Telegram-herald., 1890-04-25


One zlxns sas h46y. little gtrh ~ho
Asa sssa II tos so1s days. ~ss ec1nts1
1yinz' The father hsa sAs ess-ds t1s
srA9is tor hozrs, 4R1 sss sitting there
snsn = frisa4 eanas in Ons feet lan1
Nat foSs Read has sss rocking
tas cradle. aai Esza, ~ftb msaascrips
aPen ais lap. -ss ~risisg fgnsy matter
To- IA Eastern p4hltczrl0n- TIE matter,
no 10Ibt. sAs bFign1 b-t The tatasE .
face ~ss aok Tie babe recovered
Ths 'Ark4asas Traveller is uos bas
little % ths rssl Opie Read Withia
the lass three or fJaF years his Fspsta-
ton has ass sDsd : bFo4deF scope.
and, "a a nogsl1ss and eellRsateE OF
phases u human nature In quaint
sksteh-work Re las n sae . wider and
mere lasting reputation and ons wnich
IL Increasing steadily aAd rapidly
Ia ths noyel Of Lea Gansest. the
reading world bre4taed the frAg-
rance of sogsh western morning With
the dss yet upon the ross leaves IkeF
fsls the passions Of Southwestern life.
They eompEehended the clean ulshli-
ness Of Southwestern types They saw
. woman. sweet as woman may be.
In the ''Ksatacky Colonel" they fels
the swing Of another type and another
locality, and pulses quicken with the
reading. The drift OF the writer's
work may DO eity~ard yet. Perhaps 10
Is JUST as well There will be in what
BE writes the blood which courses only
through the work OF him who has the
aovelists' great gift.
The work OF Read is genuine and
real II Is American thoroughly. crisp
and genuine lt is 10 other works as
maple syrup Is 10 caramels. There Is
The native fragrance 20 IL
OF Opie Read individually, as man
about town. it may be admitted casu-
Ally that there is mono more popular in
the great strong city OF the West
Happier home than that OF Opie Read
it would be hard TO fpd. His graceful
wife Is deeply interested in all her hus-
bands efforts, and one of the most
earnest believers in his powers His
two children, Hattie Y. Read and
Philo. Benham Read. are OF the sort
who make childless men grow enyious.
Chicago is a place at which IL is de-
light TO De guest
1t Is rather an exceptional casa when
the writer's OF stories IS one who Is in
greatest demand at the clubs. and in
the haunts OF inen about town. Read
Is an exception 20 the rule. At the
Press Club, in the lobbies OF the hotels
Or the theaters, there may be seen u
group gathered about his giant figure.
lie Is one Of the most fascinating story
tellers, with a natural dramatic gift,
and an aptness and ingenuity inde-
scribable. IL may be added. that in this
particular field he is probably the
awfulest liar ia the world. The story
which charms a select audience in the
lobby o, the Auditorium at eight o'clock
in the evening may be repeated in dif
ferent places about half-a-dozen times
before some final rendition in the
White Chapel Club Rooms at two or
three or anywhere a. m. And
the last recital and tho first one
will have about as much relation
to each other as Tennyson's Elaine
and George Francis Trains latest
telegram from somewhere, Yet, will
each be good. and il is mere matter OF
chance which one OF all the series will
be most delightful.
There is a certain gorgeous abandon
ment OF all fact in the storytelling Of
Opie Read, which attracts by its very
reckle ssness. Such iecundity OF ro-
source in the manufacture OF situations
incident TO a telling tale was probably
never known before. II Wilkie Collins
and Annenias. and Mr.. 0chiltree. and
Dick Winters mlth. could be'rolled into
one and set down in Chicago Read
might have n rival in the clubs.
Talking soberly OF this Western au-
thor whose books have shown such
freshness and such force, and whose
sketches have attained such popularity
bott in this country and abroad, i. may
be said of him curtly and truthfully
that he is a dig man with big brain
and big heart, who is figure in lit
erature and who will not become
smaller as the years pass.
SrANLEY WATERLOO.