The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-02
LITERATURE.


81 Co., Chicago. fr'ce' 20 ocn'' =,
In the admirable series Of "Epglish Die
Of Letters" edited by John Morley, til
sketch of Laurence Sterne will not be tn
least acceptable. While "rristram snan
dy" and The Sentimental Journey" nav
for over hundred and fifty years bee
recognized as standard examples OF IN
highest grade of English humor, less wa
known of the author than perhaps OF an
other English writer Of equal reputation
unless we except Shakespeare. Though
good family, his parents were in compare
lively humble position. His father was a
ensign in the army, encountered with Al
"inuetatlgably" prolific wife; succession
of weak and ailing children; the It'll
household perpetually on the move; pass
ing fir m England to Ireland, from lrelan'
10 England; from inland garrison to sea
mort and back again; necessarily bearing
and burying children-such was Sterne'
boyhood life. His parents, however, founc
means to give hun university education
though OF his career at Cambridge, and al
forwards as a priest In Sutton, where NJ
se,tled down az an obscure country clergy
man, and his essays at authorship, there Is
almost nothing known, until, IN his Attn
year, he issued his first volume OF TITS
tram Shandy" The book, we are told
"took the town. The public read and en-
ioycd, or thought they enjoyed, when they
we're really only puzzled and perpleXod."
The subsequent volumes, while they gained
m the higher qualities of humor, In ORA
matte vigor and subtle delineatlon Of char
acter, were less popular because they had
lost in the quality of noyelty-a feeling no
doubt shared by most modern readers in
passing from the first to the second vol
ume. 1t was his second work, 'The Sentl'
mental Journal" that gave Sternc his
widest reputation rs an author. His his
sory suddenly closes with the production
OF this work, and sadly enough In the reel
sai of his solitary death and the alleged
dissertation OF his tomb and sale OF his
body to the dissecting room.
Mr.. Trails book, as if to make up for
the drath of geographic material, is largely
analytic and critical; and while, IN regard
10 the common charge of plagiarism
brought against Sterne, he freely admits
that, In his days of leisure aud study, he
had saturated himself with Rabclais, Bur
ton ana Druscamblle, and in some in
stances transferred whole passages from
them, yet in the higher essentials of
scheme and conception, Trlstram Shandy is
no less original then eccentric.
RACoNTER. Four Romantic Stories rela'
ting TO Pioneer Life, Scenes in Foreign
Countries, Religious Fanaticlsm, &c.
Illustrated. BY n. Matson, author of
Memories of Shaubena," &c. Prince.
ton, H.; published by the author.
"Raconter," the author tells US, 10 a
French word, expressive of the contents OF
The book, which, after perusing It,, most
readers we imagine will agree with us, is
rather indefinite. The Romantic Stories"
are Maud Singleton; A Pilgrimage to Jesu-
salem; Vesuvius; and A False Step. The
first and last, only, however, can claim TO-
be stories, the others being sketches of
travel. OF the four MAUD Singleton" is
by all odds the most interesting. 1t has
the merit not only of beng founded on
facts, but the scene is laid in our immedl.
ate vicinity, at and around Buffalo Rock
In competent hands it could be wrought
into splendid drama. 1t has all the &C
cessories Of a charming heroine, chival.
ric and ardent lover, "heavy william" a.
primitive parson, Indians, magic incanta.
tions, &c Teemlng, as this region was on
its discovery by the French over two hun.
drcd years ago, with dense aboriginal
population, the tragic history OF whose
gradual disappearance abounds IN stones
and traditions Of the deepest romantic in.
terest, none has found Its way hitherto IN
print more charming than the story of
Maud Singleton"
There is nothing especially striking IN
the Journey to Jerusalem, or the descrip.
tion of the Wonders OF Vesuvius, both
Of which are that sort of reading one finds
a surfeit of in the magazines OF the day.
1.-THE False Step Is realistic enough to be
IA the main recital Of facts, though the
catastrophe sounds singularly familiar as
the story OF tragedy In the Alps that was
widely recounted IN the newspapers less
than year ago.
The book is handsomely printed and
neatly bound, but the proofreading is a
disgrace to the profession. Not only is
every page disfigurcd by inexcusable
grammatical blunders but by gross typo
graphical errors 1t is pity to have Il
book otherwise so presentable dishgured
in that way.
THE HOME NEEDLE. BY Ella Rodman
Church, author OF How to Furnish al
Home" etc. New York: d. Appleton
s. Co.; Chicago: Janson, McClurg & Co.
HOME OCCUPATIONS. BY Janet E, Runtz-
Rces, author OF alone Decoration" etc.
New York: ID. Appleton & Co.; Chica-