The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-05-04
BOOKS AND WRITER'S.

the reviewer books having the
Chicago imprint. They are, as rule,
paper covered, but many of them are
good and there comes occasionally
publication rs prctcntious in the matter
of binding and asnotablc in quality and
name of author rs any printed any
where. The substance of IL all Is that
Chicago is coming rapidly to the front
as publishing centre, and Is becoming
naturally, one of the literary centres as
well. Some strong men In the world
of letters, men who have already done
striking work, and who will be better
known with each year that passes, are
included in the Chicago group.
The personal character, the surround.
ings, the particular style Of effort of
the Chicago literary contingent should
not be without interest No one of the
group. probably, is better known than
Eugene Field. Wonderfully versatile
in his work, writer of dainty verse.
teller Of stories that touch the heart
and ruthless dclincator of what is the
weak or vicious trait in the pompous
among Philistincs, II was inevitable
that he should make reputation. The
fact that he has had newspaper
column, in which to indulge his gro
tesque fances the "Sharps and Flats
column Of the Chicago Neios, has assist
ed greatly in securing for him the recog.
milton he deserves. He has done work
outside the newspaper, but Of this work
the public has yet seen little. When
there appears by-and-by something
which will make people say that there
Is an American Hans Christian Ander-
son, 1t will be book of short stories
by Eugene Field. He may like other
work he has in hand better but none
will do more to make his fame where
fame counts for something.
Opie p Read of the AiZ.bnsdp
1rdreler, humorist, ory-teller giant
in figure and little child over the
beautiful, is another Chicagoan whose
name may be n national possession
Who has not read his story of Len
Gansett' has missed reading one Ameri-
can novel which Is photograph of life
in one part of the country and tale
which somehow reaches the heart. II
has man and a woman in il. When
Theodore Winthrop died in battle the
man who might have been the Ameri-
can novelist went down. There have
been scores of American novels, so.
called, written since then, but--save one
or two reminders in the work of De For.
rest-nothing until Opie Read began TO
write which even suggested the out
door American virility of John
Brent, the real American whom we
recognize with his love affair.
John McGovern, editorial writer on
the Chicago Herald, has written one
sal ctp A.,t .Nc II.
purely. in John Trentworthy." McGov-
ern is the Chicago Carlyle. His sen.
tcnces are like stones from a sling,
his thoughts above precedent or
present fashion. He is in literary
group what ingalls, is in the
United States Senate He is a
student, has brain, and is what, per-
haps, the man whose name is used in
the simile may not be- crusader. He
must be heard from, for he is power
naturally. On newspaper less bold
and just than the newspaper on which
he writes, in its editorial tone, he
would be almost u bull in china shop.
He is at home where he is, but there
cannot be his only field.
f. j. McPhelim, dramatic critic of
the Chicago Tribune, is one of the
Chicago writer's who should do more
work for the magazines. He can do
wonderful work-a choice poem, re-
view which will command attention, a
dramatic story-when he cares to do
so, but he doesn't often care to do so.
Scourged, he would make name
swiftly.
A yOnng man who is just winning a
place among verse writers is Ernest Nc
Gaffey, a young attorney, who, when
not In his Office or in court, Is in the
country with rod or dog and gun. He
has contributed verses and short
sketches which have Thoreau-ish
quality to them commanding regard
from all who can appreciate. How
much of his time will in the future be
devoted to divorce suits or ballot box
cases and how much to the muse none
save himself knows; probably he
doesn't know himself.
Chicago has other writers who have
their squireship won, and who yet will
have their spurs. This is but a non
comprehensive, off hand, hurried, half.
column filling bit of gossip about some
of them.
Books and Magazines.
From BRESTANo's, Washington, Chicago,
New York, Paris and London:
| Alfred de Musset: Three novelettes -
"Margot," 1.-THE Beauty Spot" "Croi.
silles," and comedy in two acts, "Val-
entine Wagner" transferred into Eng
lish and preceded by few words about
Musset r. de V. Vermont, with por-
trait of the poet This book is the
Musset volume of the Romantic library,
and is especially interesting,
"WHEN THE TROUT HIDE" by Kit Clarke.
a very pretty little work in clear,
open type with the sparkle of splashing
water and the merry swish of the line
resonant in its pages. A book of the
open air, to make Piscatoris long for
the delights of the brook and the lake.
Paper, so cents.
From d. Lotlirep Company, Boston:
VAaABoND TALES, by II. II. Boyesen.
Cloth, Sl.25.
These Vagabond Tales are seven of
the best of Mr. Boyesen's short stories,
and include Crooked John, "a Child
of the Age, Monk .Tellenbachs Ex-
lie, "a Disastrous Partnership, Z"
"Liberty's Victim, "A Perilous Incog-
nito" and Charity" To say that
they are interesting would be intimat.
ing that the author sometimes wrote
otherwisely.
From Gebbe & Co, publishers, Phlladel-
phia:
SOLID FOR MuLnooIY, o political satire.
| BY Rufus T.. Shapley. With original
illustrations by Thomas Mast Cloth, 70
cents; paper, so cents.
This book was the outgrowth of the