The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-01-12

BOiueH youth OF ST. Louis mObiIiZing
as Confederates. Colfax was among
those taken. but refused parole and
escaped TO the Southern army. Three
disturbing events brought Brlce and
Virginia together again. He sought
to render the Carvels service, which
Virginia resented. Mrs. Brice and
virginia, however, soon became inter
ested in the nursing of wounded sol
diers and of Judge Whipple, whom n
fatal Hines had overtaken. Brce
as lieutenant was In the battle about
Nlcksburg and found Colfax badly
wounded in the captured city He
sent him North To st. Louis, where he
was nursed by Virginia. Colfax had
distinguished himself by daredevil ex-
ploits OF great usefulness TO his cause
virginia was enthused by his patriotic
devotion TO the cause she loved and
their engagement was the result
Brice was wounded in the campaigns
after Vicksburg and also returned To
st. Louis.
The climax of the story comes at
the deathbed of Judge Whipple. Col
onel Carvel, though in the rebel army.
returns to see his daughter. Hearing
of Whipple's illness, he visits Whip
pies office, where he finds Virginia
and ColfaX. In the latter's hurrisd
withdrawal to chase a spy who proves
70 be Eliphalet Hopper, Virginia and
Brice, Unexpectedly to each, are
thrown hn icy t,,t.
betrayal and full realization of her
interest in him. Hopper eludes Colfax
and creeps into Whipple's outer Of
flee. BY corrupt transactions with
Federal quartermasters he has ecome
a rich man and the real owner of the
Carvel business. He finds Virginia
alone and threatens. unless she mar
ries him, TO betray her father to the
Union authorities as a spy. Brice APP
pears, strikes Hopper down, defies
him with counter-threat of prosecu-
ton for corruption. This ribs the
story of Hopper.
Colfax goes South after Virginia
has broken their engagement. He is
subsequently captured as a spy. Brce
Identifies him and then interveneS
with Sherman to save his life. Mean
time, Brice is sent by Sherman to City
Point with dispatches. There he
meets Lincoln again. Lincoln remem-
bers him and invites him to become
his aid.
The story closes with the visit of
Virginia to Lincoln at the White
House. for the pardon of Colfax. Lin
coin had heard of the circumstances,
sees Virginia and brings in Brice
After n conversation in which there
is revealed to Virginia the constant
sorrow of Lincoln's soul and his deep
sympathy for the Southern people, he
pardons Colfax and leaves Brice and
Virginia to that mutual confession of
love of which each had long been con-
scious. They were married at once.
but their honeymoon was darkened
with the sudden taking off of the great
American.
The story is well told. The plot is
not forced and maintains ones inter-
est TO the end. Stephen Brice is al
most too perfect. The author speaks
feelingly of the anxiety of novelists
to avoid this danger Virginias char
acter is perhaps better done, because
easier to endow with attractive fail
ings. Judge Whipple and Colonel
Carvel are admirably drawn.
The story weaves in an accurate
and valuable description of the causes
of the war and of the kind of people
that fought the war. st. Louis, the
confluence of the two streams OF
Western immigration from the North
and the South, was the place to study
the mixing but conflicting elements of
our people before the Civil war. Ii
was the authors home. He reveals
their faults and their virtues with i'm
partial pen. He maintains the just
balance. He avowedly and really takes
the Lincoln view Of the contest,
which, as he truly says, has now be-
come the American view both North
and South.
The picture OF Lincoln is inspiring.
The glimpses of Sherman, Grant and
Lyon are vivid and true TO life.
The book is written in a most enter
tanning style. II is charming and sus-
tanned in it's interest as love story.
IT is a great historical novel.
Condensed from "The Crisis" by Wins
ton Churchill, copyright 1901, by The
Macmillan Company. Used by permits
sion of author and publisher,
Copyright, 1919. by the Post Publishing
Co. (The Boston PosD. Copyright in
the United Kingdom, the Domnions, It's
Colonies and dependencies. under the
copyright act, by the Post Publishing
Co. Boston, Mass, U. s. A. All rights
reserved