The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1896-03-07
WE AND OUR NEIGHBORS

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immigration" and done ''incalcuiable in
jury to the state" To get at the bot
tom Of the matter involves discussion
- to what induces settlers to settle,
what people generally do with their
ballads aud myths, and what he Cali.
fornian meant who recently declared
that the demise Of Bret Harte would be
40 event Of the highest possible advant
age to California The western states
are children Of large growth. They
have wits, enterprise, ingenuity and
some money. They have not age. and
nothing but age will ripen knowledge
into culture. Hence there is no use
denying that yesterday we were pioneers
and started = folk lore that will con-
front the children Of yesterday when
they claim q savant pedigree. Tom
Grogau," by F. Hopkinson Smith, is
concluded in this number. 1t is story
Of village politics and street contracts
and the dominant Irish pull. the same
thing whether in New York city or in
q village microcosm. Mr. Smiths style
10 familiar to everyone. Anything he
writes and illustrates is sure OF readers.
In Colonel Carter Of Gainesville" he ie
the American Du Maurier OF good fell
lowship and camaraderie. Colonel Car
ter whose hand. heart and house were
never shut to his friends, has done
much in the way OF introducing
the north to the south. A sympathetic
medium 10 all they need ana with F.
Hopkinson Smith and railroads terml-
mating in southern export depots the
two parts OF the country seem to be on
the point Of acquiring it. TON
Grogan.' the contractor is woman who
takes her husband's name when he dies
and figures and hauls and builds as he
did. Her work is honest and "the
union" conspires to drive her out Of COM
petition with it. When various methods,
such as proposing marriage and intimi-
dation fail, emissaries OF "the union" set
fire to her barn. and finally beat Tom
Gro9an" hereelf on the head till they
suppose her dead. 1t is hard to beat
the sense out OF an Irish head and Tom
rises up. confronts her enemies and &c.
cures the contract they want. The best
OF men are not fair to woman in the
same business. Education has miti.
gated mans cruelty but not destroyed
it. When the laboring classes en-
counter q feminine opponent shrewder,
and ADLER than they are the men CON-
bine against her and no weapon is too
primitive, no means too cowardly to use
against her. A writer's sympathies
must be broad and quick aod in the
case OF Mr.. Smith they are enough 80 to
have overcome his blind masculinity.
tom Grogan" is an Irish Joan OF Arc
as pure, a. heroic, as faithful as she.
The other stories are Of slight import
ance. The sketch Of John Randolph of
Roanoke and Of the Elder Dumas are
interesting and in the best biographical
style.
Speaking Of optimism and its medi-
cinal effect on all who must live or COM
NIT suicide La Revue Of Paris prints for
the first time q statement from George
Sands when she was seventy-one years
old concerning her views Of novel writ
ing and her views OF life in general.
Though she was looking forward to
death at the time, it expresses only the
most cheerful sentiments, for there was
\ stubbornness about her optimism as
about her idealism. She has been
rharUod nth sdoal;v;r0 hor v,o..,c,c>.