Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-11-05
Review Of Irving's "sketca Book
lCoxfissed from Last Week.

an Englishman, the more likely is it to b.
believed. Thus the people have enron
eous ideas OF our customs and laws
They regard US as predudiced against
them, and as inimical to the parent
country.
Irving has written number of articles
on the impressions received from bis
travels about England. He was ever
seeing the true Briton in all his moods
and phases. His fopdness for roast beef
and pudding, and the comfortable envir'
onments of the country gentleman's life
forms the key note Of several sketches.
Rural Life in England, The Country
church, Christmas, and several articles
on the pleasures received from spending
Christmas with friend whose father
was country squire, whose especial de-
light was in keeping up the old time
English sports and festivals, The Yule.
log on Christmas eve, little children
singing carols on Christmas morning, the
Christmas dinner and its ancient dishes,
the Wassail Bowl, the frolic in the
evening, consisting of an ancient mas.
querade and later of more modern dances
we're some of the Christmas observances
There are two sketches which have
Shakespeare and the scenes Of his life
as their motive. 'The Bears Head
Tavern, East cheap" contains the recital
of visit to the town Of Eastcheap. he
found few relics of the old days OF
which Shakespeare wrote, picture OF
Prince Hal and Falstaf on the cover of
tobacco box which had belonged to the
tavern, and q few other interesting
things.
"Stratford-on-Avon" tells of q visit
to the immortal poets birthplace and
tomb. The precious dust is never to be
removed frnm the church wherein it lies,
as there is q curious malediction on the
fat stone which marked the spot where
the ban is buried. "Good friend, for
Jesus sake, forbear to dig the dust here.
Blessed be he that spares these stones.
And cursed be he that moves my bones"
In his youth Shakespeare with some
other lads had stolen deer, for which he
was taken prisoner. The old family seat
of the Lucy's where the offence was COM
mitted is visited now by travellers on &C.
count of its master having been made
immortal by lampoon, written because
of the harsh treatment the lad had recei-
we'd. "Traits of Indian Character" and
fPhiip of Pokanoket" are articles inten-
ded to show the Indian as he was before
contact with the whites taught him the
baseness and cruelty that distinguish the
Indians of the present time. Philip was
an Intellectual man whom circumstances
had placed in hostile attitude to the
pettlers. He fought to the last though
his own family and most of his followers
were slain, and himself pursued from
place to place, at last, driven to his own
den upon Mt. Hope, he retires to a
swamp. Here sullen grandeur gathers
about his memory. Defeated, crushed
but not discouraged nor Inundated he
was Infatuated by the proposal of an ex-
pedient of peace by one Of his followers
that he smote him to death. The bro
Their making his escape gave information
as to his whereabouts and he was sur
rounded by his foes and before he knew it,
renegade Indian of his own nation shot
him. Irving must have known what it
was to have great grief. The quotation
with which he commences "The Broken
Heart" is as follows:
1T never heard
OF any true affection, but twas nipped
With care, that, like the caterpillar, eats
The leaves Of the springs, sweetest book the rose
A young Irish pstrot was tried'
condemned and executed on a charge
of treason. Every one even his
enemies lamentei the stern decree. But
the lovely Irish girl who was his betroth-
ed was broken hearted, She had incur
red her fathers displeasure by her love
for the unfortunate young man, and was
an exile from his home. Though her
friends did all in their power to console
her, she wasted away in hopeless de-
cline, and at length sunk into the grave.
"The Widow and Her Son." tells of q
poor widows son who was her sole
support, being taken as sailor by the
press gang. After several years he
returned-worn and emaciated-to die
in her arms. Her grief was so deep that
her poor trail heart broke and in few
weeks she was laid by his side in the
church yard.
"The Pride Of the Village" relates the
story of q faithless lover, the broken
hearted girl, her decline, and her lovers
return just in time to witness her death.
We must remember that these sketches
were written about sixty years ago.
English girls of that time were quite
different from the American girl Of
today. II q lover is false now, the
maiden does not due Of q broken heart,