The herald., 1895-04-04
CHIMMIE AND ALAN
JAMES II. GRIFFFs

No apology is needed for writing about
Chimmie Fadden at this late day, after
the reviewers have had their whack at
him and even Ned Hamilton and Arthur
McEwen have patted his back, because
the book is worth serious consideration
at any time. And certainly no apology
is expected for the consideration of Alain
OF Halfdene. The first is series of ex
ceptionally clever character sketches writ
ten by Edward N. Townsend, a news
paperman, and very nea'ly published by
Lowell, Coryell q Company of New York.
The last is a moving tale of unusual in
terest. written by Anna Robson Brown
and published as the novelette, in Lippin-
colts for April.
The author of the Chimmie Fadden
sketches is dilletanti in realism that s
the truth of it. Ned Townsend has as
light touch with the pen as Bunner,
Richard Harding Davis or the author
of My Lady Nicotine-but he lacks the
philosophy and Scotch wisdom of Barrie.
moves Bunner, and is without the depth
of feeling that pervades even the lightest
of Davis sketches. Possibly these are
criticisms that may be revoked later on.
l hope they will. The world needs men
who can handle the pen as gracefully as
ate character as faithfully as the bioyraph-
er of Chimmie Fadden-but it needs them
at nobler tasks than that of filling $50
pages with words that leave no real men,
ory behind them.
Seven years ago there was a "rising
young journalist and struggling young
lawyer in Chicago. One day the rising
young journalist in fit of dependency
supernduced by his own lack of practice
and ability to handle the queens English
in the dainty fashion of these men like
Townsend, Davis and Barrie-who were
then mere scribblers for the press-com-
planned to his friend the lawyer that the
field of literature offered nothing in these
degenerate days for the thoughtful man,
that it was all froth and airy nothingness
which the editors sought after and paid
for. His friend the lawyer replied that
the proper thing for the thoughtful man
to do was to learn to clothe truth in all
the beauty of the highest art.
And then the lawyer went his way to
become famous man-C. S. Darrow, by
name, the greatest orator at the Chicago
bar today and one of the best paid attor-
neys in that city. And the ''risng
young journalist? He went his way,
too, and became, in time, newspaper
man. All of which is apropos to the OBJ
servation that Ned Townsend's book
might be just little more weighty, and
the hope that his forthcoming novel
about tenement-house life in New York
will be as good book as the cleverness
of the style of Chimmie Fadden argues
that it ought to be. This Bowery lad
full study in many ways. His ''Wot t'ell'
and "An' dat goes, are real touches, but
the study is not serious enough to stand
the test of time. Nor are the sketches of
Maj. Max. There are bits of wisdom in the
latter and many turns of phrase that
make them delightful reading. One can
understand the enthusiasm of the
Bohemian club for them. (after the
New York endorsment), but serious
man who has work to do in the world
will soon tire of them-and the real bo-
hemian who is at once an artist and
hard worker, will not have the time to
spare to read them all-or more than
once, at best.
Alain of Halfdene is the very opposite
OF Chimmie Fadden-and, for that reason,
it is fair to consiuer both under one cap
tion. This is a marine tale of Colonial
times, and the story bears the name of
its hero. 1t is indeed, story of hero
an impossible one, perhaps, yet a very
loveable one. And the heroine is charm
ing no end. If we must have books for
pure amusement let teem be like this
one, full of stirring action. wild adventure
and romance that is untainted with
sensualisrn. Alain is the master OF a
vessel that starts out to capture
privateersman, her cargo and beautiful
girl, who is, OF course, an heiress. and
very properly the neice of the heros
employer. A beautiful bride and a for
tune-these are the motives. But it is
better tale than any of Stanley J.Weyman's
and more fascinating than all of Conan
Doyle's except the Sherlock Holmes
series. There is not word of padding in
the book. and from start to finish the
keen interest never lessons. Be you ever
so much realist in doctrine once you
start this tale you will not lay aside the
book till you have read it all. There are
many dramatic situations in it. There
are blood and knives and pistols in it,
but there is a breath of fresh air that
seems to blow down from the green pines
of the Maine coast which more than COM
pensates for these threadbare accoutre-
ments. Anna Robson Brown weaves her
plots and incidents out of external
forces. She makes the winds blow and
sets the sea in angry motion to suit her
purpose, but she does it very cleverly and
in quaint style that is as fascinating
as the tale it clothes. 1t is purely a con-
ventional story, written OH the old, old
lines, but it is more interesting than any
other modern tale of its kind outside of
the books of Robert Louis Stevenson and
William Clark Russell. A considerable
nautical knowledge is displayed and
there is a tinge OF the historical about
the tale that gives it an added charm. 1t
is worth reading if you have the time
for such books.