The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-27
SENTIMENTAL TOMMY"
About the Most Unique Piece OF tic-
i;on That Ever Was Wrltten-is III
Great, or Is It-What?

mental Tommy?'" 4" asked the Woman who
reads everything that everybody is talk
ing ABOUT. OF the Man who read Robert
Elsmere only six months ago, has 80 FAR
triumphantly resisted opening "Ben
| Hur" altogether. has no idea OF being
| tempted 10 "irilny," :or at least a de-
| cade TO come, ana, In general, makes II
| practice IN his reading nabit, to which
| he is really hoplsssly addicted. never TO
| read a book that Everybody" Is talk
| ing ADOPT.
~ don't think about II. 1 haven't read
| It," responded the Man gloomily, but
| with some evidence of en- barrassment at
| the question-sn em oarrassment, be IL
said, in no wise due TO the fact that he
| had been caug ht In his ignorance ofa book
| OF tho day--to be- thus caught, indeed,
| being ordinarily a matter OF pride with
| him.
| "Goodness! You haven't read It'll" ex-
claimed the Woman. "Oh. N.Y." she
added, "you really ought, without
another days delay"
+, sand why?" queried the Man. not
without interest, as IL n, was really
looking for something in the response.
| "why9 Because it is just lovely, OF
course. 60 quaint, SO pathetic, so
pretty" responded the Woman, with en-
thusiasm.
Inc Man was silent for q moment.
Then he inquired with evident restraint
| az II he might be suspected In trick to
trap the Woman somehow by her answer.
"wnat's 1t about? DO you mina telling
me?'
"Not at all, "said theWoman cheerfully.
"It's like this. Tommy Is little boy at
the opening of the story-and the pen
picture OF him and the quotations from
him are the most fetching bits OF writing
you ever read" c'H'm." said the Mani.
swell, Tommy's mother was taken away
py a man from her former lover while
her old lover and herself were at tryst-
ing place"
"What dii he take her away for"
inquired the Man cautiously.
| son, because-well, believe he loved
her and then he wanted TO show her
how strong. he was, the power he had over
her. and"
"Didn't her old lover object?' ventured
the Man.
"Oh, yes, but he proved so cowsrdly
that Tommy's mother just went to the
stronger man. Well, he Ill treated her
and they were poor. And all the time, In
her misery, she kept writing letters
home-o
"To Tbrums, believer"
eyes, CT course, to Ihrums, letters
| nh W
rich-to make her rivals in Thrums jealous
and her cowardly lover feel as bad as
possible, you know"
"Nothing very new about that for a
plot,' declared the Man somewhat
yenomously.
"Oh, no, but that isn't the story at
ALL" cried the Woman. "rhe story IL
about Tommy, principally after his
mother died and he went back to Thrums
he and his little sister"
"Oh, he had little sister, did he
And what did Tommy do?"
"Yes he had little sister-thats the
prettiesr part OF the story. Aud when
Tommy went back to Tbrums, he-he-
we'll he just developed, you know-and
such q delightful story is made OF il. And
then there's the Painted Lady and ner
daughter"
"And who was the Painted LadyP" in
auirod the man, with something of the
air of a detective hunting for deeply
hidden clue.
"Why she--why she-you see, she was
a mystery"
. "Ah,yes," said the Man very seriously.
"She was a mystery. But she adds in
terest to the story, supposs?"
sob, yes--and Ii is such delightful
story, you don't know."
"No, / don't KNOW" assented the Man
a somewhat irritably. "And the fact is
want to know. And / can't find anybody
that does know. l want 10 know what
10 so delightful about Sentimental
9 Tommy, wish that somebody would
, at least give me an intelligent idea ol
what that book Is like, what the story
tells, what the plot is-anything. And
1 can't get an idss. Nobody seems to b'
j able to give IL to me. have read q dozer
9 reviews of the book and while come oi
q the reviewers say the book Is good anc
some OF them that II 10 no good and some
| OF them that TX Is not SO goou es IL ough
q to be, the fact is not one of them ha
i furnished me with any sort OF an idea o
= what is the matter with 1t, or what isn'i
the matter with it. And when ] hav'
asked persons who ordinarily are clear
headed about things, and sensible
s like yourself, madam, "-ana h
v made a profound bow-"I am treate'
!, tot jumble about Tommy's smsrtneI
and the Painted Lady mystery and wha
not or some genoralities about the reada
y bltncss OF the book, but nothing tha
10 gives me any conception OF what the boo
ia like. This all strikes mo as preposterous
Hare Is book by q famous author pu
" out by a reputable publishing house q
:. the creates. novel OF the year. boaf
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