The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-06-17
WITH THE PROCESSION, by HENRY R. FIJI.
LER, HARPER & Rros - $1,000 D' A'N

chicago story more ambitious and con.
sluerably more realistic than in his ear.
Her book, The Cliff Dwellers, we were lee
10 expect much. Lucy Monroe had writ
ten In the Critic: IF tt is not tn,
great American novel, we may confident
~ look for that long heralded volum.
from the author of With the Procession
Mr.. Howeils, too. last week gave lis his
Two columns i'll Harper Weekly about
tne oook,on the whole praising it greatly,
aloeit 1t was more by telling us how much
ne llaed 1t rather than by telling us of its
actual greatness. These two witness s.
whlle,not to he utterly discredited. are
not hkely to be very widely corroborated
ov maturer estimates of critics. In fact
~ Is not too much to say that Mr.. How
els estimates of novels and novel writer's
nave often been wrong.
y. mat Is to say. he has essayed to
dlsparage and discredit. everything not
Wlthln his chosen schoolsof which school
u IS only fair TO say that he is splen-
ana and successful disciple and exponent.
Mr. rulers story is told in excellent
English, is good in technique and faith
Jul in detail. But it is not great story
nor very near approach to one. meas
ured by the great stories that have found
zeal place 10 literature. 1t is cramped
IN plan, 1t is necessarily narrow in scope,
ana might nave all been fully set out in
the local Journals with nearly as satisfac-
tory results as in pretentious book. In,
DEED, 1t would have been rather fine mat
ter for first class Sunday or literary
weekly newspaper at home, because it is
ABOUT Chicago and Of Chicago, and will
md Its warmest welcome there.
= y
The Evolution of Whist is new book
OF SURPRISING general interest to the low
ers OF the greatest and most popular of
all card games. The author, William
Pole, fellow of the Royal society, is
well known to the public through his
other works on the subject. This book
Is not intended as manual of the game
OF whist, but treatise on the rise and
development of the game. The author
pays great compliment to the players
OF this country, and says they have
marked new era in the game by
leads, practically unknown to English
players and that good lady whist play
ers abound here, while they are very rare
IN England. Cavendish found the same
state of things when he visited this coun-
try. and of his impressions Pole writes:
Nothing surprised him more during
his visit than the wides pread popularity
OF the game OF whist and the zeal with
which its devotees studied its theory and
practice. And not only were the nun bers
or players enormous and increasing, but
the general proficiency of play was most
remarkable. He has repeatedly declared
that there is no sort of comparison to be
made between the European and the
American players-the latter possessing a
general quality of excellence which is al
most unknown here-or which at any rate
it has been the habit TO attribute only to
exceptional persons like Deschapelles, ap-
pearing only once in an age.'
AT f1rst-the game having been first
played in England in the early years of
the eighteenth century-whist was a
: below stairs amusement. being played
IN coffee houses and kitchens, any num-
Der taking a hand and each trying tor
tricks on his own account. Gradually it
grew into favor and was adopted by the
gentry, without, however, developing
much until Edmond Hoyle, the London
barrister without business TO anuov hira-
pher says of HIM. 'intrnduced the calcu-
ius of probabilities which evolved a
mode of play hitherto undreamed Of. Civ
ing room for unlimited intellectual skill
From tins time dates the club and also
the professional teaching of the game.
The Hoyle game and methods growing
out of it appear to have held sway TIL
about thirty, years ago, when the
Cavendish and the Cam bridge coterie of
players. This school made the com bina-
ton of the hands the foundation OF the
system and worked ont the doctrine OF
probability into a simple and readily
learned form. To some extent, also com
municatlon between the pa rtners was es-
tablished by the signal for trumps. This
game proved so much better adapted for
common use that its immediate result
was an enormous incl ease in the numbe
of players, especially in America, and
within twenty years this country has de-
veloped the game to new and 1ourth
stage.
Concerning the turtber development OF
the game in this country, as following
out the beginnings of the Cavendish
school, a review OF Poole's book says:
THE American leads. chiefly invented
by n. B. Trust of New Orleans which are
now in everyday use, even among players
who do not pretend to be expert, really
amount to a telegraphic code between
partners, and it is an open question
whether the effect is as whole tor the
good of the game. There can be no doubt
that it tends to do away with the advant-
age which exceptional skill used to pos
sess. The effect is somewhat similar to
that of allowing partners to take a look
at each others hands, and there IS lar
less room for those delicate intuitions
and differences from the fall of the cards
which used to SAVIOR of genius. What has
been mades u language, and there is no
more credit in understanding 1T than in
having learned French and German,
while to the old-time player each game
was a cryptogram, a Babylonian hero
| glyph, only to be made out by the siren
| uous application of pure intellect. In
| this connection il is worth while to cite
| the words of Mr.. Clay, than whom there
| can be no better authority. He says O.
the signal for trumps:-
1.-The time for leading trumps used tC
| be the point OF all others demanding ht
greatest judgment. Now, almost as Otter
| as not the tyIo knows whether his part
ner wishes trumps to be payed. So mucl
is this the case that player of grea
| reputation, who Gains such credit as !
due to the inventor of this sigma, has OF
ten said that he bitterly regrets his in
genuity, which has deprived him OF one
half the advantage which he derived from
his superior play.
"On the other hard, it is to be said TO
this signal and for the other signal
which collectively are called the Amer
can leads, that they have greatly mproy
ed the average quality of play, and nav
led ordinary whist payers to carry intel
ligence into their use of the small cards
which were formerly play lndifferently
Now it is not possible to relax the atter
ton for a moment for each card has il
lesson to impart, and failure to obserV
it would incur a deserved reproach fC
having thrown awavthe game. In regar
to secret signals between partners, a que
ton over which the whist world has bee
rent asunder, Mr.. Pole takes cons r,
alive ground and holds that all meth oc
OF play should be explained to the whol
company.
But the best they ever claimed on o
half of the game OF whist is that IL Is
no sense. nor can it ever become gam
1. H. lnN