Life — February 12, 1903 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

n the Cross, Wilhelmine von Hillern's * Ro- mance of the Passion Piay at Overammer. gan,” can only be described as a case of rushing in wherethe angels themselves would hesitate, The theme has tremendous emotional and dra- matic possibilities, but offers insurmountable obstacles to good taste. Zola would have at tempted tt, and falled. A Milton ora Shakespeare might have succeeded, but would never have attempted it. It ts fair to say, however, thatif the book 1s sensational, and, la places, fairly sacri Jegtous, this 1s apparently the result of the au- thor’s limitations and not of her tnteatlons, (Drexel Biddle, Philadelphia. $1.50.) Mrs. Alice Morse Earle, whose accurate and charming writings upon old-time ways Lave had 80 wide @ popularity, bas surpassed her own record In het new volume, Sun Dials and Roses of Yesterday. It represents ® vast amount of delving and studs, and gives their results tn most attractive form, The history, «sthetics ‘and mathematics of the dial are all included, and the book 18 flnely Llustrated. (The Macmillan Company. $250) Man’s inhumanity to bis wife 1s treated from the widely separated standpoints of tweutieth century realism and mid-Victorian sentimentaltty 1a two current stories, The Life of a Woman, by R.V, Risley, ls at once 80 graphic and so com. monplace as to be merely depressing. The woman never wholly enilsts our sympathy, and the man does not even win the compliment of our contempt, (Herbert S. Stone and Compans, Chicago.) Mrs, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, on the other hand, in Arery, calls tn a vision and a semt. miracle to reduce the delinquent to remorse and ring down the curtain upon # happy stage and # tearful audience, Unfortunately, the selfish hus. bands, who alone might be benefited by etther book, will never read them. (Houghton, MiMio and Company, $1.00.) Napoleon Jickton ‘3 one of Rath McEaery Stuart's clever sketches of Southern darkles. poleon isa gentleman of color and of elegant leisure, whose mother had “marked him for and the story hinges upon the vain etforts of “the quality * to establish a proper divtaton of labor between him and his cheerfully industrious wife. The little book ts amusing, with a touch of very gennine sentiment. (The Century Company $1.00.) The Weaving of Webs ls a story of secret serv. ice in and about Richmond under General McClellan, in. which Dame Fortune is kept busy controlling the alternating current of her smiles and frowns. After playing seesaw with tbe hero and the viilain through many cbap- ters she finally confirms the eternal laws of poetic Justice, The book 1s by Francls W. van Praag. (It. F, Fenno and Company. $1.50.) More of James Whitcomb Riley's verses about youngsters are always welcome. His new vol- ume, The Bork of Joyous Children, 18 datntily {llustrated, and holds some delightful bits of real Riley, (Charles Scribner's Sons, $1.50.) J.B. Kerfoot. “Mow DID YOUR LADYSWIP FIND THE JEWELS WHICH I CAUSED TO BE CONVEYED To Your” “WITH THE AID OP AN ENLARGING GLASS, YOUR EXCRLLENCY.” comicbooks.com