The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-28
SOME NEW BOOKS.

We greatly fear that DR.. A. Conan
Doyle is finding it impossible 10 ave
down his past. The creator of The
White Company" and "Brigadier Ger
ard has in his latest effort, Rodney
Stone" ,iust now issued by ID. Apple
ton < Co, New York; given us a Nalu
able and, indeed, artistic exposition VI
the life and manners of provincial huS
land during the decades of the eNplf-
ing century's youth. He has Drawn
with fidelity and with fine artstic IN
tuition pictures of period JUST ou'
side the recollection of the youhEti
classes and not clearly fixed IN tre
minds of our grandsrcs to be made
familiar by their telling of it. ABOVE
all, he has paid attention to ms Sty!e'
and has employed the Queens EflSlish
with sureness and n nicely not known
to contemporary letters since Inc ueath
of Stevenson. Rodney Stone ther'-
fore will add to his fame and WIDEN
the circle OF his present admirers ny
bringing into camp many ol the las-
tidiouS ones who rejected ms oNertuFes
while a mere story-teller. And yet, as
we read the finished book. with its re-
rvatod evidences of revision ana poll
ishing, we miss the old Doyle. the Doyle
with broausword and swashbucklc,
who was ont to take us into the sweep
OF his train and carry us GREATNESS 10
the last chapter regardless of style or
art or anything else. We wish we
could get back that old Doyle; We
wouldn't trade him for Il regiment of
the cXtant breed.
We doubt If the readers of Chap
Book half realize, from fortnight to
fortnight, the value of the numerous
short stories which appear in the
pages of that sprightly magazine. w"
know that we didn't until we saw the
best OF them collected into neat little
volume. in green, orange. salmon ana
indigo covers. called "Chap-Book Stor-
les" Chicago: II. S. stone 4 Co.C
Here, in this more durable setting ana
with the additional dignity which hook
dom cunfers, this bakers dozen or
crisp and dainty little tales gains de-
cidedly IN attractivcness. OF the COT
lection Octave Thanct's national con-
yention story of "Thc old Partisan.
which in the arrangement of tn" con-
tents comes last night easily IN IL Era-
dation as to merit be put iirSt. IL
takes us right into tn" thick of an
excited and secthing political conN"n-
tion---thc one which nominated Me-
Knlcy ut st. Louisiana there lays
the scene of Il pathetic incident which
captures our SyHIIilNl'S ilSilt away
from the more sensational work or
president making. This pretty volume
will undoubtedly gain friends for its
Mide-awake. young publishers.
Those who read ChaO-H Book, by the
way. will be glad tn know that Mrs.
Alice Morse Earlc's papers ON curious
l'unishmcnts of Bycone Days Which
have proved such an interesting serial
feature in that publication, are now is
sued by Fl. $. Stone Il Co. with some
ampliicatiOn of the text and several
interesting wood cuts. in book form
and in style of binding that delights
the eye. These papers. it may be worth
while to remark for the benefit ol
those who have not heard of them.
explain in detail the modus operandi
whereby our pleasant hammered fore
fathers of colonial times. especially in
Puritancal New England made life
interesting for those who went eStray
giving descriptions and sample uses
Of such ingenious punitive appliances
as the wooden horse. the bilbOos, the
stocks, the cutty-stool. the scarlet let
ter. the ducking stool, the gauntclopo,
the pillory, the branks and the whip
ping post and ducking stool Very
quaint are the citations from colonial
records touching specific cases where
these punishments We're employed. The
hook is of evident historical value.