Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-05
DR.. EARNEsT's TINE STUDY
OF NEGRO Development
Prepared as Thesis for Degree, His
Book Receives High Commenda-
ton From Political Economist. \
MIR. FoRMAN's BEST woRI
Ralph Connor's Now Tale OF Cana.
dian Police-Harold Blndloss Also
Treats OF Canada--Nir. Isham's
Farce-Publishers' Notes.

eph B. Earnest. Jr.. NJ. A.. PHI. d., re-
Gently published by the Niche Com
pany. Charlottesville. Va, DR.. Fl. j.
Eokenrode. assistant professor OF his
tory and political science in Richmond
College. says: This book, which is a
dissertation presented in fulfllment of
INC reauirements for the degree of
doctor OF philosophy at the Uniyersftv
of Virginia, deserves high commenda.
uon. Time was when graduate work
at tho University OF Virginia could
not be taken very seriously. but in
recent years valuable research has
been conducted there. dnd DR.. Earn
ests book Is tho best thing tho his
torical department has yet put forth.
The subject, the religious Develop
ment Of tho negro in Virginia is 81 most
difficult one; but DR.. Earnest has
handled it with scholarly sk.lI He has
avoided the obvious temptation to
make an impressionistic sketch. and
has gone to tho real resources OF his
Information. And what has he shown?
That the negro has undergone a very
considerable spiritual development
since he came from Africa to these
shores. Indeed. the much abused in
stitution of slavery could offcr no bet
ter testimony in It's defense than the
monograph under discussion. For the
negro emigrant of the seventeenth CEN
fury was so bestial In his character
istics that the slave owners were actu-
ally puzzled to decide whether he was
man or beast At first. for this req
son and because Christians were not
supposed TO be subject to slavery, lit
tie effort was made to give tho negro
slaves religious training. But in TIE
eighteenth century the established
church In Virginia made some efforts
to convert the blacks. and when the
q for cb- Diva o1,x.t. ~,
tists-entered the Colony, negro ovan-
COLLATION. began on large scale. BY
the year 1900 the mass of blacks had
been brought into touch with some
church or other. The negro made 4
marked religious advance during the
noted preachers. especially ''Unole
Jack" who was one of the best-known
and highly respected mon in the
southside. But Nat Turner, the famous
inaurrectionlst, WAS a preacher. and
after 1882 blacks were forbidden the
the negroes to worship In white
churches or to elect white miDisters
to serge them. Quite number of
white men preached in negro churches;
Doctor Robert Rylaud acted as pastor
OF the African Church in Richmond
until tho end OF the Civil War. He
exeFtea marked influence for good
on a large congregation OF blacks.
After the war, however, the eI-slaSes
drew away from their white associa-
tiona; often with bad effects for them
selves. This was the period OF tho
ignorant and impudent darby preach
er. from whom little good could be
expected. But in recent years a num-
Der OF strong and well-educated negro
preachers have appeared, and tho au-
thor. gives biographical account of
these. The book represents sound re-
search. ind is we'll conceived and we'll
written. No student OF the American
negro can afford to neglect It, DR..
Earnest and the. University OF Virginia
are to he congratulated for having
issued SO excellent a piece Of soholar-
ship"
Tn his new novel, 1.-The Blind Spot"
(Iiarper & Bros.}, Justus Miles For
man has done the best work that has
yet come from his pen. Ills suayc
style and his genuine gift for ronnn-
tic narrative are quite as apparent In
this book as they were in his lighter
novels and ehort stories. but there is
further and real evidence OF sound
knowledge Of contemporary manners
and thought that the subject and con-
struction, OF his former work found no
place for. In short while most OF
AR. Forman's writing has apparently
been designed only for the entertain
ment OF the more or less casual reader,
this example OF it stands forth as an
unaffected, but thorough. study Of n
certain phase Of modern life. and, as
such, is we'll worth reading--quite
apart from it's interest as mere story.
However, it should not be understood
that this statement Is intended to
serve as yelled disparagcsnent OF
The Blind Spot" as n story. On the
contrary, the author sustains fully his
~ - ta.sN
teller of tales. but. In addition, lie
evinces an acumen and wisdom that
make his latest book much more than
a tale. in brief, he treats largely and
with certain humor that intensiHes
the value OF his treatment, that large
ina gines that IL really thinks, whereas,
in reality, 1t only talks. The principal
figure of AIR. Forman's story is n pro-
fessiopal reformer, who vapors on all
occasions. while In sharp contrast with
him is placed a rich and rather dis
the great thoughts OF the reformer Is tho
girl Of tho story that she disnisses tho
idier, not SO much because ho drinks too
freely, RS because ho hasn't the pro-
found thoughts go torrentially express
ed by tho reformer. Yet, whom the lifo OF
a derelict is endangered, it Is the re-
former who stopato consider tho value
OF his own precious life. while tho
idler saves tho other. In Tho Blind
Spot" to deduce lesson from q de-
Iightful book that docs not pose as
q novel with purpose, Mr.. Fornan
teaches that, after all, 1t Is the lovo
in a mans heart for his rellow-man
that counts. md not resounding phrases
that como readily to his lips. And to
teach this ancient lesson in new
manner, AR. Forman has endeavored,
with success that is an achievement.
It is the uprising Of Indians and
halfbreeds in Canada under Louis RioI,
in 1885, which forms the foundation
for Ralph Connor's latest story. 1.-The
Patrol Of the Sun Dance Trail Geo.
II. Doran Coz. It also serves him az
q reason for tho return OF his hero,
Allan Cameron. to the service of the
Royal Northwest Mounted Police, in
which he had distinguished, himself, to
the JOY of the many readers OF the au-
thor's earlier tale, Corporal Cameron"
Ralph Conner, or the Rev. Charles w. i
Gordon, D. D.. to give this popular
author his full name and title, has
H. III. -