The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-04-17


all the readers of the magazines) and Miss
Rives Chat was now Mrs Chanler), who
has contributed some very dainty bits of
verse And they ought to be dainty, for
Miss Rives herself isl was about to say
strikiDgly pretty but perhaps she wouldn't
like the word, and when you think of it
pretty" is not much of a word. She is
tall and fair and graceful, and has pro-
fusion of light curly hair which she wears
simply knotted at the back of well-poised
head. She reminds one of her poems, and
her poems suggest herself. But neither the
one nor the other suggests the more recent
astonishing development of the penny
dreadful order in the "Quick or the Dead"
AS for Mr.. Stockton, he has perhaps done
his most characteristic work for the st.
NtchOldS-work showing, as his longer sto-
ries do not the full strength of his peculiar
and whimsical genius. Mr.. Stockton has
been, perhaps, sufficiently described. He is
known, having been quite lion of late, as
dark and thin, lame, and rather sad and
patient-ooking; not an aggressive talker,
animated enough when started, but prone
to something more than the flashes of silence
of which man (whom they rrevently
call Tom Macaulay) was once accused,
rather unjustly. But however silent, there
is nothing of the stage-villain, tragic, man
of-genus air about him. He bows and
smiles to his friends and acquaintance in a
hearty fashion, wears well-titting clothes, is
well-kept air of a prosperous author. The
ruthless desertion of two unprotected
women on an island is more than would be
suspected from one of his inoffensive APP
pearance. 1t is something for time and a
closer acquaintance to explain.
And DR.. Eggestonl what has he written
which is better known than "The Hoosier
School-boy?" AT any rate, of that story
every reader of So Nicholas has a lively
recollection. They have also a considerable
admiration for what they doubtless would
agree in calling the sound manliness of him
who wrote it. | dare say good many peo-
pie have very good idea of his appearance.
The natural fitness of things would suggest
it; at any rate, he looks entirely fit to be the
author ofsuch story. He is a tall vigorous
looking man, whose massive head is closely
covered with iron-gray hair; his keen gray
eyes are Swallowed by heavy brows and
he wears a full beard He walks like a
strong man and an honest man and a man
not tired of life-a man able to write
Hoosier School-master, able quite to be
a Hoosier SChool-master of the best sort, a
School-master with a big S, just as the
printer has it here, il you please. To the
admirers of the doctor il is matter some
times of regret that he should attempt the
larger flight of a full-grown novel, for which
he seems to lack the constructive ability.
And the same might be said of Mr.. Stock
ton, whose longer stories want the distinc-
tive charm of his shorter sketches-sketches
like that in the last Christmas number of
the 81. Nicholas. While in good part en-
ployed with the natural as much as the
most real work of the realsts, they yet
somehow contrive to transcend the Just
bounds of the grotesque bounds within
which some of his smaller pieces lie with
great niceness. Mr. Stockton, write us
more of the little things.
MARY KENDRICK KINNEY.