The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-10

sidered the best English novel. Friend
Olivia" is a very prettily told story and
brings in the doctrines of George FOX
in a fascinating manner. In the
Golden Days" is exceptionally well
studied and well written And John
Inglesant' is a specially able work.
Between the downfall of the Stuarts
and the accession of George l., there is
material for many a novel But OF
those devoted to this time there Is
falling of as compared with the pre-
ceding period both In number OF DOCKS
and in their value. The best stories
treating of this time are Rob Roy
and "waverly." by Walter scott. be
sides his exceptional facility In catch
ing the spirit of the age or country
which he depicts and his power of de-
scription, Scott is to be commended for
the general purity Of his thought. In
this he is sometimes equaled but never
excelled. other novels treating OF TINS
time are "Bernicia," by Mrs. Barr;
For the King" by c. Gibbon; Bonnie
Prince Charlie" by G. A. Henty;
..I,ucy Arden of Hollywood Hail." by
]. A. Grant; Rose of Paradise" by
Howard Pyle, and Buiwer's "Deve-
reux." of these books ''Bernicia" deals
with the times of Whitefield, while
For the King treats OF the "Old Pre-
tender and Bonnie Prince Charlie OF
the Young Pretender."
The four Georges were probably not
much worse than the generality OF
other kings, but their private life has
been made better known. Fortunately,
however for literature, they lived In
an age when Ii was beginning to be
understood that kings comprise but
small part of history, rather than the
whole of il, and the novels respecting
their period deal with the more inn
portant historical elements.
Chronologically we have, first. two
stories by Walter Scott, the Surgeons
Daughter and the "Tapestried Cham
Der" Then we have Henry Esmond
and the "Virginians" by Thackeray,
which books have been probably unex-
celled in the power of catching the
spirit of a nations life. In the time or
the American revolution are "Barnapy
Ridge" by Dickens; Held Fast for
England" tale of the siege of Glib
ralter, by Henty. and the Pilot" by
]. F. Cooper. this last work treating
of the exploits of Paul Jones.
In the period of the French revolu-
ton and the Napoleonic wars are To-
Gated the plots of several works. The
kings own" by Captain Marryat'
deals with the great mutiny at the
More in 1877; "Springhaven," by Black
more, and wing and Wing" by
Cooper, bring in the career of Admiral
Nelson. The Shadow of the Sword,
by Rob Buchanan. deals with the time
of Napoleon's return from Elba, while
"One of the Twenty eighth, by Henty'
closes with an account of the battle
of Waterloo.
Just before the end of the 18th CEN
fury social movements began to become
a prominent element in history.
Against the Stream" by Mrs. Charles,
| is devoted to the question OF the eman-
cipation of the slaves, and Reade's
peg Wellington" is a story of the
| stage.
on the history of the 18th century
the number of novels is exceptionally
| great But ii is too soon to estimate
| what will be the events of thir period
of permanent interest and hence the
names of novels will be few and these
will be mainly such as deal with social
institutions and events. OF such books,
those of Charles Reade are good ex-
amples and exceptionally valuable.
| Hard Cash deals with the subject OF
| private insane asylums; 1T Is Never
Too Late to Mend" advocates prison
reform; Put Yourself in His Place
| is especially interesting for its define
alton of the early opposition to the In
PRODUCTION of labor saving machinery
"A Simpleton" expresses opposition tc
the corset.
Inc theories anu HetnOus Oh th'
chartists are discussed in "Altor
Locke" by Charles Kingsley, and IN
"Sybil," by Benjamin Disraeh. The
problems in the manufacturing districts
| furnish themes for "Wenderholme, by
Phillip G.. Hamerton. Through rh'
Fray" by G. A. Henty. and North and
South" by Mrs. Gaskell. In "Lothair'
and "Endymion' Disraeli describes po
litical conditions. Besant and Rice
discuss prison problems in the Chap
lain of the Fleet" and the ameliora
ton of the condition of the poor il
"All Sorts and Conditions of Men"