Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-15
OUR LITERARY DEPARTMENT.
PAR WESTERN RHrLEcr1oEs

ern Tennessee, published now In the
series with eight other volumes by
Houghtop, Mifiiin 4 Co., Boston. The
plot is hardly worthy the name and its
various threads consist Of a nest Of
moOnshiners in The lOet mine, q quarrel
with . native mountain squaiter to get
him to move his cabin and make room
for a syndicate summeT-resort hotel,
the love affairs Of Captain Luey's
daughters and the lawless young sons
If the forest. There sre many gems Of
expression in the native dialect thrown
iuto these Iages. Miss Murfree 10 q
deep student II this pIeturesqI Ie life in
the rough. an ardent lover Of the shift
ing clouds and rising mists. the veering
fogs and pouring rains. Her novels at
tain an idyllir purity of tone and
cleanliness Of spirit tina. we may feel
sure OF when woman Of ber culture
takes up the pen. There are no snne-
cesssry killings or fiap-1oodle love
scenes thrown in to make you (, 81 that
you get your moneys worth.
NCvEis in PAPER.
"The Bacl eiOr of the Midway" is
about what can be imagined from the
title aud nothing more. Mascot Pub.
Co., 169 Sixth avenue. New York.
"Her Fair Fame" by Eigar Faw-
cett, is the story of an artists love
fo- n 1oa;xat,la "a rtrhoao eso rdian In
also enamored to death of the poor
girl. On one side genius, love, etc.
On the other side passion, money, etc.
The result as usual. Merrill Il Baker,
IA Fifth avenue, New York.
SIN the Quarter" by r Jbert w.
Chambers is an artists dream of love af.
fair reduced to black upon white. 1t
is full of tender scenes sold at retail or
wholesale in the Latin Quarter Of Paris
and ends in a cunning literary ana,
gram. f. It. Nicely, Pub, Chicago.
The mysterious Yellow Book that
has caused critics so many Rripes and
qualms Is an artistically illustrated and
printed qnarto by Elkin Mathews q
John Lane, London, England, Cope
land & Day, Boston, American pub
liahers. Price 5 sehillings net or 81 so
in our money. The cover design and
ernamentations are of the most pro-
nounced realistic-aesthetic. A score or
more fine reproductions of modern art
and masters give occasion for free
handed criticism, by Philip Gilbert
Hamerton. The contents of the first
volume-the one preceding this, Is sub
jected to gossippy enjoyable over-haul-
ings in this number by the free lances
of the craft of letters. To use the slang
these are alone worth the price Of the
performances. Here is literary freedom
and literary freshness subjected to pene-
trating discernment without foil. In
this cracking bonfire upon which 2l
writers haye heaped their driftwood,
there be hidden among sparks and
smoke and some smudge great lights
of the future. The stage and criticism
itself comes in for sparkling treatment.
Max Beerbohm, of Oxford, defines the
true spirit ofsearching criticism as this;
"Whero are the beauties of this work
that may praise them, and by the
praise quicken the sense Of beauty In
others?" This IL deep truth that ap-
plies TO every relation of life and serves
to point that literature as the highest
torIn of the art of expression--and that
is all there is of art--is worth the study
of any man and the study of 1t omitted
from our schools means the omission Of
laying the foundation Of any possible
culture. The Yellow Book is strong
meat for the advanced students. AS
for the twelve short stories, they will |
interest any taste for such, but rs for
bnsy person life Is too short to read
short stories.
''Recollections Of a Virginisn" Ia. the
well chosen title of we'll written book
by General Dabney n. Maury. These
memoirs of an old soldier In the Mexi-
can, Indian and civil wars, highly
educated and cultured gentleman, con-
stitute classic that will find its way
10 all libraries OF note In the course
Of time. Not since Grant produced his
have we had 30 exalted and
an account OF q soldiers
career set before US. TheIMaury family
Of Fredericksburg was distinguished
for several generations, both as fighters
and authors, and this reputation is we'll
throughout these twenty odd
chapters, concluding with sketches OF
bis appointment and service as minis
Ier 10 the United States Of Colombia.
In literary style these memoirs are not
easily surpassed, Without the drynees
'f historical narrative, they possess
greater charm than romance becauss Of
ihe rich flavor Of human interest poured
over every page. General Maury 10
good story teller sad has keen sense
IL lho romantic, the picture sQuo aud