Life — May 27, 1897 — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

450 “LIFE: is William Joseph Yeoman’s "A Woman's Courier.” The early years of William's reign in England were dull and sordid. It was an age of small men and small politics, an age that only the skill and charm of Thackeray made attractive in fiction. Mr, Yeoman writes good English; but the cabals of priests and women are not stimulating, and the affairs of William of Nassau not vivacious, for he was dull and phlegmatic, if a good figh The author should do himself the yeoman service of shifting his characters out of a dull age and a dull land into the Continent across the Channel, where the blood of the world ran swifter. * * * SABEL WHIT in “The Falcon of Langéac” has spoiled a good short story in an attenuated novel; and stock watering is as reprehensible in the literary world as in the stock exchange. Her time and place—the early Sixteenth Century and Brittany—were well chosen; her ruffians are perhaps too gory and her heroisms too heroic; but the germ of her story is good. She has too many superfluous char- acters and scenes, and her numerous rascals, like a three-ring circus, distract rather than interest. She should build her stories a: holas of Russia built his railroads, by the shortest line between two given points. Her falcon has the flight of a tumbler pigeon. * * * HEN Menie Muriel Dowie wrote ‘A Girl in the Carpathians” she was refreshing and original. sketches, inconsequentialities, The collection of impressions, and what not, she has written in this small (thank Heaven) volume under the title of ‘‘ Whims of Fate” has been a response to no Macedonian cry. bird to the mountains Miss Dowie should once more fly like a get rid ot her mannishness, and recruit her diges- tion, She is not making epochs. Let her remember that the writing on the walls of Belshazzar’s dining-hall was ‘‘Mene, mene, tekel,” etc., and not Menie Muriel Dowie. “Miss Armstrong, and Other Circumstances” is a book of short stories by John Davidson, a writer whose work is usually artistic and worth reading. These stories are good, if not great. The best in the collection is ‘Alison Hepburn’s Exploit,” a glimpse of Scotch life and character that the Scotch dialect fiends may read with profit. The sordid unloveliness and religious gloom of urban Scotland, and their logical effects on human nature in its generous youth, are suggested, not magnified; but the beings in kilts, halo and dialect of the Maclaren cult are not in evidence. * ° * OROASTER established a cult in ancient Persia whose visible worship was fire, as a type of life and purity. ‘‘ Flames,” by Robert Hichens, has no connection with Zoroaster and the Parsces, and is not even ‘hot stuff.” Mr. Hichens wrote a clever satire when he penned ‘‘The Green Carnation;” but “Flames” is not an affair to warm one up; it is not clever; it i: It has the saffron tinge; it is spooky with such spooks as haunt séances and appear to fuddled cluo- men. It has an emotional lady of dubious morals, several gentlemen of queer man- ners and pronounced thirst, a spiritualisy doctor, and a number of other characters who are unpleasant and uninteresting. There is a spooky finish when the curtain drops, and the reader wasbes out bis mouth. &> + Flames" will in time reach its logical terminus, the junk shop and the kitchen ‘fire. The Pegasus of this prophet of the mystical and spooky is spavined and wind-broken ; it will stand without Hichens. fs not satirical. BOOKS tr: SUMMER Uncle Bernac. A Memory of the Empire. +, CONA author of ‘Rodney e loits “of Brigadier Gerard,” ‘The Stark Munro Letters," “Round the Red Lamp "etc. Illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50, Lads’ Love. R. Crockett, author of * Cleg Kelly,” ‘* Bog- Myrtle and Peat,” © The, Lilac Sunbonnet,” ete. Iifustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50. Wayside Courtships. HAMLIN GARLAND, author of “*A Little Norsk,” “Jason Edwards," ‘A Spoil of Office,” “A Mem- ber of the Third House,” etc. 12m, cloth, $1.25. The Third Violet. Crane, author of ‘The R “The Little Regiment,” r2mo, cloth, $1.00, The Beautiful Miss Brooke, y "2. Z., f ** The World and a Man,” etc, 16mo, Cloth, St.co. His Fortunate Grace. y Mrs. GERTRUDE ATHERTON, author of ‘ Before the Gringo Came,” “A Whirl Asunder,” etc. 16m, cloth, $1.00. Doyte, y STEPH Courage, etc. Badge of Maggie,” Appletons’ Town and Country Library. Each, r2mo, cloth, $1.00; paper, so cents. Fierceheart, the Soldier. By J. C, SNaitu, author of ‘Mistress Dorothy Mar- u The Sun of Saratoga. A Romance of Burgoyne's Surrender. By J. A. ALTSHELER. READY SHORTLY, Equality. By Epwarp BeLtamy, author of “Looking Back- ward,” etc, 12mo, cloth, $1.25. After man: ration Mr. Bellamy now puts forwar will command universal attention. T! years of pr a work whi ation. ew book is larger and more compre- hensive than '* Looking Backward.” OTHER STANDARD BOOKS. In Joyful Russia, By Joun A, Locax, Jr, With fifty full irations in colors and black and white. cloth, $3.50. Bird-Life. A Guide to the Study of Our Common Birds. By FRANK M. CHAPMAN, Assistant Curator of Mam- malogy and Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History; author of ‘* Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America.” With 75 full-page plates and numerous text drawings, by ERNEST SETON THOMPSON. 1amo cioth $1.75. Insect-Life. By Joux Henry Comstock, Professor of Entomol- ogy in Cornell University. With illustrations by Anna Botsford Comstock, Member of the Society of American Wood Engravers. 12mo, cloth, Familiar Features of the Roadside. By F. SCHUYLER (MATHEWS, author of | Familiar Flowers of Field and Garden,” * Familiar Trees and their Leaves,” etc. With one hundred and {hitty illustrations by the author. 17S. ge illus- mall 8vo, 12m, cloth, Appletons’ Guide Books. General Guide to the United States. $2.50. Canadian Guide Book. $1.50. European Guide Book. $5.00. Dictionary of New York. 60 cents. Handbook of Summer"Resorts. so cents, For sale by all booksellers; or will be sent by matt on receipt of price by the publishers. Send for a copy, free, of Appletons’ Fiction Bulletin. D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 72 Fifth Ave., NAY.