Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-28
BOOK TALK.
Isy ". 3.

IBy w. n. Al
Rad somewhere recently an article
deprecating the increasing tendency to-
wards sslocal color" in fiction. The
writer. whoever he may have been, de-
plored the fact that our novelists and
storv-tellers, instead Of being broadly
American, broadly English, Or, for that
matter, broadly cosmopolitan, were
stamping themselves Is the exponents
Of localities; and restricting themselves
10 character-sketchine the peculiarities
81 neighborhood. He spoke, in
particular. OF Miss Mary E. Wilkins,
and her New England stories; Of Miss
Mmrfree. Mn and her powerful pictures OF
i;fa among the Mennessee mountain
ssGoveites - Of Hamliu Garland, and
his strong, fresh tales of the growing
west. To each OF these due merit with
"a the bounds chosen was accorded;
but he questioned the wisdom OF what
might be termed restricted literature.
There is perhaps food tor thought In
his reflections. No doubt the truest
genius is he who looks into the hearts
Of humanity, and views understandingly
all sorts and conditions OF men-who
writes with his finger'upon the pulse OF
the world, not Within the narrow limits
Of local popularity. But the world
encompassing genius ie rare. He is the
product of slow-moving cycles. He
fs not to be conjured up. BY the
speculations of theorist, nor
will his birth be hastened by the en-
couragement or suppression OF any
particular school Of fctionists. In the
meantime we will thankfully take 1.-THE
good the gods provide u.s." Not one Of
the writer's mentioned would we will
inplv bsnish from our libraries; and we
are always ready to welcome any other,
be he never 60 local, equally skilled in
the art OF pleasing; for that, after all, is
the true purpose Of the fiction writer.
One Of these neighborhood authors
has recently given Us q peep into the
uuainteet conceivable corner of the
world. It is true that his sketches are
supposedsto antedate our day and gener-
ation many years; and all Of the queer
characters who walk and talk and have
their being in his pages have, long
since, been decently tucked away
for the sleep that knows
no wakening. At least, SO he
would have us believe. Yet, withal,
the impression forces itself upon me
that Mr.. J. M. Barries, when he makes
us peep with him through A Window in
Thurms at the denizens Of that little
out-of. f.the-world community, shows us
people Of whom he has q strong per-
sonal knowledge. The are clearly old
time friends; and he writes of them
with the ease OF absolute familiarity.
Into the mouth Of an old dominic he
puts the tale (if such it can be called) /;
and by him we are introduced into the
little cottage of Hendry McQumpah-
stolid, kind.hearted, God-fearing, who
''never did naething in all his life at
wasna weel intended" Here we soon
find ourselves listening eagerly to the
shrewd-sometimes almost shrewish-
wisdom Of Hendry's woman, Jess
she who, confined by disease to
the narrow limits of kitchen
and bed room for twenty years
or more, is yet always cheerful, never
idle, guiding, directing, doing-the
mainstay of the humble household, to
whom all the others look. Then there
10 Leeby, the quiet, observing, helpful
daughter; Jamie, the son who has
sought and found work in London, and
whose home coming 10 always the one
grand event Of the year; and the mem
ory Of 'slittle joey" the frstborn, who,
s'dead this twenty years." still lives-in
his mothers heart.
There are many more OF the quaint
Thuvms people OF whom We tchpleas-
ant glimpses through the little window ;
but around this family group does our
interest center. And in that last sad
year when Leeby, then Hendry, then
Jess are one by one laid to rest in their
quiet graves, and Jamie, because OF the
London woman who ruined his life,
writes not, nor comes to cheer bis, moth
er's dying hours, we feel that we have
parted from friends the like of whom in
honesty OF heart, noblenese OF charac-
ter and sincerity of life We are not apt
to meet again.
The average reader may find difficulty
in mastering the peculiar dialect of this
little volume; but il he is willing to
undergo few pages of possible dis
comfort, he will soon find that the
Language in which these "good fowk''
speak has grown wonderfully pleasing.
For sale by Edwards & Mcknight, No.
ia West First street, 25 and 80 cents.
~
It is with mingled feelings OF amuse-
ment and disgust, that an old Texan
and sometime cowboy reads, ia Harper'e
MagaEine, of 1.-THE bloody fields Of Texas,
where the ingenious f1ends in the cattle
business snip off the horns of the
animals below the quick" Mr.. Julian
Ralph is responsible forthis monstros-
ity.
Such misstatements can only be the
result of downright maliciousness, or ol
gross ignorance and great gulhbility-
the latter, most probably. can imag
inc the gentleman listening, open
mouthed, while the ingenious friends
stuff him with all manner and kind ol
nonsense, which he hastens to transfer
to his note book for the future deiecta-
ton of the uninitiated. Fancy, fol
instance, some joke-loving old ranch
man giving the "fine-haired feller from
the states" the following absurd piece
OF Information (heaven save the mark y
which 10 gravely narrated 40 the sober
est fact: "The poor brutes die by the
thousands-totter along until they fall
down, the living always trying to reach
the body of Q dead one to fail upon. .
Ohl the unbounded credulity Of the
eredulousl
II Mr.. Ralph is q fair specimen Of the
magazine specialist who is detailed to
write up' the different sections and
industries Of our country, and if state
ments such as the one quoted are fail
eamples of the "facts' elicited, the
magazine readers may look forward to a
vast fund Of new and startling informa'
tion.