The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-16
THE FIELD OF LITERATURE.
CA NroonIight BOY. .

Few writers have gained the good will of the
reading public as rapidly and apparently az
easily as E. w. Howe, the author of ''The Story
of Country Town. 'The Mystery Of the
Locks" and now Of "a Moonlight Boy" When
cheap form on some ob5R1re press in the indefn-
lite West and it afterwards came under the eye
of one of the Eastern WRITER'S and made so IA
vorable an impression that he called attention to
it to Ticknor g. Co., Boston, and it was not long
until arrangements were made to put 1t before
the public in better form, and the obscure West
ern story teller suddenly found himself famous.
The literary style of Mr.. Howe is very much
that of Dickens, without the ability to 60 50
deeply into the analysis of human emotions or
to make so complex plot, with SO many char
acters as appear in the stories of England's
great novelist
for tie reason that it puzzles the reader to i'm
agine what it can mean, few knowing what to
expect 1t does not take long, however, for the
author to develop what he MEANS and it is made
known that a moonlight boy is but euphemism
for founding, which the hero of this story is.
King Cole, as he was named by the good pair
upon whose doorstep he was found, develops
furnishes the thread of the narrative. The
story finds him, at the age O. Twelve in the
humble home of libby Cole, having found
home with him and his indulgert wife from the
hour he was discovered on the threshold of their
little cottage in Three Rivers, l;tle town some.
where IN the West libby Cole is a musician
and dealer in musical Instruments which he
peddles about the country, on which trips he
gives entertainments to further tho sales of his
wares and to earn few extra do lars to add to
his limited income In time King lis taught to
play on several of the Instruments notably the
cornet and violin, and becomes G. prodigy"
He is the central figure in the concerts that
libby gets up at the various towns he visits,
and he is OF Importance for that reason at q very
early age
The home life of the Coles is as simple as it
could we'll be, and is very deity described by
Mr. Howe. libby Cole is addicted to drink, but
is 30 good withal that his easy-going and really
excellent wife has not the courage to scold him
seriously, though often trying to, till obliged to
deslst by the contagious good humor of her hus-
band, who cannot be brought to understand that
she is IN earnest. The boys first adventure is
when, shortly after the story opens an attempt
is made to kidnap him, which increases the in
terest in him, and makes him greater drawing
card than he was before. Shortly after
this attempt, and, when returning from one of
their many trips through the surrounding coun-
try. King finds letter awaiting him, inclosing
$500 and instructing him to come to New York
at the earliest moment possible, as it has been
discovered that he is the long-lost son of
wealthy family there. His reception in the city
by the proprietor of religious weekly by the
name of Barton, is not such as would have been
given him under the circumstances, and there
are several places in the plot that
bear evidence of lack of care in
writer was anxious to take advantage of the
market and had done it hastily. There are ex-
celences, however, that make good these def
clencies, so far as this may be possible, and
there are several characters throughout the
book that will be recognized as very cleverl
portrayed and none better than that of Barton
and his wife, the latter forever protesting that
she is devoted to her home and is not anxious to
"shine," when in point of fact her home is little
better than pandemonium to her mild hammered
but distracted husband, who cannot see that he
is worried to death by one of the most intolera
BILE women, but takes the entire blame upon
himself, until, one day, he is missing. and in
time is given up for dead though in reality he
has deliberately run away to get rid of an exist
ence that he can no longer endure.
The body of the story is concerning parties
outside the family TO whom it is thought ne is
related, though an insight is given to it. Bar
ton turns out to be wholesome and good, though
his weak character is not one that will win SYM
pathy. Mrs Cole is an admirable woman, and
libby Cole, the good natured musician, grows
better by giving up the habit of drinking when
babe is born to him. very pathetic incident
is woven in by the introduction of Queen Cole,
the little girl that sckens and dies in the great
city, where she has been taken by her parents.
who wish to be near their foster son. In time
they all go back to the West for it is discovered
that King Cole while indeed moonlight boy
is not the one they took him to be, and the
proud Courtlandts of New York are relieved of
the modification they have suffered through the
belief that this uncultivated boy is their son.
IA Moonlight Boy" is what it pretends to be,
a story and not a novel. It's descriptions are
good, and as a whole it is entertaining 1t is
published by Ticknor s. Co., and for sale by The
Bowen Merrill Company Indianapolis Price
$1.50