Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-02
REVIEWS Of BOOKS AND
NEWS OF PUBLICATIONS
American Life a Century Ago De-
scribed In Essay Form and Pic
tured In Romance.
MEMOIRS OF FAMOUS SINGER
Mme Lilli Lehmann's Account OF
Her Long and Brilliant Career
Rich in Entertainment-No
Dramas and Publishers Notes.

Written at tho request Of the Com
mittee Of One Hundred to celebrate the
| centennial OF peace between Great
Britain and the United States. Gnillard
Hunts book. Life In America One Hun
dred Years Ago" (Harpers). Is dlstin-
gutshed not only by n clear and grace
full style, Blu: by an evidently scrupulous
| respect for facts. whethor important or
| picturesque, which makes the work an
Illuminating picture OF the past and
therefore, peculiarly appropriate an
| niversa"y volume. AS Mr.. Hunt clearly
brings out, the period OF which he
| writes was politically a time of transit
tion: there was hardly Il man In Amer
ica over forty years of age who had not
Deeh born Colonial Englishman, and
| me control OF Congress was passing
INTO the hands of younger men. So
claily. modern America IL h;;,l recon
ni"able in the life of 100 years upo; We
nave not as fully lost touch with that
period ms we have with Revolutionary
ana Colonial times. The author pic-
lures the life he has set out To ,lescrihc
WIN Il very pleasant art. nm art that
takes account Of facts and figures with
out SpoilinH atmosphere He tells the
actaiiS that convey most in the way OF
general truth. but stops well short Of
information. Not only the land itself
but the notions held concerning its
boundaries and extent are touched uDon
freely, and the author sketches kecnlv
the people and their domestic economy
while indicating with quiet humor tho
opinions formed by foreign ohscrvcrs
rs well rs the none-too-modcst ideas
hcid DE the people themselves Old
time methods of TRANSPORTATION social
customs ana costumes. the theatres and
actors OF the old days, religion and
humor-all are reviewed and npprc-
ciatively comemntcd upon. with now onf,
then good-humored. hut pointed crIti
cism or modern life The book is earn
est, yet smilingly .appreciativc. and. be-
sides being companionaDlc, so to sneak
is highly informative
purely fctional and romantic
treatment of about the same period is
10 be found in Crittenden Marriott's
Story, Inc Ward Of Tecumsch" dim
pincott. Mr.. Marriott has laid his
tale in the Northwest TERRITORY of OHIO
ana Michigan. and has based many or
; the Semihistorical features of his mar
rntlVo upon the madness of the great
shawnee chief. Tccumsch. who Manned
win scheming Indian agents and the
doubie-tonGued English to drive tho
Americans from the States and es,oh~
iish an Indian empire. The romance
IL genuine thriller. Jack Telfair
| travels through the Wilderness fro,,
! Alabama TO the North to rescue his
sri cousin. who has been brought up
IN tho lodge Of Tecumseh from their
! common cousin. Brito Telfair. n rene
! Sade English officer who wants 10
marry the girl on account of her re-
Gently inherited French estates Under
! ihEehiously arranged circumstances.
Jack rescueS the girl. who is dressed
as Il BOY, from the rifle of Il frontiers
man. bent upon shooting anybody and
everybody who even looks like an In
dian. Then for days they travel to-
Scther JACK never guessing the sex
Va ms young companion. through perils
IN the open and in ambuscade, from
Indians and others until terrible
sabre duel between Jack and the rene
gaze brings matters to II safe and sane
conclusion. with Alagwa and lack
happy lovers.
The volume of memoirs musical and
personal by Lii Lehman, entitled
My Path Through Life" translated
from the German by Alice Benedict
Selisman, and published by the Put :
mans. Is peculiarly vivid book. In
which are revealed with unusual frank
ness the spirit and personality of n
very great artist. Indeed. 1t Is written
win the same evident sincerity that
| mas always been attributed to the IN :
nous singer in all her work. of what
! ever nature. In II she unfolds the
| complete story of her musical career.
| which began when she was bu, four
teen and appeared as the first bov in
| the Magic Flute" in a little theatre
| in Prague. in 1865. She also tells of
| her life's attainment, hut does moi fail
10 give generous attention to those
who, were her rivals and friends on
\ the operate stage. Without boastInr.
indeed. without seeming to attach any
| great Importance to IT. she shows that
| she was always willing to step into
| almost any role I'm order to save n per-
! formancc-and this, too, after she had
| become great in the eyes OF the whole
| musical world. In short, she seems TO
nave been that amazing, that almost
incredible. human-an amiabc and
| obliSlng prima donna. Her early strue-
| giles In the Berlin Opera House, her
| extended concert trips, as well as her