The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-05


:. X. Crockett inveighed bitterly against.
Graham of Claverhouse. He does not.
appear in the story. but the evil deeds OF
his men In Galloway. the scene OF the
story. elicit violent abuse Of him from
nearly every character The hero is a
Scot and likewise king OF the gypsies,
so that the reasons for his actions may
perplex the reader somewhat, though the
gypsy part is plain enough. The polit-
cal affairs are less interesting by far
than those OF the heart. Phe youth is
loved by two women, a dark maiden OF
his own race and a fair haired young
person OF rank: for a time there Is
danger OF polyyamy. but that Ia avoided
quite conventionally In a manner that
will satisfy the reader. 1t Is an inter-
esting tale, with several entertaining
persons in It and some dull passages. It
ends with hints OF a sequel.
A moral crisis in tho life Of 2 Govern
ment engineer is described by Francis
Lynde in THE City OF Numbered Days"
| (Charles Scribner's Sons). The young
man commits one dlshonorable act to
help a girl while his fancy Is wavering
between her and another. Soon he COM
mits others, being tempted by a corrupt
and powerful capitalist. The engineer
/ - pullQInB IL udlTl 'puT-
poses. the capitalist starts q town on
( the site OF the reservoir trusting to his
influence with Government officials to
have the dam stopped. There are vivid
descriptions of the rapid growth of the
town and many demonstrations Of the
manner in which capital can crush COM
petitors, can interfere with honest work,
can pull strings at Washington and can
override the law whenever II chooses.
The wicked promoter Is painted In the
blacklist colors; the reader must wonder
why a man OF his financial importance
IN the country should take up a Job like
this in person. After a while the hero
sees the error OF his way. holds to the
i right girl, completes his dam, thwarts
the capitalist and submerges his town.
The author shows intense feeling
against rascally wealth, which the
reader will share, IL he disapproves Of
rascallty even in the less wealthy
The narrator in The Alster Case?
| which is murder story by Rufus
fillmore tAppletons), will strike the
eader as a somewhat disagreeable and
+ Conceited person. The interest in the
!. murder Is soon diverted to the extraor-
binary behavior OF two young women
in the house. This engages the at
/
and ubiquitous detective who Is
employed IN the case. He is kept
! busy getting them out Of trouble and In
Wild chases by night all over New York
till he and the reader have forgotten all
about the murder. The solution is UNI
expected but not effective. 1t reads as
though the author had discovered his
\ omission at the end OF his book and
had suddenly put one in. The intention
no doubt was 10 be extremely dramatic
The story may be different from others
OF Its class, but 1t is not a good mystery
tale.
/ The island Of Formosa Is the scene Of
Thuriow Frasera THE Call of the
East" (FTeming II. Revell Company,
which contains excellent descriptions Of
tho work q missionary doctors. 1t also
speaks a good word for the Chinese.
whether Christian or not. The story
opens vivaciously, showing that the
author can write one IL he chooses TO-,
and several Of the characters are life
like. Fiction, however. Is held back by
the description OF real events and tho
Introduction of several highly melodra-
matte episodes does not revive interest
in the story. - 80.
In attempting q new style in 1.-THE
|
Company Norman Duncan is not very
successful. He may have had Dickens
in mind, for his animal friend seems to
be q modified Mr.. Venus. but while It Is
easy enough to initiate Dickens's false
sentimentality, nobody has yet managed
to hit of tho traits that were genuine,
The bird shop Is a pretty picture: why
II should turn suddenly into a training
school for dogs with It's ponderous fun
niness IL not made clear. The little
girls fondness for her dog is natural
enough, but there Is as little attraction
in her delirious grandfather as there
was In Little Nells.
No Catholic worked up over the beati-
fication Of Joan OF Arc could be more
enthusiastic about that heroine than is
Clara e. Laughlin In Ever ybody's
Birthright" (Fleming II. Revell Com
pany). Her story is turned into SER
mon to American girls that shall teach
them to try to do their duty bravely, no
matter how unpleasant It may be- This
. Ia blended with a love affair that went
wrong and Is set right rather mrac-
ulously by tho general admiration OF
. the Maid Of Orleans. The author un-
fortunately has little sense Of the in
congruous and descends from her high
plano in combining with her tale the
account of an automobile tour through
the towns connected with Joan Of Arcs
history.
A reversion, and not a very successful
one, to the Fenimore Cooper type OF
American romance will be found In
-, | Theodore Peck's white Dawn, Leg
? end Of Ticonderoga" (Fleming H. Revcl
Company. The noble rcd man is there
= u,o.,h, lipb hn w x cd
I Frenchman from the court Of Versailles
!. The author has taken great pains with
her geographical and historical facts
she introduces many worthless Of Colo
NAL days and winds up with Wolfe and
y Montcalm at the capture Of Quebec.