The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-02

concentrations were, though the base
Of their thought may have been unsub-
stantial, a mirage OF philosophy offer
ing but a neo-Platonic or gnostic kalei-
doscope through which to survey the
universe" very rich. Witness the tine
lures and apparelB OF richness, the d.
verse pattern OF ceremonious commen-
tary, the sorority of euphony-why,
Michael read of these things and con-
structed for himself n sanctuary. Every
night he dreamed of "Cadences resound-
ing through a world OF polychromatic
images and reconcile jewels, Of spirit
ual malades and ruinatory comets, of
potions for revenge and love, OF tails
mans to fortune. touchstones OF treas
ure and eternal life, and strange infiu-
entail heroa." We gather that Michael
had got TO the Rosicrusians and Joseph
Balsamo.
The account OF the undergraduate
journal, the oxford LooLin0Oldss, we
may pass over. Mention should he made
OF Michael's mother, a character who is
drawn not without humor and who is
memorable from having Joined a So
ciety Cor the prevention of premature
burial. As often as we came to Michael's
mother we felt ourselves encouraged,
and frequently we we're not unrewarded.
When Michael, having graduated, went
into the London slums his adventures
increased in interest. He was queer.
Seldom have we come across anybody
who had as little understanding Of a
Stun as Michael had. He was china
bull in a hardware shop. It is hard to
believe much of his slum experience,
though the account of him at oxford
is not for moment to-be doubted
Surely Poppy, through experience. must
have been qualified to break the rule
that he'll hath no fury like a woman
scorned. Daisy, We notice, was less
sensitive. Lily was indeed a peculiar
flower of the slums; the reader will
remark not more her want OF moral
fibre than her overpowering habit OF
going to sleep. As for Silvia, we will
be bound that no other slum woman
was ever so Intellectual, so scornful and
so icy. Balzac. Rabelais and Petronius
Arbiter--those were her favorite
authors; and she held volubly to her
| opinion that all male persons were
| frogs.
Poppy's midnight battle with her
/ landlady may be thought to be fulfilling,
and so may the battle in which Dolly's
fellow, Hungarian Dave, knocked Dolly
down, with the consequence that Daisy,
| Dolly and Michael were locked up over
night in the police caboose; but surely
the novelist takes insufficient advantage
Of the dramatic opportunity offered by
the arrest by three bulky detectives. one
OF them named Dawkins, of Barnes.
Stun friend OF Michael, murderer of
Cissie Cummings. from whose dead per
son the slayer, thievish as we'll as homi-
cdal. had distracted a gold bracelet
watch. In two minutes and a few lines
Barnes is apprehended; much more
space is frequently devoted TO what is
far less stirring.
In a letter to a friend at the end OF
the story the author explains his fire.
quent use of unusual words. Rut.lant,
Iinquiline. caducity, atramental-these
are some of the words that he employs.
The reader need not he hopeless con-
corning them; n consultation with DR..
Andrews's Latin lexicon will eluCidate
them all. Inspissate-in any drug store
II may be learned that pills are rolled
from inspissated stuff. Tie late Mayor
Gaynors word "spissitude" struck the
public with surprise. but the druggists
cerk was prepared to give II a meaning.
1t is possible that in another book we
shall have Michael's history from 90 to
l24. Here at the last we have him in
Rome, and no shows definite religious
symptoms.