SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2187, 27 June 1914, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION.

UNTO CAESAR

In her latest novel, "Unto CaeSM , " (Horlder and Stoughton; per Wkitconibo and Tombs), the Caronegs QMsy, i>l "Scarlet l'impeniel" fame, <rfiaHeUgeij comparison wit-li Bulwcr Lyttoii and Sienkiewiez, for she takes us to aneiwtRome,, and introduces us te pretty niucb the same characters as figure w "The Last Days of i'ompeii" and "Quo Vadis." ' Iho period is the- reign t>l ( that monster in human form, Cajus 1 Julius Caesar Caligula, that personification of studied, hendish cruelty, iliohero, and a very fine hero he Es, l≤ H!O I'raefect of Itomc, Taurus Antm-or, the descendant of a prisoner of war brwght by Caesar from sonic far northern country. Tho. i'raeicct loves t'le beautiful Uoa Flavia Augusta, a princess of the lantry, Tauras Antinor, reveals iris lave, ' is secondary to political wbitiofls. For the l'raofect sympathises witii tlioso who, for various reasons, avro plotting against the tyrant. The time comes when by an act of super!) gallantry, Taurus Antiua, reveals his ,k>v<3j which is returned. ' Suddenly, tfeo Pracfcct, coming under tho iirfhtoace of the Christians, recognises the- brutality and sensuality of bis previous life, and becomes himself a ft-'Hvwt. Later on,' the haughty and beautiful Dea Flavia, after a long'" struggle, is also converted. As the Story proceeds, Tauras Antinor is torn by tae contending emotions of his sworn ioyaMy to the Caesars, tho temptation, to himself become the Imperial rulor, |iis levo for Dea Flavia, and his recognition of his greater duty to that onco strange God whom tho despised Nazarenes have .taught him to worship. Be saves the. cowardly tyrant's life, being trite, to Ills oath to tho Imperial dynasty, but Rome, knows him no more. For he relinquishes positiqn, wealth, affibit-ioij, even, tho call of love, and goes, a butnbto pit* Krim, to Jerusalem. Tlwr«, finally ha finds his reward, for Dea Ffctvia, tho Imperial princess, follows him., aiid t&fi story closes with the joint ifctffitainaHon of tho lovers to go to fljoso far off northern lands, where t-hti hero's forefathers dwelt, there to preach th© glorious faith which they had itond at tlao foot of the Cross. Baroness Qrca/s story is in many ways a very too e-ffart, Tho vivid colour of Romail Tife under tho Caesars is reproduced with most picturesque effect, tho descriptions of the gladiatorial games, the eroibat-s between wild beasts, and almost equally wild men in tho great arena-, vdiere ttio tyrant provides cheap exciteme-M-t fpif the populace, being yuito as thrilling as those in "Quo Vadis," white the author wisely spares us the yet jne-re revolting detaijs as given "by tlieFraieh novelist, Fclieien Chainps-attr, in that powerful, but repulsivo story "L'Gtgte Latino." The transformation iu the characters of tho hero and heroine after their conversion to Christianity Js perhaps a trifle sudden, but there is little in the story which outsteps fte bounds of probability. "Unto Caesar" should enlarge, if that', be possible, the nlrsa-tty wide circlo of tho author's axljoirers. "THE MEDIATOR." A Wild West story. with aa.y originality, either in plot or cti-araetonEsUWi, is becoming increasingly ttijcanimen. lioy Norton, however, in ""i'he iVicdiater'.' (W. J. Watt arid Co.; pw George Iteh* ertson and Co.), succeeds- in provMin<i tho deshed novelty. His befo. is a rough-mannered, big-hearted, Western raiiier, who describes hiinerff as.a ©an 0.1 peace. - "They call mo the Mediator.. It means' the feller that always trteft to keep folks from tigbtm , . I know, because a friend of mm, what has a library, looked it up in tffe dietsieaaryy and told me. lie's got pre.tfcv near twenty books, that vam flfisi Think of that! Great to bo eddicafc-. odl The Mediator, that's too"As a matter'of fact, the alj-dmiiinant desiro for peaco by which "f h» fcsivstor" is governed,\is ccm-tmttaßy 4-r.a-K*. King him into somo oi" the "(Wettiesfc : scraps" that even a Nevada or Colorado, mining camp can stfpply. Th* Mediator, however, is always on tie side o| nsnt versus might, and not even tho niHnortal Don of Cervantee'S romafiee rtoto doughtily championed feanij- in distress or warred against what. fee dfiented thfl wrongdoing of the wofß. Tito story el tho Mediator's exploits, Ms jmmnc ventures, his faithful friendship to a drinkruined mate, and finally his mooing and winning of a Western girl, as "gWtty ftS himself, is replete with. -osojtiws episodes, plus, too" many AsHriltfol tewohce of genuine, enforced eftnieay"THE WAY OF TB£ STfIWC."' Cullum, who, has wrtitefi so many "stories of Canadian a-ntt Westfirtj American pioneer life,, fiiusfc bo- credited with scoring a decided his wrtb »» latest novel "The Wajr of the Strong (G. Bell and Sons; pe* Wh-i-teomae. apd Tombs). Not for many a long »avo I happened across a story «'i«i a stronger plot, more convwetag cteacterisation, and a bett«i gefteral swing of narrative than this latest effort of Mr.Callum's. Leo, the leading figure, is almost barbaric in the stfen-gta -or his primitive pa-ssions. The passion for gold leads him to leas* tlie fffiraan. wto loves him so dearly, and who JS SOoUt to bear him a child, alone in the wilderness, in tho care of an Xndiaa: Iho poor woman reaches fee β-earest tewn ( and the child is safety ham, The mother, however, dies, tfws child b;omg confided to tho care of liei- Sis-tcr Monica, who, to eaive torn- frd-ni the brand of illegitimacy, promises to pass him off as'her: own, inventing au imaginary husband to better eonartt her story. In less abb tads than that of Mr. 'Callum, sueli a position might imporil the story, but the attfcbar- Mfc only succeeds in making us deceit tho position as a reality, Injt de_velo.p&-tlrere-from a second story, ill which are introduced several very iiitores-trng %"«?. Mr. Cullum is speeiaßy convuicntg « his clover reproduotion of tforctaour and atmosphere of the Cafia-fe-n forests, and as the story develops is equally successful in depicttap the play ot m : man passions as evicced hi <* great labour disturbance, Mr. CuHum slioidd score heavily with tfe last saavel of β-is. It is immeasurably suJkhw to the current run of American jic-tfefc IN OLDEST "VJBGINHV." Tlie late Vaiigbaft ile'ster. of whoso capital story, "The Prodigal Jiiflger not a few novel waders hate pratrful memories, must have left bebuid him quite a respectable JnaSs of maliuscnot, for "John 0' JaniestowTr (Hfldder and Stoughton; per Wh-tewnbs AOd , Tombs) is tho second star? jMWisnea sinco the death ot the >elv-k»swn. American author. It is a story- of Virginia, in the very eSrtest days, BWOrflj indeed, those early Vii'gjftiw. daM «J{ which Miss.Mai-y Jtftaston has write so much and so *elt Mr. fester ta«cos us back to the d&vs of Captain ttom Smith, that stalwart, kfacnlnshtfe-WMi son of John Bull, who, after fighting against the Turks, joined nn «xp«*<Mii which set out in tho elositig yews of tho Elizabethan period to csfolitse JW then almost terra iMog-iiita fff yj-r|Htta.-Mr Kcster makes Jelm of Vi-rgmm a very interesting feorsauage, and Ms skilfully utilised the eld recarcls of early Viminian .history, ft-'Wel' citnOT-s may study at the great Congressional Library at Washnmto-rt. Tte story has its duo allowance of vliat SteV-a-Hsan called "Tushory," br-rt it goes with a good s-.ving tlirougftntit. SHORTfiR NOTICES. That variety k fiterrains; is clearly the motto of Miss Cto- ftrave-s, who. under her pen-name of Richard Dehan. Bivns us, in "Bio Cost of Wings and Other Stories" (HoineiflajWi; per«.;e»ra»Robertson and Cu.) an ifltcresUng eol*

loeUoii oi" short stories. Ift several of these storictf the aul&or of "The Pop t)octor" seeißs to i»va-i.k> a fioM altoady very deeply worked by Mr. Algwiioij j Blucitwood. She n-rannges her thrills very clevoriy, J. admit, but I prefer h«r in "lighter vein, :ts in "The ILtoskm of Mrs/ Dmwjhoe" and "His Silhouette." In some of her tniiftary., or, rather, tua> should say, regirtenlaj, stork's, slw recalls tho fate "John Strang* Winter," ftiid in lilw oscessivo wealth of allusion in whicb sl» sometimes indulges there is even a saggostioM of~Ouida! Two or three of the yarns arc palpably niaga* ■ zino of Christmas number "pot-tojlcrs," ; but the general average of merit is : high. All arc distinctly readable, and in ajfne there is a &ms dramatic quality. 1 But it woitW give ten sucli eoitectfcms ' for on.o "three-decker" like- "The Bop Doctor," or that; astonishingly clever book, '"'Between Two Thieves," in "%o Chain~of 0-b," by Glair Hanrett (Andrew Melruse _; per Gowge ■ I?(?bert«en) aro related 'the experiences, strongly tinged by the supernatural, oi a y.ouiig Lendfiiser who accompanies a friend to an o!d Cornish maasioii, 9i-lii.ck tlis latter lias inherited. The hew meets a pretty little "gitost," wlw first talas lihu took into the time pi the later Staarts, eudj. oh later occasions, is apparently reincarnated' in a foolish and extravagant young la*}? all of the present day. Tlie story is told uitJj aii evident intention of irapfresstag its readers with an air of probability, The esecutien, boffovcr, is hardly equal j to the design. ■ I Sir lan CalmacTate, a wealthy swing j English baronet, rescues a ymMR lady, a foreigner, from some mysterious enemies, who have assaulted lief, iii the streets of Southampton, and forthwith teoaies involved in a complicated jilet by xfavtih it is toped to the indepeaflpjioe of Hiiagriry, atid to place en the throne the yeartg lady's kptheii Prijice Osca-., of Prasnieno. Fpreifjaers w!>o imprison Wf iiisan® prinsos ifi private ttsyhitos, plots an 4 counto*piote, and, of coarse, the love Story or the plucky y«ling bitTonet, and the lovely .'Princess Eva., afford, when sktiiuiy used by the well-practised Mr. Jtecbraoat, iuaterial for aii oxcitiiig and very rtada-ble, if higlilv iirtproWMe. story,, tlto titb of wkicT) is, "Tho Heir to the Throne" f\Va.Kl, Lock and Co., ]»r S. and W. Jfackey). Hie very latest Oppeiilieim' book, "The- Amazing iPartntits'hip" iOassoH and Co. , per S. and W. Mackay) i? onr good old ffiead r tli(!<fctectiye story, in ai'.otker aad ratior original farm, The prinajpal cimracfers nre a souug kdy, nommally a in reality a skilled investigator, , afttt a voung gentieniaiij who previous to n.ieOiiiig this female protoype of Slrerfoei Holmes, lias taeii itt 'tlio diplolnatie service.) hut having ted to retire therefrom fts the r&siilt of the jnacliftwtimjs of a fasttally AtestJriaii political s#, is M(j« without a and ver.v Jjara. lip. He- joins forces with the lady <Wtective, and tl«s .pair succeed i-ft owt-B-iitiiig rogiws. and erimwial-s of various degrees, the result being tlw ibs-y at® gireri a pnint positioß in the Secre-t j Scsrvico Jjpjinrtoient, Mr. Oppeuhewi exhlits all'ltts old i.ag<««ifcy in ooaeoottog and elnsidatiag a unsold, able mystery, lnii it seente a pity that the popiar deniand fer this class at fiqtimi should bo- supplied by 3 writer wij© is ca-pahfe of mueh betta work. MinV BOOia BOOKS. PIE, 19M. ,>u!S* »«/• Tbo most, β-opttkf «| dl tte tameious annuals; 50 feel«ir«d -pio-twi-es urd a la-ugU-out tsf mcli one of tliflffl. IlfUsiratea oy the f&adiag fertists of the d«% Come end !o.ok a-t our wiiMlo* feiwaj:— to sea it is. to want to btiv it Is. 35.; postage, Sα. ■"PBQfnJinsotf wkmon. TWO raiJISPESSIBLE BOOKS sn'tho BEIKK PROBLEM. MEW SUPPLY. Fifty doefors against- aleohot. 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A praobidalitest -boois of in this fflSMisaiing m% inolttdifl? mftay ttS'.Cin& stitches and eUterete fillinge; BJ iJluStiratioDs. 95.; pofage SiLATEST NOVEIA "Blake's Bnr«ten," SarasM Binffloss. "Waiti-U*," Ctentld O'Benovan. "This Maa ated This Woman," Lady froubrwfee, "The Priceless filing," Mart Stejsncjf. "The Jli'nS ia tire Wocids," SL Williams "Piaiisi m<l Two SyiiiplwnfeS., P..T»?c. "Ansl Tliffl Cajne Je-js-n." % U. Wagon, "QaiKiwys," K. A. VaebfeU. AVHITOOSIEBB AND TQMBS, LTB.. ; / _W MM Xff?sE:_^,^^^ RfiLS G!-ONS.PHitOSOPHJfiS, CBEEOS. "Tbo Gospel of ftn Age. «f Boislit, ' by HENRf VAN DYKIS, D.U. 3*. Sd.. A mnssigft »f reiigioti i'SpM-iaHy lifted to ineettlie Bi-ed-s of mif liftws. . "the Uelis-ton of Sir Oiivcv Ledge,'" hy JOSfil'U M'CABE. i-i. 3*l. .. ,„ . "The. Heitrion vt a Naturalist," HBB.E.K A. T.OXOJU.W Is. M. "The Faith of AU Sci»siW» Peopl*,* , hy DAVJD ALEC WILSON. Ss. "Caft We SHU fie Ciiristians?" i% BGBOLF BTICKEN-.. 4s. "Tlir I'Uibsnpliy of Willidm Jflin.es, '■ uy lIOWAKM V. KKOX, Is. M. ■ IJVtapo. oh firioli blink, :M, S. ANO W. WACKAV, . s.!ai* Order .D*P£H-tJjie-Bt,' P.O. 3fcS ISBi WelJ-iu-itoa. • 5