The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-21

who narrates the story. He has become
quite common, IL pleasant type In
modern fiction and for some curious rea-
son is generally named Peter both by
British and American authors. "a Is the
case in this tale. Peter has a place on
the seashore and a boat in which he
does "a lot Of delightful sailing alone and
with passengers. He is drawn on by
desirable young woman. who lands him
satisfactorily at last, after some irreso-
luton on his part; he has a horse, a dog,
an Irish and slavic dependant, a sister,
who are all entertaining. 1t il pur-
posely very mild 80 that the melodra-
matte touch toward the end Is dis.
cordant. Tho important thing. however.
n the sea; OF that the reader gets plenty
and he will enjoy it as the author does.
A queer lot OF remnants are left In the
world after the cataclysm that leaves 1t
unpopulated for n thousand years in
George Allan England's Darkness and
Dawn" (Small, Maynard and Company.
Boston). 1t would DO pedantic to call
for scientific accuracy. when the sur
viving pair must md something to begin
Me all over again and the author must
mediate on the destruction OF Manhat-
tan. We must accept therefore the air.
tight qualities Of glass jars and the per-
lection Of fire arms and ammunition.
The survival of an airship Is certainly
convenient but perhaps the authors
sense OF propriety is too acute, when he
preserves a photograph record OF the
marriage service In order to unite the
two respectfully at the proper time; In
the case of a new Adam and Eve start
ing In to rebuild civilization less for
NAL ceremony might seem excusable.
The talented engineer and his capable
stenographer, who are the sole survivors
Of New York, are so imbued with uplift
that the thought of their duty strikes
them before they atteno to their physical
wants on awakening from their long
sleep. The result IL that instead OF lead
ing a Robinson Crusoe life. as normal
beings might be tempted to, they en-
bark on a rapid succession OF decidedly
startling adventures. In spite OF the
authors frequent and eloquent outbursts
on their duties to humanity and the
future the readers attention Is kept
watching the halrbreadth escapes OF the
pair ut every turn. They manage to
discover other remnants OF mankind
after a while and TO civ!lize them all
over again in the neighborhood OF In
dianapolis. There Is no particular sig
nlflcance. we imagine. In having Chi
cago and its vicinity blown on the sur
face of the earth at the time Of the
catastrophe.
\ complete lack OF moral sense marks
the people that Louis Tracy tells about
in 1.-THE Terms Of Surrender" edward
J. Clode. New York;. The hero. whose
remarkable administrative powers are
demonstrated in the conduct OF his bust
ness and In his control Of South Amerl-
can savages during a seven years re-
tirement. seems slngularly lacking in
initiative in sentimental matters. He
permits himself TO be drawn into an
intrigue and TO he robbed OF his love
with a docillty that does not harmonic
with the authors estimate Of him. and
his later behavior liz as insne as the con-
duct of the monomaniac who pursues
him is repulsive. A few OF the minor
characters are human. The heros wan
Gerings serve only to record some OF
the authors impressions OF travel IL
10 pretty crude melodrama, with which
little pains have been taken.
In Ella W. Peattie's THE Preclpice
SHoughton Mifiin Company We have
rot SO much a story as an exposition OF
the demands OF woman, and particularly
an argument for equality in the family
Various forms of feminine activity are
described and the author Is severe on
those who strive to cram In an educa-
ton for which they are not fitted. Hell
picture OF the luckless doctor OF philOso-
ply Is as true Of men as II Is OF women
Her heroine. after graduating from the
Chicago University. rebels against the
tyranny of her father at home. She
takes up settlement work at Hull House
and soon becomes convinced that par
snts are UNIT to take care of their chill.
dren and that the State must step In
She learns lesson from the domestic
tragedy of her friend. who has DELHI
erateiy suppressed her feminine attrac
tions In order to advance her husbands
scientific career, with the result that HI
runs away with another woman. o.
course she Is a suffragette. She falls II
love. but will not marry till her love-
promises her that she shall be indie
pendent In every conceivable way. Sh'
receives a glorious ovation at the meet
ing OF the Federation Of Women's Clubs
Che Is a nice girl. all the same. and w
% wish the author would tell us NOR,
about her after she has been comfortable!
married and has babies OF her own.
Ten entertaining stories about negr'
children, the best OF them tales OF tn
Br'er Rabbit type told by little darby
are contained in Lucy Pratt's "Ezekie
Expands" (Houghton Mlfiln Company
Ezekiel the reader will like; he may b.
puzzled, however, as to whether or no
the author intends to criticise the wei
intentioned white teachers and thei
Olunders In handling the children.
The short sketches collected by JON
: u. Barry under the title Outlines (Pau
Elder and Company. San Francisco
which the author calls Studies In fic
ton" are more Of the nature OF fable
or alegories. The author In each cas-
has moral idea to express and puts
into narrative form with a good deal q
literary skill. The stories are very brie
and stop short when the author ha
made his point.
Another play, Eugene Walters Fin
" Feathers" has been put In story forI
by Webster Denison "a. c. McClurg an
Company. Chicago) The pictures al
taken from the stage representation an
are very clear; some spread over tw
pages,