The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-05
INTHELITERARY WORLD
THB WEEKLY OBAT RE6AhDi""
WRITERS AND BOOKS.
I,,p,noott's Magazine for November-"ihe
Home" by Fredriks Bromsr-he''"'
Publications Of Merit.

| ffons TO this issue OF LlpplncOll die an
ar,,cIe on Golf" athletic series written
nv John Gnmer Speed; one on why The
Rody Should BE Cultivated" by Wilton
,rournier: Progress in Local Transports
ton" by Lewis NJ. Haupt; and short
story entitled 1.-The Rustlers" which Is
No. Q In a series known as "Lippincott's
notable stories"-by Alice MACEDONIAN.
The scene of the last named Is laid In
Northwestern Texas, in 1885, when cattle
thieves abounded and cattle men
despaired.
II Is a pathetic and strong little sketch,
the pathos never descending to sickly
sentlmentality, but keeping itself free
from morbid manifestations throughout.
Bentley Austin, Deaderick, Edith-none
| OF them are overdone; they are all of
them characters in whose prototypes
| Northwestern Texas abounded at the
time the events narrated are represented
! as having taken place.
! A story entitled IAN Unsatisfactory
! Lover of which the writer is Mrs. Hun
gerford. better known as THE Duchess"
is given the first place upon the table OF
contents presumably because the class of
readers who devour the trash which this
writer rolls off by the ream, is larger
than any other, and will purchase an
issue whose leading article Din point OF
where one containing a sensible, strong.
racy sketch by a really gifted author
would 80 begging
These readers are almost invariably of
the caramel consuming, immature, in
tense class, and we are sorry 10 see pub
fishers so prominent as Messrs. Lippincott
pandering to so unwholesome n taste.
THE HOME; OR LIFE IN SWEDEN:
BY Fredrka Bremen. Translated by
Mary Hewitt. G.. p. Putnam's Sons.
New York. London For sale by West
Johnston & Co.
To be able TO narrate the simple and
unexciting events connected with quiet
family life, so attractively and entertain
ingly as to sustain throughout the nara
tlon-(whose scope is only as wide as the
joys and sorrows that befall Ernest and
Elise Frank in their endeavors in the
training Of their six children)-the keen
and unflagging interest OF the mature
reader certainly implies exceptional genius
in story telling on the part Of the narrator
But Miss Bremer's title, TO be considered
an eminently talented as well as an en-
inently noble woman, was established
years ago, and in this tasteful edition Of
Mary Howitts translation, Messrs. Put
nam nave simply introduced TO US an old
friend In a new dress.
The fact that II is an old friend GER
tainly does not detract one iota from its
charm. In the best sense Miss Bremers
writings can never grow old; they have
the perennial freshness and attractive
ness inseparable from purity and truth
around which the light and charm Of
certain genius has been thrown.
To the description OF so routine an
occurrence in the household life as the
"Children's bath" Miss Bremer's pen
lends an originality so exquisite as to
fix 1t like a gem in the readers memory,
along with flashing pen-pictures by
George Eliot or daintiiy vivid descriptions
by Charlotte Bronte
Miss Bremen had the true poets insight
into life and its most Insignificant details,
combined with the Swedish woman's
practically.
SOME OLD PURITAN LOVE LET
TIERS: John and Margaret Winthrop,
161S-163S. Edited by Joseph Hopkins
Twitchell, Dodd, Mead & CO. New
York For sale by West, Johnston
e. Co.
An extract from the introduction TO this
book viii best and most briefly indicate
the character Of its contents:
The eXtant correspondence Of this
Of their life in England, by far the
greater pert Of it antedatiDg their emf
grafton.
1T was not a leisurely correspondence,
but was penned in the intervals of press
ing household and professional duties
Its most common occasion was Win
throp's absence from home in London,
whittier he regularly went on his legal
business. There was TO nail between
London and Groton in those days; as a
rule, each wrote wien there was a chance
10 send, and usually in more or less haste.
"Mrs. Winthrop's letters are unfrequent-
ly dated, and the place Of many of them
has to be assigned by conjecture. Except.
indeed, Of Winthrop's too copious and
elaborate ante-nuptial efforts, the cores
pondence throughout shows on neither
side, the marks of particular care 1t is
not, then, a monument Of the epistolary
art IT is bare Of literary reference. 1t
contains only casual mention OF contem-
porary public events; it is simply a cor
respondence Of domesticity and affection
In the atmosphere Of religion"
The John Winthrop of the letters was
Massachusetts first governor, and Mar
garet Tyndal was his third wife, and de-
voted helpmeet and counsellor through
the days when the task of planting a
new State on new soil" consumed his en-
ergies and his health.
After reading the introduction. we see
that the letters cannot be perused critic
ally; the man and the woman whose love
informed them with eloquence between
the lines" had no idea that colCer eyes
than those OF devoted affection would
ever rest upon them. If they were pieces
Of literary perfection, "icily regular" as
intellectual beauties, IL would, indeed, be
difficult to believe that they were the
spontaneous outhowings OF devotion from
genuine lover and true sweetheart. actual
husband ard real wife.
Love which waits to measure metre or
TO balance sentences, Is not conceivable.
The letters are peryaded by the deep
religious tone which we might have antici-
pated from Puritan TO Puritan While
they have no actual literary merit. they
are pleasing relics OF the Puritan age"
and Of a lOve-story the actors In which
helped TO make our country's life and our
country's history.
The book is beautifully bound in linen
and gold, in a style which attests the
chaste and excellent taste Of the publish
ers.
TWO SOLDIERS AND A POLITICIAN:
BY Clinton Ross. G. Z. Putnam's Sons.
New York London. seventy-fve cents.
For sale by West, Johnston & Co.
The qualities which distinguish "The
Adventures Of Three Northies" and I'm
probable Tales" and which are essen
TALLY and peculiarly the characteristics
Of Mr.. Ross writings are those which
mark these last.