Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-08-18
DRIFT,

During the linton ssly hot weather wo had
last week 1 fortunately happened upon q
lutte volume that seemed to DO written Tor
just such weather. II was Maurice Thomp. /
sons latest story, called "A Fortnight OF /
Folly" recently published by John b.
Aid On, New York, the only one OF the large
publishing houses which seems to keep as
busy 10 summer as In winter. IA Fort |
nigh, Of Folly" is just OF that light, breezy
kind OF literature that one can enjoy
thoroughly during the summer relaxation,
and that II would almost soem out OF place
TO read at any other time. It's subject,
locality, style and entire tone are summery,
midsummery and therefore at this season
Of tho year simply delightful, charming a.
the cool rustic OF forest leaves or the soft
gurglo OF water In the woods.
Don't imagine, however, that there Ia
anything specially idyiiic or purely prs.
toral about "a Fortnight OF Folly" 1t Is
simply the story, gracefully told, OF q bet.
erogenous party OF {" lite'ry fellers," male
and female, who as an advertising dodge
have been invited to the " Hotel Helicop,"
q new mountain resort, by It's enterprisiDg
| proprietor. Their doings and sayings hero,
until the proprietor's failure ooliges them
| suddenly to leave, are minutely recorded.
| The whole story is mild aud good natured
| satire on authors and publishers, aud shows
that Mr.. Thompson, though the doughtiest
champion In the land OF true ideaism over
against the present style OF false realism,
can be a. thoroughly realistic as the next
| one Take for example the description OF
one OF the most important characters
| In the story,-who cannot see that
1t IL taken directly from life He
| was very short, rather round and stout,
| and bore himself quietly, almost demurely.
| His head was large, his II et and hands were
| small, and his face wore the ex preston of
an babitual good humor amounting nearly
to jolliness, albeit two vertical wrinkles
between his brows h,rte of sturdy will
seated behind heavy Napoleonic forehead.
The stubby tufts Of grizzloi hair that
| formed his mustachos shaded mouth and
chin at once stoDg and pleasing. Heparted
his hair In the mindle, but the line OF divi-
| sion was very slight, and he lett % pretty,
half curled wisp hanging over tho centre OF
his forehead. The wide collar that hid his
short neck creased his heavy we'll turned
Jaws, giving TO his chin tho appearance OF
| peing propped upn need give no more
| Of this sphotographically y minute description.
everyone acquainted with the original
must at once recogniz, him. Indeed II Is
hard to keep from guessing who the rest
OF tho people are one ieols they must be
"resl folks" not merely Imagined.
| IL is those people who nmet on Noun,
Boab and made the halls OF Hotel Helicon
gay with their colors and noisy with their
mifth. Tho woods, tho dizzy cliffs
, the bnbbling springs, tho cool hollows
) | the windy peaks aud tho noisy nOOEs
were filled with song, laughter, murmur-
Ing undertones OF sentiment, aud some
| thing a littlo sweeter and warmer, and
there were literary conversations, and
critical talks, and jolly satire banded about
| with some scraps OF adventure and eomt
, bits Of rather ludicrous mishsp thrown 10
. for variety"
9 The story IL simply tho record Of there
J. But 1t gives splendid opportunities for MIR
q Thompson TO indulge In his wonderfully
=, clear and p otic descriptions OF natura
scenery, and show his intimate acquainl
u snce not only with the outside OF nature
: but with her very innermost heart Thi
v | IL the field he las most diligently cult
, | waited, especially In bis "By Ways an,
u | Bird Notes" and his "Sy Ivan Sacreta," tw
l. | volumes that have given him a secure plac
~ by the side of Thoreau, BuTrOughY, an
: Edith Thomas, as one OF the specially oi
s. uained priests OF nature and Interpreters {
her orsclas, 1t In a department In while
he simply has no sup stIor, absolutely non'
u ] could pick out dozens Of specimens sea
,i- | tered through this htle voiume-ont VIII
re should ]? Everyone who knows an.
thing of Maurice Thompson knows also h
)h ma CHESS powers In this respect.
fN /
lie has p0wers and abilities In an 10th,
direction too to which woud cali sptci
attention; In fact think have done
oi | moro than once in these columns. inca
o his remarkable gifts and talents as a litel
a, | aTy critic. These come out over and ano
"a In "a Fortnight cf Folly" and though hs
hidden in delicate satire and smiling hume
yet bstray the mind srh hand OF mRstt
critic, of onowhOae scar Chin power OF anal,
'h ss, deep insight, and marvellous aptne,
" | at character rIzsllOn, show him to be- easil
g. CAPABLE OF taking place In the same ran
70 | with Lowell, James and Stedman.
mr. he has not the same breadth ~ thes
-, no surpasses them all In the skill wit
VI which no can orysiall2e compreher
'h sive Judgment into one or tw
tn brilliant, striking, satisfying sentences.
CO remarked thls rare ability several year
RI | ago, when he contributed some critics
a. | papers to tho New York Independent. II
=. can cGndense more critical truth and d,
~ scriptive characterization into a single son
tence than any writer l know. And
seems TO mo great pity that he does nt
Of devote himself more seriously and fully
ss this kind Of work. For thsra IL no create
Y, need In our literature than thst OF moro IN
l.. dependent and frank, yet courteous an
80 kindly, absolutely just, yet charitable an
" thoroughly scholarly critics.
or From full and very interesting skstc
~ OF Mr.. Thompson, contributed to Literatlr
Or by one who recently visited him, take tn
following description OF him. " MauriC
ID Tnomp1on is forty three years old, but h
n does not look II. A slender, com pact ratht G
,s tall man with strong, thin face, dark era
4 eyes, thick brown hair, slight long mus
" tsche and firm mouth ; he meets you vii
IL steady look and speakn In a soft Souther
- voice, an inheritance from his Georgian al