The herald., 1893-06-11
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acters that enact the drama 80 interest
ingly told in this little volume of army
life.
Macmillan and company are the pub
fishers OF new novel, Strolling Play
ers, by O. M. Yonge and @. x. Cole
ridge. Miss YoDge in the company OF
strolling players was o startling idea.
One fastened to put the responsibility
on Mics Coleridge. But on looking into
the novel it was relief to find that the
players we're no ordinary folks, but
country people and church members.
Sir Lewis Willingham and his
aunt, two of the principal players,
were in the habit Of ''acting (this not
in it's theatrical sense) up to sound re-
liglous principle, not going very deep"
whatever that may mean. The family
had had losses lately, they loved anna
teur theatricals and were mostly of a
sAnguine temperament. So, with some
friends, they formed an Old Comedy
and Pastoral Play company. Old come
dy was hit upon because amateur audi
enceB like ii, we do IL rather we'll, and
our good breeding tells in it," as one Of
them complacently remarks. Some OF
the members have great perturbatioDs
both of nerve and conscience, but the
soothers and consultations are many
o. e., You know we can act at primrose
fetes and do good in that way." The
great enemy to the elderly Miss Anne'a
peace OF mind is something called the
q. F. s., with Its diocesan council.
Finally che gives way to these myteri-
GUS powers and to mstrimony. Agnes,
whoee mind was set on parish work.
Ia also released by clerical marriage
from an unsuitable profession; and
Juliet, who takes to the stage seri-
ously, is welded to a promising young
actor of 80 grave cast of character that
even curates looked frivolous by his
side. The well-bred company dispersed.
"For you soc, my dear, 1t was sort OF
thing that couldn't last" said sensible
maiden aunt. 1t is comforting to know
that only one member deteriorated dur
ing the experiment, and he was not
blue-blooded. Miss Yonge and Miss
Coleridge can tell story, of course, and
this one Is far from dull. But it per-
haps goes beyond its intention, amount-
ing, as it does, to sweeping satire on
the superticiaity, the ,insolvence, the
poetry of mind and spirit that exist
Alongside much that is amiable, and
gooo deal that is graceful, in respectable
English society.
##@
The most intimate friend of that ehy
and seclueive man, Nathaniel Haw.
tborne, was Horatio Bridge. Hence his
recent book, Personal Recollections OF
Nathaniel Hawthorne, published by
Harper Brothers, Is highly interesting
one. The two men were classmates
throughout their college course, and cor
always aiterward; they ex-
changed presents and courtesies of many
kinds, and Mr.. Bridge WAS almost the
only man under whose roof Hawthorne
ever permitted himself TO be-
come visitor. Mr.. Bridges faith
In Hawthorne's gifts had more |
than anything else to do with |
determining and sustaining Hawthorne
N the career of authorship, as we al
-eady knew through Hawthorne's touch
ng dedication of The Snow Image: "If
anybody is responsible for my being at
This day an author, it is yourself. l
know not whence your faith came. but !
V0llS We W6f0 lhub tOSoUH6r n6 a OOuubry 4
college, gathering blueberries' in study
hours under thoee tall academic pines,
" watching the great logs as they tum-
lin, or shooting pigeons gray squirrels
n the woods, or bat-furling in the sum
ner twilight, or catching trout,
hat the faculty never heard of, or else
xyrvrl1 hnua ham TIM fnr
still it was your prognostic of your
riend's destiny that he was to be
writer of fiction" Nor did this faith
ail with the close OF college as
sociations. To the same friend
was it due that Twice-Told Tales
was given to the world, Mr..
Bridge, without Hswthorne's knowl-
edge, writing to the publisher and guar
him against loss. after the
or portions of it, had been
in his hands for seven years In his
preface to the Recollections, Mr..
Bridge excuses himself from any
analysis or Interpretation of Haw-
thorne's writing, because of his
own lack of literary ability and
critical skill, but we can hardly believe
his modest disclaimer in view of such |
signal manifestations Of the most desir-
able qualification of literary critic
the power to detect undeveloped genius
while it is still undiscovered by others.
The chronicle of the college days makes
up large part of the book,
q fact not to be regretted, since
it includes also pleasant glimpses of
others of Bowdoin's famous class of '25,
which included, besides Hawthorne,
Henry w. Longiellow and Franklin
Pierce.
All the above books for sale by the stoll &
Thayer company, 1870 South Spring street.
Book Chat.
The Rev. J. r. Illingworth has been
appointed hampton lecturer at Oxford
for next year.
The literary exc cutors of Victor Hugo
will publish this month volume of
poems written by him betwesn 1852 and
1854. and hitherto unknown.
Denmark is the seventh (and latest)
country to comply with requirements
of the American copyright law neces-
ssry to secure mutual copyright.
London is to have series of IL per-
formances of the later plays of Herr