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Show A BIBLE STORY PARAPHRASED Judith Triumphant. By Thompson Buchanan. Published by Harper A: Brothers. New York; A. R. Dcrgo ft Co.. Salt Iike City. This story Is founded on the story of Judith told In the Apocrypha, where she relieved the siege of BethUlIa by the Assyrians, She was a llehri w widow who devoted herself to tho causo of her people, peo-ple, and going out of the city and to the tent of Holofornes. the commander of the Assyrian forces, and taking him when he was holpb ss with drink, cut off his head and brought it into the city. It must have been a sort of free-and-easy, jjo-as-you-pleass sort of a military encampment where a woman could Invade the Innermost Inner-most recesses of It and take away the head of the commanding general. This novel illls out In much detail the Apocrypha s outline; It provides a company and succession of characters to make a living, plausible story. It Invests the Hebrew widow with supernatural guile and wit. sends her hack and forth in and out of the camp, makes lier inflame the passion of Holol'ernes to madness, and yet he bends to her will and haves her spotless. Evan in the broadly realistic realis-tic scene of almost too much animalism In tho final and fatal passage betwsi n tho two, she escapes, though as by a miracle of dexterity and frenzy Tho young Ammonite Who becomes Judiths lover plays a much more serious and import im-port nit part In this novel than he does ft the old story of the apocrypha. A fairly successful effort this K to clothe in vitality the persons and scenes of the ancient days, but there Is room for better bet-ter art. and for a stronger treatment of tho subject. |