The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-08

,,., ma, oxcIusiyoly--to the small and
,'o"s", i sooalid details Of the super-clv-
n.', III notify life of Boston and its yici-
~ ~. D., Ros;on Is much less America
,han Paris IL France or London England.
, ~ "a. 'as, continent over which America
~ .. ,bero IL ms much variety Of cir
c,,,nstauees. population, environment, char
.",",. as there is Of climate. I'm America,
Zoo. Won have sociefystill.in those primitive
stages which bring adventures, hair-breadth
escapes. tragic crises, desperate cndea'or'
America is prominently the iand oil au-
venture.
h,. shn doney The best answer would give
,n This question II 90 recommend To particu-
lar attention some authors that are rs yet
int lille known-at least two OF thcm-'o
,ho Tn~lish public. The three authors de-
Met three states of society, each different
rom the other. vet all American. First in
nv list i Thomas Nelson Page. the author
of a series OF sketches which, pub
li-hed together, are summed up IN the
title. "ln odd Virginia CIV ard, Lock n
Tylcrl. The chief story Of this small volume
il q" Narse Chan" a story which, published
i'm Uarper's Magazine some two or three
years AGO. made the author famous in day.
Mr. pnVr. As his name shOws-i- a member
of one of the old families of Virginia. He il
tho son and descendant Of generations Of
Shareholders. and il is evident That, though
he has. like most SOuthcrners. acc0nino-
dated himself 10 the new state of things, his
heart is with the old.
In In ole Virginia ana the Othcr
works OF MIR. Page we have slavery rs seen
from the picturesque and the romantic side.
The volume is especially useiul rs bringing
back 10 life, a dead society, and as showing
"A with fha gNnOugrgltlOu. N
is true. of one brought up in IFS midst. but
Likewise with that honest attempt at an
impartial picture of daily life which is one
of iiction's most seryiceable duties; for
the novelist who is true 10 life Is
never more needed than in correct
ing the crude and passionate generall-
ties Of politician and historian. The
moral Mr.. PAGE wishes 10 1ayc drawn from
ali his stories. IS the tenderness ana the
kindness Of the relation that existed be-
tween The negro and his master. All MS
negroes are delightful creatures. lbey are
LOYAL, alecti0nate, simple; If they are boast
fnl. il is simply to increase the glory OIL
their house ard their masters. Their cXag-
cerafion and pride and pOmp of place are
set forth even better in some of Mr.. Pages
poems than in his prose works. These
poems are no. vet published. believe, III
this country.
1t is indeed "A curious part Of all Southern
writing that the white mar plays the SUI
bordinate. and the negro the chief part. IL
is 50, Tor instance. in all the delightful
stories Of "t'ncle Rcmus,' | am not con-
yer,ed from my truly British hatred negre
slavery by Mr.. Page: but ! am forced 10
see that in daily life, political institution
which is indcfcnsible, and which affords
great opportunity for injustice, may have
ITS bright rs well as its dark side. The re-
latiOn of master AMI slave must have be-
gotten servility aud all its wees; but ser
Witty. on the other hand. produces intense
LOYALTY on the one hand. ana. IN return.
intense affection. Vt all events, any
body who wants to learn before 1t Is
too late what the society IN the south was
in its best form before the civil War, had
better read the books Of Mr.. Page. Apart
altogether from this historic value. the
stories are full of the sweetest ana most
touching uath0s. In "Marse Chan" cs-
pecially. there is a picture of "A lovers qunr-
rel that ends with the bringing home of the
dead body of tine man from the battlefield,
and with the premature death through .riei
of the wOman-Which is one Of the truesi
and most touching pictures in literature Of
hghbrcd love. Finally, il is well to utter
/ this word of warning. All Mr.. Page :
stoiics are written in dialect; the dialect
looks at first sight very forbddine and very
/ formidable; IL improves aud becomes quite
easy On closer acquaintance.