a violent contrast to the con-
tempt so often publicly expressed con-
cerning some Of the great names in Amer
lean finance.
ONE wOMAN'S LIFE: BY Robert Herrick New
York: The Macmillan Co, Publishers
The beginning OF Zone Woman's Life"
is Chicago, its middle is Paris and New
York. and its ending is Chicago again.
with a glimpse of its heroine departing
for California happy. upon the arm Of
her second husband. The story opens
with her at the age of sixteen. At its
close she has passed thirty, and in the
interval she has always been the sophisti-
upon her personal success in life.
She early found 1t easy. because of her
charm of manner and beauty of body.
features. and figure. to emerge from her
humble surroundings as the daughter of
a struggling business man. She threw
over two well-to-do men. who sought her
In marriage. in favor OF an impecunious
artist. lived with him in Chicago. Paris
and New York. bore him a child. suffered
the pangs of jealousy over his intrigue
with a Russian baroness. and yet was
crushed for the moment when she stood
beside his death-bed All through her
life NIilly Ridge was making a wild chase
in the frantic pursuit OF prosperity, but
she made a failure OF everything, and
though she was settled at last" with
Edgar Duncan. We may have serious
doubts Of her fate.
She had not been content with Clarence
Parker with John Bragdon, with Earn
estine Geyer. or with any others with
whom she came in contact. and II was
not to be easily said that her fate with
Edgar Duncan was likely to be more
propitious. She had her own way in
everything, and her own way was per-
siStently a mistake
Mr.. Herrick surveys the social Ameri-
can comedy and he weaves into the
story Of Milly Ridges life a series of
reflections upon the ways of American
life in Chicago and New York. He is
perpetually interested in its sordid and
its worst side. and he does not hesitate
to smear at all phases and grades of So
ciety in their struggles toward happiness
and prosperity. His minor characters are
ill-defined. They are brought momentarily
into the limelight of the novelist's imagi-
nation, and they were utilized by him
merely to show his contempt Of certain
aspects of humanity. In his description
Of Chicago. of the growing-up of the
great American city a quarter OF a cenl
tury ago, Of political and social unrest.