Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-28
BOOK TALK.

A writer who has the power Of making
every line of story epigramnfhtic or as
full of thought as an egg is of meat is
wise in not writing too much. A
Comedy of Sinners, by Mr.. Hobbs, is
case in point it is such brief affair
that, as the last leaf is turned over, the
reader sighs regret that the pleasure
is completed.
IF Mr.. Hobbs's name was not printed
on the title page as the author, Owen
Meredith would receive the credit for
the book, so brilliant is it,
and so full of thought. The
basis Of the little tale is a comparison of
the material and the ethical, as those
qualities exist in the nature of men and
women. There are four principals, two
men, two women. The quartette, at
various times, are more or less epris
with each other, but finally, the couple
with the pronounced feshly instincts
are married, and the others play out to
the end, purely mental companion
ship.
The story is of today, while the phi
losophy in it was old when Plato lived,
and will be fresh ages hence. The writer
does not trouble about lesson; each
reader can draw his own conclusions as to
the wisdom of the course pursued by
each actor. They are all delightful peo-
pie, the worldly ones, as usual, being
the most attractive to the general reader,
but each character is strongly drawn
and full of action. The one fault with
the little book is its brevity.
A Comedy of Sinners, by M, ]. Hobbs. For
sale by stoll & Thayer.
x*x
Mr.. F. Anstey jumped into fame with
Vice Versa, that charmingly absurd
story, made familiar to theater-goers by
Mr.. Frank Daniels, under the name Of
Little Puck. Mr.. Anstey has the knack
of writing nineteenth century Arabian
nights, and produces no less interesting
tales than those which lulled Haroun
AL Raschid into slumber, and nightly
gained for Scheherazade another twenty
four hours lease of life. Mr.. Anstey
has been prolific writer of short stor-
! les, all more or less based on the same
plan of treating the impossible as part
of the commonplace. A number of these
| stories have been collected and pub
lished in a volume, which furnishes ma
terial for much amusement.
The title story is The Talking Horse I;
it portrays admirably the embarrass-
ment of poor rider, at finding that the
steed he had purchased for use on the
Row could talk excellent English, in
which it spoke its mind freely regarding
it's owners failings in horsemanship
and other weaknessess. 1t reads like
roaring farce, and is worthy OF all
praise as laugh creator.
The other stories are all we'll written,
and entertaining to rare degree.
The Talking Horse and other Stories, by I
Anstey. For sale by Stoll & Thayer.
| x*x
Calmire is specimen of the good ole
school tale, which was published II
three volumes, and was, like the old
time sermon, religiously developed from
a firstly, secondly and thirdly, with &
powerful peroration. 1t is an anoHy
! nous story, but the author has little
cause to be ashamed of it. There are
hundreds of drier stories issued every
month. The plot is too complicated tt
outline; suffice it to say that it is deco
rous throughout, full of incident. anC
that, in the end, sll the snarls are un
tangled, and then thevswere married.
1t is just the book for travellers, or fo
the regular novel reader.
Calmire. For sale By 6tell 4 Thayer.