New-York tribune., 1872-02-27
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

..v,,ction of this story whlch ILLUSTRATES So wv
.oriva slI Of the author rather than us Inv
- Vohas sought his materials IN the ruue hie
81 NORTON Of Western society rs u was soine '"0.S
wears aSo, with apparently out h''le anu I'm 'lao
-a4noNon except In the grouping and colorlDg of
aroctnrs The scene is laid in the State OF ln-
s.. 1here the hero of the tale figures as country
..hoo,master. contending with the Ignorance ana
.oarsaness Of the primitive population, and subject
"a numerous trials and perplexitles when would
t.xs heen fatal TO the eQuanimty of less sagacious
and soical nature than his own OF this ongsutier-
tsa worthy, Mr. EgglestOn has gwen en
admirable portrature His attempts at the
diffusion of useful knowledge under pecu-
liar difficulties are described with GER
cain crave naivet6 which is far more effective
chan any afectation Of vivacty. Indeed, the SIM
v,e truthfulness of the delineaions gives singular
charm to the whole narrative. The authors STYLE
a be sure is free from stiffness and fomaty, but ne
makes no more use of overdrawn embellishments or
sxtrayagant situations than # he were writing un'
ser oath. This natural manner, which seems TO be
The result of taste no less than of conscienousnes
is guarantee for the fortunes of his work 1t VIII
he accented as an authority by readers most familiar
with the features which he describes while to those
who are conversant only with more artificial social
condition. its quaint pictures Will open revelation
sf novel but not improbable, experiences. Ihe tai
ent Of the author is by no means limited TO externa
observation. but extends below the surface to
shrewd recognition of the lights and shades
Of character He makes free use OF
the comic element in his descriptions
but only when comic objects fall in mis- way; he Is
Rot always bound forlorn pursuit of fun and does
his readers the justice to remember that they are
capable of amusement without being kept on broad
laugh by perpetual caricature.i Although possess
ing strong sense of the ludicrous, he Is no cyhc
he IS not one who rejojces In making sport OF
the faults and foibles of his fellowcreatures; his
power of satire furnishes him with trenchant
blade; but he has too much goOdnature to use IL
for mischief The kindly tone of his volume does
not at all detract from its piquaDt effect while 1t
will recommend it TO many readers who prefer hu-
rnanity to -humor. One of the earliest experiences
Of the Hoosier Schoomaster his T0ncontre with
pupuy which affords the subject of capital descnp
ton. though not good in its way as o. w Holiness
immortal history of the battle of his pedagogue with
the "yaler dog
Hartsook's first day hurried and unsatisfactory
He was not master Of himself and consequently not
ucser Of ANYBODY else. When evening there were
symptoms OF INSTRUMENTATION through the whole school
ever been the shadow OF an alliance between himself ana
Bud was al OF now 1t seemed 70 iersGGk 9 tat tt
tbt P t TnnS @ ,o man Law aTeke AT last comfort came
20 him. A remniscenCe of the death of the raccoon
fashed him like a vision. He remembered tlat quiet
Buds ccracats. that Fl Bull once takes holt heaven
and ynrth can't make him let CO." He thought that
what Flat Creek needed was BULLDOG lie would be "a
bulldog Gnt but ngncSe He , You'd S e {aSS ho 16 N
In the morning Raiph got ont of bed slowly. He put
Coz mood He tried TO move he Thought Bull would
move il he were man He ate with dei6eratlon, ana ana
looked everybody in the with manner that MADE
Bud watch him curiOusy. He found himself continually
sranse fasciHa,cn f'H for him He walked to school
Eone, the rest having gone on before He entered the
saw in the eyes Of the boys that there was mischief
brewing He did not dare sit down in his chair for fear
EyeE1ody looked solemn Ralph lifted the I'D Of his
VI imprisoned puppy and the school gigged and then
reared Then everything was quiet
The scholars expected outburst OF from the
teacher For they bad come TO regard the whole world
representing lawful authority and the pupils on the
other Ia state Of chronic rebellion To play trick
master was To be az the crowned hero Of Flat Creek dis
ss ' muscle e a% eSrG % Glance Se to dfstneHsh Himself
RaSh Hartsook grew red in the face When the
puppy But the cool repTessed DniidoS no9d IN %Ga M
arms and sroked him until the laughter subsidized Then
IN a solemn and set way, he began; -, - ,.,
steady hard cyeeverybOdy felt that there was con;
act coDlng-"I sorry that any scholar in this school
could be 50 mean-the word was utteIeI MIN MIN snaIb
emphasis and all the big boys felt sure that there would
be a hEht with Bill Means and perhaps with Bud
"coud DO to-shut up his brother in such
There was long derisive laugh The wit was indif
ferent but by stroke Ralph had carried the whole
boys Harsook detected perpetrator Of the joke and
with the hard and dOggod look in his with just such
tu9Tfy u in 6s Voice. fe said
"wiiam Means will you be so good as to put this dog
eut Of DOORS Z"
Miranda Mears, one of the girls of that period,
who falls in love with the schoolmaster together
with her scheming skn-fint of mother plays
prominent part throughout the domestic drama.
These "phantoms of delight" are portrayed in colors
that are faithful. if not fascinating
Mirandy had nothing but contempt for the new master
nnti he developed the bulldog in his character.
Arandy fell in love with the bulldog Like many other
Ert OF her class she was greatly ensino6G W WIN inc
love with any strong enough TO be her master.
this psychological remark as eonrbuOn 10 the hatu-
raj history OF the weak minded women.
IL was AZ the close Of that second day on which
Ralph had achieved his first victory over the school and
IN which Mrandy had been seized with her desperate
passion for him, that she told him about IT, Not IN
words We do not allow bQtin the most civilized cOun-
tree and would not be tolerated IN HOOpOle County
But Mirndy told the master the fact that she In
Icy. with him none the less that word passed her lips
vailed by nm from school She cast at him what
are commonly called s6eeps-eeye9 F9!ph thong. en
1Sr voice She w6ined ordinarily. Now she whimoered
And so BY ogug him, by bushing at hiI Nv ttefinG at
hun, by giggAns a. Ll- sncEeiihg at him. by shipper
tpg az MIN, by making herself tenfOd more fOol even
shn nature had made her. she managed to convey TO the
dsnayed soul OF the young teacher the fTghfu lnte
sest the cOarses and the most entirely contemplate
girl In the Flat Creek district.
Ralph by the fire the next morning trying TO read
few minutes before schOoltime While the boys
dong chores and the bound girl was milking the
COWS with no IN the but the old woman. She
generally silent as Bud, but now she seemed for
unaccOuntabe reason disposed 70 talk She had sat
down on the broad hearth TO have her usual morning
smOke the poplar table adorned by no CLOTH sat In the
1oOr the unwashed blue teacups sat IN the unwashed
blue saucers the unwashed blue plates kept company
with the begrmed blue pitcher. The dirty skiets by
The fire were kept IN by me drter pos ana
In a most picturesque way.
lgro nl.Vsfaaa nd