The Washington critic., 1889-05-04
BOOKS AND WRITERS.

thlcagO imprint lhey are, as rule
but many of them are
good, and there comes occasionally a
publication as prctentious In the matter
of binding and as notable 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
one Of the literary centres as
well. Some strong men in the world
of letters, men who have already done
work, and who will be better
known with each year that passes, are
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 delineator of what is the
weak or vicious trait in the pompous
among Phiistines, it was inevitable
that he should make a reputation. The
fact that he has had a newspaper
column, in which to indulge his gro
tcsque fancies, the "6harps and Flats
column of the Chicago Neics, 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, IL 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 u. Read of the AtIdnsgp
Trdceler, humorist, story teller, giant
in figure and little child over the
beautiful, is another Chicagoan whose
name may be a 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 It. 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 Opic 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
ct 1.t,t nf hn 80
purely in John Trentworthy. McGov-
ern is the Chicago Carlyle. His sen
tences are like stones from sling,
his thoughts above precedent or
present fashion. He is in q 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 bull in china shop.
lie is ut home where he Is, but there
cannot be his only field.
E. 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, q re-
view which will command attention, q
dramatic story-whcn he cares to do
so, but he doesn't often care to do so.
Scourged, he would make name
swiftly.
A young man who is just winning a
place among verse writers is Ernest Nc
Gaffey, 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 n 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 ht
doesn't know himself.
Chicago has other writers who have
their squireship won, and who yet will
have their spurs This is but non
comprehensive, off hand, hurried, half
column-filling bit of gossip about somt
of them.
bOoks anu MhSazihes.
From BRESTANo's, Washington, Chicago
New York, Paris and London:
Alfred de Musset: Three novelettcs =
"Margot," "The Beauty Spot" "Croi
silles," and comedy in two acts, "Val
entine Wagner" transferred into Eng
lish and preceded by few words abou
Musset Il. de Y. Vermont, with a por
trait Of the poet. This book is tn,
Musset volume of the Romantic library
and is especially interesting,
"WHEN THE TRour HIDE" by Kit Clarke
A very pretty little work in clear
open type with the sparkle of splashins
water and the merry swish of the lin,
resonant in its pages. A book of tn,
open air, to make Piscatoris long TO
the delights of the brook and the lake
Paper, so cents.
From d. Lothrep Company, Boston;
VAeABoND TALES, by II. II, Boyesen
Cloth, Sl.25.
These Vagabond Tales are seven o
the best of Mr.. Boyesen's short stories
aud include Crooked John" "A Child
of the Age" Monk Tellenbach's Elk
lie" "A Disastrous Partnership,
"Liberty's Victim, - "a Perilous Incog
nito" and Charity" To say tina
they are interesting would be intimat
ing that the author sometimes wrot,
otherwisely.
From Gebbie & Co, publishers, Phlladel
phia:
SOLID FOR MuLHooLY, political satire
BY Rufus f. Shapley. With origina
illustrations by Thomas Mast. Cloth, 4
Il tgs ANafa