The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-15

The Country Doctor. The. Chosen
Valley is Mrs. Mary Halleck Foote's
pet work. A. Conan Doyle believes
The White Company by far his best
story, and here again will most readers
agree with him. 1t may be interesting
to the reader to know that he consid-
ers the Sherlock Holmes stories the
most unsatisfactory work he ever did,
notwithstanding they made his fame,
and says that he killed Holmes because
he didn't want to be connected with
the clever detective any longer!
Stanley J. Weyman believes he has
never written anything else equal to A
Gentleman of Frances very correct
judgment, no doubt.
Dear Robert Louis Stevenson wrote
from Samoa, some months before his
death: "Out of my own books l find
it very hard to choose, but think !
may say that my favorites-those in
which I seem to have done more nearly
what 1 tried to do-are the two parts
of David Balfour's Adventures"
Henry B. Fuller prefers Chatelaine
to any other of his books. Mrs. Mar
garet Deland, though almost all her
readers would prefer John Ward
Preacher, believes that Philip and His
Wife is superior to it. Howells' favor
lite is A Modern Instance, in which
Judgment few critics have agreed with
him. We think the judgment of four
persons out of five would be in favor
of The Rise of Siias Lapham, as be-
tween the two. DR.. ERgleston's Faith
Doctor he deems the best story he has
attempted. Captain Kings own choice
out of his many cooks is Between the
Lines. Crawford's choice is Zoroaster,
of all his volumes.
And 80 on through long list Of
opinions which have been saved up,
one might quote enough to make a
column; but these samples will suffice
for the present purpose and are some
what helpful in forming our own ju g.
ments. But great number of authors,
by the way they put out books, must
be prepared to answer, as to their own
personal choices, what a famous writer
of century ago, in France, answered.:
"What do you consider your best
work." he was asked.
my next, sir"
AN ESTIMATE OF CARLYLE.
Mr.. Gerald Stanley Lee writes of
Carlyle Loyalty and almost lovingly
as lovingly as one over could write OF
of that great, gloomy genius. We have
only space for the closing portion of
the short essay, which is very eloquent
and on the whole just:
always dramatic egoist rather
than dramatist. it fell to Carlyle. with
the French revolution for a back
ground, to give US himself, and many
of the transfigured heroes that he loved
will be remembered because he took
them to light the way for us into his
heart-a heart that was wise with the
night,-a Rembrandt heart, that used
the darkness to reveal its dream. His
thought grows pale when he strives to
wander vaguely by the sunrise, and al
ways seems to quicken with the sunset
because it is the gateway to the stars.
He belonged to them. The leading
Old Testament character of modern
times, beyond the dawns of history he
turns his face like a weird re-
versed Isaiah toward the shadow and
the past. He prophesies dead
Moses to the children of living
Christ, 1t is ever sad to see him dying at
last in his own wilderness, with all the
splendid broken music of his former
words ringing in the ears of men and
no voice to sing back to HMM bitter