The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 13, 1904, Page 6

Brudno Writes Grim Story of Russian Jews TH all the apparent selfish- self-centered com- I fference t) h 4 e th ego scems st the pain- ' ristic of K v < hidden away down s g leaven of sympath; T 2 s this touched, it is true of workaday ily flowing he clogging direct heart find in his an unknowa hing traged held to view moved Pzra S. Brudno's grim e f th are book rough the bled to facts either of of some me sely intimate. The truth and th fiction a blend with so strong : lends effective [ other and th s a powe portrayed f the heavy the shoulders But it is, er field which B holding u )y Very natur wdox Jew and vhich exist in t upon k rs. By ith, the autho acceptance for a gion of broth- ty Christiax the author asks t can my religic to these prin a certain cres » passions embrace 2l more—unsog To be confi ofess to extend phi Creeds which mankind ascends h. The top may be kicked usefulness.” alistic monothe- »e taken as typical of educated Jews, comes The Fugitive” only through the fierce ion of the old Juda- i in Christianity nder to the philosophers. between his ity ar once dde hing past uggle the creed of his lings of Heine and a moving one. of the struggles of his subsidiary, however, to of his life battle. Born n a little village of Lithuania, the hero of the ry sees his father falsely im- prisoned and done to death and his mother removed from him by fatal ill- hile he is yet scarcely more than fant. Thrown out upon the world, wapless little wretch is forced to eat the meager loaf of charity while he is the brutality of Jewish at the Talmud-Torah, or te school. Brow-beaten by his master and bullied by his com- rades, the starved drudge has to worry along with the Talmud until a fire sweeps away the homes of his benefac- tors he is thrown upon the barren mercies of the forest. A Russian Judge befrien him for a time, and he lives until the in- ling boy and ttie dream of happine: nt love between the stri Katia, the Judge’s daughter, brings to the fore the father’s race prejudice, again the wanderer is out in the world i he gained admission to the there to devote him- 1 energy to the pursuit e; ‘how he first began the “forbidden books” of phil- and poetry, drinking from them bring the first clouds his orthodox. faith, and ally expelled for just orthodoxy, Brudno re- forceful narrative. teacher of Russian in the tavern-keeper, the young man is forced to witness the brutal injustice of a Russian noble in robbing the noor boniface of his daugh- ter and the honor of his family. Again forced to wander, the fugitive presses on to higher springs of learning and again adopts a subterfuge in order to enter the university at Vilno. There follow his discovery of Katia, his boy- Yeshiva acade was such breach c house Jewish hood’s sweetheart, the plighting of their troths and his determination to embrace Christianity that he may make the girl his bride. Then the mas- sacre of the Jews by the muzhiks. with all its attendant horrors of murder and rapine, and the fugitive’s passionate return to the downtrodden people of his faith: New York and the filthy tenements see the author beginning life anew. Trained intellect though he possesses, he must fight for bread in the garment workers’ shops. Poverty worse than that in Russia assails him anew uptil desperation drives him to stultify his honor and his talents under the pat- ronage of a rascally charlatan. Finally success begins to be born out of the shame, & rare chance throws Katie again into his path and the man, fugi- tive no longer, turns his face toward liberty which lies above the ghetto, with mew hope and the spring of free- dom in his beart. This is the story—the autobiography. if you will. Bare outline of the plot cannot but give the most imperfect conception of the worth that is in the book. To read it is to read the tragedy AT HOR TRE FoSiTv that has been the Jews’ since the earth rocked and the veil of the Temple was rent in twain. (Doubleday, Page & Co., New price $1 50.) Battleground in East Made Stories’ Scene York; HERE could be found no better in- dication of the widespread interest attached to affalrs as they now are in the Far East than the haste which all of the publishers have exerted in bringing out any book bearing upon Japan, China, Korea ot Asiatic Russia. Besides reprinted works and newly written books of travel and of affairs in the Orient enterprising publishers have seized the auspicious moment to launch aiso new works of fiction whose scenes present the alluring paddy fields and ragged mountains of the much dis- traught Korea or Manchuria. Within the last few weeks ““The Queen of Quel- parte,” a novel of Korea by Arthur Butler Hulbert, and “A Lamb to the Slaughter,” likewise a tale of Korea and China, by Lee Welling Squlier, have come from the pre <. Both of the books will be bought if only for their pertinency. But “The Queen of Quelparte” has more clalms on the attention of the reading world than that of mere time- liness. It is a book of thrilling adven- ture and breathless interest far and away above the ordinary standard of such novels of action. With the scene laid in Korea, the Eastern unknown land with all of its Oriental mysticism and wealth of barbaric tradition, the author has been able to drop over his whole story the charmed mantle of mystery—the mystery of the unknown. Not only that, but he has so skillfully reproduced the clash between the thor- oughly intrenched conservatism and reticence of the Oriental mind and the grasping, belligerent intrusion of the Western idea, cxemplified in the on- ward march of the Russian, that his story is a perfect miniature of the strife which has been waged and is now wag- ing for the mastery over the oldest nations in the world. Hulbert makes the intrigue of Rus- sia for the possession of Quelparte, an island off the Southern Korean coast, the groundwork of his story. The scene opens shortly after the end of the war between Japan and China, with Oranoff, a Russlan diplomat, in complete ascen- dency over the weak monarch of Quel- parte and awaiting only the favorable moment to turn the Government over to the Czar. His orderly or assistant, Robert Martyn of Washington, D. C,, who plays the hero in the tale, is dele- gated to turn the trick which will make Quelparte a province of Russia. This is ncthing else than to bring to the capital for final burial the body of the late Queen, which has been hidden by the widowed spouse for reasons of state. To do this he must brave the treacherous opposition of a wily Thi- nese statesman and his unscrupulous agent. . - How Martyn was attacked by the treacherous emissaries of the Chinese statesman in the temple of Buddha, the daring escape -which he effected and the remarkable ruse to which he bad recourse in order that the King might be deceived are reeled off by the author with the vividness of a kinetoscope pic- ture. Even the remarkable incident of the substitution of the living body of the heroine for the corpse of the dead Queen which was lost, daring as it may be upon the part of the.author, is so well worked out that the reader forgets its “wild improbability in his eagerness to follcw its many complex developments. The climax of the story is reached after a series of adventures on the part of the hero and his lady, calculated to turn gray the head of any individual out of book covers, Aside from the plot a most attractive feature of the book is the vivid picture nted therein of Oriental life and ¢ No one but the most careful 98- of actual occurrences could give such a sharply drawn view of scenes such as that presented by the imperial funeral. The author's descriptions con- vey the same impression as that of a ceiored photograph. (Little, Brown & Co., Boston; price $1 50.) % serve In “A Lamb to the Slaughter” Lee ‘Welling Squier has also broken away from well-beaten paths of fiction and laid his scene In Japan, Korea and China. He does not, however, deal with Oriental characters, but, like Kipling, he writes of Caucasians in Oriental sur- roundings. His characters are the mis- sionaries and his problems the grave ones “which confront a beautiful con- secration and zealous effort to supplant the oldest extant civilization and re- ligion by the newest.” The author has succeeded in writing an interesting story that ably depicts all the phases of European life in the Far East. Throughout the incidents of th: book he shows that his knowledge of life and especially of missionary life in the oldest stronghold of Buddha is derived at first hand. Though he does not acknowledge that to his eyes many of the efforts of these worthy people are valn, Sduier succeeds In giving to the Christian world a convincing conception of the attitude taken against the.mis- sions by the best thinkers of the other creed. Aside from this study of a sociological question of great moment the author has evolved a story of considerable merit. He has not learned, however, to make his story slip along’smoothly. There is many a hitch and a joit in the plot. (The Patriot Publishing Company, Greensburg, Pa.; price $1 25.) Some Books of Merit and a Few Without THE new novel of Mr. Bram Stok- er's, “The Jewel of Seven Stars,” might be termed a more classical “King Solomon’s Mines.” It has all of the bizarre mystery and fantastic machinery of a Rider Haggard novel, but it is better written. Mr. Stoker has cast his lot with those who would out-Poe the author of “The Man in the * Crowd” himself. Dr. Conan Doyle has tried this fantastic, “shuddery” kind of story in .many of - his short tales; Gautier in France was distinctly a master of it; Robert Louis Stevenson himself could write a- “crawler” when the spirit moved him. So “She,” “Le THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. Roman d’'un Momme,” "“I'hrawn Janet” and “The Jewel of Seven Stars” are all of ore school. The first chapter of the story opens with the perpetration of a crime by an unknown person upon a learned Egyptologist and scholar of the East. It seems that the scholar who was at- tacked in the mysterious manner de- scribed had been working over a re- markable experiment when he was stricken, and it is only after he has laid in a trance for a considerable length of time that he revives and con- tinues his work with feverish energy, never revealing the cause. which® he, knows to have been instrumental in, his Injury. The experiment is the at- tempt to revivify the mummy of an Egyptian queen, dead-these thousands of years. The scientists had discov- ered an ancient document whHieh had expressed the dead queen's determina- tion to come back to earth again, and ‘he had determined to forestall her by performing the miracle himself. A lonely castle in Cornwall is the scene of the startling denouement which the ex- periment develops. Everything is hung around with a thick and clammy veil of mystery until the story comes to a fitting close. Like “The Fall of the House of Usher” or Guy de Maupassant's terri- ble “L'Horla,” this story has the rare merit of interest sustained to the high- est wire tension throughout. One slackening of the stress, the least indi- cation of a drag-and the story would topple over of its own weight, for in such tales of the bizarre the improb- abilities of the plot which would im- mediately force themselves upon a mind allowed to' review them dispas- _sionately are refused consideration by the mind riding on the wings of imag- ination. Mr. Stoker has done a difficult task admirably. (Harper & Bros.,, New York). PR < P There have been written stories of adventure, stories of romance and plain drab. stories of travels. Heretofore each of these children of fictlon has traveled along his definitely ordered pagh, discreetly keeping to himself that which is his and making no nretext of borrowing any pluges from his neigh- bor. But it has beenfor S. R. Crockett, that braw Scottish teller of border tales, to throw this nice adjustment into whimsical confusion and produce a book which is a delightfully puzzling rouleau of all three types. One read- ing “The Adventurer in Spain” is at first certain that he has nothing more than a very diverting book of travel and adventure, when suddenly the whole dissolves into a romance—one of Crockett’s own. This is something new and singularly effective. It is a kinl of literary pigs-in-clover wherein the wandering marbles suddenly surprise all speculation by grouping themselves about a totally Unsuspected alley. Purposely to throw the reader off the scent at the first take-off, Crockett al- lows himself to enter the story in the guise of an innocent tourist, seeking to see some new thing. Like any Wash- ington Irving or Bayard Taylor, he re- counts his journeyings in the Pyrenees under the cicerone Jean. They amble peacefully about, meeting with neither adventure nor misadventure till the au- thor finds that he is the guest of Don Manuel, a hot old Carlist. Then it de- volves that he is also a smuggler— smack! and you are right In the story where none was expected. Crockett is at home with smugglers and Carlists; he has written of these people before. So there unfolds itself as spirited a tala ot rattling good adventure and spatk- ling adventure as one should permit himself to read in Lent. Of a surety there are ladies in the story—the ladies of filmy mantillas and backward thrown glances, such as are always assoclate with Spain and the covers of cigar boxes. But the real charm of the story is the little lady, aetat 8, who is in herself an excuse for the book -were one lacking. This surprise party of fiction which Mr. Crockett has been good enough to give us is better than any donation party. (Frederick A. Stokes Co., New York; price $1 50). | AavTHOR. e — Let us offer up a sincere prayer that E. W. Hornung, the author of those two remarkably fascinating pieces of fiction, “The Amateur Cracksman” and “‘Raffles,” has not stuktified his talents to the worship of the golden image, Mammon, like so many of his success- ful fellew craftsmen. . For it would seem that his last book, “Denis Dent,” was written hurriedly in answer to the persistent call of his publisher. It is a distinct falling off from the genius which Mr, Hornung has manifested in his previous stories. The scene of the early part of the * novel is laid in Australia during the days of the gold excitement. Denis Dent, Irish by that same token, r cues Nan Merridew from a shipwreck and séts out with laudable intention to make a fortune avhich may make Denis and Nan one. But meanwhile his plighted sweetheart becomes entangled in' the meshes of a scheming villian back 'in England and is forced to be- come his bride. The Crimean war, hap- pening along about this time, carries a snug little bullet for the villain and Denis comes to his own. This plot could scarcely be called anything but hackneyed. The big, strong hero who is willing to move the world for his lady love ‘has figured in fiction almost since men marked their thoughts upon walrus tusks and so does not gain any distinction by new handling from the pen of Mr. Hernung. The one thing that does mark the story as original is the very vivid and Bret- Harte-like portrayal of Australian mining camp scenes in boom days. This is done in a bright, trenchant style which atones in a measure for the anti- quated character of the plot. Mr. Hornung should set right to work like the famous author of “His Wife's Sister-in-law” to attempt a parallel to the ever diverting “Raffles.” (Frederick A.-Stokes Company, New York; price, $1 50.) It is the earnest endeavor of the writer of these columns to bend his best eneryyies to the task set for him, but befcie one he must pause with fear and an overwhelming sense of his ut- ter unworthiness. That Is the review of any work upon spiritualism, auto- psychic phenomena or the materializa- tion of occult shades. Last week it was his duty to essay a critique upon a psychic volume of 500 odd pages and now he is writing on his knee, for his desk is completely usurped by a tome as large as Doomsday Book, entitled “Book of Knowledge—Psychic Facts,” the work of Dr. Nellie Beighle. Dr. Beighle lays no claim to a pre- ternatural birth or infant powers. Her first inklings of the fact that she pos- sessed the power came while she was living over in Temescal. At nights she would hear faint raps all over the house which she immediately attribut- ed to the presence of woodticks. Be- fore she ‘could supply herself with buhach, however, she awakened to the realization that it was not woodticks, but some spirit knocker come to con- vince her of the divine gift which was hers. From that day Dr. Beighle went on from strength to strength, increas- ing-in wisdom and stature, Within her potent right arm there was concealed the power to cure all the banes by which weak mortals are afilicted; lift- ing tables and moving pianos and kitchen ranges were mere matters of the moment; anything from an apple to a guitar could be materialized at will from the circumambient ether. Dr. Beighle came to the height of her powers with a great coming. These things and many others ure recounted in the “Book of Knowledge.” The untutored mind of a mere reviewer cannot begin to reveal all the food for thought that lies between the covers of that volume. Let the reader take a week’s vacation from business and the cares of the world and lose himself in the mystic misty mazes of this hand- book to all things knowable. (The Alliance Publishing Company, San Francisco.) The fact that good manners, the ex- hibition of high breeding and an easy address can be perfected, at least, if not acquired, by diligent study of a textbook on those subjects would seem to be demohstrated by the fact that “The Man Who Pleases and the Wo- man Who Charms” has just come from a third printing, the other two editions having been sold, presumably. Since the book is evidently so thoroughly on the market a reviewer must presume that it needs no encomiums. This little book by Mr. John A. Cone is a more pretentious effort than the usual paper-backed booklet on “Don’ts” in good society written by one of those on the fringe thereof. The au- thor makes a very creditable attgmpt to voint out the many little things in life, the possession of which will make the man or woman more acceptable to his neighbor and more satisfied With himself. There is no - charlatanism about the book; it could teach Chester- fleld something. (Hinds & Noble, New York; price 76 cents.) BRAM sSTORER CouRTES> o ODEWEL off SEVEN STaws” OF mAaRPER. aso BRSO3 Wfiat to Read in the March Mogczines cCLURE'S for March adds stll M further to its well-established reputation as a torch bearer in the Magazine world. It is still going before, lighting the way. In this num- ber the light is shed on several of ti nation’s dark places greatly to the in terest of the publi Especially start- ling in its illumination is a powerful article on “The Case of the State ¢ Kentucky vs. Caleb Powers by S uel Hopkins Adams, who tersely dramatically reads the lines of dark page in Kentucky's history. There is a mine of fiction from which there is to be extracted riches for al Anthony Hope, in his strongest roman- tic style, solves “The Riddle of Coun- tess Runa.” Edward Cummings de- scribes the transforming effect of er vironment ard circumstance on “TI Coward,” who dies a hero's death save his command. Rex E. a skillfully humorous article from the Far West on “The Colonel and the Horse Thief.” Mpyra Kelley dips into the race problem of New York's poly glot East Side in a fetchingly comical tale of “When a Man's Widowed,” and later. save the mark, when he's mar- ried. Mary Stewart Cutting indulges in sweetly sentimental domesticity in “The Terminal,” while Jeanette Cooper consumes “A Candid Violet™” t the great entertainment of her readers in a pseudo-endeavor to justify femi- i this to ach has nine inaccurac The heroism of the commonplace described by W. H Boardman in “A Kind of Hero” who forgets self for duty. “‘Genius a poem by Florence Wilkinson displays its own inspiration. Country Life in America issues its large and superbly illustrated “Gar- dening. Manual” as a double number for March, with an unusually beautiful cover in many colors showing a stately old-fashioned flower garden. It con- tains practical directions and adv for every sort of plant-growing out-of- doors, and in cold frames and hot houses as well. Among the leading fea- tures, “Flowers for Every Place and Purpose” tells how to make waste places beautiful and bare spots cheer- ful. A long list of flowers for difficult situations is added. “The Gladiolus and How to Grow It” is illustrated with photographs of the wonderful re- sults that may be obtained; “The World’s Greatest Tree Garden” is the story of the Arboretum of Boston, by Wilhelm Miller; “The Late-Planted Garden of a Tenderfoot” is the amus- ing experience of a summer man in Maine, which is helpfully practical and will show others how to succeed; while “A Garden of Sweet Herbs” has to do with the fragrant things that add the final touch to good cooking—the home- ly “simples” and “meeting-house yarbs.” = Everything is luxuriously il- lustrated on the ample pages. The World To-Day for March con- tains nineteen thrilling pictures of the great Baltimore fire, giving the clear- est conception of this great disaster yet published. In view of the approaching Presidential campaign much interest wili attach to the article entitled “Will Roosevelt Share the Fate of Arthur?” by Charles M. Harvey, in which the remarkable similarities and contrasts between the campaigns of 1884 and 1904 are pointed out very forcefully. “The Labor Truce in New York,” by William English Walling, makes known (he true inwardness of the labor situation there and the basis of agreement and present harmony. Politics under the control of the machine receive drastic exposition from Francis W. Parker of the Illinois Senate, who distinguishes between “The Machine or A Ma- chine.” W. T. Stead scores British army officials for unnecessarily provok- ing war by an aggressive expedition into Pibet. The seriousness of a possi- ble war between the United States and Colombia is also the theme of Charles M. Dobson’s article, “Respect Thine Enemy."” The World’s Work for March Is a striking number, fully realizing its pur- pose as a magazine of significant achievement. Of timely interest is “Korea, Japan and Russia,” by Robert E. Speer, for years a resident of Korea. ‘With the aid of many new pictures he gives a first-hand view of the prize of the Russo-Japanese war and the peo- ple. In “What Has Followed the Coal Strike?” Guy Warfleld tells how the an- thracite settlement has worked out, giving startling revelations of present conditions, showing the enormous profits of the operators and the restive- ness of the miners. To make this inti- mate study Mr. Warfleld lived with the miners and worked in the mines. “The Postoffice and the People,” by M. G. Cunniff, the third of a series of search- ing investigations, shows that the real postal scandal lies in the inordinate rates the oftice pays the railroads for carrying the mails. “The Industrial Manager,” by Frolf Wisby, xploits the skilled business specialist, and America Competing Against Ttself,” John Callan O'Laughlin, o went to Europe as the special rep- ntative of the Wo Work, re- veals an unusual commercial competi- tion Booklovers” Magazi upholds utation already established for itself in the March number. Four beau- tiful modern paintings are reproduced in their original colors in the art sec- tion—"The Artist's Daughter,” by H rsen; a charact eorge Inness; Vibert's - nd the Lilliputians” and Friant's “All Saints’ Day.” There is als series of six half-tone pictures Famous Parisian Artists in Their Studios.” Whether New gland main- tains the intellectual supremacy it has for so long 1 questioned by Mr. George Morris of Boston in an article entitled “The Old Guard of England: Their Outlook on Twen- tieth Century Problems.” The article is illustrated with portraits of ing New E and writers, in addition to one in color of Oliv 11 Holmes by V. Floyd Camp ton Johnson writes in a gossi way of “Old James- town,” and illustrates his text with some striking pictures of this historic scene of two wars. The story is by Miss Anna Mc re Sholl—“Whatso~ ever a Woman Soweth”—and is a strong study in racter contrasts. “The World department maintains its repu for integest and variety The March number of The Smart Set is distinguished by the extraordinary variety of fiction composing it—a variety that altogether meritorious. In th The Interference of Miss Jane, Robert Adger Bowen, one finds an exquisite love story, chief« ly of the South, though sometimes the scene is shifted to New York. It has a phere, a real plot, real action . a story that is both power- ful and fascinating. In contrast to it follows “To-Morrow at Dawn,” by Rese K. Weekes, a won- derful tragedy of one father’s love for his child. Again, “The Sentimental- ists Ruth Milne, is written in lighter vein, with gentler theme, but equally excellent of its kind. Other stories that command attention and admiration are: “By a Strange Road by Kate Jordan, strikingly original in its narrative of a desperate and loving woman; “Mammon’s Match,” by James Sranch Cabell, a thoroughly entertain- ing piece of comedy work, and unusu- ally clever; “The Divvil Wagon,” by Ernest Jarrold, a most amusing tale. Ainslee’s for March opens with = novelette which takes the shape of autographical notes by a society girl which tells of her experiences from the time she was 15 years of age to the time of her engagement. It is original and dramatic and, what is more tm- portant, interesting. It is called “Miss Vanity.” Edited by Mary Hamiiton Park. Maarten Maartens has one of nov by his characteristic tales called “Five Minutes ation.” “Her Letters from Dakota” deals With a timely theme in an extremely taking fashion. It is by Miriam Michelson, author of “In the Bishop’'s Carriage.” The sec- ond of the series, “Stories of the Street,” by James H. Gannon, is called “The Matrimony Syndicate.” Roy Horniman has an intensely interesting and dramatic story called “The Wits of Basil Wynyard.” An unusually hu- morous tale is “The Undoing of Ulyss Updegraff,” by W. D. Nesbit. The publishers of the Popular Mag- agine announce in the March number the opening chapters of a new serial by Arthur W. Marchmont, “The Eter- nal Snare,” which is the first of a se- ries of notable stories by famous au- thors of adventure fiction to appear in this magazine. Mr. Marchmont’s story las as a baokground the author's fa- vorite fleld, Constantinople and its en- vironments. There is a strong political intrigue ‘in which are involved an American muiti-millionaire who has planned to Americanize a part of the Turkish empire, an English friend and adviser of the millionaire and a beau- tiful Greek woman, New Books THE FUGITIVE, Doubleday, price $1 50. THE JEWEL OF SEVEN STARS, Bram. Stoker: Harper & Bros., New York; price $1 THE QUEEN OF QUELPARTE, Archer Butler Hulbert; Little, Brown & Co., Boston; illustrated: price $1 50. CONFESSIONS OF MARGUERITE, anonymous; Rand, McNally & Co., Chicago. THE YOKE, Elizabeth Miller; Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis; price $1 50, e TR—eceived. Ezra S. Brudno; Page & Co.. New York; Y