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"AN UNSPEAKABLE SIREN."
Thnt very much up to dato weekly Tmon Topics, Now York,
issues a small volumo quarterly, entitled "Tales From Town
Topics," mado up of brisk and oftentimes decidedly rixtjuc Bkcfches,
told in such a clever manner that a good many pcoplo who do not
exactly approve of tho morale read them with interest. Town Topics
and tho "Tales" are tho product of a society that demands rum in
its tea, spico in its pudding.
In "Tales From Town Topics" No. 12, just issued there in a novel
otto, "An Unspeakablo Siren," by John Gilliat. This story, if taken
seriously, and it is possible that many readers will take it thus,
would prompt tho resurrection of that old query, "Whither aro wo
drifting?" Its characters aro a dozen or tnoro "advanced" members
of society, who live on scandal and champagne, mako love to each
others wives and husbands, and have a jolly good time. These char
acters aro strung along on a thread of suggcBtivo immorality in such
a manner that sometimes an alarming crisis seems imminent. Tho
thread is a kind of passion familiar to tho reader of tho modern
orotic novel, and it strings tho characters regartlless of marriage
ties. Tho unspeakable siren ib a young girl who lures Paul Thorold
into a depravity that is arrested in tho nick of time by a tragedy;
lures him, too, when ho is about to marry her sister, a passivo crea
ture, who loses her hold on her husband, it would appear, because
sho woro looso wrappers. Nera, tho siren, is so spiritucllo that she
is almost offensively skinny, but there is a mysterious something
about her that attracts Paul, greatly against his will at first, and
loads him to lie and do other shocking things and that is tho story.
As a satiro on tho trend of tho smart society of today it is not with
out a certain degree of interest; though society and tho public;
everybody, save, perhaps, tho author and tho publishers, would be
just as well off if no such books wero published. Tho author i an
apt pupil of tho Oscar Wildo school and ho rather overdoes, follow
ing tho latters example, tho business of scattering, indiscriminately,
cynicism with an epigrammatic dressing. A few selections may be in
teresting:
Mrs. Fairlie Esmond tells Paul that tho only thing to be consider
ed in a wife is money "love you must find in some other man's wife."
"Men are a race of barbarians without the excuse of being uncivil
heed." There is a divorce case to be tried before a referee. "Why a
referee?" "Because the court is afraid the evidence would contami
aate the jury."
Mrs.Gatherley asks Chubby Sullivan, "what do you consider the
most dangerous form of gambling?" "Marriage," he replied.
"Love is a religion or a blasphemy."
"I am in deep mourning, my baby died only two months ago. It
was dreadfully pathetic." "Poor friend" consoled Miss Vanscheldt,
leaning over and touching her friend's hand, "Any how, you are not
so unlucky as Dorothy Norris, who had triplets before she had been
married a year and all of them lived."
"All men and women aro born actors. Tho worst of them enter
the profession."
For Schiller's saying, "tho best woman is sho that no ono talks
about," a character remarks, tho best women is she that talks about
nobody."
4JThere are two kinds of people in the world, tho righteous that
believe themselves sinners, and the sinners that believe themselves
righteous."
"No one loved women more than Mohammend, and yet he learned
enough from his experience in life to create his heaven without them
"A woman's gown is the barometer of her mood."
"A woman that wears a ravishingly suggestive high-no eked frock
when decollette is dc rigueur simply puts into practice tno coquet
tish idea of chastening her coquetry.
The literary critic of the New York Sun says of this book:
"Whatever the reader maj think of tho desirableness of Mr. John
Gilliat'e novel "An Unspeakable Siren" (Town Topics company), as
a picture of state morals or as an illustration of a fashion of social
conduct, it is not likely that he will mako any questions regarding
the skill of the workmanship displayed in 'it. The story is brilliant
ly told, and the emotional fever in it is at least made interesting.
Of course it is not nice at all than a newly married man should
make love to his sister-in-law. It is not pleasant to contemplate
a sister-in-law who is a siren in tho fashion ot Nera Mazarin. Sho
is, indeed, unspeakablo, with hor her essences'and her weak heart,
her mixed regilious and animal enthusiasms, herevident bones, her
digitalis, and her habit of looking like a crucifix. It ib evidence of
Mr. Gilliat's skill that ho should bo ablo to mako a siren tof her.
But a siren sho unmistakably is in her highly unhealthy fashion.
As for tho society which Mr. Gilliat pictures, we suppose there may
bo such a society In Now York. Wo should think, however that it
would bo likely to perish speedily in tho poison of its own atmos
phere. "An Unspeakablo Siren" cannot bo called a novel of sweet
ness, and wo aro not quite sure that it is a novel of light. It is, how
over, a story ably told."
... i rm?
'Hit F fe,
Wo can congratulato all patrons of tho cir
cus which means nearly everybody, upon tho
coming to Lincoln on Juno 28th, of Sells Bros,
millionaire amusement confederation; as that
means we are net only to have one really big
show with us this season, but, in what goes to
mako up a rare variety and recreation for tho
masses, tho biggest tho best and oldest show
on tho road. Tho progress toward tho stupen
dous mado by tho Sells Brothers in tho past
twenty-threo years has been somewhat mar
velous, The small show with which they mado a timorous beginn
ing has grown to be a genuine public institution of tho first magni
tude, well and favorably known in every section of tho country, and
everywhere patronized by the best people. It has even aioro than
kept pace with the unparaleled general dovelopement, and ranks 1st
among tented exhibitions. Its tremendous spread of canvas covers
a regal Roman Hippodrome race track. Monster Fifty Cago Mena
gerie, Triple Circus, Hugo Elevated Stages, Australian Aviary, Ara
biah Caravan, African Aquarium, Spectular Pageants and Trans
Pacific "Wild West exhibit, and hundredo of exclusively exhibited
features, brilliant performers, and startling and ludricus races and
acts. Several huge special trains are required ts transport this
melange of wonder and fun, and how so much can be exhibited for
the one price of admission, 25 cents to all, is an enigma which can
be 6olved by visiting the Greatest Show on Earth. Don't fail tho
grand street parade and judge for gourself as to its magnitude.
A BROKEN DREAM.
Within the tasseled hammock, gay
With threads of color bright, '
A dainly, white-robed form, she lay.
While o'er her, soft and light,
Floated the clouds; a summer day
Was waning into night.
The paths were fringed with holly-hocka
Pure white, deep red, and pink,
The garden trim was full of phlox;
The lingering perfumes sink
Into her soul, sho slowly rocks
And lists to a bobolink.
A world of lovely dreams is there,
Tho hammock gently sways,
A locust stirs the lifeless air,
Tho western sky's ablaze;
Life seems to her without a care,
O'er all a misty hazo. ,
Sho seems to live in days of old, . '
Herself a princess tall;
To her comes a knight most bold, ' '
Who loved her above all. -
JuBt then her brother toward her stole;
"Tom Green has como to call!'"
M. F. Nixon.
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Everything tho latest in styles
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